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CARRICK - 17 year old Canadian Sporthorse gelding Latest News Carrick took up foxhunting last fall with the Moore County Hounds, quite an achievement for a horse with a dog (and hound) phobia! He loved being back running and jumping with John, so he chose to overcome his fears. He was so fit at the end of the season, John took him out to a few Horse Trials (one Prelim, one Intermediate and one Advanced). He looked and felt great; it was such fun to see him out again and Carrick enjoyed every bit of the attention and admiration he received! He is legging up now after a summer break and will be out cubbing and hunting soon. Carrick's Background We have had Carrick since he was four years old. We bought him from our friend Doug Dean, who lives in Ontario breeding Canadian Sporthorses. We bought and sold several other of Doug's horses by his stallion Cozy Commander. They had all been great horses: sensible, good jumpers and terrific cross country, and now we wanted one that we could keep for ourselves. John's Mother, Ann, and our friends Diane Tichell and Elise dePapp helped us buy him. John didn't ride Carrick but just watched him free school in the indoor. He was somewhat unlikely looking as he was rather skinny and all legs and shoulder, but we saw something special in his arrogant expression and brought him home. Carrick was a child prodigy and progressed quickly through the levels of eventing. He moved up based on his easy jumping and cross country skills but it took his dressage several years to catch up. He was second in the 1-Star at Radnor when he was five, did the 2-Star when he was six and his first 3-Star at eight.       When he was seven he made his first overseas trip to Australia for the Olympic Test Event prior to the Sydney Olympics. He was only ten when he was fourth at the World Championships, earning the Team Gold Medal. In 2004 he won Team Bronze in the Athens Olympics. Carrick has always had a lazy, laid back attitude which has been both a blessing and a curse. He is unflappable in the stadiums at the big International competitions, but he can also be hard to inspire to brilliance. He does have a dog phobia, which seems to be getting worse the older he gets; if he doesn't pick a dog up and shake it, he runs the other way! He loves Polo's (peppermints) and staying in his pasture 24 hours a day if he can. He also loves water, and will roll in any mud hole or stream that he can find, or his water trough if nothing else is available. A tendon strain sidelined him in 2005, but he is back in training now and looking forward to the next big Three Day. Copyright © BP Equine Ltd., All Rights Reserved