Success stories The love affair - by Hayley Clements

The love affair between myself and Knocklong started whilst he was in training with Justin Landy, I used to ride him out in preparation for his races and he used to pull my arms out!

From the moment I met him I just fell in love with him and always said when he retires, I will take him on. He wasn’t the best moving nor the most good-looking horse so I thought he would just be my happy hacker.

However, when he retired, Knocklong took to his re training very well, his way of going soon proved me wrong. He was no longer the horse that pulled like a train and was rather light in my hands.

In Knocklong’s, first season in the show ring he excelled beyond my imagination, qualifying for the both the RoR National Championships and the Tattersalls RoR Amateur Ridden Show Series at Hickstead.

In 2021, Knocklong won the Tattersalls RoR Amateur Ridden Show Series at Hickstead in the National Hunt section and The Stars Championship. He was placed at every show we entered, including The Great Yorkshire Show and the SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse HOYS qualifier.

We are thoroughly looking forward to the coming season where we plan to head to Royal Windsor Show and the Hickstead Derby Meeting for the Tattersalls RoR Ridden Finals.

He is one in a million and his unflappable temperament makes him so easy to deal with. He has really transformed from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan!