Bounty Hunter, the skewbald who jumped spherical Badminton, put down

Bounty Hunter II, the skewbald horse who jumped spherical Badminton Horse Trials with Caron Myles, was put down final Tuesday (6 December) on the age of 31.

“He was a feisty, decided little horse,” Caron instructed H&H. “He was a unusual Irish horse – so cautious and untrusting of anybody and I typically puzzled what on earth I used to be losing my time on, however he was a beautiful horse in plenty of different methods.”

Caron first got here throughout Bounty in 1995 when she and her sister Tina went to strive a horse in Kent.

She mentioned: “We didn’t like that one, however we noticed Bounty within the next-door steady. He was a really nervous four-year-old who had simply come from Eire having been sat on just a few occasions. We thought he’d be a pleasant using membership or Pony Membership kind to supply and promote on.

“He proved too nervous and tough for that, however after I did some pre-novices [now BE100s] on him on the finish of his fifth 12 months, he proved daring and courageous. His dressage and showjumping have been tough as a result of he was so tense, however he beloved cross-country and was leaping for enjoyable.”

On the finish of his six-year-old season, Bounty tried to take a stride out of a two-stride double throughout nation at Weston Park and fell.

“About two months later, he began headshaking actually badly,” mentioned Caron. “We had all the pieces investigated and it turned out he had chipped a tooth, however he remained a nasty headshaker, with rain and wind irritating him greater than solar. I needed to take him again to the start and nearly re-back him.

“I bought him going once more and we did two Blenheim Horse Trials, in 2000 and 2001. He was robust and he jumped the string into the group in 2000. In 2001, I went there on crutches – I’d gone over on my ankle and strained the comfortable tissue ligaments. However we jumped spherical clear and quick and certified for Badminton. He was fairly a difficult horse with the headshaking and being so robust, however I knew he was so courageous that if I used to be going to experience something at Badminton, it might be him.”

Caron and Bounty Hunter accomplished Badminton in 2002 with a transparent leaping spherical throughout nation.

“Badminton was my native occasion and he flew around the cross-country. Everybody beloved him as a result of they may see how gutsy he was, even when he was by no means going to win rosettes at that stage,” mentioned Caron. “I used to be so glad we completed and he was sound, pleased and effectively.”

After his retirement from eventing, Bounty hunted with six totally different packs – the Beaufort, Berkeley, Heythrop, South and West Wilts, Western and Mid Devon – and Caron’s ex-husband Duncan Hume hunted hounds from him on the Western.

“He paraded hounds too and I led our daughter Tilly off him out searching – he was a unbelievable horse to steer a pony off,” mentioned Caron. “He beloved searching and was a lot calmer than eventing.”

Caron mentioned her important reminiscences of Bounty Hunter shall be of “simply persevering”.

“He wasn’t a straightforward horse – he jumped out of each subject I attempted to maintain him in and most stables. He even jumped out by means of a weave grill on the age of 26 and he as soon as jumped over the breast bar of a trailer. You couldn’t worm him with a syringe or trim his feathers, and he needed to be sedated to have his tooth executed.”

Caron mentioned Bounty’s situation had deteriorated over the previous few months and notably up to now couple of weeks, so she made the choice to have him put down.

“It turned out he had a tumour and a small twist in his intestine, so he in all probability would have had agonising colic inside days so I really feel relieved I made the choice,” she mentioned. “He beloved water, so I took him to the stream on the farm on his final day and he splashed round with a giant smile on his face.”

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