He went back to 90cm at eight. At 12 he jumped round Burghley

The facts

Rider

Jack Pinkney, based in Berkshire, riding his first Burghley

Horse

Claragh Olala, 12-year-old gelding, owned by Margaret and Simon Hope

The reset

Arrived aged eight, nervous and short of confidence; competed again from 90cm

Preparation

Three CCI4*-L runs before Burghley

Result so far

Dressage 38 for 25th; clear across country with 16.8 time-faults, up to 16th

Pinkney did not come up through ponies. He took up riding properly at 17, after a rugby ambition ended, and found work at a yard doing point-to-point and team chasing that he had seen advertised in a paper. Watching Badminton on television was what turned his head towards eventing.

The part worth pausing on is the horse. Claragh Olala came to him at eight years old, anxious about the job. Rather than push on, the pair dropped back and competed at 90cm while the confidence was rebuilt. Pinkney has said he was uncertain enough at the gelding's first novice that he went round the lorry park asking to borrow an air jacket, which is not something he normally wears.

Four years later, that same horse produced a clear cross-country round at Burghley. He picked up 16.8 time-faults, which moved him from 25th to 16th. The dressage was not what Pinkney wanted, with a couple of expensive errors in it, but it was enough to leave the job open.

None of this is a shortcut. It is four seasons of unglamorous work on a horse that other people might have moved on. If you have a horse that has had a fright somewhere and now backs off, the useful takeaway is that going down a level is not a demotion. It is the treatment.

What this means for you

Owners of a horse that has lost its nerve

Dropping to a height the horse finds easy is a legitimate plan, not an admission of failure. This one spent a season at 90cm and reached five-star four years later.

Anyone who came to riding late

Pinkney started seriously at 17 with no horsey background. A late start does not close the door, though it does mean paid yard work and years of it.

Riders who feel unsafe on a particular horse

Wanting extra body protection on a horse you do not yet trust is information about the partnership, not a character flaw. Act on it.

Grassroots competitors reading five-star scores

Time-faults across country are normal and survivable. A clear round with 16.8 time still gained nine places.

It just goes to show that even the top riders have to start again sometimes, but all the hard work pays off.

What to do

1. Be honest about where your horse is genuinely confident, then enter at that height for your next three outings rather than the height you had planned

   Before your next entry closes

2. If you are borrowing or considering an air jacket, check it fits over your body protector and that the lanyard length and cartridge are correct for you

   This week

3. Write down what specifically your horse backs off from - ditches, crowds, a particular going - so schooling addresses the real problem, not a general one

   After your next ride

4. Ask your instructor whether the plan for the season is built on the horse's confidence or on your calendar

   Next lesson

5. If a horse has come to you with a history, budget for a longer, slower first year before you commit to affiliation fees

   Before you renew membership