We get to know squad member Sue Barr

Sue Barr rides three horses, Gunner, a 16.2hh ISH gelding who is competing at BE100, Rivers Blue, a 16.1hh Polish WB x ID who competes at unaffiliated dressage and Rupert a 16hh TB gelding whom she is currently backing and riding away with a view to producing him for eventing. Sue has been on most local riding club teams, has evented to BE100, enjoys hunting and producing her horses. Blue qualified for the Trailblazers Prelim dressage championships in 2008 however has been plagued with lameness issues in relation to his cartilage within his joints. She has a propensity for taking of difficult or young horses and producing them for competition work which means she spends a lot of time on the ground watching horses work and progress. Sue's main competition horse this season will be Rivers Blue whom she will be aiming at affiliated dressage up to Elementary. Blue tends to be very uptight and lively, mainly arising from his inherent stiffness so she will be working on that during the summer, so she hoping she survives backing the young horse and riding Blue at competitions !

Sue is also breeding her first eventer, due in July. The foal will be out of Heligan (Michaels Revenge) by Chilli Morning ( by Nick Gauntletts advanced event stallion). The foal is certainly going to be ginger but Sue has great hopes for its future given the superb ‘in the purple’ parenthood. Sue runs her own small yard in the south west and when not competing or riding loves to volunteer at BE events.

Why Horses? "The obsession started as soon as I could talk and being from a non-horsey background I complained until I was taken to ride every weekend. I couldn’t imagine being without them."

Biggest horsey bug bear? "Seeing young horses being pushed too far and too hard."

Worst Horsey habit? "Horse kleptomania, if it needs a home it generally ends up with me."

If not horses what? "Anything to do with the sea, as a tidal energy developer and marine biologist the only thing that isn’t marine in my life is horses."

What could you not live without? "Definitely Rivers Blue. He looks like black beauty, has a huge personality and is my favourite boy, regardless of his duff legs!"