Katharine Heller stood ringside at the Wash-ington International Horse Show (D.C.) in 1985 as The Natural and Rodney Jenkins entered the ring. As the gelding jumped down the first line, Heller (formerly Burdsall) was struck by his athleticism and scope. This first memory of The Natural became etched into her mind, and she can still vividly recall the scene today. Little did she know at the time how much this horse would impact her life and career.

Heller started her riding career like many greats before her. She won the 1975 Maclay Medal while training with George Morris and transitioned into the jumpers with the help of trainer Melanie Smith Taylor. Once she established herself as a legitimate jumper rider, Heller began planning the next step in her career.

Heller was in her 20s when she met Paul Greenwood through a mutual friend. Paul and wife Robin Greenwood had recently purchased Old Salem Farm in North Salem, N.Y., and he was looking for a young rider to sponsor. Heller seemed to fit the bill, so she and Paul started searching for the right horse: one that was young enough to have a successful, lengthy career in major competitions. Their attention turned to The Natural, a Hanoverian (Diskus—Goldbanner, Gotthard) imported from Germany and ridden by Rodney Jenkins at the time. The bay gelding won five grand prix events in 1985 with Jenkins, including the $50,000 Mercedes American Gold Cup (Pa.), where the Greenwoods first saw him compete.

Paul was struck by the horse’s athletic ability, especially his unique jumping style.

“He had a peculiar way of ‘double jumping.’ First he would jump, then while in mid-air he would sort of jump again,” said Paul.

As he kept winning, “Natty’s” price kept rising. But Heller and Paul still flew to Jenkins’ farm in Virginia to try the horse. The trip finalized Paul’s plan to purchase the gelding, who would be his first grand prix jumper.

“When he jumped the biggest oxer I had ever seen, and I had chills up and down my spine, I made the decision to buy the most exciting horse I had ever seen,” recalled Paul.

Heller also felt confident they had made the right choice. She said,

“From the minute I sat on him, it felt right.”

By the time the Greenwoods officially bought The Natural, his price was $1 million, reportedly the highest price paid for a show jumper at that time. The Greenwoods and the show jumping world waited anxiously to see if The Natural could prove to be worth his high price. Meanwhile, Heller prepared to ride the million-dollar horse as best she could.

“The price should have added pressure,” admitted Heller, “But I just thought, ‘It’s a horse. You can’t be swayed by price.’ I wanted to do the best job for the horse and the owners.”

Feeling Lucky

When Heller and Natty entered their first grand prix competition together, Paul had high hopes.

“He was my first grand prix jumper and it seemed logical, although very naïve, that he should win the first grand prix he entered with me as the owner,” he said. Not only did Natty win, but Paul’s other newly purchased horse came in second. At the time, Paul thought,

“Wow. This grand prix horse ownership is a piece of cake!”

Although Paul soon realized that his horses couldn’t win every grand prix they entered, The Natural spent a fair share of his career winning top national and international competitions. Though Heller was young and relatively inexperienced when it came to large grand prix competitions, she knew she had an advantage. She exuded confidence when she was aboard Natty.

“I had a lot of faith in the horse. I just felt lucky. It felt good to have an edge when I was walking the course,” she said.

Heller focused on achieving their personal best at each competition, rather than allowing the pressure of winning to distract her.

She wasn’t the only one who needed to stay grounded. The Natural paired his jumping aptitude with an ornery attitude. He had a willing disposition while under saddle, but he was a handful in the barn. He disliked any attention. He hated being in a stall, yet he was extremely protective of this space. He got quite upset when anyone encroached on his territory, charging the bars from the back of his stall. This became a problem since many people wanted to catch a glimpse of the superstar horse at competitions.

Luckily, Natty’s stable mate, Toronja, loved attention. Joan Jacobs, their groom at the time, devised a plan to keep Natty relaxed and happy. When visitors came to the barn, Jacobs opened Toronja’s door and put her stall guard up. The mare’s obnoxiously friendly antics distracted the pas-sers-by, and Natty was left in peace. Jacobs said,

“She was the perfect stable mate. She took the pressure off of him.”

With Heller and The Natural both focused for the task at hand, they were virtually unstoppable. The pair won team gold at the 1986 World Championships in Aachen (Germany), Heller’s first competition in Europe. Heller remembered the speed phase when Natty showed off his ability by jumping high enough to clear the standards of a Swedish oxer. The crowd murmured in astonishment, and Heller managed to stay with him. She described it as,

“One of those moments I’ll never forget.”

Once they returned to the United States, they continued their blazing winning streak, taking three World Cup qualifiers, at the Hampton Classic (N.Y.), the American Gold Cup (Pa.) and the President’s Cup (D.C.). These wins earned them a trip to the 1987 FEI World Cup Final in Paris. In France, they won the title after dropping only one rail in the three legs of competition. Heller and Natty then won the Lucerne Grand Prix (Switzerland) and the International Jumping Masters of Germany.

A Turning Point

In 1988, Heller and The Natural made the team for the Olympic Games. A few days before leaving for Seoul (Korea), Natty popped a splint. The Olympic team veterinarians tried their best, but his soreness continued to increase. Natty underwent splint surgery, forcing him to take at least a year off. His future in grand prix competitions looked uncertain, even if his surgery and rehabilitation went smoothly.

