Step aside, Paul the Octopus, there’s a new psychic football score-predicting animal in town, and he says England will win tomorrow’s (11 July) Euro 2020 final.
Highland gelding Angus, who has correctly forecast the result of all but one of England’s games in the tournament so far, has garnered a huge following on BBC Radio Kent, and has had his picture up in lights in London.
The 11-year-old belongs to broadcast journalist Annabel Dry, who has been helping Angus make his predictions, live on the radio, using carrots and country name cards.
“We had a meeting before the Euros and were wondering if there was something we could do locally that was creative and fun,” Annabel told H&H.
“There was a farmer somewhere up north with a pig who was doing predictions and we wondered if there would be someone local doing it, then someone said: ‘You’ve got a horse, why don’t you do it?’ and I thought ‘Why not?’! Angus is very lucky, especially after his operation, so I thought it’ll be a bit of fun, give it a go.”
Carnage at the stables as Angus the mystic horse makes his final prediction live on the radio. But did he pick England or Italy?Posted by BBC Radio Kent on Friday, July 9, 2021
“Before each game, I’ve been standing in his field with a microphone, voice recorder and carrots,” Annabel said. “The field’s next to a footpath so people must think I’m mad!”
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Annabel said before the first game, against Croatia on 13 June, she had an apple for England and a carrot for Croatia, but she found out he is far more partial to carrots, so the same treat has been on offer in all his predictions since.
“The Germany game is the only one he’s got wrong,” she added. “He loves it, and it’s had such a huge response on the radio; it’s one of the most called and texted about topics, our listeners seem to love him. People keep asking ‘Where’s Angus?’!
“It started as a bit of fun but it’s really taken off, to the point that for the last match, he was chosen as a Euro 2020 hero, and his picture was on a huge screen next to Tower Bridge. He’s got a huge following; I think it’s gone to his head a bit!”
His most important prediction yet, on the outcome of tomorrow’s final against Italy at Wembley, was slightly chaotic, Annabel said, with Angus trying to take some unscheduled diversions en route to the carrot — but he picked the England one straight away.
“It’s been good fun and had such a huge response, we might do it again for the Six Nations,” Annabel said.
She added: “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted my own horse and to get into Horse & Hound; Angus’s two reasons for getting in have been having his penis removed and this — but that still counts, right?!”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
