Cayetano

Cayetano is a Cartujarno Stallion, the breed is also known as Boccado and Carthusian. It is one of the oldest bloodlines of the pure Spanish breed, with the line being traced back to the 15th Century. There are less than 500 horses in this bloodline alive today, and we are privileged to have two in our stables, Cayetano and his brother Icaro.  

Cayetano arrived with us in the middle of our busy 2019 season lightly backed, since arriving he has continued both his ridden and in-hand education. Similar to his brother Icaro he is extremely brave with what we have asked so far, especially when hacking in traffic, something he had not experienced before arrive at New Lodge Farm. 

Cayetano is only <AGE>, so it will be a while before his debut at a show. When we bring a new horse into the team, we usually introduce them to events either at Bolsover Castle (that has a smaller audience and small indoor arena that they are used to at home) or as a Marshall horse. This takes the pressure of the horse, because even if they are jousting at home competently, they may not be used to crowds, noise, banners or open spaces that are involved with events. We want to give our horses a positive experience of their first event to ensure they enjoy their future career with us. 

Roles: 

We are hoping as Cayetano grows and develops he will be strong enough to carry a knight in harness s that he can become a mighty destrier for 15th Century jousts. 

Due to his breeding he will be classically trained and follow in the footsteps of his older brother Icaro at Bolsover Castle to perform in the riding house. We look forward to his first performance once he has more experience under saddle. 

Specialty 

We look forward to updating this section as his training continues to develop. 

Faraon

Faraon is a Friesian cross stallion, he was imported from Spain in February 2017 by Historic Equitation. He arrived with well-established work both ridden and in-hand which has only been improved upon. Faraon has been a valuable asset to the team since his arrival.

Roles:

  • Marshall’s horse
  • Classical horsemanship
  • 15th Century jousting horse

Speciality:

  • Piaffe
  • Spanish walk

 

 

Previous Appearances:

  • Marshall horse at Carisbrooke Castle for the Grand Medieval Joust of Good versus Evil!
  • Marshall horse at St George’s Day Festival at Wrest Park 2018
  • Horse for the Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley at Kenilworth Castle’s Elizabethan Event 2018

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Nuevo

St Georges Day

Stable Name: Nev

Nuevo is a British bred PRE gelding who started his training with Historic Equitation in 2017.

Nev has proved extremely easy to train with an amenable and fearless attitude, carrying shields, swords and armour the first time he was asked.

His first season with us was in 2018 where we hoped to expose him to the sounds, energy and crowds of big event days in the hope to further his development as the next Pericles or Duke!

Roles:

  • 13th Century Jousting Horse

Charlemagne

Charlemange

Stable name: Charlie

Charlemagne (Charlie) is a fearsome Spanish destrier, he is a British bred Lipizzaner  of the Siglavy line whose origins can be traced back to an Arab horse from Syria in 1810! Upon a recent trip, one of the Historic Equitation team found Charlie’s relatives in the Spanish School of Riding in Vienna, proving his bloodline is still of the highest quality.

Charlie is a former one-day Eventer with a naturally fearless attitude and the heart of a lion! He loves to please a crowd and is the most reliable of the horses, never letting a rider down.

He is extremely adaptive, and will take a range of riders, of various abilities through different activities, he can literally be given to anyone to ride!

Charlie only has a few dislikes, he isn’t fond of bouncy castles (but he will tolerate them) he doesn’t particularly like to have birds flown from a mounted rider (but he will, if he must) and he is the first one who wants to be stabled overnight when the winter comes!

Roles:

  • Jousting horse
  • Skill at arms
  • Marshall horse
  • