The disputes between owners and riders of the WEG gold medal winning horses Moorelands Totilas and La Biosthetique Sam have been a controversial and topical issue almost since we crowned them champions here in Lexington just over a month ago. I followed the break up of Dressage’s golden couple, Edward and his black stallion along with millions of others, and even more recently, the news of the gold medal eventer being removed from his stable in Germany without the knowledge or permission of the rider, and shook my head in wonder and sadness. It was a terrible shock to learn last night, therefore that almost exactly the same thing that has happened to Germany’s Micheal Jung has befallen Australia’s Peter Atkins.
Here’s what we do know: In 2007, when Peter took H J Hampton on, he would barely walk over a pole, and needed a complete mental overhaul after campaigning the hunter circuit. Peter admits that his dressage is still a work in progress, and at that point no one could ever imagine if this project horse would ever amount to anything. Linda Martin purchased Henry for her niece who was riding him in a clinic with Peter. Although she is a capable rider she was not having a great time on Henry. Linda then asked Peter to take him in training and after four months she told Peter she couldn’t afford or justify paying training on a horse that would never be suitable for her niece. Peter really liked Henry and said he would take him on as a project and they agreed to split the horse 50/50 after costs when they sold him. Since then Peter has assumed every expense and responsibility.
The eventing community is small and tight-knit, and it’s hard for anything to escape unnoticed. Boyd Martin has formed a syndicate to campaign his 10th placed WEG horse Neville Bardos towards the 2012 Olympics in London, valuing him at $150k, but I have it on good authority that Linda Martin turned down an offer similar to that made by friends of Peter, and is hoping to get closer to ten times the amount. The verbal agreement combined with the high sales expectations have led to the legal battle.
I have spent time with Peter, his family, Henny and his groom Amanda, at Ocala, Rolex, in Georgetown, Ky and at the Games, and have never failed to be impressed by the camaraderie, the easiness, and yet the absolute professionalism and complete dedication of all of them. There is a gentle politeness between them all, a respect for each others’ roles, and nerves, a quiet, dry sense of humor under the surface, and a really close bond. The welfare, and turnout of Henny is always second to none, even grazing on a lead line Henny looks immaculate, not to mention how fantastically he performed at the WEG when drafted in at the last minute–it was a credit to the whole crew indeed.
The famous helmet cam was originally Peter’s idea to try and fund his way to Rolex, which didn’t quite work out as planned. The helmet cam, and specifically Peter and Henny’s relationship which it highlighted: Peter’s uniquely individual encouragement to his horse, and Henny’s trademark pricked ears, captured the public’s imagination and quickly went viral. Even now, although the sales of the DVD’s, caps and shirts brings in a small amount of money, if you factor in the colossal production time involved, and the expenses, the actual profits are negligible.
Peter’s parents flew in from Australia for the Games, so I was lucky to meet them too but, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then you only have to go to his website at runhennyrun.com and look at photos of Henny with Peter’s son Owen to save me writing any more!
Henny’s rise up the ranks has been meteoric, largely due to the time, trust and commitment Peter and his team have lavished upon him. Rolex was a big question for him, and he wasn’t really supposed to compete at WEG, but as misfortune befell the Australian team, he was called up, and rose to the occasion. Peter had planned to give his horse an easier year in 2011, having completed Rolex and the WEG in 2010, and concentrate on his dressage, but now he awaits the decision of a judge on November 29th to see whether Henny will remain in his barn at all, a judge who may not ride, who may know nothing about horses, but who will decide on Peter and Henny’s fate nonetheless…
