Tributes have been paid to Amigo T, the showjumper who racked up more than 100 international victories around Europe thanks to his “heart and speed”.
Chloe Aston and Amigo T became a formidable partnership on the circuit, having come together when Chloe was 15 and the KWPN gelding was five.
“We started from the bottom, and went all the way through,” Chloe told H&H.
“He had many great wins, he was just a little fighter with the biggest heart. When you rode him around the stables he could be quite spooky, but when you got him in the ring he wasn’t afraid of anything, he just wanted to win. He used to go in his own way and wanted to do the job.”
Amigo T was known for his speed.
“He was always better when you just let him go, he never wanted to go slow! There were many times he would win by four or five seconds,” said Chloe.
“He loved a knockout class, and we won at Liverpool International twice. He had a lot of great wins. A few years ago we jumped five four-star grands prix and he won four of them, he also won multiple ranking classes, and a 1.50m on the Sunshine Tour.”
Chloe and Amigo T amassed 116 international wins together on home soil and abroad during Amigo’s 13-year competition career. He retired from showjumping last year aged 18, but was put down this month after becoming ill.
“When he retired from competing I still used to hack him out. At first the plan had been for some of the young girls to have some fun at lower level, but I was the only one that could ride him as he was still quite a handful – he had his own character and wanted to do things his way, from the age of five, and still aged 18,” said Chloe.
“But he was one of the yard favourites. He always loved a cuddle and attention, and always wanted to say hello.”
Chloe said Amigo T was “one in a million”.
“I think he’ll be the best speed horse I’ll ever have, I don’t think I’ll ever have one as fast, or with the size of heart that he had,” she said.
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