A rider who lost 10 stone to get back in the saddle hopes her story will inspire others to keep chasing their dreams.
Tracey Webster and her part-bred Clydesdale Proud Patch have enjoyed success in dressage and showing, including concours d’elegance, and they also jump and enjoy hound exercise. But for years, Tracey did not ride at all as her weight had reached 25 stone.
“To think I can do things like this, which I just couldn’t before,” Tracey told H&H. “Patch has given me so much; he’s a godsend. Everybody’s dream horse.”
Tracey does not come from a horsey family but was determined to ride.
“I used to come home from school, put a piece of cloth over the wall, get a piece of string for reins and sit there for hours,” she said. “My dad bought me a donkey, so I rode him but we used to travel, as we were part of the travelling community, and no one in my family really enjoyed riding. It was just me that got into it and kept doing it all my life.”
Tracey taught herself to ride and went on to do a bit of everything, from hunting to dressage. But her weight crept up, despite her efforts, until she felt she was too big to ride.
“I was still involved with horses; I had some nice cobs and other people would ride them and I’d groom but it was really hard, not riding,” she said.
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Tracey had a gastric band fitted, but it did not solve her issues; she lost some weight but not enough, so she then had a gastric bypass.
“It was quite a big operation and I couldn’t eat for three months; I was on soup,” she said. “But I lost quite a lot of weight and have kept it down, and I can do a lot more than I used to.
“It was absolutely amazing to be able to ride again. I remember getting a jacket and some boots on and feeling so proud, that I was in that outfit and could ride again.”
Tracey bought Patch as a seven-year-old, nine years ago, and together they have competed at Equifest and the STARS Champion of Champions event representing Norton and District Riding Club, and topped their local winter dressage league two years running. They have also enjoyed success in equitation classes and the concours d’elegance, for which she and her husband together make the costumes.
“I want people to think, if they feel they’ll never ride again, there is life and hope, you’ve got to want to do it and keep pushing,” she said. “I didn’t want to be this overgrown person who couldn’t ride or do anything and I’m really enjoying what I can do now, and proud of what we’ve achieved.”
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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.
