Nicola Wilson and husband Alistair. Photo by Peter Nixon/H&H.
Her Late Majesty The Queen’s pony Carltonlima Emma won the Agria Horse of a Lifetime Award at last night’s Horse & Hound Awards 2022 in partnership with NAF. Fell pony Emma enjoyed a successful breeding and showing career before spending 15 years hacking with The Queen in Windsor Great Park.
The mare achieved worldwide fame at the age of 26 when she waited patiently for Her Majesty’s coffin to arrive in Windsor, one of the most poignant moments of The Queen’s funeral day in September.
Lizzie Briant, who produced Emma for the show ring, collected the award and said: “I persuaded Terry [Pendry, The Queen’s stud manager] to buy Emma for The Queen as a broodmare. She had such an incredible temperament, so I asked if I could show her and Her Majesty said yes. She was born on the Fells and is a typical Fell pony – she’s sure-footed, forward going and never minds any atmosphere. She is a lovely ride and the kindest of mares.”
Showjumper David Broome won the Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement Award. David rode at five Olympics and won 14 championship medals, including Britain’s first individual Olympic showjumping medal, a bronze in 1960 in Rome. That year, he was the first British rider to be named sports personality of the year.
David said: “I’ve had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed it. Every win’s important on the day and I’ve had a lot of fun. I can remember winning a £50 class at Malmesbury, beating all the young riders in it. I was about 40 on a horse that couldn’t go very quick and I managed to pull off a bit of a turn – I was tickled pink that day!”
More than 300 people attended a glittering evening to celebrate the seventh Horse & Hound Awards on 30 November at Cheltenham Racecourse.
Guests rose to their feet for Nicola Wilson, the event rider who was seriously injured at Badminton, when she was named the winner of the HorseDialog Inspiration of the Year award.
Nicola paid tribute to everybody who has supported her and particularly her “phenomenal” husband Alastair, and spoke of her plans to train and mentor other riders at her Yorkshire yard.
“Horses and the sport is what I love. I’ve dreamed of competing at the top all my life. It’s sad seeing an empty yard and it would be lovely to be part of others’ journey,” she said.
“So many people have helped me achieve what I’ve achieved. I’ve had a wonderful time to date and it’s important to me that I move into the next chapter of my life with the same positivity and determination as I did the first.”
The Horse & Hound Awards 2022 winners:
● Bloomfields Horse of the Year: Burghley winner Vanir Kamira
● Equo Pony of the Year: the late Forester
● Pikeur Professional Rider of the Year: Badminton winner Laura Collett
● PIVO Amateur Rider of the Year: five-star eventer Libby Seed
● Equipe Moment of the Year: Piggy March and Vanir Kamira winning
Burghley
● Tommy Hilfiger Equestrian Young Rider of the Year: showjumper Joe Stockdale
● NAF Five Star PROFEET Farrier of the Year: the late Brendan Murray
● Absorbine Groom of the Year: Ruth Asquith, groom for Nicola Wilson
● The Horse & Hound Podcast Volunteer of the Year: Sarah Bucks and Phil
Wadey
● Baileys Horse Feeds Vet of the Year: Emily Willoughby
● HorseDialog Inspiration of the Year: Nicola Wilson
● Agria Horse of a Lifetime: Carltonlima Emma
● Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement: David Broome
