Organic Horse Potential Squad member: Gemma Bishop

Gemma Bishop competes in Endurance on Minnismoor Mistique, a 13 year old, 14.3 part-bred Arab and a new horse for 2010, Vlacq Majid, a 7 year old, 14.3 pure-bred Arab. Minnismoor Mistique has achieved various CRs from 32km to 80km. ERs from 82km to 120km, with good placings in all of the ERs – a 4th and two 3rd so far. She aims to continue in the same vein with Minnismoor Mistique and to complete a 1* FEI ride in 2010. Vlacq Majid – she’ll only be starting her endurance career in 2010 so the aim for her is a successful novice season and then we’ll see how she gets on from there.

Why horses? "I blame my mother entirely! She didn’t learn to ride until she was 17, so she was determined that at least of her children would learn from an early stage. My sister wasn’t terribly interested, but I was infected by the horsey bug at an early stage and as we all know, it’s an incurable disease!"
Biggest horsey bug bear? "The idea that you can’t follow a ‘natural’ horsemanship approach and be competitive. The two are not mutually exclusive. It is perfectly possible to compete at a high level whilst adhering to an approach that seeks a lifestyle for your horse that is as close to ‘natural’ for them as it can be."
Worst horsey habit? "Not cleaning my tack often enough."
If not horses what? "Motorbikes."
What could you not live without? "Oxygen, horses and red wine. If I’ve got enough of all 3, I’m happy!"