Wallace The Great took part in his first British Dressage (BD) show yesterday (22 July) – and won.
The first BD-registered mule took the intro section in his Team Quest competition at Summerhouse with 67.4%, helping his team to second place overall.
And despite the fact the national media was out in force, as well as a “huge fan club” there to cheer him on, the 11-year-old mule was not fazed by anything.
“I didn’t expect it at all,” rider Christie Mclean told H&H.
“He won an unaffiliated class a couple of weeks ago and this was slightly smaller but the others were still intro-level horses working at the same level as him, and I just wanted him to be happy with everything and come away confident.
“I do have a competitive streak that makes me want to be the best I can be so I can’t say I didn’t try my hardest; I’m so pleased.”
Christie said her marks were “probably exactly what I thought when I watched the video back”, and her test was “honestly marked”, which made her even happier.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
First BD Affiliated Dressage competition: and he won his class. Well done Christie!Posted by Steve Radcliffe on Sunday, July 22, 2018
And she said Wallace took all the attention in his stride.
“He had a pretty huge fan club there; I didn’t expect that many people!” she said. “And it was all eyes on Wallace, which was really nerve-racking.
“Also, he’s really flexible; if there’s a fly on his chest, he can literally swipe it off with his chin as he’s got such a long face and I was thinking, please don’t do that in the warm-up as it would look like rollkur!”
All the other horses there were unfazed by Wallace, Christie said, adding that “none of them looked twice”.
Wallace’s team now has two more outings before the end of August, and the riders are hoping to qualify for the regional Team Quest finals, which take place in September and October, with a national final in November.
The rider had hoped to take part in team quest affiliated competition with Wallace The Great
“So we could be going to the Team Quest regionals,” Christie said.
“People from all round the world have been trying to get in touch; from Sweden, New Zealand, the US – I hadn’t realised how few mules there are doing things.
“But he’s super-cool; not fazed by any of it.”
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
