The heartbroken owner of the hugely popular Mr Blue Sky UK has confirmed the puissance legend has died at the age of 15.
Elaine Annis, who bought Blue early this year, told H&H she had had “six months of bliss” with the eye-catching grey superstar, who had to be put down this week after he broke a leg in a freak field accident.
“It was an incredible honour to own him, work with him and be with him,” Elaine said. “The best ones are always robbed from us too early.”
Blue and Guy Williams were probably the most prolific puissance combination of all time; they won 11 times over the big wall, including a record four times at the London International Horse Show. Their last victory came at Bolesworth this summer, when they and Eliott Smith and Flamboyant III set a new record for the show, clearing 7’3”.
“He was a one-off,” Elaine said. “I’ve had a lot of horses and there will never be another one like him.”
Elaine said Blue had been “loving life” for the last six months, including trips to the beach and the forest. The plan had been for Blue to have another year or two of competing, then “when he was 17 or 18, I’d just enjoy him as a general horse”.
Elaine also owns Noctambule Courcelle (Nigel) who won the London puissance in 2012 with Ben Maher, and competed in it with Guy in 2014.
“I always said I’d never have another puissance horse but when I heard he might be available and went to see him, it was love at first sight. I knew I was going to have him. And I think he’s done that to a lot of people; he was well and truly loved.”
Elaine said she spent hours every day with Blue.
“It was an honour to serve him, in a way,” she said. “I wouldn’t let anyone else muck him out because I wanted to spend the time with him, I loved him that much. I can’t describe his character; his stable was right next to the feed room and he’d tap for his food – not kick or bang – at the door when I was in the feed room. He was more human than horse; if I was working in the garden, he’d come to the hedge and watch, and if I walked the dogs, he’d follow me along the track.
“When it happened, I spent all night with his head in my lap, and he’s been buried at home. It wasn’t long enough but if someone told me I’d pay all that money and have him six months, I’d do it all again. I’ve never known a horse like him.”
Guy told H&H, as he has said before, that Blue was a “family horse”; his young children could lead him around, and his daughter Maisy was jumping him in two-star grands prix when she was 16.
“She couldn’t even hold him but he was like that; the smaller you were, the gentler he was,” Guy said. “He was a big gentle giant, a really nice horse.
“He’s probably one of the best puissance horses there’s ever been; there aren’t many you can remember but some horses stand out and he’ll be one that does.”
Caroline Phillips of Stud UK Euro, bought Blue as a five-year-old and owned him until he was sold to Elaine.
She told H&H that when she first saw him, his jump was so big she could only see the blue sky above, hence his name.
“He was a wonderful horse,” she said. “The last LIHS [puissance] was one of the best nights of my life with horses; it was incredible. It was an amazing performance and this wonderful lady was trying to get me on the microphone but I had to say ‘I’m really sorry but I’ve got to go and pat my horse!’”
Caroline remembered Guy ringing her after a Horse of the Year Show puissance to say he had known they would win when Sweet Caroline was played.
“At Bolesworth once, he didn’t ring me till 10.30pm; he said ‘I couldn’t get away as every yard, another kid would come up asking for a photo with Mr Blue Sky’, and that made me smile. He was a favourite, wasn’t he?
“There will never be another one like him; a true legend. We were lucky to have had him.”
- To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Paralympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
You might also be interested in:
Puissance specialists set a new record, clearing 7ft 3in: ‘I didn’t expect this’
‘I fell in love within five minutes’: new owner – but same rider – for puissance superstar
History made as rider takes record fifth London puissance in thrilling style
‘Family horse’ back to his best to take London puissance in style
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
