An ‘indomitable will’ and nice love for his sport: farewell to high horse aged 29

The proprietor of the highest endurance horse J St Jake has paid tribute to his “indomitable will” and love of his sport after his demise aged 29.

In 18 consecutive seasons, Jake and Helen McFarland represented Eire over among the hardest rides there and in Britain. They accomplished 19 160km/100-mile rides, Jake’s final on the age of 24. Amongst their most notable achievements have been profitable the Scottish and northern championships and a premier award on the Golden Horseshoe Experience.

Helen instructed H&H she purchased 14.2hh Jake, who was by an Arab stallion and out of a conventional Connemara mare, when he was seven.

“He was bought as a searching pony however one who was too sturdy for a kid!” she mentioned. “As quickly as I noticed him, I knew there was Arab in him, and as quickly as I rode him, I realised he beloved nothing greater than to go.”

Helen and Jake took on shorter rides of 40-60km of their first season collectively however by their second, have been prepared for the 160km problem. Helen defined that it’s uncommon for horses to get to this degree of their second season however Jake’s health from searching, and junior eventing, plus his enjoyment of endurance, meant he was completely satisfied to tackle the problem.

“We did the Cairngorm 160km 4 instances, which no different horse has accomplished,” she mentioned. “I believe there are some who’ve accomplished two however he did 4, in consecutive years.

“In rides just like the Cairngorm, there are fewer riders at that final degree so that you’re typically by yourself, together with your horse for firm, so you really want to get pleasure from one another’s firm and have a horse who’s a prepared companion. And also you solely should assume; virtually earlier than you’ve put your leg on, the horse is eager to go.”

Jake’s love of going made him stand out, Helen mentioned, including: “Anybody who rode him – and only a few have been ready to! – or ever noticed him towing grown males across the vet gate whereas impatient to return to the route, realised that management was one thing to aspire to reasonably than a sensible expectation. It’s fairly ignominious, being carted by a 14.2hh!

“I bought the sensation, the primary endurance experience I took him on; I felt him sigh, as if to say ‘That is what I used to be made for. Thanks’. That first experience was within the Wicklow Hills, which isn’t for the faint-hearted however after three and a half hours, he was nonetheless pulling like a practice. From his first experience, he was in love with the game and wished nothing greater than to chase down these miles. He was an absolute pet to take care of; a form horse who nobody may say a foul phrase about – and with an indomitable will.”

Helen additionally remembered the second day of a Golden Horseshoe experience when having accomplished 50 miles on the primary day, aged 20, Jake got here out ears pricked, determined to tackle the following day’s problem.

Helen was eager to level out the variations between endurance as she is aware of it and that in another international locations.

“This sort of endurance is absolutely the reverse to sure forms of competitors,” she mentioned. “It’s by no means about velocity, we do it for the pleasure that each horse and rider get from it.”

However having recorded simply over 11,000km (6,837 miles) with Helen, Jake was retired after his closing Cairngorm experience in 2019; he had a minor harm a couple of weeks later, then the following yr, a coronary heart murmur he had turned barely extra troubling.

“I assumed ‘That’s it’,” Helen mentioned. “He had a retirement anyone could be completely satisfied to have, residing on 20 acres along with his buddy.

“He’d been nice till the tip of August, then began shedding a little bit of situation. Bloods have been clear, his enamel have been accomplished and there was no apparent cause, then one morning he was gone – like all the things else, he took the choice out of my arms.

“There’s no simple factor whenever you love them a lot, it rips you aside, however I believe, and hope, he had a incredible life. He enriched all the things within the 23 years we shared.”

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H&H information editor

Eleanor is an skilled journalist who spent over eight years working for native and nationwide newspapers earlier than becoming a member of H&H as information editor in March 2016. Keen about equine welfare and exposing the reality, Eleanor has reported on all features of the business, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage guidelines to mules. Her sport of selection is showjumping, wherein she competes her personal horses, and she or he additionally enjoys reporting at native leaping exhibits by way of to worldwide championships.