Ten years ago Christine Yeoman was told she had multiple sclerosis.
It changed her life completely.
She decided to take up Endurance riding.
Today she estimates she spends over 40 hours a week in the
saddle, rides around 1,000 miles a month, runs ten miles a week,
swims three times a week and is rated one of the top Endurance
riders in the country. She is even in the running for a place
in the British Endurance team for the 2010 World Equestrian Games.
"I decided," she says, "that I didn’t want to
be one of those people who sit in their wheelchair thinking,
I wish I did that. I wish I did that. I’ve done it. I’ve done
everything I wanted to do."
What’s more, maybe because of her punishing regime, she has
been able to keep the multiple sclerosis at bay.
"It’ll never go away," she says. "I shall always have
it. But, at least, it’s not getting any worse."
Christine, who is married to John Yeoman, a keen polo player
and chairman of Endurance GB, was born in London and brought
up in Weston-super-Mare. She sat on her first pony when she was
four years old. She says she can’t remember his name. He was
a riding school pony. At ten-years-old, for one reason or another,
she stopped riding and didn’t start again until she was 26 when
she bought her first horse, Beau.
"He was a big Cob," she says. "Five-years-old. I
used to hack him in and around Radstock in Somerset. I didn’t
do any showing or anything. Just hacked him all over the place.
I then bought my first Arabian mare, Nera. Again, I hacked her
out. Nothing but pleasure rides. Then she was injured and I bought
Dahmiah, a grey Arab mare. Three-years-old. Unbacked. I fell
in love with her in the field. I brought her home, Backed her.
Brought her on."
"Then, through a friend, I discovered Endurance riding.
There was a 20-miler at witham Vale. It was a graded ride. I
thought that could be great fun. I like a challenge. Getting
the horse fit was enough without also doing the riding. But gradually
we were able to do 50-mile rides."
My first race ride, I remember, was at Ludlow. It was a 60-miler.
I came first. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea what
I was supposed to be doing. But we won easily. It was awesome.
After that I was completely bitten by the bug."
Since then, Christine reckons she has taken part in an average
of ten races covering over 1,000 miles every year for the last
ten years. But whatever the race, whatever the distance the so-called
endurance riders pain barrier is still the same.
"The first two-hours are the worst," she says. "Your
knees hurt. Your ankles hurt. Your shoulders. Your backside.
Your legs. If you have problems anywhere, it will hurt. You keep
saying to yourself, What am I doing? What am I doing? I’m in
agony. Then all of a sudden you’re through the pain barrier.
You no longer feel a thing. To be an endurance rider, I always
say you’ve
got to be an equine masochist. Most endurance riders suffer from
one joint problem or another."
Pain is one thing but does it ever
get boring sitting up there on the same horse for hour after
hour after hour?
"Some riders switch off," she says. "As far as I’m
concerned, there is always too much to do. You’ve got to keep
the horse going at a good pace. And the horse well balanced,
Some horses want to do it. Some don’t. You have to persuade them.
You’ve
got to concentrate on the path ahead of you. You want to avoid
the stones. You don’t want to slip or fall. You’ve got to watch
where you’re going. But it’s worth it all in the end."
Which is probably why Endurance riding is today’s fastest-growing
equine sport. Today Endurance GB boasts over 2,000 members. Most
are women. Most are novice, intermediate or advanced. There are
a growing number of international riders, most of them, not surprisingly,
are young. Most rides are one-day events covering anything between
20 – 100 miles. There are more and more graded two-day rides
covering anything up to 100-miles.
The most famous Endurance
ride in the country is the Golden Horse Shoe, which takes place
every year over two-days on Exmoor. As for endurance horses,
most of them are Arab or have Arab blood in them. Beginners cost
around the £1,500 mark. Advanced horses, about £6,000. And real
top level horses – Take a deep breath – anything up to US $ 1
million. Such is the market for top endurance horses that specialist
breeders are beginning to emerge and concentrate on developing
and breeding the very best horses for the very best riders, 
which
on an international basis, invariably means the Arabs.
