Gemma Tattersall and Arctic Soul finished third at Badminton 2016, adding nothing to their dressage score
As the 2022 British Eventing season commences, there is a strong hope that we are finally back to ‘normality’ and a big indicator of this is the return of the two British CCI5* events
The big competitions at the hallowed venues of Badminton and Burghley are returning after a two-year absence - an absence keenly felt by the top riders in the sport who campaign horses with a specific talent for these huge courses
One of these riders was Britain’s Gemma Tattersall, who won her first CCI5* in 2021 at the ‘one-off’ Bicton 5* on a talented young horse, Chilli Knight. But the horse in Gemma’s stable who has long been her ‘5* machine’ is Arctic Soul
“Horses are easier to get fitter as they get older, especially when they’ve gone to the bottom of their lungs in many 5* events and Championships, as Artic Soul has” says Gemma, sipping her tea as we talk about the horse she affectionately calls ‘Spike’
“He’s a thoroughbred so we get him fit in a proper old-fashioned way - cantering on the gallops and proper trotting up hills. We’ve never had to change his routine as there’s not need to, he loves cantering and he loves going to the gallops, that’s his favourite thing to do!”
The ex-racehorse may never have won a race, but he has certainly made a name for himself in eventing as a cross country specialist, with Gemma`and Spike having been an integral part of Team GBs successes in recent years. And the cross country phase has always been Spike’s favourite bit, says Gemma
“With some other horses, I’ve tried to think of different ways in getting them fit because they’re not necessarily full thoroughbred. If I were to gallop the way I gallop Spike, they’d break down. He can cope with it; he’s made and bred for running.
“A good horse person and competitor listens to their horse, and you know when you go cross country and they’re struggling a little bit you might have to change something.”
“A lot of my horses now go to the water treadmill. Jalapeño, Flash Cooley and Johan-some are all doing water treadmill alongside swimming. I feel it is so important with horses who aren’t all blood to not break their hearts on the gallops. They find it harder work and get a bit despondent about it.
Johan-some would find it harder and just switch off and give up. But taking him swimming has been the best thing - he must swim to keep afloat. So, it is his own physical and mental effort; not me pushing it out of him, which is how it would be on the gallops.”
The seven-year-old gelding Johan-some was selected for the World Young Horse Championships at Le Mondial Du Lion last autumn, where he finished in fourth place of the Seven-Year-Old Championship
“It was quite a turning point for him last year as he was very slow at earlier events, but the swimming really improved his stamina. Particularly in the lead up to Le Lion, which is a long course for a young horse, we swam him to build his fitness and he felt great.”
"Chilli Knight is a complete machine" On their way to a win at Bicton CCI5*
Just prior to that, Gemma had grasped her first CCI5* title at Bicton, riding Christopher Stone’s Chilli Knight. Bicton Estate had already hosted the replacement event for Bramham International in the early summer, where the hilly terrain proved difficult for many, so it was anticipated that the topography was again going to be a key determining factor at the pop up CCI5* competition.
For Gemma however, the difficulty of the terrain was an advantage for Chilli Knight
“I knew it was going to be very hilly, but Chilli Knight is a complete machine. He is a real blood horse; he’s not full thoroughbred but he is 80% so during the build-up I was getting him fit in the same way as I do Spike - a lot of cantering and trotting up hills - because I knew he could cope with it
“I also did a lot of flat work because he finds the dressage quite difficult, and when worked properly on the flat, it can get them fit. Michael Jung does a lot of his fitness work in the school at home, and I find it really helps to build up their core strength and stamina.”
Gemma smiles when comparing Chilli Knight’s attitude to flatwork in comparison to that of Artic Soul’s.
Gemma and Chilli Knight at Bicton CCI5*
“Spike is a wise old man, and he knows what’s happening, he’s like a shark when you go to put the dressage saddle on - he hates it! So, I don’t put that pressure on him anymore. Of course, he must work his muscles so once a week we do a proper dressage session but apart from that he just does trotting up hills, pole work, bit of a jump and just cantering.
He owes us nothing and doesn’t need to prove anything, if he makes it to Badminton this year that would be amazing.”
The partnership is aiming to contest their seventh Badminton together (currently on the Waitlist), including a podium finish in third place in 2016. Whilst Covid has halted any chance of victory for the past two years, Gemma is not fazed by the thoroughbred gelding’s lack of runs.
“He’s has had two years of not going around a big track. But he is a very experienced horse and we have added in an extra run before Badminton compared to the past build ups, just so I can go and get our eye back in and canter around with no pressure.
I try to choose events he’s never been to before, so he doesn’t drag me around and we have some control” Gemma laughs.
“The year we finished third at Badminton we went to Weston Park beforehand and won the Advanced; it was brilliant, it was quite a long cross country and was a bit wet, and it made him.
Sometimes it really is that one run that gets in at the bottom of their lungs and then they’re good to go.”
While Arctic Soul is hopefully Badminton-bound, the ultimate goal for Chilli Knight is to be part of the British team at this year’s World Championships
“The dream is to compete at the World Championships at Pratoni in September, but it is a very competitive goal just to make the British team” admits Gemma, who was part of the gold medal winning British team at the World Equestrian Games at Tryon in 2018 on Arctic Soul
“If we miss out on that, then Chilli Knight will be aimed at Burghley instead that month - he really is a Burghley Horse.
He has had a little bit of time off so an early 5* is unrealistic for him. Given his delay I’m hoping to take him and Jalapeño to Luhmuhlen. Then I’ve got Johan-some to step up to 4* short and Flash Cooley will aim for Bramham. I’ve got some really nice horses at that level.
“Spike is 19 now and doesn’t owe me a thing, so aiming him for Badminton, to get around there would be amazing. But he loves the field time, and he just loves the mud so when he does retire, he’ll be a very happy horse!”
Article by Ruth Gregory
Gemma and Arctic Soul at the first horse inspection at the World Equestrian Games 2018
