I was saddened deeply by the news of Hickstead’s death the the World Cup Qualifier in Verona. I cried not only at the news, but also at the video. I know some people disagree with such footage being made available, but I don’t intend to go into this debate. I will only say that it happened in a televisied and live sport, and all this footage is intended for public consumption at some point.
While I cried most of the way through the footage, I took great comfort in it.
1) Hickstead passed quickly: his suffering would have been minimal.
2) The vets arrived within about a minute of him going down, ready to help although he was already gone. You couldn’t ask for much better treatment time.
3) Hickstead took care of Eric – he doesn’t seem to take his eye off him until he sees that he’s safely to the side and isn’t trapped underneath him.
4) People were there so quickly to comfort a bewildered and sad Eric. Seeing Pilar with her arm around him was great, likewise for the quick presence of the grooms and the comfort given to them also.
5) The screens went up quickly, to mask the body of the passed Hickstead. Bearing in mind it was a live audience in the venue as well as cameras, this was important for everyone I feel.
6) The speed at which the ambulance arrived in the ring to convey Hickstead’s body.
7) The beautiful mark of respect the other rides paid to Hickstead, including choosing not to take-part in something that had a 150,00 Euro jackpot attached (especially to Pilar and 3 other who had their clear round done already).
Essentially what I saw was a quick end for a remarkable horse, dealt with in a swift, efficient and caring manner.
Whilst I am so sad that Hickstead is no longer a living legend, he was due to retire after London 2012 and was not expected to enjoy the quiet life full-time. While I in no way wanted him dead, at least he went out in the following fashion:
1) He died doing something he loved – jumping. He’d just taken an unlucky 4 faults in the WC Qualifier when he keeled over.
2) He was reigning Olympic Gold Medal winning horse with Eric Lamaze.
3) He was the reigning World Equestrian Games horse. I know not everyone was lucky enough to have Sky to watch it, but in this competition, the top 4 riders all have to jump the course 4 times – once on every horse. Hickstead was the only horse to jump four clear rounds, with a different rider on his back each time.
I don’t think there could have been a more successful crest of a wave for Hickstead to bow out on really.
I’d like to focus for a moment on that WEG final however: I watched it live, and it is lierally one of my favourite sporting moments of all time. The finals were Eric and Hickstead, Philippe Lamaze with Vigo D’Arseuilles, Rodrigo Pessoa with Rebozo and Abdullah Al Sharbatly on the difficult looking mare Nabab de Reve. The first thing that struck a chord was the amount of advice that Rodrigo gave to the relatively inexperienced Sharbatley on how to ride his stallion Rebozo. He coached him in the warm-up ring (for which each competitior got something like 2mins to warm-up on each foreign horse – no time at all to jump a world class course)! Al Sharbatley actually then went on to beat Rodrigo, and I was over the moon to see Pessoa pick up the sportsmanship award that year for his actions. To see an equestrian rewarded in an across-sport award was amazing.
Secondly, watching everyone jump Hickstead was phenomenal. They all basically got on him and let him do what he does best – they didn’t pull on him, didn’t set him up for fences. They knew that he loved his job and knew it so well that to try and ride him any other way was suicide. They were right – by letting Hickstead be in charge of his own jumping style, they were each treated to a clear round on the board.
Thirdly, to see Phillipe actually perform his winning round on Hickstead was amazing. He patted and thanked that horse like it was his own – to see that much love and respect for a horse he’d only got to spend a few minutes on, and who’d only jumped one round of the tournament with him was touching. I also think it was a mark of respect to quite the horse Phillipe had the pleasure to ride (not that Vigo is a stallion to be sniffed at)!
So, all in all, while it was such a sad and premature end to a legend’s life and career, I can’t think of a more fitting way for him to have gone.
Farewell to the most athletic little horse I’ve ever seen over a fence: there’ll never be another one quite like you.
I’d also like to extend my sympathies and thoughts to Eric. He must feel so heartbroken at this time. Much respect to you, not only for what you’ve done with this horse, but for being so quick to thank your other horses. It was only because of them jumping week-in, week-out that Hickstead was able to stay in perfect shape for jumping the big competitions at the age of 15. What a man, what a rider, what a pair.
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