Why do
people endure the agonies of endurance riding?
"If you love your horse, going out for a 100-mile ride
in a day is awesome," says John Yeoman, who admits secretly that
he still prefers the thrills and excitement of a 7 ½ minute chukka
to the agony of spending 9½ hours in the saddle on an endurance
ride. Christine, of course, has no reservations. She is at or
very near the top and determined to stay there. She has six horses,
all at top level, which she keeps at her home just outside Shepton
Mallet in Somerset..
LM Taquillero, a 12-year-old Argentinian
Arab gelding. She competed with him in the World Equestrian Games
in 2006 and came 17th
Midday, a 10-year-old mare. She won the
Dukeries, a 100-mile ride, with her this year
Li, a mare, 10-years-old.
Ricky, a gelding, seven-years-old
Fortachona, a mare, seven-years-old
Forest, her first home-bred
mare, nine-years-old. And she has just completed her first 100
mile race.
But, far and away, her favourite is
<< Taquillero.
"He’s got a huge personality," she says. "He’s
a bit like Rolf Harris. Very talented. Very good at what he does.
He always has a smile on his face. He’s always very positive.
If he could come into the house, he’d sit by the fire, put his
slippers on and light his pipe. He’s a very friendly chap. But,
of course, he can also be like a naughty schoolboy at times. If
I was offered a $1 million for him tomorrow, I’d turn it down.
He will be with me forever." Obviously the kind of
chap whose company anyone would want to enjoy for 9 ½ hours
at a time in all weathers and over all terrains.
Christine Yeoman - Her major successes:
23/ 06/2001: Argentan le pin (France ) 130km. First
ever ride abroad ! the start of things to come !
11th 27/07/2002: Theux
Belgium intermediate GB team Eleazar de Landas
1st 28/09/2002:
Red Dragon 2 day 160km CEI 3***. First FEI major win on Eleazar de landas
2nd 20/07/2003: Kings
Forest national race and earned me a GB
team place for Punchestown Ireland on Eleazar de Landas
1st 03/09/2003: Three
rivers National 110km on Dahmiah
17th 08/01/2004: 120km
FEI 2 ** Dubai on Maisan first trip to UAE
25th 19/02/2004: 160km
FEI 3*** Presidents cup Abu Dhabi first time to finish 160km
GOLD 23/05/2005: GOLDEN
HORSESHOE GOLD AWARD on Eleazar De Landas
1st 25/05/2006: Ermelo
Holland 160km FEI 3 *** on Farouk De Lozelle
1st 17/06/2006: Cirencester
park 160km FEI 3*** LM Taquillero
17th 21/08/2006: AACHEN
WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES
FEI
4**** GB CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM TAQUILLERO
1st 29/07
/2006: Argentan le pin
( france ) 120km FEI 2 ** Diyla
1st 10/09/2006: Three
rivers national race 110km Farouk de Lozelle
3rd 07/10/2006: Barroca
d’alva Portugal FEI CEIO 4*** Farouk
de lozelle
4th 28/04/2007: Sangatte
France 120km CEI *** Farouk De lozelle
1st 23/06/2007: Cirencester
park FEI 2 ** Farouk de Lozelle
22nd 08/09/2007: Barroca
d’alva
European Championships Gb team Farouk de Lozelle
1st 12/04/2008: Haywood
oaks FEI 2** 110km Midday
1st 02
/05 /2008: Mont Le Soir
Belgium FEI 2** Taquillero
6th 25/05/2008: Dukeries
160km FEI 3*** Midday
1st 21/06/2008: Cirencester
Park FEI 2 ** Forest 1st 08/04/2009 Haywood oaks 160km FEI 3 *** Taquillero
1st 23/05/2009: Dukeries
160km 3 *** Midday 4th 16/05/2009 Coatalan France FEI 2 ** 130km Ricky
5th 09/08/2009: Euston
Park FEI 3 *** 160km Forest ( home bred mare’s
1st 160 km )
