An evening with the Olympic rider highlighted the work of the Fortune Centre, where horses are helping young people build confidence, skills and a pathway into the wider world
Deep in the New Forest, just a stone’s throw from Dorset, is The Fortune Centre – a SEND provision centre for young people aged 16-25. In June, staff and students hosted a fundraising evening at Burley Manor, featuring a charity auction and an interview with Olympic dressage rider Carl Hester MBE.
Growing up on Sark, where horses and bicycles are the main form of transport, Carl was around horses on a daily basis. ‘When I was young I used to ride around on a donkey. Come to think of it, Dad was a carpenter and mum was a cleaner … who does that remind you of?’
Sark receives an influx of visitors during the tourist season with as many as 1,200 a day, and most are driven around in carriages. Carl explained how, at the age of 15, two policemen came and sat behind him in the carriage as he took his test: ‘I had to drive around and reverse into gaps – it is much harder than driving a car!’
He was then given the opportunity to attend The Fortune Centre to take his teaching exam. Riding and working part time with the students is where his passion was really ignited. ‘I was put into the West Hants branch of the Pony Club. The Centre had a famous skewbald mare called Jolly Dolly, and she took me to my first championships’ . He won the 1985 Young Dressage Rider Championships on her.
Equine education
The Fortune Centre has helped countless students learn invaluable skills and gain qualifications. Founded in 1976, the college uses horses as the foundation of its Further Education Through Horsemanship (FETH) programme. ‘They’re all very motivated by horses,’ says principal Jane Delves. ‘We use this to help them learn life skills and support them in gaining qualifications in Maths and English. Our curriculum is about learning to live – teaching a good work ethic through a range of equine-related activities. For cooking, for example, they learn about weighing through filling feed scoops or hay nets,’
Working with horses also helps many students build confidence and communication skills. ‘We have one student who doesn’t talk a lot, especially in a social situation,’ says Jane. ‘But she’s been helping at the event tonight and has been talking with people here. It is lovely to see’.
It’s clear how much the students care about the horses – a particular favourite is a gentle giant named Frosty.
The centre is predominantly residential, with limited funded spaces for local residents. It takes students from across the country who receive some funding from their local authorities.
‘The best way for people to help us is to spread the word so people hear about us’ explained Jane. ‘We need to get the word out there. If horses are what ticks their box this is the way to help them learn.’
Carl says the Fortune Centre was pivotal in his early career and helped to set him on the path to success.
Olympic tales
Naturally, a lot of the evening’s questions centred around the Olympics. Carl told the audience how, in 1992, they were taken to a warehouse to be kitted out. ‘There were suitcases full of athletic kit: running shoes, shorts … everything a dressage rider really needs! By London 2012 we were lottery funded, which sounds better but actually brought its own pressure. If you didn’t win you’d lose your funding. That’s immense pressure for any athlete, let alone one whose performance depends on a four-legged partner who weighs half a ton, has a mind of their own and really doesn’t understand why there’s a huge crowd and weird buzzing atmosphere. Oh, and you’re being rewarded in your test for ‘relaxation and harmony’.
People can tell you, as the rider, there’s 25,000 people watching. But you can’t tell your horse that.
‘Riders were only given 45 seconds to go down the chute and into the arena, there was very little time to get the horses accustomed to the arena or the atmosphere. Of course, you go straight into the arena at A and what’s the first thing you have to do? Ask your horse to halt and stand still.’
They were told that the audience had been asked not to clap, but how do you ask 25,000 people – especially Brits at their home games – not to clap or get excited? ‘We halted, had a little tension … and I heard the whole crowd go “Aah” … Like I hadn’t noticed and needed a reminder!’
Carl was riding the famous Uthophia, and the 2012 Olympics were also when Valegro, ridden by Charlotte Dujardin – who trained under Carl – stole the public’s hearts: ‘You rarely get two horses of their calibre in your lifetime.’ Carl said. ‘But Uthophia was a year older so I started riding him first. He gets a bit forgotten about, but he led the team to gold at the Championships. Charlotte was only meant to ride Valegro until I was ready to take over, but I loved watching every minute of their career. I don’t think I could have done a better job anyway.’
Image: Anne Bolton
It’s under your feet
When I caught up with Carl afterwards for Dorset Life, I mentioned that my own Welsh Cob, The Sass Queen, frequently finds her way into these pages (sidenote – good to know, Carl loves Welsh Cobs. Yes, I asked. No, not sorry).
I asked whether he’d ever owned a horse with a memorable name …
‘I saw a horse that was ridden by an amateur and I thought I could do a better job,’ he says. ‘I bought it – it’s the only horse I’ve ever spent serious money on. Turned out I was useless on it, which is ironic as the horse was called Amazing. It definitely taught me a lesson in not always believing you’re better than someone else’.
When asked about the best way to save money without compromising on horse care, he said: ‘It’s under your feet.’
Noticing my bemused expression, he explained: ‘All horses really need is good grass and friends. They don’t need fancy stables or lorries. If you invest in your grass it will save you a fortune’.
He pointed out the New Forest ponies (many with foals at foot) everyone had seen drving to the venue all looked amazing. ‘That’s nature doing that,’ he said. ‘It’s a great reminder’.
While not every Fortune Centre student goes on to work with horses, many do hope to build a career in the equestrian world. Carl’s advice was simple: buy the horse you can afford, then learn how to train it.
‘They don’t have to be hugely expensive,’ he said. ‘All you need is a horse that matches your temperament. People who don’t like each other don’t — or at least shouldn’t — get married. It’s the same with horses.’
The evening raised more than £8,000 for The Fortune Centre.
fortune.ac.uk
