PrintIn this series, the Chronicle follows six riders as they seek to fulfill their Olympic dreams in Hong Kong in 2008. Click here to read Karen's first installment, or here to view her second.
Since my last installment of The Road To The Olympics, to say my life has turned upside down would be an understatement [O’Connor’s famed pony, Theodore O’Connor, was euthanized on May 28 after an accident at the O’Connor’s farm (June 6, p. 112).].
It’s been a very difficult time for anyone connected to Teddy and the O’Connor Event Team, including all my other owners, who are saddened by Teddy’s accident. Thousands and thousands of people have responded to try to help us through such a tough time, and also just to voice their own sadness.
It’s just very, very tragic. Some of the stuff that has come out–the amazing outpouring of condolences and care–it’s really touched everybody that’s in the [Theodore O’Connor] Syndicate, including myself and [Teddy’s breeder] Wynn Norman, and also [his groom] Max Corcoran. It’s really helped us get through a really tough time. I’ve never known a horse to have this kind of an impact on an industry. It’s a tribute to him and how many lives he touched—none more than mine.
I’m not through this. It’s going to be a while before I’m completely through it. I’ve gotten tremendous support and help from everyone around me, and I just can’t thank everybody enough for that.
Because Teddy was so close to me, this time is important to me. I wanted to go through the grieving process in my own way, and I wanted to do it immediately. I think initially I was in shock, and it does feel surreal still to me. But I wanted to go through the grieving process and not hide behind some hard shell, because I’m a softy inside.
I had a four-day clinic down in Louisiana [the weekend after the accident], and I canceled that. I didn’t feel like I could get that done. But David decided to carry on and go down and do the clinic, and it was amazing that he was able to go and do that.
It was important to me that I could take Teddy’s passing internally. You can’t take it back. It’s something that you’d love to change, but it’s impossible.
I think it was probably about a week ago when I woke up and said, “Mandiba’s an amazing horse.” Of course I always knew that, but I woke up ready to start to move on in spite of the fact that Teddy will never be replaced–ever. I now feel ready to move on, and if ever there’s a horse to move on with, it’s Mandiba.
Foresight Rewarded
Mandiba was bred by a good friend of mine in Ireland, William Micklem, who also sold us Biko, Custom Made, Mr. Maxwell and Giltedge. Because of my faith in William, we bought Mandiba sight unseen. True to form, the horse was fantastic right from the get-go.
He’s by Master Imp out of High Dolly, who was by Chair Lift, so he’s beautifully bred on both sides to be a top class event horse. And a tribute to that breeding is that Zara Phillips bought his full brother, High Kingdom. She has him as a novice horse right now, and he’s also quite special.
Joan Goswell is Mandiba’s owner, and she also owned Worth The Trust, who won the 1997 Rolex Kentucky CCI***. It’s been really fun for the Micklem family and Joan to follow him.
It’s also hugely rewarding and special to David and I because this is both of our work. David did a lot of the on-line work with him initially. He was quite “bucky” as a young horse, and it took a long time to break him properly. We took our time, and we never put him under pressure in the beginning.
On-line he jumped all of the cross-country jumps that we have on our property–all of them–before I ever jumped a jump with him on horseback. It’s a remarkable feeling to go down to your first ditch when you’re riding a horse and he’s already got it all figured out. He’s not at all impressed or worried.
We broke him as a 5-year-old, so he didn’t start competing until his 6-year-old year. His first event was beginner novice at The Fork (N.C.) three years ago, which he won, and it’s been all go from there.
He’s had some time off after the Jersey Fresh CCI*** (N.J.) [where he placed seventh in May]. He had a great holiday and did great when I took him to Seneca [Md.] for a little outing at preliminary level last weekend.
He and Max are leaving to go to England this week [of June 20] with Amy [Tryon’s] two horses. [Tryon has been based with the O’Connors in Florida and Virginia for the past several months and has two potential mounts for the Olympics, Poggio II and Leyland. Short-listed riders were given the choice of participating in one of two final mandatory outings, at either a private, closed session at The Fork Stables or at the Barbury Castle CIC*** in England. Both O’Connor and Tryon have opted to participate in the latter].