In the meantime, Heller had reached a turning point in her life. She had spent most of her younger years moving around in order to ride horses for various owners. She didn’t like the thought of maintaining a long-term career under those circumstances, but she also couldn’t envision herself starting her own operation. She decided to quit competing altogether, a decision that shocked many.

Paul decided that Alice Debany-Clero would take over as Natty’s rider if he recovered. Debany-Clero, who’d admired Natty for a long time, remembered the shock and thrill she felt when Paul informed her. She’d never imagined that Paul would ask her to ride him.

“When the reins of Natty were handed to me, my life changed forever,” she said.

Debany-Clero spent months preparing Natty for his comeback. She made sure the gelding was strong and fit before he resumed jumping. He stayed sound throughout the pro-cess and made a full recovery, which allowed them to enjoy several victories during their three-year partnership. They won the Queen’s Cup at Spruce Meadows (Alta.) in 1992, which gave Debany-Clero the opportunity to meet Queen Elizabeth II. Later in the year, they finished on top at the Cadillac Grand Prix of Detroit (Mich.) and the Cellular One & Metro Mobile Grand Prix at the National (N.Y.). Once it became apparent that Natty’s best competition days were behind him, the Greenwoods decided to retire the 17-year-old gelding.

The Natural retired in the spring of 1994 at Old Salem Farm. Though they received many inquiries from people who were interested in him as a junior jumper, the Greenwoods felt as though he should retire completely.
“After what he had accomplished, if he couldn’t compete at the highest level, he deserved to live out his final years with dignity,” said Paul. When the Greenwoods bought their new farm, Grand Central in Brewster, N.Y., Natty moved there and enjoyed his final years.

Fondest Memories

Though his career was over, Heller relished the time she spent with him out of the spotlight. Some of her fondest times included doing flat work with him at home, then walking on the trails of Baxter Road.

“A lot of my best memories were just riding him at Old Salem Farm,” she said. “He was a lovely horse to work with every day.”

Heller realized her partnership with The Natural opened many doors. She said,

“What I achieved wouldn’t have happened without that particular horse.”

After Heller stopped competing, she married and had two children. She was no longer tied to the horse world, but no matter how many things changed in her life, her connection to Natty remained the same. She visited him frequently, bringing him jelly doughnuts, his favorite treat. Though he wasn’t known to be friendly, when Heller visited, Natty would come to see her, even if for just a few moments.

“It’s still kind of cool. He would come up and let me pet him and play with him for a little while,” she said.

One time he even let her son Kyle, who was very small at the time, sit on his back. However, Natty made it clear when the visit was over, wandering away at random.

Debany-Clero also felt immense gratitude to The Natural. She claimed he put her on the map as a rider. However, like Heller, Debany-Clero remembered him best for his ability and personality rather than their wins together.

“The most lasting impression he left me with was the feeling he gave when he jumped. I’m proud to have been one of the lucky few to have had the honor of riding the perfect horse,” she said.

Siobhan Latchford took care of Natty for the last four years of his life. The horse became quite opinionated in his final years. Latchford accommodated his requests, though it was sometimes difficult. Natty’s hatred of being in a stall only got worse with age, and when he was turned out, he was difficult to catch. Latchford faced a predicament when it rained, snowed or hailed because she wanted Natty to be in a dry stall but didn’t enjoy chasing him around the field. She and the Greenwoods decided to put him in a large field with a run-in shed containing a stall. The stall was always open, so he was free to go wherever he wanted.

Natty lived the dream when it came to retirement.

“He called all the shots. He came and went as he wished, agreed to be handled for the bare essentials and asked not to be bothered the rest of the time,” Latchford said.

On the evening of April 12, 2008, Latchford had just finished feeding Natty. What seemed like an ordinary night turned tragic when Natty suffered a seizure and couldn’t get up. Latchford and the Greenwoods faced a tough decision, but knowing his personality, they realized that he would’ve been miserable living under conditions that demanded constant nursing.

At age 31, The Natural died with his pasture mate and many who loved him standing nearby.

“There was something wonderful about the fact that he never had a single thing wrong with him at the farm. He lived as he wished and then died on a beautiful spring evening having just finished his feed, with his friend nearby,” said Latchford.

The Natural impacted the lives of his owners, riders, caretakers and admirers with his athletic talent and feisty personality. Robin put it simply, saying,

“He truly was a horse of a lifetime, not only for us but for all the people who cared for him.”  

Katharine Heller currently lives in Pound Ridge, N.Y., with her husband Paul and two children, Melanie and Kyle. Paul, a farrier, created Farrier’s Fix Hoof Oil. Though she stopped competing after her career with The Natural, Heller, 52, still rides in her free time with Kip Rosenthal of Benchmark Farm (N.Y.). Her daughter Melanie shares her love of horses, though she doesn’t compete.

Alice Debany-Clero lives in Paris, France, with husband Remi and three children. Debany-Clero, 42, still competes in international competitions throughout Europe. She spends much of her time in the Middle East since she coaches members of the United Arab Emirates equestrian team. Debany-Claro has also coached Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan.

Paul Greenwood, hedge fund manager and general partner of WG Trading Co., pled guilty in 2010 to six federal charges, including conspiracy and securities fraud.