Forgeland Hyde Park's dam Fernhill Park has died

Forgeland Hyde Park has been very successful in the hack ranks at Windsor — Forgeland Hyde Park winning the hack championship at Royal Windsor in 2022.

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Carol Jackson and Camilla Cottle’s former top ridden large hack and intermediate contender turned broodmare Fernhill Park has been put down after a short illness aged 27.

Fernhill Park, known as Georgie at home, is the dam of the Mears family’s multiple Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) and Royal Windsor hack and intermediate champion Forgeland Hyde Park.

Will began his career under saddle with Carol’s daughter Camilla. At his very first show he qualified for HOYS as a hack and in the same season he was crowned home-produced supreme at the British Show Horse Association championships. The following year he won the Royal Angel amateur supreme title at the North of England Show. After HOYS in 2016 he was sold to the Wallace family and he was produced by Jayne Ross for a period, winning most major titles. He then enjoyed more success with Robert Walker before he joined Danielle Heath, with whom he is still based. In 2021 he became a dual HOYS champion, winning the intermediate championship with Issy Mears and the hack title with Danielle. He is the reigning RIHS hack supreme champion.

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Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.

‘She will be dearly missed’: superstar mare put down aged 27

Team Hollings later took over her production. She continued her run as a hack, winning at Royal Lancashire and Cheshire County, and also succeeded as an intermediate, qualifying for both HOYS and the RIHS. She was also intermediate champion at the British Show Pony Society championships.

“She had a very good run under saddle before she became a really wonderful mother,” said Carol, who bought Georgie in foal to Willowcroft Regal Bronze from Sally Cornforth.

Carol had five foals out of Georgie over the years but the Kilvington Scoundrel son Forgeland Hyde Park (Will) has undoubtedly been the most successful.

“I only put Georgie to Scoundrel once; Penny Hollings initially suggested the idea of crossing her with him,” said Carol. “If only I could have bred a few more like Will!

“Georgie was a scopey mare and she really filled the eye. She was a really nice stamp and was a proper type. She will be dearly missed.”

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