HEALTH & FITNESS 
TEACH ME 
HORSE & HUMAN 
MY EQUESTRIAN LIFE 
The Eventing ace discusses her Pau triumph…
Caroline Harris was undecided about running her horse D. Day in the wet at Pau CCI-5*L in October. In hindsight, why did she worry? The signs were all there that D. Day not only liked galloping on wet ground, he positively thrived on it.
D. Day won at Lignières CCI-4*S the previous month in the wet. In May 2023, he came third at Chatsworth CCI-4*S when the weather was, you’ve guessed it, wet.
D. Day, owned by Fiona Oliver, Lucy Matthews, Marie Anne Richardson and Heather Royale, won in Pau, giving Harris her first five star win. Reflecting on that cross-country day, the 34-year-old said: “D. Day found it amazingly easy, I don’t know why I doubted it so much, he does love the mud it turns out. He finished great and looked super the next day.”
The cross-country course was altered significantly due to the incessant rain, but the ground wasn’t deep or holding. Harris has nothing but praise for the efforts of the organisers. She said: “They did do a brilliant job, and it was more just, like going through wet slop on top of the ground, rather than sinking deep and getting stuck into the ground. It did ride a lot better than I expected.”
Watch and learn
Harris is based at Aston Farm, which is owned by British Olympian Cpt Mark Philips. She runs her own barn of 18 horses, but shares facilities with Zara Tindall and Clarke Johnstone. She’s been there three years and before the move spent 10 years based with Sam Griffiths. Harris enjoys expanding her own knowledge and expertise alongside two riders she admires.
Harris said: “I love just being able to watch and learn from other people, so for me, having two such brilliant riders on site, I just pick up so much just by watching them. The three yards are very separate, you never feel on top of each other. There are plenty of areas we can work the horses. If someone is using the outdoor arena, we can go indoors, or on the canter track.”
An addition to Harris’ business is pre-training racehorses for Jason Maguire, teaching the youngsters to jump at speed. She finds it thrilling and it’s helped her own riding too, learning not to interfere and look for a stride. “You’ve got to let them travel and come to a jump with a really soft hand. I found it very nerve-wracking to begin with, but it’s quite a big adrenaline kick. I’ve loved it and have noticed a huge difference in my cross-country riding since doing it.”
Harris is quite rightly still enjoying and reflecting on her recent achievements. D. Day is still just a 10-year-old, but with sire Billy Mexico, he’s got talent in his DNA.
Harris is protective of him and eager for them both to gain more experience before even considering the likes of Badminton or Burghley. Patience is the name of the game, but if you see this horse on an entry list, keep an eye also on the weather report.
Check out the FEI's Eventing page on Facebook for all the latest from this thrilling discipline...
Words by Katie Roebuck
