Name: Storm Quest

Owner: Alexandra Hawkes

Age: 7

Favourite pastime: Hunting and showjumping

Former trainer: Robin Dickin

 

Alexandra Hawkes’ chestnut mare Storm Quest was trained by Robin Dickin during her five race career when the closest she came to winning was finishing 34 lengths behind the winner in a mile and half flat maiden on 24 July 2013.

At the time she was owned by Ali’s employers North Bradon Stud. “She didn’t prove the most prolific racehorse so we bred a foal, now a yearling, by Intkhab, who’s very smart,” says Ali.

Motherhood also proved not to be Storm Quest’s forte, and having kicked her foal in the head three times, she was stood down from mothering duties and the filly was raised by a more amenable pony.

Ali continues: “Unfortunately she’d already been covered by the stallion again, but she aborted her foal at Christmas last year. We got to May, and I decided, in a moment of madness, to get on the Ginger Thing, as we call her, and to see if I could ride her.”  

Six months passed without incident until Tuesday just gone when they parted company at a gateway out hunting, but Ali jumped straight back on and they continued their day.

“She’s just a very typical chestnut mare. She had to go stall training, she’s trashed a lorry and she’s had every ailment you can think but she’s taken to hunting like a duck to water. She also loves showumping and will jump 1.10m quite happily.

If she sees a big hedge out hunting, she’d rather go the other way, unless it is very small, yet she adores coloured poles and planks.”

Storm has also been tried in the showring, and competed in the Retrained Racehorse series at the Wales and West hunter show in the summer, jumping clear. She was then asked to leave the ring in the line up as she wouldn’t stand still! She’s cub hunted, whipped in and is phenomenal when out with the staghounds, going like the clappers.

Next summer she will be shown again in the Retrained Racehorse series, competing in the TARA In-hand and the flat ridden showhorse classes. She might also go in the large hack breeding classes too as she is cleaned limbed too.

But she is definitely quirky, and among her many foibles are a dislike of travelling in lorries, and of other horses!