Coffee break with Andrew Hoy

Introduce yourself

I am a kid who grew up on a farm in the Australian countryside who just loves horses and riding. I am lucky to be able to do for a living what I enjoy most – riding horses. In 39 years of international competition the horses have taken me around the world to the most outstanding places and I have been fortunate to meet the most wonderful people.

Where are you based? Tell us a little about your yard location and facilities.

I’m based at Somerby Stables, Somerby in Leicestershire. I run my own training facility with the capacity for up to 28 horses – some of them are my competition horses and some of them are ridden by students who are training with me. We are lucky to have fantastic facilities, including indoor and outdoor arenas.

What is your main competition discipline and at which level(s) are you involved?

Eventing, at Top International Level and I’ve competed at seven Olympic Games.

Tell us a little about your top horses

Rutherglen is a fantastic athlete and at the same time one of my best friends. I bought him as a 4 year old stallion in Germany, so we have come a long way together and got to know one another very well. Within my team of horses he is the absolute perfectionist; he loves to be out and busy and wants to do everything right. He is a real overachiever and at the same time a very sensitive character. He is a ‘people´s person‘ –very observant, loves attention, is a very kind personality and enjoys his competitions. Just  a real pleasure to have around!

The Blue Frontier joined the Hoy Team in March 2015, coming from World Champion Sandra Auffarth´s yard in Ganderkesee, Germany.
Blue is a real character and a wonderful horse and I since starting to work with him I have grown very fond of him! His ability to move and jump is enormous and after getting to know one another, we can´t wait to get out there and compete!

Cheeky Calimbo is Cheeky by name and by nature. He has been with me since 2009 and I am convinced he can read and write! He is one of the most extraordinary and talented horses I have ever ridden, a huge character, enormously intelligent and ‘secret favourite‘ of my girlfriend. Although one of the smallest horses on the yard, he is the most dominant in a very clever way – and clearly  ‘The Boss‘ at Somerby Stables.

When I saw Composer for the first time at the Holsteiner Elite auction in Germany in 2008 he immediately caught my eye - he is such a beautiful and elegant tall horse with outstanding movements and a jaw-dropping scope in his jump. Although one of the tallest horses on the yard he is also one of the shy characters – but a true competitor. He is enormously talented so has found it easy to come up through the grades – I believe he is going to be a ‘big time‘ horse and I am very much looking forward to this season with him!

What have been the highlights of the current season so far?  

They are still to come, hopefully!

What other major successes have you enjoyed in your equine career to date?

Three Olympic Team Gold Medals, one Olympic Individual Silver Medal and wins of CCI4*s at Burghley, Badminton, Kentucky & Luhmühlen

With whom do you train regularly?

Gareth Hughes & Beatrice Bürchler-Keller (former Olympic Judge) in the Dressage and Ros Morgan in the Showjumping

Which three tasks do you carry out EVERY day on the yard?

Briefing for the day with my team, checking all my horses’ legs and entering all details of the training of the horses into a diary

How do your horses benefit from the use of ArcEquine’s microcurrent technology and why you feel it is an important element in your success?

 “If you are standing still – you are moving backwards. I have been competing at international level for 39 years and continually strive to improve not only the horses’  training but all daily measurements around the management of my horses. They are top athletes and it is imperative to me that no stone is left unturned to support their health and wellbeing. Since experiencing positive results during a trial period, all of the horses in my care receive treatments with ArcEquine – whether it is in a period of recovery after hard work, coming back from an injury or just to maintain their wellbeing. I believe in the product and am proud to stand for it as an Ambassador.”

What happens next?

The World Equestrian Games (WEG) in 2018 and theTokyo Olympics in 2020.

What is your favourite meal?

Grilled seabass and salad

What are your most worn items of clothing?

Jeans

Snow or beach holiday?

Snow

Cats or Dogs?

Both – We have a cat, Garfield and two dogs, Isaac Newton and  Ivanhoe

And finally – Tea or Coffee?

Coffee

10 minute coffee with Lucinda Fredericks

Lucinda Fredericks in action across country

Introduce yourself
I guess I am best known for my famous little mare Headley Britannia, who together with me won 3 of the world's total 6 CCI4* FEI events, these being Burghley 2006, Badminton 2007 and Kentucky 2009. Headley Britannia is the only mare to have ever won all three events. I believe Headley Britannia and I still hold the record for the best ever finishing penalty score at 4* level of 32.3.  I’ve ridden for the Australian team twice at the Beijing (with Headley Britannia) and London Olympics (with Flying Finish). 

