Milton crowned horse H&H readers would love most to ride
If you could ride any horse, past or present, who would it be?
That was the question H&H posed to readers last week, and the response was vast.
The resounding winner, however, was John Whitaker’s legendary partner Milton.
In a survey on Twitter 30% of H&H’s responding followers chose the mighty grey as their dream ride.
John Whitaker secured the ride on Milton in 1985 and the pair became a stellar combination. They were mainstays of British Nations Cup teams, and when the grey retired in 1994 he’d amassed more than £1.25m in prize money, the first in the sport to cross the million-pound mark.
Dual Olympic gold medal-winning dressage star Valegro was the runner up with 24%.
Diminutive showjumper Stroller scored 12%, while Charisma, Mark Todd’s gold medal-winning Olympic eventer, took 7% of votes.
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Arkle, Desert Orchid, Istabraq, King William, Classic II, Big Ben, Frankel, Imperial Cavalier and Murphy Himself all received 3% of votes.
Meanwhile on Facebook fans were also championing Milton, Valegro and Stroller.
“Definitely Milton — my bedroom walls were plastered in posters of him as a child. Saw him at Olympia in his retirement parade and cried my eyes out,” said Facebook fan Emma Featherstone.
While Sophie Ray added: “Milton, didn’t even have to think.”
Ryan’s Son, Red Rum, Aldaniti and Secretariat also got several favourable mentions, alongside H&H’s very own equine blogger Hovis.
In this week’s issue top riders including Lucinda Green, William Whitaker, Jennie Lorriston-Clarke and Richard Dunwoody, reveal which horse they wish they’d had the chance to ride.
Find out who the stars would pick in the new issue of H&H magazine, on sale tomorrow (Thursday 11 June)
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.