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Lucinda Fredericks shows off her Rolex, husband Clayton applauds, groom Emily Young-Jamieson and the great little mare Headley Britannia wonder what's for tea.
By Lauren R. Giannini
The winners of this year's Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Lucinda Fredericks (AUS) and Headley Britannia, 15.3h Thoroughbred cross mare, finished on their dressage score of 32.3pp. British-born, she changed in 2002 to the nationality of her eventing husband Clayton Frederick (AUS). They now have matching Rolex watches, Clayton having won his in 2007 aboard Ben Along Time. Headley Britannia is the only mare to ace Rolex, Badminton ('07), and Burghley ('06). www.teamfredericks.com
Sidelines: Was your family horsey?
LF: My mother, Jackie Murray, rode, but not seriously. She would groom for me at Badminton and be fairly happy to watch. She walked the courses with me, but didn't tell me how to ride. She was never a flustered mother. My dad David was more worried. He'd be quite happy praying in the hall rather than watching the telly.
Sidelines: How did Headley Britannia come away from Rolex?
LF: Brilliantly - absolutely perfect. Brit's going to be inseminated for embryo transfer. I chose a beautiful stallion called Royaldik, a Thoroughbred in Germany. I have two yearlings by Jaguar Mail out of Headley Britannia by embryo transfer and they were born before Brit went to the Olympics last year. I think Brit's the only mare who had foals on the ground while competing at the Olympics. I'm planning on breeding more and selling them so I can send my daughter Ellie to the best schools.
Sidelines: Brit was awesome at Rolex. Does she always give you that feeling?
LF: Yes, when she's on really good form, which is most of the time. I've pulled her out when I didn't like the ground for cross-country. I have looked after her, but I haven't protected her. She tends to do a good dressage. She's a good jumper - you're always there to be competitive - but she's not the sort of horse to go around with the handbrake on. To be honest, it's not much fun doing that - she's so little that it's rather unnerving going around without a bit of speed.
Sidelines: How did Rolex stack up against big events across the Atlantic?
LF: As a course, it was fantastic. Mike Etherington-Smith made sure you had to ride quite cleverly at the start. You couldn't take many liberties. I found the first part of the course very technical. It was just as technical as Badminton, but I think Badminton was a little bit bigger. The water jumps at Badminton were easy compared to [Rolex] Kentucky. The undulations of Kentucky surprised me. I didn't expect it to be so hilly.
Brit's actually quite difficult to ride around the cross-country at the start when she's so strong and feisty. She's a funny little thing and we take time to get into a course. Once we got through that second water, she did relax and I let rip - probably the most thrilling, exhilarating and exciting ride I ever had.
Sidelines: Is there a defining moment when you knew your life was on the right track?
LF: I'd say it was Kentucky. Finally I feel rewarded for all my work, all my sacrifices. I won when I came from second [double clears in show jumping by the top seven finishers] - it all went right. I wouldn't have changed anything I'd done. I came back with a total warm feeling.
If Brit didn't run again due to me saying, 'that's enough, she's finished, she can make babies' - that would be fantastic, because she will always be remembered as the best mare that's ever been. She won the grand slam, not the proper grand slam, but I've got a career grand slam.
I've only had this one horse at the four-star level since 2002. That's really tough, because you don't get any practice. It's all down to that one performance with that one horse. To put all your eggs in one basket and to have that moment where it could all go wrong or it could all go right - it means so much to you.
I've always gone away from all my successes and thought, 'I could have done better' - except this time. Brit has just done everything for me. I have huge respect for that horse.
