Sad farewell to 33-year-old ‘ultimate pony’ champion who was loved all his days

The heartbroken owner of “the ultimate pony”, who won at the highest level and was loved all his life, has paid tribute after his death aged 33.

Lucinda Stockley’s Leamington Cliquot had to be put down last week as his age had finally caught up with him.

“His little heart just decided that was it and we had to say goodbye to him,” Lucinda told H&H. “We knew the day would come but it’s heartbreaking.”

Lucinda’s family bought the part-Welsh show hunter pony in 1999 for her to compete, and it was not love at first sight.

“The first time I rode him, I absolutely hated him!” she said. “But my mother said ‘Tough, you’re going to have this pony and you’re going to like him, get on with it’.”

And when he arrived home, “we just kind of clicked”, Lucinda said.

“We had a really special relationship, although he was the spookiest pony in the world,” Lucinda said. “He lived for the show ring but the number of times I fell off him – it feels such a long time ago now but we had an incredible partnership. He was a once in a lifetime pony and in my opinion probably the best 122 SHP there ever was – I was lucky to call him mine.”

Their accolades included standing supreme at the Ponies (UK) winter and summer championships, and winning the PUK Millennium President’s Award, the only time it was even contested. They won at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the Royal International Horse Show, and at many county shows, and stood supreme at the British Show Pony Society summer championships and British Elite. They won the Timberwolf SHP championship several times,

“He was a superstar,” Lucinda said. “I think it was his presence, that ‘look at me’ sparkle, and he was so happy. He lived for the evening performances, he loved being in the spotlight.”

After Lucinda grew out of Cliquot, the family had offers from many people who wanted to buy him.

“But we just couldn’t do it,” Lucinda said. “We didn’t want him to be carted round for rosettes, so I did some part-bred Welsh classes on him, and he did some more with younger jockeys. We couldn’t sell him, he didn’t owe us anything.”

He spent the last years of his life with Catherine Hinton, where he taught her three children to ride.

“He went to junior Pony Club camp, hunting; he was the ultimate pony, and I’m so grateful to Catherine for giving him the best retirement years and always loving him,” Lucinda said. “He was everything – he was my childhood. He was absolutely lovable, stubborn, the ultimate showman, and he always wanted to please.”

Lucinda added that Cliquot will always be the one who put her on the map.

“I’ve been lucky enough to qualify for HOYS 25 years running, but he was the first,” she said.

“I think the main highlight was the president’s award as that was the only time they ever ran it, but he always went in the ring and tried his best. I remember when the BSPS supreme was announced, they turned off all the lights; we were in pitch black, then a spotlight came on and they called my number. He gave every single one of his jockeys love and taught us how to ride. A true showman who loved to compete and had a twinkle in his eye.

“He was a good lad – the best – and he was always loved. That’s the main thing.”

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