Tom Rowland has paid tribute to his popular top-level ride Possible Mission on the five-star campaigner’s retirement from elite competition.
Tom and the 17-year-old recorded three Badminton completions and three five-star cross-country jumping clears on their impressive CV. The gelding has retired “sound, fit and well” to enjoy a new chapter of his life on the hunting field and showing his owners’ granddaughter the ropes at junior level.
“He wasn’t necessarily a natural event horse, but he just had a massive heart – he really wanted to do it and had a huge work ethic,” Tom told H&H.
“He has been a legend who owes us nothing, but to whom we owe so much.”
The Irish Sport Horse hunted in Ireland as a youngster, before he was acquired by the late Robin Patrick and his wife, Bunny. The Patricks chose the then 21-year-old Tom to take the ride, and horse and rider cut their teeth in the sport together.
“He was very brave and while we weren’t very fast, he would always stay,” said Tom. “I think that’s why he was so brilliant at Badminton last year. He got round that difficult course – it’s that kind of Irish hunting instinct, he will just stay all day.”
The Temple Clover son would spend the first half of the off-season under the guidance of his “adoptive owner” Venetia Chamberlain, returning to Tom in January. This is the first spring for 12 years that Tom will not see his friendly face over the stable door.
“Venetia would do his roadwork with him before he came back and she always said his attitude was like marching into battle – you would just get on him and off you go,” he said.
“He’s given me the confidence and belief to do it. I think everyone needs that kind of first horse to get them going. I’m grateful to him for that.”
The pair finished 19th at Badminton 2023 and also recorded multiple four-star placings. Tom recalls his most treasured memory with “Hunter” as the moment before his first tilt across country at the Gloucestershire five-star in 2019.
“Badminton is very local to me, so it’s always been a big deal, but it’s a very special moment when you do your first,” said Tom. “It’s very easy to get overwhelmed by the Badminton bubble, the Badminton experience.
“I have this memory of riding down through the crowds to the cross-country warm-up. It was right at the end of the day – I was the last of the single riders before the multiples started again, so it was a really long wait.
I rode down with Tim Price, who was on his second horse, and all these people came over to the string, not for me, but for Tim, to say good luck. It was quite overwhelming.
“I said to Tim a couple of weeks later, ‘how do you get over that?’ He replied, ‘You never really do – it’s always a pinch-me moment’.”
He added: “I don’t think anyone forgets their first Badminton.”
Hunter will enjoy his senior years with his owners in Surrey, hunting with Venetia, and eventing with Bunny’s granddaughter Lily Maltby.
“Thank you to Robin and Bunny, of course Venetia, who knows him better than anyone, and a huge team of people who have been involved with Hunter over the years,” said Tom.
“But mainly thank you Hunter for making dreams come true and showing that if horse and rider have a partnership, trust and belief in each other, then anything is possible.”
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