STABLE TALK - VAN HECK

The A&A team met the lovely Laura Wallace and her handsome gelding Van Heck (aka Hector), from Burwood Eventing in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, at the recent Wandin International Horse Trials.  Laura had us intrigued with stories of Hector's quirky personality and when we saw him fly across the cross country course like a machine, to claim 6th in the CIC***, we knew we had to interview him...

Being very civilized in the dressage, at Wallaby Hill

VITAL STATISTICS
Official name: Van Heck
Stable name: Hector
Nicknames: Hectic, Hectorsaurus
Human: Laura Wallace
Age: 13 years
Height: 17hh
Colour: Brown
Breeding: Thoroughbred
Discipline: Eventing

I like to go fast! At Melbourne 3DE

How long have you been with your human Laura and what were you doing before you found each other?
I’ve been with my human for 3 years this May. Before she found me I was eventing in New Zealand.

Showing everyone how big I can jump over the cross country jumps at Wallaby Hill

Did you have much success as a racehorse?
I was a dreadful racehorse on the flat. They then attempted to produce me as a steeplechaser but I am a believer that brush fences are for jumping not brushing through so they gave that away quite quickly!

Congratulations on coming 6th at the recent Wandin International Horse Trials CIC ***, and on keeping your human onboard. Were you pleased with your performance?
Yes, I was pretty fancy. I think dressage is quite exciting and often don’t like to walk but I managed to which started it off well. One rail got in my way when I wanted to go fast down a line in the showjumping but Laura let me go faster cross country than usual, so that was good fun. She’s told me that this season I’m allowed to go fast now she’s got rid of her granny knitting needles!

I can jump the coloured poles alright too!

What is your favourite phase of eventing and why?  Is it also your human’s favourite phase?
My favourite phase is cross country - I love going fast and proving I can jump the height of the flags the whole way round. I think it is also Laura’s favourite phase with me.

Your human has a number of other talented horses in her team, do you think that you are her favourite?
Laura says she doesn’t have favourites but let’s be honest I know I’m the one she likes best. I’m the first horse she rode back at 3* level after she had a bad accident in 2012 so I think that makes me pretty special.

Showing how brave I am into the water jump at Tamborine

Do you get along well with the other horses at Burwood Eventing? How do you think the other horses would describe you?
We all get along quite well. I really like Eli (Black Crest) as we have travelled a lot together before he retired - he’s also a Kiwi. I think Ken (Kinnordy Gymeon) is a giant wimp as he only does dressage and is always carrying on about “scary” things like flower pots and trot poles! (Rolls eyes) I am reserving judgement on the new Irish one (ESB Irish Autumn)...he seems ok so far. The baby of the family (Maude) who is only 2 years old has a lot of opinions.  They’d probably say I’m a bit of a clingy pest but I just like to know where everyone is!

Do you have any special talents outside of eventing?
Champion eater of treaties and remover of fly masks.

Do you have any unusual habits or quirks and/or any things you like to do to entertain (or train) the humans?
I have finally trained the humans that I don’t like to be left by myself at shows so they’ve learnt to either take friends with me, or Laura has to hang out with me at the truck - she loves it really.

And I always insist on having the handful of chaff that’s left in the bucket before I eat the rest of my feed - that’s how I know I’m getting every little bit. I love Nutri-Grain and think that it should be provided at all times for snacking.

Laura keeping me happy at Wandin

Tearing up the cross country course at Sydney CIC***

Name 3 things that make you happy.

1. Going cross country and getting told at the end that I’m a legend.
2. The array of treats that live in Laura’s tack room.
3. Scratches from Laura’s Mum, Heather.

What would you consider to be the scariest thing of all time?
Being by myself in a dressage arena away from the warm up - you never know what might happen when you’re all alone out there!

Would you rather be sleeping or eating?
Definitely eating, preferably hand fed -  Nutri-Grain, licorice, sugar cubes and carrots.

If you were a human celebrity, who would you be and why?
Daniel Craig - good looking, quick witted and tough!!

Looks like I'm better at the water jumps than the real Daniel Craig though...