TWO members of the Olympic silver medal-winning eventing team were riding horses with strong Manx links.
Zara Phillips, the Queen’s eldest grand-daughter, rode High Kingdom, owned by Andreas-based multi-millionaire Trevor Hemmings at Greenwich Park on Tuesday. Team mate, the legendary Mary King, rode Imperial Cavalier, owned by Sue Davies, wife of former Strix boss Eddie.
Before the event, Sue said she would be travelling down to London for the eventing and said if either of her horses secured a medal she would have a near-replica made.
Sue has owned Imperial Cavalier, a bay gelding, for five years. The horse is normally based in Devon with Mary King, one of Britain’s most prolific equestrians.
But the Manx links to the equine side of London 2012 don’t end there – Sue also owns Tinka’s Serenade, a chestnut mare normally stabled with her rider and co-owner Billy Twomey in Nottingham.
Billy will ride Tinka’s Serenade in the individual jumping event, qualifying for which begins on Saturday.
The fourth link to the island – and perhaps the strongest – comes in the form of Randell, a 10-year-old gelding usually based at Ballawillykilley, Glen Vine, with owner Sue Kirkpatrick.
Ravell, or Rolo as he is affectionately known, will take part in the modern pentathlon event over August 11/12.
The modern pentathlon sees competitors take part in five different events in one day: fencing, swimming, show jumping, running and shooting. Competitors do not find out until the day before which horse they will be riding and so Sue does not yet know who will be competing with Rolo.
‘My friend’s uncle had the contract to take horses to the event,’ explained Sue, who has owned Rolo for three years. ‘And I didn’t have much use for him [Rolo] this summer. I hunt him through the winter and have evented him.
‘He passed his gradings and that’s how he got in. They went down to London on Wednesday.
‘It’s a really, really popular event.’
Rolo is the offspring of a grade A jumping stallion called Randy, owned by Trevor Hemmings. Sue will be glued to the television as her horse begins his challenge.
‘He’s a good boy,’ she said. ‘Hopefully he’ll go clear for them. It’ll be exciting, nerve-wracking.’