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Welcome To My Home Page
Hi! I'm Claire Croucher. I am 16 and I live in Birmingham in England. I have been horse riding for 9 years and my ambition is to become a top international showjumper. I have built this website all about my experiences with horses and my interests, like many people, in Showjumping.
Pictured left is a horse I rode from 2001 - 2003. She is 6 years old and 14.2hh.
I competed her at unaffiliated showjumping shows. When I began riding her she would hesitate over 1ft jumps at home, but with alot of training and persistance I have put in she is now clearing 3ft6 courses at shows and 5ft fences at home. She is shows a great potential for showjumping and I believe she has alot of potential and could become an excellent showjumper! |
Horses I rode before Molly
I began riding at a stables called Cottage Farm.
I had lessons here for three years until I started working there on a regular basis. After many pleasures for three years of working there I found myself a beautiful top class Show Hunter Pony to ride. His name was Ronnie. Ronnie was owned by a lady called Karen who did not have a rider for him and did not want to sell him as he was part of the family. I rode him from January 2000 until May 2000 when he got a fatal disease called concussion laminitus in his hooves. His showing career was tragicly over. Having many sucesses at HOYS, Royal International and many more top class international shows made this illness even more sadening. Ronnie fought the illness for over a year until he could fight no more and was put to sleep in August 2001. (Read RIGHT paragraph now) |
Helping with Eric!
After I realised that Ronnie would make no further improvement in July 2000 I found another ad in the paper about someone who needed help with her 15.2hh connamara/thoroughbred, 8yr old gelding.I went to meet him and found him a nice ride and was happy to help with him. His name was Eric.
Eric had not really done much training for jumping so Tina and I worked on him to try to change this.
Erics sire was a well known race horse called Maffter. Maffter was a thoroughbred which was put into a stud and bred with a palomino mare. The outcome was Eric.
Tina had done small jumping competitions with him but he had tendancies to be a bit spooky and refuse. Despite this I decided to ride and help with him!
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My experiences with Eric!
I rode and jumped Eric for a few weeks before we had our first open show on 16th July 2000.
I entered best rider with him and the cradle stakes jumping class. I came 3rd in best rider.
My luck was destined to change though.
Taking Eric into the jumping ring the bell rang.
We cantered up to the first jump which was a simple small fence about 2ft high. Eric refused.
I smacked him and attempted the jump again and again he refused.
This was now my last chance before i was Eliminated so very confidently we cantered up to the jump again and again he refused but suddenly swung away from the jump as I was leaning forward.
I hung on the side until he was still and climbed back on when without warning he bolted and through me off breaking my arm.
I gave Eric another chance, and began riding him again, less than 9 months later with plenty more training he was jumping 3ft courses at shows and 4ft6 jumps at home with me and we qualified for MARC. (Midlands Association of Riding clubs)
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(Above)
This is a picture of me riding Ronnie winning one of our Show Hunter classes at Tewkesbury horse show in April 2000. This was only one of our great sucesses in the short period I rode him for!
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