0%
Hi everyone, my name is Maddie Stout, I’m a 17 year old Eventer! I compete in British Eventing at BE100 level, hoping to move up to Novice this season. My riding career started when I was around 3 years old. I lived in Australia for two years and learnt to ride at a centre called Darkes Forest! I rode a pony called chicken nugget and went on trail rides! When my family and I moved back from Australia, I rode at riding schools and had lessons on my friend’s ponies. I got my first pony when I was 10, his name was Breeze!
I then loaned a lovely pony called Bonney who really started my riding career and made me fall in love with eventing! I rode a few others in between but my main ride after Bonney was my little pony Mai! If some of you have been following my Instagram for a while you’ll remember Mai. I bought her as a just backed 4 year old, who was rescued from a barn filled with Welsh Section D ponies. I was the second person to ever ride her and I loved her from our first ride. She was very very green and hadn’t been in an arena or even seen jumps. The first year of owning her was tough. Teaching her to relax under the saddle and introducing her to so many new things!
From her first canter under saddle, to her first jump. After she had established the basics and was more confident under saddle, and on the ground around people (as she was very nervous);I brought her on to aim for a BE80. We did Pony Club 70cm’s and 80cm’s and even some NSEA competitions. Her first competition was at Sparsholt College. The warmup was delayed, so we spent 2 hours outside in the rain, before jumping round an 85cm in an indoor arena (she hadn’t been in one of those before!). She surprised everyone and was a complete angel, going clear (minus one little starting blip at the first fence) and we finished 6th. I couldn’t have been prouder. I rode her up until the summer of 2015, where we came 4th at the Pony Club Novice Areas at 90cms. By this time, I had ridden her for 3 years and was getting a little too big her, she was only 14.1hh. She is now out on loan to a lovely girl who enjoys showjumping her and having loads of fun! I don’t think I could ever sell her as she is too special to me (I’m hoping my little sister will ride her soon). After Mai I was very lucky to get my current and amazing horse Jet! Jet has had a very experienced past I showjumping, in her 11 years, meaning she could teach me lots. Jet is a 16.2hh Irish Sports Horse, mare who I’ve had for a nearly and year and a half. I evented her all of last season, from her first BE80, to confidently going double clear around BE100. Although she is not the best at dressage, we are working very hard at it and I hope to compete her in some BENovices this 2017 season. She is such a lovely horse and has such a spunky personality. She can be quite mare-ish and has a sassy attitude, but will always try her best and look after you in any situation.
My other horse is Dude, he is a 17.2hh Thoroughbred Ex-racehorse, gelding. He wasn’t the most successful at racing but was brought on by an eventer before I got him. He is 8 years old (but acts like he is 3). He is quite green, but sadly couldn’t show his full ability last season due to inflaming his suspensory ligament. We competed in his first BE90 at Moreton Morrell Horse Trials last May, just before his injury was detected. His ligament is now all fully healed and he has had a long rest. But is now ready to come back into work, in the next few weeks and hopefully we will get on a lot better this season, hopefully competing up to BENovice. Dude definitely has the talent to reach at least 1* level which is my current aim for him. I am a very dedicated rider and dream of one day competing up to 4* level along with producing some of my own horses to buy and sell. I feel so lucky to be a member of the #Select17. Tottie is a brand that I have worn for ages (my old XC colours were Tottie, which I sadly grew out of) and I love every single item of clothing. I can’t wait for the season to start and to get out and about in all my Tottie gear and show it off! I am very proud to represent Tottie and am very grateful for the amazing support! I hope you guys enjoyed my first blog, just a little bit about myself and my riding career (so far!!).
If you want to see what I get up to with the horses, check out my social media:
Instagram: @mstouteventing
Facebook: Maddie Stout Eventing
YouTube: Maddie Stout Eventing
Twitter: @madsixox
Website: www.maddiestouteventing.weebly.com
I hope you enjoy following my horses and I on our eventing journey, and I can’t wait to share it with you all!
Maddie, Jet, Dude and Mai
x x x x