John Whitaker’s floating surprise horse was the primary showjumper to win over £1m. However his scintillating outcomes inform solely half the story of this charismatic showman, writes Jennifer Donald, as we rejoice Horse & Hound’s a hundred and fortieth anniversary in 2024
Every now and then in our sport, a partnership captures the center of a technology and earns a spot in historical past. For almost a decade, audiences have been held spellbound by the magical aura of Milton and his rider John Whitaker. With the gelding’s glowing white coat and breathtaking means to drift over the very best fences, Milton might rival Hollywood stars for his followers’ adoration; how lucky that he thrived on the eye.
We revelled within the great affair Milton had with John, who coaxed each ounce of brilliance from his prepared surprise horse to triumph in back-to-back World Cups, declare over 30 main lessons, six championship medals and develop into the primary showjumper to win over £1m.
However the story is tinged with tragedy as Milton’s unique rider Caroline Bradley died earlier than seeing her protégé attain the Olympic potential she had pinpointed in him.
Born in 1977 and initially named Marius Silver Jubilee, Milton was the results of a shrewd pairing conjured up by Oxfordshire breeder John Harding-Rolls, and had leaping blood pulsing by means of his veins.
His sire Marius was a giant winner for Caroline, together with the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, therefore why she was drawn to pay £1,000 for the iron gray weanling. Caroline’s mom Doreen described the younger Milton as “a funny-looking factor” and David Broome remembers it wasn’t all plain crusing for the longer term champion within the ring.
“He had a little bit of a chequered profession in these early days as a result of he was so untidy in entrance,” he explains. “My assistant even noticed him have 16 faults at one present.”
However Milton’s expertise was clear to Caroline as she quietly produced him till she died out of the blue of coronary heart failure aged simply 37 in the summertime of 1983. Her mother and father initially supplied John Whitaker the journey however he was en path to the Royal Highland Present and couldn’t decide to something till his return two weeks later. As an alternative, they despatched six year-old Milton with simply £63 on his card to native rider Steve Hadley.
“By September he was leaping small grands prix and it was clear he was destined for nice issues,” Steve recollects. “It felt like he was on springs, he was superbly balanced and he loved it as a result of he was good at it.
“At Park Farm’s Lancia Championships he jumped double clear within the £200 class every day and I stated to my groom, ‘Take care of that one as a result of he’s one of the best you’ll ever see.’”
However misfortune struck forward of his Olympia debut when Milton, whose one phobia was being clipped, lashed out.
“We don’t know if he hit the blade of the clippers or he struck himself, however he injured his tendon and needed to have greater than a yr off, so he returned to the Bradleys,” says Steve.
An epic story
John Whitaker and Milton in Aachen in 1991.
Paul Schockemöhle, who was instrumental in securing Subsequent’s sponsorship of the Whitaker brothers and for whom Caroline rode a number of horses, wished Milton for John as a part of the deal.
“I used to be unhappy to lose Milton, however I’d determined to cease competing throughout that point anyway – he simply arrived 10 years too late for me,” says Steve.
John takes up the epic story: “I used to be on the World Cup Closing in 1985 and Paul requested if I’d be occupied with taking Milton on. I truly stated, ‘I’m not likely that bothered,’ however as a favour to Paul I stated I’d attempt him.”
Even over their first cross-pole collectively, John knew he had “one thing very particular”.
“He was mild as a feather off the bottom and I’d by no means skilled something prefer it,” he says. “I rode as much as the home, knocked on the window and stated to [my wife] Clare, ‘Come and watch this horse soar!’”
John started eight-year-old Milton at some native exhibits then took him to Berlin, the place he completed third within the small grand prix.
“Every week later in Brussels he was second within the World Cup, then we went to Bordeaux and gained the World Cup,” recollects John.
“It wasn’t all plain crusing. He had his personal fashion coming off the bottom in entrance at a fence – when you pushed him too deep or made him soar too fast he used to twist and he didn’t prefer it.
“He was however leaping a variety of clear rounds and we have been picked for the Nations Cup at Hickstead in 1986, however Peter Robeson stated within the gathering ring: ‘That horse wants a giant floor line on the observe fence to assist him stand up in entrance.’ As soon as I discovered that was what he favored, we by no means regarded again.”
