‘He was a human horse; he loved people’: Farewell to RIHS and Windsor winning working hunter
Kelly Ward riding Bloomfield Incognito in Class 2 during the Royal Windsor Horse Show, held in the grounds of Windsor Castle in Windsor in Berkshire in the UK between 1st - 4th July 2021
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
The working hunter Bloomfield Incognito, who won at both Royal Windsor and the Royal International (RIHS) during 2021 has died aged 11 owing to an injury.
Bloomfield Incognito, who was known as Cruz at home, was owned by Cheryl Farrow and ridden and produced by Kelly Ward.
By Aloa Cruise, Cruz enjoyed much success as a lightweight hunter when shown by Leon King. He joined Kelly three years ago.
“Leon had ridden Cruz on the flat and he pointed me in his direction as he thought he might have a jump in him; he certainly did,” said Kelly. “Cruz had never jumped before, but he always had a pop in him. He was a natural, though was always a bit of a scaredy cat. Once he realised he could do it, you could have jumped the moon on him.”
“2021 was his first proper open season, and what a year we had, winning Windsor and the RIHS on his first visit there,” said Kelly. “He came into his own at Hickstead; he loved the big open ring and while he’d never been there before, he loved it. He’d never seen an open water jump in a competition setting, and he just skipped round like he’d been doing it for ever. In the main ring championship he was perfect, he showed off like he was the ultimate professional.”
To ride, Kelly said Cruz was “super careful with an amazing jump” but was always “a little bit timid.”
“He was probably one of the most careful horses I’ve ever sat on,” she said. “He had that look at me quality you need; he was a show horse with a jump, not a jumping horse tidied up to make look like a show horse.
“On the ground he was a human horse; he loved people.”
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