A rider who misplaced 10 stone to get again within the saddle hopes her story will encourage others to maintain chasing their desires.
Tracey Webster and her part-bred Clydesdale Proud Patch have loved success in dressage and exhibiting, together with concours d’class, and so they additionally leap and luxuriate in hound train. However for years, Tracey didn’t trip in any respect as her weight had reached 25 stone.
“To suppose I can do issues like this, which I simply couldn’t earlier than,” Tracey advised H&H. “Patch has given me a lot; he’s a godsend. Everyone’s dream horse.”
Tracey doesn’t come from a horsey household however was decided to trip.
“I used to return house from college, put a bit of material over the wall, get a bit of string for reins and sit there for hours,” she mentioned. “My dad purchased me a donkey, so I rode him however we used to journey, as we had been a part of the travelling group, and nobody in my household actually loved using. It was simply me that obtained into it and stored doing all of it my life.”
Tracey taught herself to trip and went on to do a little bit of every part, from looking to dressage. However her weight crept up, regardless of her efforts, till she felt she was too large to trip.
“I used to be nonetheless concerned with horses; I had some good cobs and different folks would trip them and I’d groom nevertheless it was actually laborious, not using,” she mentioned.
Tracey had a gastric band fitted, nevertheless it didn’t clear up her points; she misplaced some weight however not sufficient, so she then had a gastric bypass.
“It was fairly an enormous operation and I couldn’t eat for 3 months; I used to be on soup,” she mentioned. “However I misplaced various weight and have stored it down, and I can do much more than I used to.
“It was completely wonderful to have the ability to trip once more. I bear in mind getting a jacket and a few boots on and feeling so proud, that I used to be in that outfit and will trip once more.”
Tracey purchased Patch as a seven-year-old, 9 years in the past, and collectively they’ve competed at Equifest and the STARS Champion of Champions occasion representing Norton and District Using Membership, and topped their native winter dressage league two years working. They’ve additionally loved success in equitation courses and the concours d’class, for which she and her husband collectively make the costumes.
“I would like folks to suppose, in the event that they really feel they’ll by no means trip once more, there’s life and hope, you’ve obtained to wish to do it and maintain pushing,” she mentioned. “I didn’t wish to be this overgrown one that couldn’t trip or do something and I’m actually having fun with what I can do now, and pleased with what we’ve achieved.”
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