‘If I stopped sucking my thumb, I could have a pony’: meet the Badminton first-timer who has come a long way since her early days

Twenty-eight-year-old India Wishart says she is “excited and nervous” ahead of her Mars Badminton Horse Trials debut next week (8-12 May).

India doesn’t come from a horsey family and started out in riding schools at the age of five, where she had lessons once a week for the next four years.

“I then made a pact with dad that if I stopped sucking my thumb, I could have a pony of my own,” laughs India. “I didn’t stop sucking my thumb for a year, but I got the pony straightaway, so it worked out pretty well for me!”

That first pony was sourced through the Yellow Pages and turned out to be a real find, igniting India’s passion further. Then one day, India was invited through a friend of her father’s, Alison Carthy, to watch Alison’s friend Claire Phillips ride at Badminton.

“That was when I fell in love with eventing,” says India. “I got to look around the amazing stables, then turned to my dad and announced ‘one day I’m going to ride around Badminton’.

“For a couple of years after that, we would take our horsebox to Badminton and camp there all week – it is a massive part of the calendar and the event that inspired me to become an event rider.”

India left school after her A-levels and immediately went to work for Lucy and Padraig McCarthy, and followed this with six-and-a- half-years at Austin O’Connor’s yard, where she was based while studying for a geography degree at the University of Birmingham. She then worked as a freelance rider before being offered a job as a rider at The Billy Stud, where she remained for three years, regularly training with Pippa Funnell, before setting out on her own. She now rents stables from fellow eventer Tom Jackson in Surrey.

“I’ve got eight horses in and although Tom and I run our yards totally separately, it’s great to have him around to bounce ideas off,” explains India, who enjoyed a successful youth career in eventing, finishing best of the Brits at the 2016 young rider European championships in ninth place. She was also selected onto the 2020 Wesko Equestrian Foundation young eventers programme.

India Wishart on her Badminton ride

The British rider will partner Diamond Sundance (‘Sunny’), who is owned by Richard and Cindy Onslow, at Badminton. Sunny has been owned by Cindy and Richard since he was a five-year-old and was formerly ridden and competed by Cindy and her daughter Rosa before the ride came to India in 2022 when Rosa went to work in London.

“Sunny and Rosa competed at the Young Rider Europeans and the five-star at Pau,” says India, who goes on to explain how the ride on Sunny came about. “My young rider horse had to retire early and that left a massive hole in my string. The Onslows approached me to ask if I’d take on Sunny and it was the most amazing opportunity to gain mileage and experience. Badminton has always been our big aim, so it’s a huge achievement for all of us to get 18-year-old Sunny there.”

Sunny, who was 23rd at Pau last October with India, has a remarkable record, and is currently looking to add his 24th consecutive international cross-country clear round to it.

“He looks for the flags and really wants to do the job so I have to remember that on cross-country morning,” says India, who explains Sunny can also be a bit of a “clown”.

“He’s very cheeky to mount and will set off broncing – it’s not malicious at all – just pure excitement,” she laughs. “He has the biggest heart and just wants to do his best for you.

“He’s a great jumper, but the dressage isn’t his strongest phase – he’s beautiful to look at, but tries too hard and can then get tight.”

India says she has “briefly glanced” at the Badminton cross-country course preview, but she’s not going to over-analyse – “I won’t get any sleep!”

Goal-wise at Badminton, India Wishart explains she is trying to get herself “in the right headspace”.

“I want to be able to enjoy it – I’d love to jump clear across country, but you never know when you’re going to have another horse at Badminton. So although I’m really competitive, I just want to enjoy it.”

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