When Heidi White first laid eyes on Northern Spy, she had no idea that she would travel around the world with him, vying for championship teams.

At the time, she was just looking for a horse who could give her some mileage at advanced. But this spring, when they return to the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** for the third time, White and her 13-year-old English Thoroughbred will be looking to earn a third trip to Europe–this time to Germany, for the World Equestrian Games.

White had been searching for a horse for some time before Phillip Dutton looked at Northern Spy at Margaret and Wash Bishop’s farm in Middleburg, Va., in 2000. Within 48 hours of receiving a call from Dutton, White had tried the horse, vetted him, and settled him in at Dutton’s farm in Pennsylvania, where White works as an assistant trainer.

“You’re realistic about it, but you always say, ‘Is this a four-star horse?’ ” said White. “But we weren’t looking for that. I just wanted to be in the top 10 at an advanced horse trial and maybe do a three-star.”

Dutton had just two hesitations about the horse–that he wouldn’t do his flying changes when he tried him, and that he would be too slow. “It’s a joke now, because he got 9s on his changes at Badminton,” said White with a laugh.

More than his ability, White, 40, of Chadds Ford, Pa., was drawn to her horse’s temperament. “He’s a real quiet citizen and a real good guy,” she said. “He’s steady and consistent.”

With the support of her parents, Gretchen and Robert White, Heidi and Northern Spy finished second in the 2001 Virginia CCI* before winning the Camino Real CCI** (Texas) that fall. “Farley” had already completed the 1999 Radnor Hunt CCI** (Pa.) with Margaret Bishop, so White aimed him for the Foxhall CCI*** (Ga.) in April 2002.

There, the pair had the lead after dressage and held their position through cross-country. Two rails dropped them to seventh behind stablemates Bonnie Mosser and Jenga, but White wasn’t disappointed.

“It’s like a movie you’re watching, but you’re not really in it,” she said. “My nerves got to me [on the final day], but you learn how to relax and deal with pressure. You just do what you do every day.”

But whether Farley would have the turn of foot required for the biggest events remained in doubt, until that October, when he galloped to third at the Fair Hill CCI*** (Md.), becoming just the 11th horse in the history of the CCI to make the time over Fair Hill’s undulating terrain. They also won the fitness award there.

“That was a real big thing for our team. He was always a little fat and not fit at first,” said White. “It took a while to get him fit and figure out what type of feed he needed. He’s not a typical Thoroughbred.”

So White spends extra time jogging him, establishing a good base at the beginning of her season, then does more speed work and starts her long, slow canters earlier in the season.

“He’s come out fitter and stronger each year,” she said. “Last year, before Badminton, I thought he was fitter and stronger than ever, but this year he was even fitter than that. In a flat race, he still wouldn’t be that fast, but Phillip’s taught me that you can not set up too soon, and when you land, you land going.”

Dutton agreed that Farley’s speed has developed beyond his expectations.

“I thought he was going to be a good horse for Heidi, but I didn’t have him pictured as a very competitive four-star horse,” he admitted. “He always looked a bit heavier, but he’s become lighter as he’s matured, and he’s more Thoroughbredy now.”

Four-Star Debut
White’s career was on a fast track after Fair Hill, as she began contemplating her first four-star at Rolex Kentucky, in April 2003.

“I looked back on our year and thought, ‘Wow!’ We were on the winter training list, and I started to think we were going to be able to go further,” she said.

Even though White had earned top placings at the major spring horse trials, she found Kentucky to be another level. “It was pretty overwhelming,” she said.

Although they had a run-out on cross-country, which White took the blame for, she was immediately looking to the future.

“I was so elated, I almost couldn’t wait to do it again,” she said. “I knew he had all the capability. He had tons of scope and bounce. He did all the hard stuff beautifully,” so she decided to aim for the Burghley CCI**** (England) in September.

And Burghley took White to yet another new level: “There were hundreds of thousands of people, like nothing I had ever seen. I walked the course about seven times, but then you come out Saturday and look to see your line, and there’s so many people, you can’t see. You have to trust that the fence is in the same place!”

Although they were slow, White fulfilled her goal of jumping around and completed in 44th place.

The next spring, White returned to Kentucky and finished eighth as the Olympic selectors looked on.

“In the line-up, with [riders like] Darren [Chiacchia] and Phillip [Dutton], I just thought about what we’d accomplished over the last years with this horse, and fairly quickly,” she said. “I was pretty excited.”

As part of the Olympic shortlist, White traveled to England to train. She was disappointed not to be chosen for Athens but learned from the experience and had the chance to return to Burghley instead. “It’s all part of the learning curve,” she said. “It was my first time in that situation, and I learned how to handle the team situation and the pressure.”

And in the spring of 2005, with two trips around Kentucky already under her belt, White decided to tackle the legendary Badminton CCI**** (England). “I wanted to do the big three [four-stars],” she said. “That was a goal in itself.”

So she headed back to England to train, staying with David and Jackie Green again before heading off to the world’s most prestigious event.

