Charlotte Agnew’s eventing career is continuing to blossom and it has been helped significantly by one very special homebred horse, Out of Africa. By Welton Apollo and out of her father’s hunter, Africa, ‘Zulu’ as she is affectionately known was initially hunted and hacked out by the Agnew family. Charlotte recalls “he was an absolute saint even as a four-year-old.”
Charlotte celebrated winning their first Pre Novice on her 18th birthday, 10 years ago. By 2007 they had moved up to two star and claimed second place in the Young Riders at Weston Park. The partnership has since completed Badminton twice and Zulu has exceeded all expectations.
Here we talk to the TopSpec sponsored rider and unveil 10 things you may not know about this talented event rider.
- Charlotte and Zulu were fifth at their first four star at Luhmulen in 2012.
- Zulu used to get distracted by the big crowds but he has learnt how to concentrate better as he has got more experience.
- White Heather Eventing is Charlotte’s small syndicate business which owns three very talented horses for Charlotte to ride.
- Charlotte’s mother, Livy, continues to run a small breeding enterprise at the Scottish family home at Hendersyde Park near Kelso, home to the Scottish and Northern Novice Championships.
- Tanganyika, bred by Charlotte’s mother was awarded an Elite premium as a foal at the 2011 Scottish Futurity.
- Charlotte horses are fed on a feed regime developed by her sponsor TopSpec, well known for their range of feed balancers and other innovative horse feeds.
- I am a previous winner of the TopSpec scholarship and completed my first Badminton Horse Trials aged 20 with Little Beau.
- Charlotte moved from the family base in Scotland to England five years ago to establish stronger connections and be more centrally based.
- In December Charlotte moves to an exciting new base near Chipping Campden.
- If Charlotte didn’t event then she would like to be a rally driver.
