I met Hamish whilst working as a groom on a livery and eventing yard. He belonged to my boss and close friend, Sorrel. Sorrel had bought Hamish from Joe Meyer where he was competing at 4*. He had completed Badminton and Burghley, placing 19th and 20th as well as countless other 3* events.
Sorrel bought Hamish with the intention of rehabilitating him from a recent injury. Once he was sound she had fantastic seasons eventing him up to 1*. Sadly, at an event, Hamish pulled up lame and had to go through platelet therapy and more rehabilitation to become sound again. Once he was sound his vet did not think he would stand up to the demands of his career and suggested he competed in lower level eventing. Hamish went to a handful of loan homes where he bregrudgingly obliged to jumping but wasn't happy. He came home to us and Sorrel asked me to keep him ticking along and, well...the rest is history.
Hamish took me round my first events and always brought me home safely. He jumped nothing but double clear and made me the happiest girl alive. I felt truely priviledged to ride such a fantastic, talented horse. The day before my first 100 Sorrel handed me his passport and gave him to me. Lost for words, I rocked up at the event, terrified....it was huge. But my little unicorn spread his wings and flew over everything to come home with a double clear. Hamish adored eventing, he towed me into the lorry and rushed through every dressage test so we could get jumping. You could feel him light up when he spied the cross country, it was just his favourite thing.
In June this year Hamish began losing weight and lost his appetite. We began a long winding road of vets visits, treatments, drugs and hospital stays. In August we received the devastating news that Hamish had cancer and there was nothing more we could do. We chose a sunny day and walked out to the apple tree by his field. Sorrel and I held him together and told him what an amazing horse he was and how loved he was. Hamish left us, at home, surrounded by the people who loved him.
After we lost Hamish I gave Sorrel an Infinity Bracelet made from his tail and she wears it whenever she goes eventing. Thanks to Tail End Jewellery Hamish can go eventing forever, his season will never end.
We miss you every day Hamish. Lucy, November 2018