The Bradleys gave John three stipulations: that Milton couldn’t do the Hickstead Derby; the Olympics, due to a earlier dispute Caroline had with selectors; or the Suffolk Present, the place she died, however the world quickly took discover because the duo’s profession went stratospheric.
The pair’s crowning achievement was profitable double gold on the 1989 European Championships in Rotterdam, two years after securing particular person silver and group gold.
“To win was an actual milestone,” says John. “However to do it on Milton… He was a dream horse as a result of he wished to please you. After you’d jumped one fence he’d say, ‘All proper, what’s subsequent?’ He simply cherished the job and the extra the group cheered, the upper he jumped.”
The next yr, John and Milton scored their super victory within the King George V Gold Cup on the Royal Worldwide – having been third in 1987 and second in 1988 and 1989 – earlier than heading to the inaugural World Equestrian Video games in Stockholm. Nice Britain took bronze and John joined Eric Navet (Quito De Baussy), Hubert Bourdy (Morgat) and Greg Greatest driving the opposite well-known gray, Gem Twist, for the horse-swap particular person medal decider.
John, who completed with silver, remembers: “Gem Twist was a dream to journey, however he was the full reverse to Milton so when Greg rode Milton, it didn’t actually work out and he had two fences down. However that woke Milton up, he wasn’t for knocking the rest down after that – and for concerning the subsequent two months!”
Greg commented afterwards: “Attending to journey Milton was like discovering out you’d acquired a date with essentially the most stunning lady on the planet – you end up tripping over your ft.”
Among the many different equine behemoths of the time have been Pierre Durand’s Jappeloup and Ian Millar’s Huge Ben, leading to many thrilling showdowns with Milton, together with throughout his astounding run of World Cup Finals. In 1989, Milton simply missed out to Huge Ben, however returned to take the title in 1990 and 1991 in Gothenburg, when the pair made the entrance web page of the Swedish papers. They missed a possible hat-trick in 1992 when Milton was discovered to have pus in his foot, then the next yr they completed runner-up to Ludger Beerbaum and Ratina Z.
“Milton was simply nearly as good indoors; he was a machine actually,” says John affectionately.
The Bradleys’ Olympic stipulation had come to hang-out John in 1988, probably in Milton’s prime, when amid a media furore the pair couldn’t journey to Seoul. However Tom and Doreen had a change of coronary heart in 1992, and John and a 15-year-old Milton joined the squad of Michael Whitaker, Tim Grubb and Nick Skelton in Barcelona, which might play out as one of the vital heartbreaking conclusions to any medal-decider.
“He was possibly barely previous his greatest, however nonetheless very succesful,” remembers John. “However I realised the actually onerous sand there was making his fetlocks sore when he jumped and he wasn’t having fun with it.”
Such was the horse’s class, nonetheless, they held the lead coming into the ultimate spherical and expectations soared.
“He stumbled badly on touchdown in an enormous mixture so I pulled him out,” says John. “I used to be so disenchanted as a result of I had a preventing likelihood for a medal, however you may’t dwell on it.”
Biggest years
Milton’s machine-like high quality additionally made him the mainstay of Britain’s all-conquering Nations Cup groups, at one level leaping seven consecutive double clears for his nation from their common quantity 4 spot. In line with chef d’equipe Ronnie Massarella, Milton gave him “my biggest years within the sport”.
“Considered one of Milton’s biggest belongings was that each single day you knew what you’d get from him,” says John. “He was by no means in search of a manner out – you simply pointed him on the jumps and he’d do it. His floaty fashion over the jumps made it really feel as if you have been up within the air for ages – such as you’d by no means come down, the truth is!”
At house, Milton was an incredible character and cherished to be the centre of consideration, kicking the secure door if the lorry left with out him and changing into an adored member of the Whitaker household for 14 years.
“I used to race the youngsters on their ponies – I’d stagger Robert on his Shetland and Louise on her pony, all greys, down the sector and say ‘Go!’ Milton cherished that,” recollects John. “He cherished the Shetland a lot that we put him below Milton’s neck within the lorry if the youngsters took their ponies to exhibits. One Nations Cup, I used to be warming up for an important second spherical when the youngsters flew previous on their ponies and all Milton would do is whinny at Robert’s Shetland.”