Where are you based? Tell us a little about your location and facilities.
I am based on the Salisbury Plain in Little Cheverell just outside of Devizes in Wiltshire.  Rosegarth, my yard, is a great location to be based, with easy access to many of the top eventing sites as well as fantastic off site hacking both on and off road.

Lucinda pictured with her two office staff - Emma Charlton,
her marketing manager (left) and PA Deb Faulkner (right)

Our facilities include a brand new 30 m x 60m outdoor school (March 2017) - stabling with rubber matting - wash area with state of the art solarium - lunge pen - covered horse walker - rower and rub show jumps - gated access and an alarmed tack room - full onsite security system.  We currently have Canadian riders Rebecca Howard and Kelly McCarthy-Maine based on site with me.  We always have space for riders in residence, short or long term placements for short term training needs in a run up to an event where extra tuition is wanted.

What is your main competition discipline and at which level(s) are you involved?

3 Day Eventing

Tell us a little about your top horses

Lucinda with Headley Brittainia

Headley Britannia (Brit) - “Brit was the best horse I could have ever hoped to have ridden and I owe her so much.  I am so thankful for the partnership I had with Brit, she was one in a million.  She was small but had such a huge heart.  She was a true professional and made my career what it is, and without her I wouldn’t be where I am.  She was my best friend.  She touched so many people’s lives and always brought a smile to everyone’s face”.
Brit’s competitive spirit, manoeuvrability, sheer guts and a will to win propelled her to the top of the equestrian sport of eventing.   She is one of only two horses to have won all three of the top four-star events (Badminton, Burghley, and Kentucky Rolex), and the best ever eventing mare in history. Brit retired from top level competition in 2012 but enjoyed a win at Express Eventing in 2013. She sadly was put to sleep on April 1^st 2014.

The next two horses - Britannia’s Mail and Little Britannia are 'Brit Legacy' elite syndicated horses by Olympic Show Jumper Jaguar Mail out of triple 4* winner Olympic Medallist Headley Britannia. 

Britannia’s Mail (Marley) - is a confident, genuine competition horse with a professional, focussed attitude at all times.  He has a relaxed, affectionate and kind temperament which mean he is able to combine his eventing with stud duties. Britannia’s Mail continues to prove himself to be outstandingly tough and sound and he is progressing in his international career to meet his parent’s successes. 

Britannia's Mail

Lucinda with Little Britannia

Little Britannia (Millie) - is developing into a true professional competition horse. Millie is delightful to work with, she is a taller, rangier version of her mum but so much like her in so many ways.

Lucinda with Little Britannia

What have been the highlights of the current season so far?
I  haven't started the season yet, but highlights include Ellie going out to Bovington for her first BE 90 on two ponies and of course the recent birth of the first of our two foals expected. The first born foal is by In Fashion Too (Flicka) and out of Britannia's Mail (Marley). She has fantastic breeding as her 'grandparents' include Prada, Oslo, Headley Britannia and Jaguar Mail, so this an exciting prospect to be followed closely in the future. 

What other major successes have you enjoyed in your equine career to date?

Badminton, Burghley and Kentucky wins with Brit as noted above.

With whom do you train regularly?

Grant Wilson, five times a year for jump training.

 

Lucinda teaching, which she does every day

Which three tasks do you carry out EVERY day on the yard?

Teaching, managing a plan for the horses for the day and managing my staff (I’m very bossy!)

How your horses benefit from the use of ArcEquine’s microcurrent technology and why do you feel it is an important element in your success?

The four programmes you can use work from initial pain relief through to repair and on to maintenance.  It is so simple to use and the horses don’t notice it, as it’s completely non- invasive.  It’s also not just about the horses; I use it regularly myself and having used it more than any other equestrian due to injuries, I am 100% confident that the ArcEquine does a fantastic job to speed up the healing process. In all my previous injuries, my recovery has been a lot quicker than expected.  I can highly recommend it.

What happens next?

Millie and Marley are going to go up to 3* this year, and possibly 4*.  I’m also producing home bred young stock, as well as investing in building a training and development programme on site for riders.

What is your favourite meal?

Home made belly pork with lots of crackling.

What are your most worn items of clothing – but please, no brand names!

Anything warm and fluffy when its cold – I don’t like being cold.

Snow or beach holiday?

Beach

Dogs or cats?

Dogs (I have a Jack Russell called Cola)

And finally – Tea or Coffee?

Coffee, but in the evening I prefer a long weak Gin and tonic or a good sauvignon.