Staying in the plate
AS we rode home after a memorable day over the Galway Blazers’ heavenly old turf and myriad limestone walls, I noticed that a man riding next to me was heavily scratched, bruised and mud-daubed.
When I commiserated, he admitted he had a crashing fall with his hireling, and added: “Some b****** from Horse & Hound collared the best horse today, I hear.”
As the visiting hunting correspondent, I coughed and replied, “Quite so.” Then I trotted on smartly.
It was not a press seat priority, but sheer good fortune that had provided me with an excellent ride on a five-year-old hunter from the famous Galway horse dealer and hirer Willie Leahy. The renowned Leicestershire dealer, Barbara Rich, had asked me if I would “try” a young horse she might buy from Willie for a client in England.
“When they does that, Sir, they needs a younger man on them”
JIM WEBSTER ABOUT MICHAEL CLAYTON’S FALL IN A DITCH
I gave the horse a warm recommendation to