“It was one of those weeks where everything’s going your way,” said White, who finished just 2 seconds slow on Badminton’s cross-country course in a ride she’ll never forget. “My horse was just a star.”

Before she entered show jumping, White’s groom, Colby Saddington, gave her some perfectly timed advice. “She said, ‘Don’t forget yesterday, because they can’t take that away from you. Just finish this.’ And that really took the pressure off. We just cantered around, got a rhythm, and didn’t look anywhere but at the fences.”

White finished 10th. “Every time I look at the pictures, it still sends a chill down my spine,” she said. “It’s amazing that you can keep asking, and every time, he says yes.”

White then stayed in Europe and contested the FEI World Cup Final in Sweden in August, when she again took 10th place against the best in the world. Farley posted the fastest cross-country time, finishing 7 seconds fast.

“We’ve been through a lot together,” White said. “He’s become my best friend. He really owes me nothing else. He’s gone way beyond my expectations–around the world and back twice. He’s as good a friend and companion as you could ask for.”

And this year could bring the one thing White hasn’t done with Farley–represent the United States on an international team. She hopes to impress the selectors at Kentucky and earn a spot on the squad for the WEG in Aachen, Germany.

A Great Attitude
White may spend extra time conditioning Farley, but on dressage day, she can still pull a relaxed Farley out of his stall 20 minutes before his test, even at Badminton.

“I see some people on their horses for hours,” said White with a laugh. “But he doesn’t change much at competitions.”

Although Farley doesn’t have the biggest trot, he has a super walk and canter, said White. But his best asset is his mind.

“He’s a very kind horse; he likes to work, and he tries very hard. He doesn’t get upset by too many things,” said Dutton.

“He lets us put the pressure on to train him,” said White, who has worked on their dressage with Dutton, Capt. Mark Phillips and Robert Dover. “He never gets mad or shuts down. He has a very good work ethic, so you can spend all your time training, not trying to calm him down.”

But Farley does have one quirk–he doesn’t like to be caught. “That’s his only bad habit, so fair enough,” said White.

But once he’s caught, he can be quite sociable. “He likes it when groups hang out in front of his stall,” she said. “He likes picnics.”

And White makes sure to spend some time with him at the end of each day. “I always groom him or go play with him,” she said. “As the years have gone on, we’ve gotten closer and closer.”

“It’s one of those partnerships where Heidi does everything, from cleaning his stall, to grooming him, riding him and hand-walking him,” said Dutton. “They spend all their time together, and it really pays off. The horse tries for her. It helps that they’ve come up the ranks together, and she’s gotten to know how he likes to go, and he knows what to expect from her. They have a friendship and a good partnership.”

White and her husband of three years, Irish race horse owner Gerry Carty, spend the winters in Aiken, S.C., where White teaches and trains. But the best part of her day is always the same. “Farley makes it enjoyable,” she said. “It’s not a job to ride him; it’s the highlight of the day.”

White knows that if she ever wants to relinquish the ride on Farley, there are plenty of interested parties waiting in the wings. “Phillip always says, ‘If you want to get pregnant or anything, I’ll ride him,'” said White with a laugh. “I know he’s as wonderful to sit on as I would ever have in a lifetime. He’s seriously special.”

White’s skyrocketing career can testify to that. “He’s definitely changed the course of my life, for sure, just the places I’ve gotten to go. The people you meet and the little towns–without him, there would be no reason to go to any of those places,” she said. “I make sure every day that I thank him.”

Farley Facts
*Friends sent him Tastykakes–his favorite treat–while he was competing in Europe.
*Farley’s veterinarian, Dr. Kevin Keane, calls him a “genetic freak” because he has been so sound.
*Dressage judges almost always comment on his large, floppy ears, which swing back and forth when he’s relaxed.
*A fan group of 30 Pony Clubbers followed him around Kentucky one year.
*Former owner Margaret Bishop still follows Farley’s career and has sent cards whenever he’s done especially well.
*Farley posted the fastest cross-country time at the 2005 FEI World Cup Final.
*He was imported from England in November 1997.
*Has jumped 20 clear rounds out of 25 advanced events and CCIs.


Career Highlights
2005 FEI World Cup Final (Sweden)–10th
2005 Badminton CCI**** (England)–10th
2005 Red Hills CIC***W (Fla.)–5th
2005 Morven Park Horse Trials (Va.)–1st
2004 Burghley CCI**** (England)–23rd
2004 Rolex Kentucky CCI****–8th
2003 Burghley CCI**** (England)–44th
2003 Rolex Kentucky CCI****–24th
2003 North Georgia CIC***–5th
2003 Red Hills CIC***W (Fla.)–4th
2002 Fair Hill CCI*** (Md.)–3rd
2002 Foxhall CCI*** (Ga.)–7th
2001 Camino Real CCI** (Texas)–1st
2001 Menfelt Horse Trials (Md.)–1st
2001 Virginia CCI*–2nd