A 'horse-mad little girl' who loves competition

JAN COOMER this week celebrates a very special anniversary. It is her 40th year of competing at the Guernsey Horse of the Year Show and during that time she has missed the highlight of the local equestrian calendar on only a couple of occasions, namely through pregnancy and the loss of one of her horses.

Yet, despite having competed in the show in five different decades, she still has the bug to get into the arena and describes the HOYS as the show she prepares harder for than any other.

'Seeing many of the youngsters I have helped out throughout my years on Pony Club, Riding Club and BSJA committees grow up to now hold their own in competition and still be fit and able enough to give them a run for their money,' is the reason Coomer gives for being able to maintain her enthusiasm.

'Also seeing the horses benefit from experience at local competitions, to often beat the strong visiting contenders and rise to the occasion.

Horses are not machines and one can never be complacent as there are highs and lows as in every sport, but the good times are savoured for the next year and the bad times forgotten.

'As I have been competing at the HOYS since the inception of BSJA in Guernsey, it is so refreshing to witness how the equestrian scene has progressed and materialised over the years.

'I just cannot explain why I still get a buzz from competing my horses and the adrenalin kicks in every time I walk a course - perhaps I am more than a bit insane being as I am the only one still doing it from my era, but riding and looking after my horses has kept me fit and healthy, if not kept me much poorer than if I had taken up flower arranging,' she joked.

It is a story made all the more incredible by the fact that neither her parents or friends were equestrians when she was growing up. Coomer (nee Roe), believes she must have got into the sport simply by being 'a horse- mad little girl who has never grown up or grown out of them'.

Whatever the reason, she put that enthusiasm into practice and reached the top of the sport locally and to this day remains a consistent challenger for the big honours, although in her typically modest fashion she puts her successes more down to the horses she has ridden.

She immediately goes back to 1969 for one of her main highlights from the HOYS.

'Being on the front page of the Guernsey Press after Tufter and I won the puissance competition against top-notch professional UK competition as it was such a feat for my little nondescript ugly type horse to clear the biggest jump that had ever been built in Guernsey or Jersey before,' said Coomer.

'We held the record for high jump for years and went on to win it the next year just to show that it wasn't a one-off fluke.

'I remember asking my mum if I should attempt the big wall as I was a bit scared and she told me to have a go as I could always turn away if I thought Tufter wasn't brave enough to take it on.

'Tufter also was one of the first horses to ever win the senior show jumper of the year title and we were quite famous for many years both in Guernsey and Jersey and it could be said he was the Milton of his time.'

The combination represented the island senior team for many years, the BSJA not having being formed locally when Coomer was in junior ranks.

It was a symbol of the high regard in which they were held that it caused headlines in the Guernset Evening Press when they were not picked for the team in 1973. Selectors plumped for bigger, more impressive horses.

'Tufter was only small and the selectors thought he was getting a bit old, but even the press reporters couldn't understand it and were aggrieved and headlined our omission,' recalled Coomer with some pride.

She has represented Guernsey more than any other rider in the history of the club having also been selected on some of her other horses, namely Victor, Carla Melita and Just Do It.

Dr Hytime was another - a horse that was imported as an experienced showjumper and won many big classes.

'However, I don't put myself and my present lovely old horse Ortonrigg forward for the senior team, as I think there are younger horses and riders who should be given the chance to represent their island as I have done for more years than I would like to remember.

'Tania Mahy is the only person, I think, who is still a member to this day and who has been around to witness every year of HOYS since it started.

'I was 15 when I first jumped for Guernsey and not old enough to drink the champagne on offer at the vin d'honneur that was held at Castle Cornet, but have made up for it over the years after so many wins,' added Coomer with her customary chuckle.

As for others, a particular combination springs straight to Coomer's mind as brilliant HOYS performers.

'Standing out more than most is Brian owned by Barry Bartlett, who is now an official of the club, and ridden by Sue Brown as they were virtually unbeatable at times,' she said.

In addition, Coomer remembers Manchu ridden by Tracy Count (now Mason), Marion Clark on Littlemoor Grey Dawn and Anne-Marie Leadbeater on Sound Effect as consistent contenders.

She also points to current stars Pipper Parsons and Emma Dorey as riders she respects.

'They seem to do well on whatever they ride, some of which are not the easiest of horses and they have been phenomenally successful as junior and senior riders over very many years.'

With all her experience competing at the HOYS, Coomer has seen it change beyond all recognition.

Venues have come and gone while the current five-day format, which is necessary with the ever-increasing number of entries, is much longer than the three days of the late 60s when she began competing in it.

'We used to rely on the generosity of farmers to let us use their land and for many years Les Paysans was our hallowed annual site for HOYS before the club bought Chemin Le Roi thanks to the fine efforts of late greats such as Bob Froome, Alan Round, Mike Burbridge and Colin Best, who we must never forget,' she said.

'Riders even used to hack to shows before the days of 4x4 and trailers became commonplace, but now travel is so much easier on the boats with horseboxes and trailers. In the early days horses used to have to be craned on and we had only the slow boats.

'Rose Farm and Les Vauxbelets rugby pitch have also been used as venues in the very early days and much more work was involved in transporting all our jumps and equipment, setting up arenas, tents, toilets etc.

'Now we have an all-weather surface and purpose-kept arenas on our own land with excellent amenities and permanent utilities. However, this has become necessary due to all the health and safety regulations.

'Riders now demand and expect good going for competitions being as horses are so much more expensive than they were in the early days, so as a result of this, course-builders and officials have to be properly trained and qualified for major competitions, which ensures that high standards are maintained and BSJA rules are enforced.'

As well as competing in the ring, Coomer has spent several 15 years on the BSJA committee and from her experience she knows to praise those who work behind the scenes working into the early hours to deal with the endless list of requirements.

She still does her bit to help, but while still competing at the top level, it is virtually impossible to be in the mainline organisation of such a big show as well.

'It is the most gruelling hard work you can ever imagine and, like all sports clubs, it is all done by people who give up their leisure hours and take time off work for no recompense whatsoever other than to make sure all goes as smoothly as possible.

'However, the rewards are to see top class competition against visiting riders.'

The many spectators who will line the arenas at the 2007 HOYS will be similarly rewarded.

2007 Horse of the Year Show coverage in Monday's paper