Izzy Taylor has been quietly producing some top class horses and impressive results since bringing home a team silver and individual bronze medal from Young Riders in 2004. I was delighted to catch up with her over the weekend as I’ve been longing for an excuse to talk to her. As she’s preparing for her first Badminton with Briarlands Matilda, and with Briarlands Blackberry on the waiting list, there seemed like no better time. No better time for me perhaps; but Izzy, who campaigns ten horses from her base in Lyneham, Oxfordshire, was spending the last weekend before the big event competing four horses at Burnham Market Horse Trials in Norfolk, and crossing her fingers not to get hurt! However, I caught up with her on the eve of cross country in her lorry, and she kindly moved away from the noisy generator (!) and spared me some time to chat.
With four at Burnham Market (an eventual 7th and 15th placing in the 2*, an 11th place in the 3* and 16th place in the advanced), I asked Izzy who’s left at home to run at Badminton,
“I’ve got the Matilda mare (Briarlands Matilda) definitely going , and I think there’s about three left before (Briarlands) Blackberry gets in. I think I have up until the day before the trot-up, so wednesday this year, to see if he’ll get in or not.”
Izzy finished 3rd at Blenheim in 2009, and 19th in 2010 on her Badminton ride, Matilda, and I asked her what kind of horse she is,
“She’s a real jumping mare. Guy Avis bred her, like Briarlands Blackberry, and she’s bred to be a three day eventer, she’s really careful. Her flatwork’s not stunning, but in my opinion she’s the perfect horse to do a first four star on, I trust her completely and she’s really safe.”
In her late twenties, Izzy rents and runs a busy yard with her partner and fellow eventer Oli Smith, and they have two small children – two year old Lily, and Freddie who’s nine months. Before embarking on a career in eventing, Izzy spent a year in Holland honing her craft, but in a bad fall she cracked two vertabrae, and her recovery was long and difficult. Instead of putting her off, if anything she said it made her even more determined. Remarkably laid back, she tells me she’s looking forward to Badminton, but not counting her chickens,
“I’m excited, but at the same time, I’ve still got to get there! There’s still this weekend to get through, and we’ve got to keep her sound. She’s a perfectly sound horse, but you know what horses are like! Also, I don’t want to get over-excited about going to my first four star and fall off at the first fence!”
Spring preparation this year has been somewhat tricky with Badminton coming earlier,
“It’s been a bit different to what I’ve expected, when you think about going to Badminton. Matilda ran two or three OI’s (Open Intermediates) in which she was good, and then she was meant to do the 3* at Belton, but she didn’t get to go because she had an infection, but she ran last week at Weston Park in the advanced, and she was good. So, it hasn’t been foot perfect, but everything happens for a reason…she went well last weekend, she feels good, she feels fit, so hopefully she’s ready for it.”
Her base is centrally located and boasts great facilities, as well as being close to her family, and the Bicester and Heythrop Hunt country. Izzy’s mother was master of the Bicester for many years, and Guy Avis, owner and breeder of the Briarlands horses, is Secretary of the Heythrop. Guy keeps his horses at his home, about ten minutes away, and sends them over to Izzy depending on what work they need. Izzy still hunts in both countries, with most of her horses, a lot, all winter.
“It’s a really nice place, we’ve got everything there. We’ve got an indoor, an outdoor, cross-country schooling, we’ve got a grass arena for jumping which is nice because it’s not very often you get the chance to jump on grass if you’re not at a competition. The yard itself is really easy to work in, and the horses all seem to love it and be really settled in it, it just works really well.”
Izzy currently rides ten horses for eight owners. Lucinda Green helps her with her cross country and Tim Price with her show-jumping. Sarah Ward helps her on the flat, although “Granny still comes and causes trouble, and tells Sarah she’s not doing it properly!”. Granny (Jane Whitely) has some license having been 2nd at Badminton herself, and an FEI judge. Izzy grew up steeped in a rich tradition of eventing; her mother, Nicola also represented her country at Junior and Young Rider level, and her great-aunt, Anneli Drummond-Hay, was the first person to win Badminton and Burghley in the same year, on Merely-a-Monarch.
Despite such lofty connections, Izzy has her feet firmly on the ground. Down to earth and likeable she assesses her chances of making an Olympic team next year if things went really well next week,
“I think realistically it would be quite a long shot. The Brits are so strong. Matilda is a lovely horse, and it would be amazing if she did get to the Olympics but honestly, I don’t think she will. I think if I’m lucky I might get a shot at the Europeans this year, that would be more realistic. At the end of the day I think when you go to these Championships you want to go and try and win medals, so it’s probably a good thing it’s so tough to get in. “
If Briarlands Blackberry doesn’t get into Badminton next week, he’ll re-route to Bramham. Izzy seemed tempted by the idea of perhaps coming to Rolex next year, I’ll keep working on it! Thankfully she did survive Burnham Market without injury, although,
“I nearly got knocked out before it started! One of the horses at the trot-up reared up and cracked me round the head, but luckily I’m fine.”
I look forward to catching up with Izzy in person at Badminton, and many thanks to her for talking to us in the middle of a busy and stressful time. Thanks for reading, Go Badminton, Go Izzy, and Go Eventing!
