Unhappy farewell to 33-year-old ‘final pony’ champion who was liked all his days


  • The heartbroken proprietor of “the last word pony”, who received on the highest degree and was liked all his life, has paid tribute after his demise aged 33.

    Lucinda Stockley’s Leamington Cliquot needed to be put down final week as his age had lastly caught up with him.



    “His little coronary heart simply determined that was it and we needed to say goodbye to him,” Lucinda informed H&H. “We knew the day would come nevertheless it’s heartbreaking.”

    Lucinda’s household purchased the part-Welsh present hunter pony in 1999 for her to compete, and it was not love at first sight.

    “The primary time I rode him, I completely hated him!” she mentioned. “However my mom mentioned ‘Powerful, you’re going to have this pony and also you’re going to love him, get on with it’.”

    And when he arrived dwelling, “we simply form of clicked”, Lucinda mentioned.

    “We had a very particular relationship, though he was the spookiest pony on the earth,” Lucinda mentioned. “He lived for the present ring however the variety of instances I fell off him – it feels such a very long time in the past now however we had an unbelievable partnership. He was a as soon as in a lifetime pony and in my view in all probability one of the best 122 SHP there ever was – I used to be fortunate to name him mine.”

    Their accolades included standing supreme on the Ponies (UK) winter and summer season championships, and profitable the PUK Millennium President’s Award, the one time it was even contested. They received at Horse of the 12 months Present (HOYS) and the Royal Worldwide Horse Present, and at many county reveals, and stood supreme on the British Present Pony Society summer season championships and British Elite. They received the Timberwolf SHP championship a number of instances,

    “He was a famous person,” Lucinda mentioned. “I believe it was his presence, that ‘have a look at me’ sparkle, and he was so pleased. He lived for the night performances, he liked being within the highlight.”

    After Lucinda grew out of Cliquot, the household had provides from many individuals who needed to purchase him.

    “However we simply couldn’t do it,” Lucinda mentioned. “We didn’t need him to be carted spherical for rosettes, so I did some part-bred Welsh courses on him, and he did some extra with youthful jockeys. We couldn’t promote him, he didn’t owe us something.”

    He spent the final years of his life with Catherine Hinton, the place he taught her three kids to journey.

    “He went to junior Pony Membership camp, searching; he was the last word pony, and I’m so grateful to Catherine for giving him one of the best retirement years and at all times loving him,” Lucinda mentioned. “He was all the pieces – he was my childhood. He was completely lovable, cussed, the last word showman, and he at all times needed to please.”

    Lucinda added that Cliquot will at all times be the one who put her on the map.

    “I’ve been fortunate sufficient to qualify for HOYS 25 years working, however he was the primary,” she mentioned.

    “I believe the principle spotlight was the president’s award as that was the one time they ever ran it, however he at all times went within the ring and tried his greatest. I bear in mind when the BSPS supreme was introduced, they turned off all of the lights; we had been in pitch black, then a highlight got here on and so they known as my quantity. He gave each single one in all his jockeys love and taught us the right way to journey. A real showman who liked to compete and had a twinkle in his eye.

    “He was a great lad – one of the best – and he was at all times liked. That’s the principle factor.”

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