Quickly after showjumping energy couple Matt Sampson and Kara Chad moved into their first everlasting base, in West Sussex, prepared for the 2026 season, they invited H&H to pay a go to. We convey you seven details you won’t know in regards to the pair, from what they’ve named their foals to their philosophy on leaping workout routines.
1. Matt’s “horse of a lifetime” is Ebolensky (Lennie), a 17-year-old gray mare who received the London Worldwide grand prix in 2022. She has had two embryo switch daughters, each by I’m Particular De Muze, who are actually six. Look out for them on the circuit – their names are Specialensky and Extralensky.
“They each have a brilliant mentality and soar very well,” says Matt. “Lennie might need extra foals – she took to it very well.”
Matt with Ebolenksy – identified at house as Lennie. Elli Birch/Bootsandhooves
2. Matt is a superb catch rider. He began using James Davenport’s stallion Daniel, who’s now 18, a few years in the past, when he went to the Davenports for coaching earlier than Hickstead.
“I didn’t have a horse for the larger courses, so James stated would I wish to take Daniel,” Matt remembers. “I’d all the time cherished that horse. So I jumped him over 1m20, then took him to the present and went on to experience him in all the massive courses at locations like Spruce Meadows and London with some incredible outcomes.” Matt nonetheless solely rides Daniel at exhibits, an association that clearly works very nicely certainly.
And he received the Snowball Stakes on the 2025 London Worldwide using HMF Equestrian’s Balento CS, a horse he’d solely ridden a few times.
“I simply borrowed him for the present,” Matt stated. “He’s only a good horse, and good horses do particular issues.”
3. Matt and Kara are big followers of turning their horses out. Certainly one of his prime rides, Fabrice Dn, spends his entire winter get away within the discipline.
“He lives out as a lot as attainable,” says Matt. “And on the finish of the yr he goes out for the winter. He loves it.”
4. The couple not often practise leaping workout routines at house, and virtually by no means soar greater than 1m 30.
“We would use poles in entrance of a fence, however we don’t use particular workout routines – I’ll barely ever use a grid train,” Matt says. “We begin out with horses with a great approach and construct up by good flatwork and strengthening. Generally I’ll construct a course on the bottom and practise tempo, adjustability and stride patterns.”
Kara jumps a small fence on Udo. Credit score: Elli Birch/Bootsandhooves
5. The identify of the couple’s enterprise, Maplepark Farms, is an amalgamation of their two backgrounds. Maple alludes to Kara’s Canadian nationality, whereas Matt grew up at his mother and father’ using college and livery yard Parklands Equestrian Centre close to Sheffield.
6. Matt left college at 12 years outdated – “as a result of I used to be using 17 ponies a day!”
“I’ve all the time been pony-mad; it’s all I’ve ever finished,” he says. “I used to play ice hockey, curler hockey and rugby as nicely and one time once I broke my arm the one factor I actually missed was using, so Mum and Dad realised it was my factor so it’s been that ever since.”
7. The couple have two canine. Harry is a Spanish rescue canine Matt picked up as a pet when he was on the Sunshine Tour, who loves life within the truck on the present circuit, whereas French Bulldog Maple is the one who calls the photographs.
Matt and Kara with Harry and Maple in tow. Credit score: Elli Birch/Bootsandhooves
And another factor: regulate Kara’s experience Chicago, who was bred by John Whitaker.
“We expect he’s the most effective horses we’ve ever had the pleasure to work with,” says Matt. The LA28 Olympics beckons.
For the complete interview behind the scenes at Maplepark Farms, choose up a replica of this week’s H&H important information to the season (19 February).
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H&H options editor
Martha is an skilled journalist who’s mad-keen on horses and canine. Her reporting CV consists of the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Competition and World Cup finals. After rising up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she loved 14 years with two rescue canine. Now, her fixed companion is Fidget, an especially energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on matters as numerous as a prime horse’s clone to the very best GPS trackers for canine, in addition to equestrian and rural issues for Nation Life, The Subject, The Occasions, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
