Eventing legend Tamarillo – ‘He felt he was vital, however not superior’

Identified for his quirky angle, this spooky part-bred Arab proved brilliantly athletic after a sticky begin. Catherine Austen pays homage to this class act as we have fun Horse & Hound’s a hundred and fortieth anniversary in 2024

“He was an absolute showman, however by no means was he conceited; a present prince who wished to look pretty, however wanted your approval and reassurance. He felt he was vital, however not superior,” says William Fox-Pitt. Anybody who took even a passing curiosity in eventing within the first decade of this century is aware of which horse he’s speaking about – the quixotic, charming Tamarillo, whose unmistakable dished face revealed his Arab blood.

Collectively they gained each Badminton and Burghley and several other medals for Britain however, such was Tamarillo’s brilliance when on kind that one nearly feels they by no means fairly achieved the one pinnacle they deserved – that championship victory.

“We had unhappy losses – Olympics and the World Equestrian Video games [WEG] have been all inside his attain when silly issues occurred,” says William. “What may need been! We had a number of heart-breakers; the Athens Olympics was one in all them as he cracked his stifle after a stunning clear spherical – I didn’t even know he had hit a fence. He gained Badminton, however he may have gained two extra. He missed these moments, however that’s how good he was. He wasn’t a traditional horse.”

Tamarillo at Blenheim in 2005.

Tamarillo didn’t enter William’s orbit till the Hon Finn and Mary Guinness’s home-bred was seven. He had been produced by Diana Burgess, who was based mostly at their Biddesden Stud, and he or she had evented him as much as his first few intermediates.

“All of it occurred as a result of I parked subsequent to Mark Todd at Tidworth round 1998, and was speaking to him and the Guinnesses,” says William. “I stated I used to be on the lookout for horses, and the Guinnesses stated that they had some that Toddy didn’t need as a result of he was retiring after Sydney. They stated, ‘Why don’t you come and take a look?’

“I went and noticed them, and Mary stated, ‘Now have a look at this one – he’s my golden jewel. You’ll be able to look however you may’t contact – he’s far too treasured.’

“I had solely seen Tam over the secure door, however a short while afterwards I noticed him within the showjumping warm-up at Bicton, the place issues weren’t going to plan. As I walked previous Mary, she stated, ‘I would offer you a hoop subsequent week.’ She did name, and stated, ‘You’d higher attempt that horse – possibly he wants a person on him.’”

William Fox-Pitt’s inauspicious begin with Tamarillo

When William went to attempt Tamarillo, he admits he couldn’t get him over a single fence.

“I did assume, ‘What’s the purpose?’ however I used to be younger and he was fairly so I had nothing to lose,” he says.

Tamarillo, who had by no means been ridden by anybody besides Diana, arrived at William’s yard in Stratton Audley within the early summer season of 1999.

“I remembered my mom saying to me after I was younger, ‘Generally it’s important to go quick sufficient that the horse simply can’t cease,’” William says. “I had that in my ears as I assumed, ‘Proper, Tam, you and I are going to have a go and we are going to see if you’re going to go or not.’ And progressively he did begin to go. I had learnt within the searching discipline and was barely gung-ho in my method.”

They have been second at Cornbury on their first outing, then gained at Knaptoft and Hartpury.

“We went spherical these first occasions so shortly that we might most likely have gotten a number of penalties for going too quick lately,” he says. “I believe going shortly acquired his blood up and gave him some adrenaline, so he was excited and thought, ‘Proper, I’d higher go.’”

William remembers going to a different occasion and “getting cocky, considering I used to be going to win”.

“We did a stunning dressage, a transparent showjumping spherical after which on the cross-country he jumped up the financial institution with me going just like the clappers and someway managed to cease,” says William. “I flew over the fence coming down the financial institution and landed within the discipline on my ft. At that time I realised issues weren’t fairly sorted but! He was too scared to leap off the financial institution by himself, so I acquired again on him and carried on, as you might in these days, and truly I believe in his thoughts that he realised it was simpler to go.”

Tamarillo at Badminton in 2004.

The next yr, 2000, William and Tam gained their first three-day occasion, the CCI3*-L at Blarney Fortress, gained the intermediate championships at Gatcombe and have been second within the CCI4*-L at Blenheim.

“I used to be feeling now that I had a little bit of equipment underneath me, but it surely was a really sticky starting,” says William. “He was the classiest, spookiest horse I’ve ridden in my life. That spooking outlined him and it misplaced him many a second in his profession.”

They completed second behind Pippa Funnell and Supreme Rock at their first Badminton in 2002 and made their first workforce look that autumn at WEG in Jerez, the place tripping up the step popping out of the water resulted in 20 penalties.

“He took some managing,” says William. “The yr he gained Badminton [2004] he had solely executed Tweseldown open intermediate beforehand. What number of horses go spherical Badminton that effectively with solely a cross-country college, primarily? He was by no means a horse you might take pleasure in as a lot as you wished to – I needed to save him for the large days.”

There have been different massive outcomes – second at Badminton in 2005, particular person silver and workforce gold on the Europeans that yr – however most likely Tam’s best achievement was his last one, that 2008 Burghley victory.

“That was very particular as a result of he had come again from a number of issues, and he hadn’t been chosen for the Beijing Olympics that yr, which I used to be very unhappy about,” says William. “However he gained Burghley within the mud; he was in a category of his personal throughout nation that day. Being a very athletic blood horse, the terrain there meant nothing to him, and bear in mind he was 16 on the time.”

His proprietor and breeder, Mary Guinness, factors out: “He gained each Badminton and Burghley in moist mud; individuals neglect that Arabs are bred to go their greatest within the sands of the desert, which may be very deep going. He bounced off the bottom and at no time did he make a type of massive tracks look intimidating or something however simple.”

Mary went to each competitors Tam did, and says: “When he did a leg and was taken swimming to assist his restoration, I drove a 200-mile spherical journey each time to be with him in case he began to panic. He knew me so effectively – the horse whisperer Gaynor Davenport stated he thought I used to be his mom.”

Tamarillo at Badminton in 2004.

Tam’s quirks remained with him all his life.

“He was very cold-backed; you virtually needed to rebreak him after his winter vacation, and put a saddle on him within the secure and go away him there for a bit,” says William. “And he beloved girls, however not males. There have been days after I would go into his secure and never be capable of catch him. Even in his final years, you might by no means assume something with him – you’ll get on slowly and never do up the girth too tightly too shortly.”

He continues: “Tam at all times stored me on my toes and he was electrical when on kind. I believe he actually is my horse of a lifetime. Chilli was wonderful, after all, however Tam was a freak who had every little thing in extra; extra soar, extra blood, extra motion, simply totally different.”

“Darling Tam”

“If Tamarillo had been a person, I’d have married him,” says his proprietor Mary Guinness. “He was a dream. He was bred for the job and I knew what I had the second I noticed him. Nobody else did, as a result of he was so fairly, however I knew his dad and mom and the game.

“He was very petted – ‘Darling Tam, someday you’ll win Badminton,’ I used to say to him, and I most likely petted him an excessive amount of. It was a giant wake-up name when he went to William, as a result of he was anticipated to behave like a grown-up, however they have been a match made in heaven.

“He was a wildly clever horse, and so athletic and exquisite. My most particular second with him was really when he gained Blarney in 2000; everybody had laughed at me about Tam for therefore lengthy, and having lived in Eire I knew half the individuals there at Blarney. It was an actual step into the unknown and a correct course. Once we gained, I couldn’t fairly imagine it and I smiled and smiled all the best way house. I felt vindicated.”

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