Piggy March on losing a special young home-bred and retiring a stalwart from eventing at the highest level of the sport
My career over the past 10 years has felt like an emotional rollercoaster ride, from some of the most heart-breaking experiences to achieving lifelong dreams.
In our sport everyone knows the drill, especially the mental and emotional ups and downs, but this was heartbreak of a different kind. My husband Thomas, who has put so much time, energy and passion into his breeding operation, had bred a horse we knew had the wow factor and who had so much natural ability and a wonderful temperament.
Everyone who had the privilege of seeing “Brash” knew we had something very special, who embodied our love for horses, for producing them, for this sport and for its future.
I also know that Brash, as with every horse in our yard, was cared for to the best of our ability. His colic was discovered very early and treated as well and as quickly as we possibly could, by our team and then by Oakham Veterinary Hospital, whose care was second to none during Brash’s short illness.
Everyone did everything they possibly could; he wasn’t insured, but he was loved very much by Thomas and me and his wonderful owners Jane March, Susannah Paybody and Susie Wood. There were no boundaries to what we would have done to keep him alive, happy and pain-free.
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Unfortunately too much went too wrong too quickly, and there was nothing anyone could do to save him.
We owed it to her
On a very different note, I am so grateful to owner Trevor Dickens for recently agreeing to retire Vanir Kamira (Tilly) from CCI5* competition. It was a difficult decision to make when she was so fit and well and last year, aged 17, performed at her very best to win Burghley by seven marks.
She has been an absolute soldier for me, my team and the Dickens family. It is hard to stop with a horse when they are winning and looking so well, but I felt we owed it to her to retire her from that level when she was still at the top of her game. I know for a fact that she hasn’t had enough, she has done enough.
What she does now is another matter and we will take it step by step. She looks a picture and loves her life; I will let her tell us what she wants, and she could still enjoy some one-day events.
It is amazing that in one week you can experience emotions that break your heart with sadness and ones that make you so grateful and filled with pride for a horse – a friend – with whom you have been associated for years. What has astounded me is the genuine and unbelievable support we have received from people who understand horses, our lifestyle and our sport.
“Impossible utopia”
While there are many that get our life and our connections with horses, it saddens me that our world is increasingly one in which people say that horse sport and riding is cruel. I know that the great majority of those involved with horses at any level would give their last penny, as we would have done with Brash, to give them the best life possible.
Horses give so much, but they also enjoy having a job and purpose. It scares me that the uneducated could decide the future for horses and think that an impossible utopia where they “live free” of humans could be best for them.
Our community needs to work together to show that we, who love horses, who respect them and understand them must lead the way, which also directs me to rules in horse sport – but that is for another day.
Rest in peace Brash and thank you Tilly Bean for fulfilling our dreams. Thank you for everything.
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Piggy March is one of Britain’s leading event riders, frequently winning at national and international events and representing her country. She made her five-star debut at Burghley Horse Trials in 2002, but had to wait until Badminton Horse Trials 2019 to claim her first five-star victory in her 25th start at the level. Piggy has won both team and individual medals representing Britain at the Europeans and World Equestrian Games, and has been selected for the Olympics, only to be ruled out from competing.
