Prolific hack Saatchi has been put down aged 16 following a short illness.
Owned by Kimberley Minchin, Saatchi (Saatch) was home-produced for the majority of his career as a hack. Kimberley announced the news on social media and tributes flooded in for the special horse, who died on Valentine’s Day.
The Minchin family bought Saatch from Charlotte Thornton in 2015. He was formerly shown very successfully as a intermediate show riding type, winning at the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) final with Joseph Thurston in the saddle in 2012.
With Kimberley, Saatch qualified for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the RIHS every year as a hack. In 2019, the pair stood fourth at HOYS in the large hack final and won the Colosso family supreme amateur championship at the North of England summer show, bagging a £1,000 prize.
Over the years he was ultra-consistent in both amateur and open classes, winning at the Scottish Horse Show, Lincolnshire County and Rutland County, among others.
“He’s been an absolute pleasure to own,” said Kimberley. “He was such gentleman with the most loving character. He gave the best hugs.
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“I always remember riding him for the first time at home, as my mum brought him without me even trying him. I just felt an instant connection with him. The following weekend we took him to his first show and we won the HOYS hack qualifier and went section champion at Mid-Herts. It was the best day.”
Kimberley had plans to retire Saatch from the show ring at the end of 2021.
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