We caught up with International Showjumper Rob Murphy to speak to him about his Redpost Equestrian Senior Foxhunter Win, what this meant to him, and the journey he has been on with Chawton to get to the top.
“It was massive for me to win the Foxhunter as it is such a prestigious class that everyone wants to win. I’ve worked very hard in preparation specifically for that class – so it was great for it to work out the way it did.”
“I’ve had Chawton for around 8 – 10 months and slowly produced him through last winter indoor premier shows. My aim was to have him ready to do the Foxhunter second rounds in the summer – he won his second attempt at qualifying. Through the summer he actually had an unfortunate injury after getting cast at a show, so we just aimed to get him fit just for HOYS. Which he thankfully did.”
“My plan was to stay clear and be quick enough to put some pressure on the people after me. My main priority was staying clear as the previous years I lost the class due to fences falling. “
“My parents, my girlfriend and my team of grooms have all been a massive support all year and they were all there on the night which was great. It was so nice to be able to celebrate with all of them”
“I love the buzz and the atmosphere at HOYS. It’s always a special feeling riding into the ring which I will always crave”
“Chawton is a big character around the yard. He’s a very cheeky horse who is always looking for trouble, but has a very soft sweet side too”
“I currently have a very talented 9 year old called Imbeer who is competing at 1.40-1.45 level and also 8 year old Lightning TW who also won at HOYS in the talent seekers final.”
“I watch a lot of the big riders and study them, but I’ve worked very closely with Peter Charles and his team over the past two years. I’ve been fortunate enough to ride some amazing horses for Peter including Chawton recently which has really pushed my career forward”
“My mum always told me to never give up.”
“My goals are to try and climb the world ranking list more throughout the year. Also I want to try and begin to buy and sell my own horses as at the moment all the horses I ride are for clients, none of my own.”
“My favourite shows in the UK are Olympia and HOYS. Internationally, I’ve always wanted to ride at Aachen as I believe that is the biggest show in the world.”
“I couldn’t live without my Uvex gloves. I wear them every time I ride. In my opinion they’re the best gloves on the market”
