Prince Charles may ride N.Z.-bred horse

Press, 12 May 1981, Page 22

Prince Charles may ride N.Z.-bred horse

NZPA London Prince Charles is. reported to be looking for a New Zealand horse as a replacement for his steeplechaser, Good Prospect.

The “Daily Star” newspaper says the prince has asked the Karaka * ainer, Kim Clotworthy, to pick out a horse for him.

Clot,.orthy recently supplied the Queen Mother with a New ZealandTbred horse, Sindebele. James Whitaker, who was one of the journalists ac-c-mpanying the Prince on his recent Ne- Zealand tour, reports in the “Daily Star” that Prince Charles saw Sin-

del.-’e just before leaving on his tour and was impressed. He says the Prince talked with Clotworthy on the same day ...„t he fell off Good Prospect and asked him if he had any other horses which looked as promising as Sindebele. Clotworthy apparently told him that he thought he did have, but wanted to wait until it had proved itself. The horse Clotworthy has in mind ij said to be unofficially named Henry. Whitaker says the prince has admitted that it is his greatest wish to ride in the Grand National. And he reports that New Zealand-bred horses are “going from

strength to strength these days.” He points out that Grand Canyon and Royal Mail, two fast steeplechasers, came from New Zealand. He quotes Clotworthy as saying “the great secret that gives us an edge here is that we won’t hurry our horses along too quickly.” Prince Charles’s horse.

Good Prospect, fell ana died while he was exercising it earlier this year. Clotworthy accompanied the Q...2en Mother’s horse, Sindebele, on its trip to England, He believes such a journey can ruin a horse for ever if the animal suffers from careless handling.

“When I took Sindebele tc Britain for the Quc”n Mother I travelled standing with the horse, all the way,” .he is quoted as saying.

“There were 45 others in the plane, 20 goats and 2 rams. I didn’t sleep for 40 hours, and by the end I smelt like a billy goat myself.

“And when I got to Manchester I had to fight like mad to prevent Sindebele going into some strange stables supposedly to recover from the flight.” His reward apparently came several days later when the Queen Mother told him: “Thank you for taking such care of my horse.”