“Being right here in driving boots, relatively than sat within the stands, is surreal,” says Sophie Callard, who’s competing Brookfield Benjamin Bounce at this yr’s Blenheim Horse Trials, in what’s a primary CCI4*-L for each horse and rider. “Blenheim is a particular place for me as mum first introduced me right here after I was 12 and I’ve visited yearly since.”
Sophie has at all times been a eager eventer, beginning within the pony ranks earlier than progressing by means of juniors and younger riders.
“However dad was very adamant that I wouldn’t experience as a profession, so I needed to go to uni,” explains the smiling 30-year-old. “I studied sport science after which went on to show major college PE for 5 years, which was superb – I beloved it.”
Then, simply earlier than Covid hit, Sophie began doing a little bit of driving for Brookfield Equestrian’s John and Chloe Perry, whose yard is in the identical Berkshire village as the college Sophie taught at.
“Then when Covid hit, we have been on three-week rotations at college the place we labored for per week educating the youngsters of key employees after which had two weeks off, which is after I would experience at John and Chloe’s.
“It was at that time Chloe steered I ought to work for them full-time, which was at all times a dream of mine, however it was only a case of constructing the leap. I nonetheless hack previous the first college now and the youngsters will run to the railings and shout ‘Miss Callard!’ to me.”
Sophie’s job with John and Chloe largely includes her producing the younger Brookfield-prefixed horses.
“They often arrive as four-year-olds and I produce them till the top of their five- and typically six-year-old years earlier than they then go onto their designated riders,” says Sophie. “John and Chloe are additionally actually superb at permitting me to construct my very own string with new house owners coming in whereas primarily based on their yard round their horses.”
When requested whether it is troublesome to see horses she has produced be despatched off to new riders, comparable to Piggy March and Tom McEwen, Sophie is adamant in her reply.
“I really like nothing greater than to see the horses I’ve produced going properly with their riders, realizing that I’ve performed my half – that’s actually satisfying. We’ve a stunning relationship with all the riders because the horses progress and Piggy helps me once we’re at these kinds of occasions – actually like my proper arm – and walks the programs with me and is simply superb.”
Brookfield Benjamin Bounce, or just Bounce as he’s identified at dwelling, is a experience that Sophie took on for the 2023 season having been competed to CCI4*-S stage by Tom McEwen. The 12-year-old was owned by John and Chloe, plus Alison Swinburn, and it was the latter who was accountable for securing Bounce for Sophie to experience.
“It was a tremendous factor for Alison to do so as to permit me the possibility to interrupt into the upper ranges of eventing,” Sophie says.
“Bounce is simply superb – he generally is a bit tough in that he’s a little bit of an odd character. He’s a little bit of a worrier and is certainly a one individual horse. I simply have him right here this week and no groom, so I get to do completely all the things with him and he loves that. Once I experience others on the yard at dwelling, he hates it. He’s my little mate and we‘re simply buddies – sure, he’s a bit quirky, however I adore it and he tries his coronary heart out for me.”
Talking of her targets for this week, Sophie states she desires to “take pleasure in it”.
“We’re right here to have a stunning time and to hopefully acquire a completion with strong leads to all three phases – that may be superb.”
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H&H options, racing and point-to-point editor
Gemma is an skilled journalist, having been a part of the H&H staff since 2014, who’s enthusiastic about all equestrian sports activities, together with racing and point-to-pointing. She has loved driving out for high trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took half in a charity Flat race at in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting abilities have taken her to quite a few five-star occasions round Britain and Europe, in addition to European championships.
