Dressage Days

DRESSAGE DAYS Q&A

MEET FIONA BUSBY

Riding, competing and keeping horses is known to offer all kinds of physical and mental benefits. “Use it or lose it” – an adage that has never been truer than in the case of Fiona Busby BHSI who, at the age of 86 years young, is competing regularly and with much success in British Dressage competition. We caught up with Fiona, a List 4 Judge, who lives in Dumfries and Galloway on the family farm with her horses, Fina China and Mr Beaujangles.

WHEN AND WHY DID YOU START RIDING?

My mother was brought up hunting and loved horses. I was a hopeless child rider as I was so nervous. I worried all day at school, thinking about my next ride. I suddenly gained my confidence on a New Forest pony. When I was 12, my brother, sister and I would go hunting by ourselves, hacking to the meets. I learned then about building trust in your horse.

DESCRIBE YOUR EARLY LIFE WITH HORSES.

I started eventing in The Pony Club, did two jobs after leaving school followed by a four-anda-half-year stint of nursing in London. Living in London was a bit of a strain, so I kept a horse nearby and that kept me going. I’d just qualified as a staff nurse when a bad bout of chickenpox struck. I was sent to a sanitorium on the outskirts of London. It was there that I saw a job advertised in Horse & Hound for a Pony Club instructor near Montreal, for which I applied and was accepted. The matron was furious I was leaving!

WHEN DID YOU RETURN TO THE UK?

While in Canada, we used to go to the States with the riders to compete. I began to think I wanted to stay there and had offers of jobs but immigration prevented it. It was then that I thought I’d go home to get properly qualified. I was at Talland at the start of Colonel and Mrs Sivewright setting up the school and it was lifechanging. I was a silly amateur before and came out much more educated. I was Head Girl for three years before setting up my own yard.

When I met my husband, Stephen, he didn’t ride but I found him a safe conveyance and he picked it up quickly. Then family came along, our son and daughter.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRANSITION FROM THE HUNTING FIELD TO DRESSAGE.

I’ve always believed that a horse should be able to do many things, but it was a Connemara pony of my daughter’s that really got me into dressage. His movement made him easy to train, and at 15.2hh was not your typical Connemara. He was easy to teach changes to and I got him up to PSG, though he was always a spicy hunter! I liked training the horses, and dressage caught hold of me. Mr Beaujangles, the last of my homebreds, went up to Advanced Medium. He’s retired now aged 27.

DESCRIBE YOUR MARE, FINE CHINA.

Fine China was the result of a meeting between a Welsh section B cross warmblood mare and a hairy cob stallion, in transit from Southern to Northern Ireland during the recession of 2008. She was a surprise to someone!

She made her way to Scotland to a friend of mine who suggested I view her. I was looking for another Connemara – I didn’t want a four-year-old at my age and I didn’t want a coloured horse, but as soon as I sat on China I knew she was right. I rode past horses galloping in a field and she didn’t turn a hair.

My neighbour evented her, taking her to the BE90 at Badminton, and she’s done some events with a young rider.

WHAT ASPECTS OF COMPETING DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST?

I enjoy competing as it gives me something to aim for. I stay local and do it for my own satisfaction. I get to meet lots of people and as we don’t have huge classes, we get to know each other so well.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS.

Thrifty, independent, and when I asked my five grandchildren, they simply said, ‘Granny Fierce’! 