Perfect Pete

Perfect Pete

What a year it has been for Perfect Pete. He started 2021 with a bout of arthritis so severe that we thought his ridden career was over. But he recovered with a lot of care and attention and in May Mathilda and Pete entered the regional grassroots qualifier competition at Hickstead doing their first ever dressage competition and he qualified for the championships at the grand old age of 34. He didn’t get placed but did very well at the Champs in August considering Mathilda was one of the youngest there and he was no doubt the oldest!

In July he went to junior camp and he and Mathilda were in the winning team and he has had success at Mounted Games too. He won reserve Champion at Rye Show in August too and although diagnosed with cushings in October is still raring to go. Sadly Mathilda has largely outgrown him but we have another little girl who he is teaching to ride.

Due to his great age and qualification he went on to be featured in both Horse and Hound and Southern Horse magazine. No one is exactly sure of his age but we had confirmation that he was at least 34 at the Championships from a previous owner from 25 years ago who got in touch having seen the article in Horse and hound and who was an official at the champs. She told us that her daughter (now in her 30s) was unbeaten on Pete in dressage. She also told us about his previous owners and that he came from the master of the Heythrop Hunt as a baby. So we have traced his lineage almost right back to the start.

He has inspired at least 5 children to become great equestrians including a national hunt jockey and a leading eventer. He has made Mathilda a stronger, bolder, more confident better rider. He is a true Pony Club Legend. But he is still very cheeky and well known for his naughty traits. Mathilda wrote a poem about him during lockdown last year in a competition run by Pippa Funnell and she was chosen as a winner and William Fox-Pitt read it out online. 

It tells just how cheeky he can be. We hope you’ll continue to see him being cheeky at Pony Club for a long time to come. READ IT HERE