Tia Squibb and Christopher Megahey during of Class 13 (Mini Major) at the Equestrian.com Liverpool International Horse Show at Echo Arena, Liverpool, UK; on 1st January December 2016
If young Eve McCoy is anything like her 20-time champion jockey father Tony “AP” McCoy, the mini major showjumping class at Liverpool International Horse Show in December is set to be a high-octane affair.
The 11-year-old, who is already a keen showjumper, is to line up alongside 13 rivals, each of whom will be paired with one of the top riders in the country — John Whitaker, Laura Renwick and Matt Sampson to name a few — to compete in a relay race over the coloured fences, all riding in fancy dress. The class is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the show.
“I was told I had to be in Liverpool by 30 December — it just shows you how things change in your life when you start getting bossed around by your 11-year-old daughter!” said AP McCoy, who retired from racing in 2015 and now finds himself “being dragged to shows and mucking out ponies”.
AP rode a record 4,358 winners in his career and was crowned champion jockey 20 consecutive times, winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2010. He was knighted in 2016.
AP, his wife Chanelle and son Archie will all be in Liverpool on the Sunday to cheer home the family’s new superstar.
“We’ve planned Christmas around it,” said Chanelle. “We have no expectations — Eve does, of course. But I think it’s a brilliant experience for kids to feel the pressure of the big day when they are young. It really prepares you for later in life and when you do go into the working world, it helps if you know these emotions already.”
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
