Andrew Nicholson possibly knows his way round Badminton better than any other rider, having notched a record 31 completions, but few horses can match James Robinson’s ride Comanche for the number of starts – 9 – or completions – 7 – around the hallowed grounds of the famous deer park. Veteran horses completing Badminton at the grand age of 17 or 18 are well documented with names like Over To You, Spring Along and Lenamore, all having finished the event in their latter years.
In the small Herefordshire village of Kimbolton James is quietly planning one final trip to Badminton for Comanche, who turns 19 this year. “Touch wood, he’s never been lame” James tells me tapping the kitchen table looking to his wife Kate for a reassuring nod. “He looks and feels great, and provided that continues, the plan is to run at Badminton.”
Comanche isn’t a big flashy type of horse, but does possess text book eventer characteristics that wouldn’t look out of place at Cheltenham or Aintree either. 2004 was the first year I remember sitting up and taking notice of Comanche, thinking he was the perfect type of horse for Badminton; perhaps not as elegant to look at as some, but remarkable all the same. James bought Comanche as a 4 year old, possibly by chance, in an exchange for another horse that he felt wasn’t going to make the grade. When he first set eyes on him, Comanche was thin, ill, had a runny nose and wasn’t ready to be shown to a prospective buyer, but James insisted, sat on him for 5 minutes, liked him, and took him home.
James is a rare breed amongst event riders at the highest level, with a ‘real’ job as a vet, albeit part-time, allowing him time to put the hours in the saddle and compete. Comanche is the third horse James has taken up the ranks to 4 star level, and his most successful to date, having chalked up 4th, 5th and 6th placings on the final scoreboard at Badminton. All of which is even more impressive when you realise the majority of riders they are rubbing shoulders with in the top 10 are full-time professional eventers with large teams of horses.
As Comanche has aged, he’s become easier to get fit and requires less work. James doesn’t spend any time cross country schooling these days, and enlists Kate to help with lunging and pessoa exercises which helps get his back muscles working without the needless weight of a rider. I get the feeling James, like many eventers, prefers the jumping phases! These days James trains by himself with some occasional help on the flat, and if he ever needs advice about riding a particular cross country course he will usually seek out Andrew Nicholson or Mark Todd.
Watching James ride Comanche on a warm January morning at home, you can see this is a partnership in which each partner knows each other well and enjoys their job. Neither seems to be causing the other to work too hard, yet their movement around the arena is smooth and graceful – real talent that led to the pair being selected to ride for Great Britain in the 2005 European Championships at Blenheim.
Comanche starts this season like any other year in the run up to Badminton, with planned runs at Aldon & Belton, but James is quick to point out he will only make each run if the horse feels right.
Although 19 this year, and considering we are still in mid winter, the horse is the picture of health, looking as bright and sharp as any nine year old eventer. Comanche is seven-eights thoroughbred, Irish bred, and in true thoroughbred fashion he spooks easily. “Atmosphere and crowds get to him a bit”, James tells me, and he gets very tense, with a particular aversion to the ‘click click’ of the photographers’ cameras around the dressage arena!
His best result at Badminton was probably the worst year, weather wise, in recent times. In 2004, when the steeplechase was still included, rapidly deteriorating conditions left no one able to make the optimum time. The ground was bottomless James recalls, “We set out on cross country and people just weren’t getting home, but he just kept galloping and galloping. It wasn’t an easy course, and with the [soggy] ground as well, but Comanche galloped his heart out, and jumped fabulously. We were second fastest.” James laughs as he recalls how TV commentator Mike Tucker remarked how steady [read slow] Comanche was going – “No one made the time that year, we were second fastest, and finished 4th.”
James, however, cites 2010 as his career highlight having finished equal 7th after the dressage, riding a great cross country round, and dropping only an unlucky rail in the show jumping to finish 6th – “a good all round performance”. Badminton is clearly a favourite event for James, who talks fondly of settling in to the permanent stables of the main house and riding through the arch into open expanse of the deer park. Reading between the lines it seems James Robinson has an army of supporters in tow at these events from friends and family, right through to Comanche’s breeder, Joseph Cavanagh, who travels over from Ireland each year for Badminton to keep everyone entertained.
I do hope James & Comanche make it to Badminton again, providing a well deserved opportunity to notch up a record 8th completion, which this year only Lenamore could match.
Let’s meet James & Kate:
