FREEBIE BRINGS HOME THE MONEY

A HORSE who was given to his rider as a freebie came up trumps in a BE90 section at the Reverdy-sponsored Brightling Park.

Voltaires Valentino (Inca) had a reputation for being aggressive, but Harriet Poupart was tipped off by a friend, who believed the gelding had oodles of potential — with the right rider.

“When I went to see him, I took my trailer, said hello to him, loaded him up and took him home,” said Woking-based Harriet.

“It was a massive risk. After five months, I’d had enough; he was spooky and spent all his time doing bunny-hop rears.”

Suddenly, though, the pair clicked.

“Inca started to respect me and I began to understand what made him tick — we both found dressage boring! Inca had never jumped a cross-country fence, but I soon discovered that he was exceptionally brave and willing to please.”

Despite their mutual dislike of white boards, the pair finished on their brilliant dressage score of 21.3 and a step up to BE100 now beckons.