‘We’d basically given up on her’ — how a winning rider took inspiration from Rowan Willis’s virtually unrideable mare

A mare previously written off as “too quirky” has returned to the showjumping ring after a seven-month absence to win a newcomers class at Summerhouse Equestrian Centre.

The 10-year-old Mervs Thanks A Million II, an Irish-bred daughter of Flexible, was partnered to an unexpected victory earlier this month by Newbury-based Poppy Stronge.

“We’d basically given up on her because she was so difficult,” said Poppy, who bought the mare six years ago. “We couldn’t sell her, as goodness knows where she would have ended up, so we just put her in the field.”

Poppy then took inspiration from the method used by Australian showjumper Rowan Willis in managing his top ride, Blue Movie, who he describes as “tricky”.

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Article written by: Jennifer Donald