‘We knew she had this win in her’: riding horse mare keeps her brain in the game at Windsor

A mare achieved the biggest win of her career at the 2023 Royal Windsor Horse Show as she became the new Royal Windsor riding horse champion.

Paul Mortimer’s eight-year-old small riding horse Royal Illusion (Gracie) kept her cool to score the prestigious championship victory her connections knew she was capable of.

She was partnered all the way by her producer, Vicky Smith, who noted it was also the first time she had occupied the top spot in the Royal Windsor riding horse championship.

Prior to joining Team Smith, Gracie, who Paul bought as a three-year-old from James Woodington, was produced by Jordan Cook.

“Jordan did an amazing job with her and I’m now picking up the reins after his hard work,” said Vicky, who hasn’t been out of the top two in all her classes at the 2023 Royal Windsor Horse Show. “Jordan was cutting down his string of horses last year, so Paul rang me to ask if I fancied having Gracie as they thought she’d also do really well as an intermediate, too.”

After only having her on the yard for three days, Vicky qualified Gracie for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) as a riding horse, and shortly afterwards Vicky’s groom, Poppy Carter, picked up a HOYS intermediate ticket. Gracie has only been shown once prior to Windsor this year, where she was riding horse champion at North of England.

“She is a funny mare; she only likes certain people,” said Vicky, reserve riding horse champion at Windsor in 2022 riding Assagart Vision. “My best friend, Chris, comes to a lot of shows with me and he gets on really well with her. He didn’t come to Windsor earlier in the week so he could stay at home and get Gracie ready. He took her to a farm ride, gave her a bath and brought her down separately. We have to keep everything how she likes it; we have to pander to her.

“We ultimately knew she had a win like this in her and today was the first time she felt like the champion we knew she was. She came off the corner in the championship and I felt like I was on a hunter; she just lowered and galloped. Her brain was in the game and she wanted to win.”

The novice winner, Paula Merton’s Seaborne After Dark, ridden by Gary Merton, took section reserve.

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