‘He won’t do another big event’: Ben Hobday’s ride Mulrys Error steps down

The popular supercob Mulrys Error completed his final four-star cross-country today (Saturday 5 May) at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.

The 16-year-old finished the course with 20 penalties for a circle at the Joules Corners and 71.2 time-penalties.

“I don’t think he’ll do another big event,” said his rider Ben Hobday after his round. “He’ll take it easy educating our stable jockeys, do some eventing grands prix and go out in the field with the mares.”

Ben explained what happened at the Joules Corners today: “It was a shame I had to turn a circle. He was quite tired and he flicked his back end up really big at the first corner. I was up his neck and we had no chance.

“After that we lost momentum and he was good to keep going. But we’ve hunted him the whole winter with the Morpeth and he keeps going for hours. We just stayed in an even rhythm.”

Ben Hobday and Mulrys Error at Badminton 2018. Picture by Peter Nixon

Ben added that he has also hunted with the Tynedale, jumping five-bar gates behind fellow four-star rider and field master Jamie Atkinson. He has even had a day’s hunting with his owner, Sallie Ryle.

Ben added that Mulrys Error has had a pulled hamstring in the build-up to Badminton so he wanted to look after him across country today. Although he started out steadier than two years previously, the horse still hit a wall around the eight-minute marker and he had to nurse him home steadily. But fans will be delighted that “Mr Mulry” managed a third Badminton cross-country completion.

The combination won the Charles Owen Moment of the Year at the H&H Awards in 2016 for their Badminton double clear after Ben’s recovery from cancer. They also completed in 2015 with a jumping clear across country.

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Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.