Since my last installment of The Road To The Olympics, to say my life has turned upside down would be an understatement [O’Connor’s famed pony, Theodore O’Connor, was euthanized on May 28 after an accident at the O’Connor’s farm (June 6, p. 112).].
It’s been a very difficult time for anyone connected to Teddy and the O’Connor Event Team, including all my other owners, who are saddened by Teddy’s accident. Thousands and thousands of people have responded to try to help us through such a tough time, and also just to voice their own sadness.It’s just very, very tragic. Some of the stuff that has come out–the amazing outpouring of condolences and care–it’s really touched everybody that’s in the [Theodore O’Connor] Syndicate, including myself and [Teddy’s breeder] Wynn Norman, and also [his groom] Max Corcoran. It’s really helped us get through a really tough time. I’ve never known a horse to have this kind of an impact on an industry. It’s a tribute to him and how many lives he touched—none more than mine.
I’m not through this. It’s going to be a while before I’m completely through it. I’ve gotten tremendous support and help from everyone around me, and I just can’t thank everybody enough for that.
Because Teddy was so close to me, this time is important to me. I wanted to go through the grieving process in my own way, and I wanted to do it immediately. I think initially I was in shock, and it does feel surreal still to me. But I wanted to go through the grieving process and not hide behind some hard shell, because I’m a softy inside.
I had a four-day clinic down in Louisiana [the weekend after the accident], and I canceled that. I didn’t feel like I could get that done. But David decided to carry on and go down and do the clinic, and it was amazing that he was able to go and do that.
It was important to me that I could take Teddy’s passing internally. You can’t take it back. It’s something that you’d love to change, but it’s impossible.
I think it was probably about a week ago when I woke up and said, “Mandiba’s an amazing horse.” Of course I always knew that, but I woke up ready to start to move on in spite of the fact that Teddy will never be replaced–ever. I now feel ready to move on, and if ever there’s a horse to move on with, it’s Mandiba.
Foresight Rewarded
Mandiba was bred by a good friend of mine in Ireland, William Micklem, who also sold us Biko, Custom Made, Mr. Maxwell and Giltedge. Because of my faith in William, we bought Mandiba sight unseen. True to form, the horse was fantastic right from the get-go.
He’s by Master Imp out of High Dolly, who was by Chair Lift, so he’s beautifully bred on both sides to be a top class event horse. And a tribute to that breeding is that Zara Phillips bought his full brother, High Kingdom. She has him as a novice horse right now, and he’s also quite special.
Joan Goswell is Mandiba’s owner, and she also owned Worth The Trust, who won the 1997 Rolex Kentucky CCI***. It’s been really fun for the Micklem family and Joan to follow him.
It’s also hugely rewarding and special to David and I because this is both of our work. David did a lot of the on-line work with him initially. He was quite “bucky” as a young horse, and it took a long time to break him properly. We took our time, and we never put him under pressure in the beginning.
On-line he jumped all of the cross-country jumps that we have on our property–all of them–before I ever jumped a jump with him on horseback. It’s a remarkable feeling to go down to your first ditch when you’re riding a horse and he’s already got it all figured out. He’s not at all impressed or worried.
We broke him as a 5-year-old, so he didn’t start competing until his 6-year-old year. His first event was beginner novice at The Fork (N.C.) three years ago, which he won, and it’s been all go from there.
He’s had some time off after the Jersey Fresh CCI*** (N.J.) [where he placed seventh in May]. He had a great holiday and did great when I took him to Seneca [Md.] for a little outing at preliminary level last weekend.
He and Max are leaving to go to England this week [of June 20] with Amy [Tryon’s] two horses. [Tryon has been based with the O’Connors in Florida and Virginia for the past several months and has two potential mounts for the Olympics, Poggio II and Leyland. Short-listed riders were given the choice of participating in one of two final mandatory outings, at either a private, closed session at The Fork Stables or at the Barbury Castle CIC*** in England. Both O’Connor and Tryon have opted to participate in the latter].
