THE THOROUGHBRED IS best known for racing, but this versatile breed can turn its hoof to almost anything — think of Gemma Stevens’ Arctic Soul, who notched up three top 10 Badminton finishes and won team gold at the 2018 World Equestrian Games; David Broome’s showjumper Philco, who claimed team silver at the 1977 European Championships and team gold at the 1978 World Championships; Christopher Bartle’s Wily Trout, whose career highlights included finishing sixth in the dressage at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games; and Barbers Shop, bred by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother but who raced inendurance to TREC, polo, polocrosse and horseball. The list is long. With all this in mind, who is to say that they can’t also become excellent ‘happy hackers’, too?
