Young Scottish showjumper Sandy McLean has made a huge impression this year, most recently landing a hat-trick of grands prix with his top horse Gino F.
The determined 20-year-old has long impressed with his great style in the saddle and a strong competitive streak, which has brought great success through the years as he’s come up through the pony ranks and successfully on to horses.
Edinburgh-born Sandy is now based near Carlisle with Jonathan Dixon of QC Sporthorses, where they have a team of 30 horses in work.
“I’ve got 10 horses that are in my string and which I take to shows,” explains Sandy. “I muck out on a morning till about half nine and then just try to ride as many as I can — I normally try to get at least eight done a day, but ideally I like to get 13 ridden, depending on the weather of course.”
Sandy qualified for the Voltaire Design under-25 British Championship at the London International Horse Show in December with his top horse, the 11-year-old Dutch-bred Gino F, nearly a decade after finishing second in the show’s 128cm class held at Olympia.
“Rob Murphy beat me that year!” remembers Sandy. “I always really liked Olympia, it had such an amazing atmosphere. But with it being Christmas too, just adds to it.”
Sandy McLean: ‘Beach riding has made a massive difference’
Sandy and “Big G”, Gino F, won three grands prix on home soil in the early part of the winter season, which he attributes to a new fitness regime.
“Gino is feeling really good at the moment – the biggest change for him has been going to the beach,” says Sandy. “I take him to the beach quite regularly and do a bit of canter work with him to get him really fit. He’s lost a bit of weight and put on quite a lot of muscle, and I think that’s made a massive difference in his jumping.
“I’d looked at him after Arena UK in September and said he was just carrying a bit too much weight and needed to get a bit lighter on his feet. And he’s definitely done that!
“He loves going to the beach, he loves playing in the water. He just loves all the simple things in life. He’s the nicest, big dopiest horse you’ve ever met. You can go out hacking and you don’t even need to hold onto the reins with him. But he knows when it matters, he knows that when he goes into the ring there’s a job to be done.”
An exciting seven-year-old
Also in Sandy’s string is the recent seven-year-old champion at Aintree’s young horse show in December, Katoulon JL, by Echelon.
“Jonathan owns him along with Jacqueline Lammerts in Holland,” he says. “I’ve had him now just under a year as part of my string and he hadn’t really done much when I first got him at the start of the year, but he’s really come on and he’s a bit like Gino – he’s a really nice horse and you’d never know he’s a stallion. He’s the most docile stallion and loves to go to the beach as well. We’re hoping he’s a smart one for the future. He jumps a lot of clear rounds – he has a bit his own style of going but as long as he misses the fences, I can deal with that!”
Becoming a professional showjumper has always been Sandy’s goal.
“I’ve always wanted to become a top rider eventually,” he says. “I don’t really have targets, I just want to get as far and as high as possible and I’ll keep working till I get there.
“I don’t really have an Olympics in mind, I just want to get up there with the top boys – Scott Brash and Ben Maher – and competing at London is such a great opportunity for people to see you in that kind of environment, on that big stage.”
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