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‘We’ve some of the best riders in the world, but we can’t rely on Ben, Scott and Harry forever’: Tim Gredley discusses the future of British showjumping
British showjumper Tim Gredley has has been involved in the sport since his teenage years, representing his country at world and European championships, Nations Cups and enjoying great individual success, too.
“I read a very interesting article recently from [2014 world jumping champion] Jeroen Dubbeldam, who said it’s very hard to know what’s important in the sport anymore,” Tim Gredley says. “There are so many leagues, Rolex series, Longines shows and so on. Yet when I first started out, it was very simple – there were World Cups and Nations Cups and that was it. They were the targets.
“Nowadays every rider has to find what they think is important. For me, the Nations Cups are important and that’s what I like to target.
“But nationally is what worries me the most,” Tim continues. “Everybody can sit back and blame Brexit, but it’s worrying how many good riders are going abroad because there’s not enough incentive for them in this country any more. The leadership in British Showjumping needs to look at what initiatives they can come up with to keep our riders in the UK.
Tim Gredley: could paid apprenticeships solve the problem?
Tim says he doesn’t claim to have all the answers to keeping riders in the UK and helping young riders progress, but puts forward one possible solution.
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“Perhaps a paid apprenticeship with professional riders could work,” suggests Tim. “When I started in the sport, all the big stables had young jockeys from their own country coming through. That’s how young riders learned and got access to shows and horses. With the rising costs of everything nowadays, a lot of riders don’t have the resources to have a second or third jockey, so if BS could step in and help in some way there…
“It’s a very grassroots solution but there’s absolutely no substitute for getting into those professional yards. You can watch and learn,” says Tim, who was based with Robert Smith and Nick Skelton. “It’s so expensive to get going in the sport now, so if there was some kind of initiative – funded apprenticeships for example – it would be great for the younger generation.”
Why British is best when buying horses
Tim also talks about his current string of horses, led at the moment by the brilliant Medoc De Toxandria, with the exciting 10-year-old mare Vuitton Of Picobello Z and nine-year-old Romelus De Muze also coming through the ranks.
Tim is a great advocate for buying British, sourcing most of his horses from riders and producers on home soil, including from Jessica Burke, James Wilson, David Simpson and Alex Barr.
“All four of my horses on my string just now were sourced from England,” he says. “There’s a bit of a stigma that people have to travel abroad to buy these horses, but actually I’ve been very lucky with buying from the UK.”
An unusual method
Explaining his unusual tactic of rarely trying horses before he buys them, Tim says he “specifically buys horses from people I know”.
“There has to be a lot of trust in the deal. I’m not saying it works for everybody, but I have a system in my mind as to how I buy horses – I’m very strict in the way I do it,” he says. “The game is so professional now and sometimes when you go to try horses, they’re completely different when you get them home anyway.
“There’s so much information out there now, with videos available and so on, so sometimes not trying them and just getting them in your yard is the best way of doing it. You sometimes just find so many reasons not to buy them that you never end up buying them. Once they’re in your yard you have to work with them and make a success of it.”
To hear more about Tim Gredley’s insights on buying and producing horses, his visions for the future, quitting the sport and what makes top horse Medoc De Toxandria so special, listen here to episode 176 of The Horse & Hound Podcast – or search for “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.
Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
