meet Geoff Curran and Bishops Quarter

On Friday evening (15 December), a string of intrepid contenders will line as much as deal with the towering puissance wall at this yr’s London Worldwide Horse Present (LIHS).

The puissance is without doubt one of the biggest spectacles within the sport, requiring braveness, energy, scope – and an oz. of luck – from each horse and rider as they soar over heights scaling properly over 2m (6ft 7in). We stay in awe of anybody courageous sufficient to deal with it.

However one in every of this yr’s contenders, Commandant Geoff Curran, insists that, in his case not less than, it’s much less about bravery and all of it comes all the way down to the brilliance of his horse – the good Bishops Quarter.

This former eventer, who was too tough for dressage, has considerably surprisingly discovered his forte as a multi-winning excessive soar specialist, touchdown the Horse of the 12 months Present puissance for the previous two years, sharing the spoils at Royal Windsor earlier this yr and successful outright at Dublin.

So what makes the unimaginable 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Obos High quality x Cavalier Royale), owned by the Minister For Defence and Maurice Cassidy, so good?

“Folks at all times say to me ‘You should be very courageous,’ however there are far braver folks – I’m simply very properly mounted,” Geoff tells H&H. “Bishops Quarter has all of the scope and he’ll by no means say no. He may be sturdy within the early rounds of a puissance, however when the wall will get greater, he focuses, and it by no means feels such as you’re leaping that top – though adrenaline actually helps!

“We purchased him as an occasion horse, however he was tense within the dressage,” he continues. “We received him as much as the previous three-star [now four-star] however after a tendon harm, we rerouted him and he was used on the military equitation faculty for a few years earlier than he went leaping.

“He didn’t have the temperament to do grands prix as a result of he’s a bit aggressive, so his first puissance was Dublin 2019 – I shouldn’t have carried out it as a result of I’d damaged just a few ribs three weeks earlier than, so we’ll overlook that one! However that December in Liverpool he simply had the wall down within the final spherical, however it was massive, 2.21m. We knew we had an excellent horse for the job.

“If you’re a baby watching these lessons on TV you suppose they’re superb, so to have received Horse of the 12 months Present [HOYS] two years in a row is extraordinarily particular. However I don’t suppose I’ll expertise an environment pretty much as good as Dublin in entrance of a house crowd once more.”

“He picks up the bridle and goes to the wall himself”

Bishop is taken care of by groom Mark McKenna, who says he’s “very strong-minded”.

“He does little or no between puissances, simply lungeing and out within the paddock each day,” says Mark. “He’s good within the secure, however as quickly as you place the bridle on, he is aware of you imply enterprise. We have now Phoenix Park on our doorstep, so I’ll experience him there as he’s higher hacking as a result of as quickly as he sees the jumps he will get wound up – he’s simply actually blood and he finds it onerous to modify off.

“I like watching him within the ring, as a result of the larger they construct it, the higher probability he has of leaping it – when he sees the wall going up, he picks up the bridle and goes there himself,” reveals Mark. “At reveals, he received’t let anybody else close to him and as quickly as I put the plaits in, he is aware of what he’s going to do. It took us some time, however we now have him to perfection now – it’s all about by no means breaking his routine.

“Profitable in Dublin was my proudest second, however HOYS was my second-favourite – the gang’s on prime of you and everybody shakes your hand afterwards. I do know there are some nice puissance horses, however I don’t suppose there’ll be one other horse as constant as him.”

“It’s a must to be a bit particular to maintain successful the puissance”

A lot of the credit score should additionally go to Bishops Quarter’s breeder Ger Murphy and his father, the late Jim Murphy.

“My father bred horses all his life and the whole lot we now have got here down from him,” says Ger. “We thought a lot of this horse that we initially referred to as him Ballydunne Jim after my dad. We refused good cash for him on the gross sales as a three-year-old, pondering he was price much more. He at all times had an enormous soar in him, however we by no means dreamed he’d be successful the puissance at Dublin – though his grand-dam bred a horse who received a bareback excessive soar, so it was within the pedigree someplace!

“Seamus Hayes broke him for us, then he was with Ger O’Neill for a few years and certified for Dublin as a four-year-old,” explains Ger. “The largest downside was getting him to settle, so we had been giving him a lot of time without work. Francis Connors then rode him for a few years, and he’s a fantastic man for using the harder horses.

“However I owe lots of this to Geoff – he’s carried out a exceptional job with the horse. It’s nice to have him leaping for the military and to boost the Irish flag – my dad would have been so proud. His win in Dublin introduced tears to lots of eyes. You may be fortunate to win one, however you must be a bit particular to come back again and preserve successful them.”

The puissance on the London Worldwide takes place at 8.55pm on Friday (15 December). Amongst the opposite opponents on this yr’s class are one other eventer, Gemma Stevens, who says she is “terrified” on the prospect, Mark Edwards and Sebastian Hughes.

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H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her position as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the globe reporting from reveals and interviewing riders, connections and people concerned behind the scenes. Since becoming a member of H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on each topic throughout the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to secure administration — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She additionally has first-hand expertise of working within the equestrian business as a using teacher and yard supervisor.