Milton would obtain sack-loads of fan mail and the Whitakers tried to accommodate his many guests. However he’ll all the time be remembered for his Lipizzaner-esque social gathering piece that introduced the group to its ft.
“He did it accidentally the primary time however I quickly realised I might make him soar up off all fours to command,” reveals John. “I’d canter spherical on the lap of honour, cease in center and up he’d go.”
Huge reputation
Milton and John Whitaker at Olympia in 1989
Milton’s last competitions got here in 1993, when John started to note one thing niggling the 16-year-old. “I might have given him six months off to kind it, however I wished such a superb horse to retire sound and wholesome,” says John.
There was no manner this megastar might slope quietly off to pasture although…
“Almost each present on the planet wished me to do a retirement ceremony,” says John. “In Zurich, Tina Turner sang Merely The Greatest, then because the dry ice floated away, Milton and I have been left standing within the ring along with her. That was surreal. After all, Milton lapped all of it up.”
His huge reputation was evident within the many appearances he made in retirement. They joined Geoff Billington on a lecture demo tour; one other time, John was joined by his brother Michael on one other heroic gray, Desert Orchid.
“Milton cherished displaying off and it was good for him to have a objective for an additional yr or so,” says John.
After a few bouts of colic, Milton died in July 1999 on the age of twenty-two and is buried on John’s farm.
“I typically give him a nod as I stroll previous,” John reveals. “Many individuals have requested, ‘Don’t you miss him, don’t you want you continue to rode him?’ And I say, ‘Nicely not less than I used to be fortunate sufficient to have him.’”
Groom Penny Dalton on Milton
“Milton was 100% true character, and that made him the horse he was. He cherished individuals, so if anybody didn’t pay him sufficient consideration he would blow raspberries or seize your sleeve.
“However he might be the satan to take care of. He didn’t like being rugged up – each morning he’d be standing together with his rug over his head, or shredded on the ground, ready to be rescued. He was a nightmare travelling, too – he was bored earlier than you left Yorkshire and would paw continually.
“Individuals all the time wished a little bit of his mane and, earlier than safety was ramped up at exhibits, if I left my brushes out with white hair on them, they’d get taken.
“We have been so upset once we misplaced him, however no different horse is remembered like Milton. Even individuals outdoors the game knew him – being with Milton was like being with a pop star.
“At Modena, Pavarotti’s horse present, the good man himself wished to satisfy Milton. Pavarotti was in tears simply stroking Milton for ages, he was so in awe of this horse. It was a really particular second.”
David Broome on Milton
“I first noticed Milton at Newark Present. Caroline was driving him within the grade B&C class, and I requested how a lot she wished for him.
“‘He’s not on the market,’ she replied. I stated, ‘By no means thoughts he’s not on the market, how a lot would you like for him?’
“She stated no, she was maintaining him, however ultimately she promised that if she ever did promote him I’d have first likelihood, however then the poor lady died.
“Milton was very fortunate to complete up with John as a result of he introduced out one of the best in him. I competed towards Milton most of his life, nevertheless it was all the time good to have him on our Nations Cups groups as final to go. Everybody who ever noticed Milton soar was very privileged.”
Milton’s biggest achievements
- First showjumper to win greater than £1m
- Winner of almost 30 main grands prix, together with the 1986 Du Maurier and 1990 King George
- Six championship medals – three gold, two silver, one bronze
- World Cup winner in 1990 and 1991
- Britain’s highest-earning horse from 1986 to 1991
Milton’s breeding
Milton was an actual combine, by a Dutch warmblood stallion out of an Irish Draught/thoroughbred mare, with trakehner bloodlines on his paternal facet and Anglo-Arab on his dam’s. Each sire and dam have been grade A showjumpers – his dam was 4 when producing Milton, occurring to compete with Derek Ricketts earlier than being offered to Belgium as a broodmare, whereas his grand-dam Pennywort was the 1970 Foxhunter champion. Marius’s sire, Marco Polo, was a basis sire of the trendy Dutch warmblood sport horse.
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