Nineteen-year-old pony retires after London International win: ‘We’ll just have fun now’

A 19-year-old pony retired from competition on the biggest stage when Millcroft Gilgamesh, ridden by Olivia Eglise, won the Pony Club London Horse Show mini-major today, a class sponsored by Green Mile Bedding.

Olivia was paired with Italian rider Lorenzo de Luca, whose ride Mangoon shied away from the snowman fence, missing it twice. But only fences down were penalised in the adult riders’ rounds, so he didn’t kibosh Olivia’s chances and the 12-year-old piloted “Mole” to the fastest performance.

Asked if the crowd made her nervous in the London Horse Show mini-major, Olivia said: “No, it makes me excited – it revs me up.”

VWH Pony Club branch member Olivia has had Mole for six years; he initially joined her as a working hunter and then turned to showjumping.

“He is cheeky. He does what he wants and if you try to change that, then he doesn’t like you,” she said. “If you give him treats, he really likes you. He loves jumping, it’s so fun.”

Mole will stay with Olivia’s family in his retirement.

“I’ll just hack him and have fun with him,” said Olivia.

Pony team-mates vie for honours

Earlier today, Sophia Rogers took the honours in the mini stakes, for 148cm ponies – by 0.3 of a second. Sophia and her mother Nicola’s Neil 55 have had a stellar year, with a second European team gold and a victory at Horse of the Year Show.

Sophia recorded one of seven initial clears, despite an unplanned extra stride in the three-stride distance from three to four.

“I got nervous and took a pull – I can almost adjust Neil too well and he helps me out so much,” she said.

But in the jump-off Sophia left out a stride in three lines, after watching the first in, Ireland’s pony European team silver medallist Sam Widger, who ended up third on Little Smithe.

“Sam didn’t take out any strides but made it to the fences quite deep, so my trainer Jason Moore said I could do it. Neil’s very horse shy — I can’t have people cantering at me in the warm-up, because he freaks out – but I can trust him in the ring,” said Sophia, whose sister Izabella also rode Neil to a pony team bronze.

Hollie Gerken and Galaxy V, Sophia’s team-mates in two European golds, took second.

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