Meet Emma Taylor and Sparky, aka Midlife Crisis Barbie and her Dream Unicorn.
Emma and Novato Salvatella, her then 17-year-old PRE stallion, won both the best costume prize and the class itself, at the Veteran Horse Society National Championships.
They performed a medium-level test in the VHS “strictly fancy dressage” at the 2022 event, and Emma has shared her costume now in honour of the release of Barbie in cinemas this weekend.
“I’m 50, and I thought ‘Do you know what, why not’” Emma told H&H. “It’s a fantastic class; an opportunity really to use your imagination and be creative, and to really enjoy your horse.”
Emma had previously taken part in the class – and won both prizes – twice, as Princess Fiona and Donkey from Shrek, and as Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
“I’m not a ‘pink girl’ at all,” she said. “I had a couple of ideas, and this wasn’t one of them, but then my husband and I were driving and Aqua’s Barbie Girl came on. We laughed and he looked at me and said ‘You’ve got to do this’. I said ‘I’’ll only do it if you’re Ken’! And he was.”
Emma explained that the class is a five-minute performance including the dressage test. So she, her husband and a friend entered the arena together, Barbie and Ken in their boxes initially, of course, and Barbie’s sister, who played with a beach ball with Ken while the test was going on.
Emma said she makes all the costumes herself, with much sewing and glue involved – “I’ve Superglued my fingers together a few times!” Last year’s involved tan dance leggings for her, a pink leotard and pink skirt, plus a T-shirt with the words Midlife Crisis Barbie sewn on.
Sparky sported his normal bridle covered in pink vet wrap, feathers and tinsel, pink bandages and silver overreach boots , to match the silver boots his rider uses every day.
A blonde wig glued on Emma’s hat, a tiara, a home-made unicorn horn and a good few fairy lights, as well as a breastplate saying Real Life Unicorn, completed the picture.
“Sparky is actually a serious competition horse the rest of the time!” said Emma, who competes him in showing and MCI dressage and working equitation. “But he is a real-life unicorn. He’s the kindest, gentlest stallion you’ll ever meet, a complete gentleman. He has lots of little girl fans, who come and stand on stools to groom him, and he puts his head down and is so gentle for them. But to ride, he’s got so much presence; he’s an absolute showman.”
Emma hopes sharing her story will make others laugh, and maybe be inspired to do the same.
“Lots of people have said to me they wish they could do it, and I say ‘Why can’t you?’ she said. “I’m not particularly confident but I love my boy and I’m so happy to have him. You get one life with your horses, enjoy it.”
Emma added that she is already working on this year’s costume.
“I won’t say what it is but let’s just say it will be on another level!” she said.
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