Bournemouth has a new star in town and it comes in the form of our four legged friend called Iris.
Iris is a pedigree-bred showjumping horse who lives and trains in West Parley, Bournemouth, with her owner Daisy Gill.
She was bred from legendary showjumping horse, Heartbreaker, who was an influential chestnut stallion winning many awards in the sport, so a big career for Iris is definitely on the cards.
Buzz news had the chance to speak to her owner, Gill, on what effort goes into keeping a horse like Iris in the impeccable condition that she is in.
“Just as much time and effort goes into it as what football would. First thing I do when I wake up is think got to go chuck Iris out in the field but pretty much the whole day is consumed.”
Gill got into the sport from her mum and was on a horse by the time she was just four-years-old.
However, showjumping and equestrian isn’t as easy as many would assume as Gill has had some serious injuries since being involved in the sport.
“I had one accident where I fell off and broke my coccyx, that knocked my confidence for about two years where I didn’t ride. Shortly after that, I got kicked in the face by a horse which further knocked my confidence, so it can tear you apart a little bit.”
Gill said that it was important that she didn’t project her lack of confidence onto her Iris or any other horse she rode which helped her stay motivated and stay in love with the sport.
Many would rightly assume that horse riding in general is an expensive sport to be involved in. Gill said “One of the challenges is the cost of living crisis and covid with there not being any competitions or training so a lot of people hit a rock.”
Despite all these setbacks Gill insists people should get into riding saying “It’s so therapeutic, they’re such gentle animals and once you gain the trust of a horse it’s incredible.”
By the end of 2026 Iris and Gill hope to be out competing in affiliated jumping and winning some prizes together.
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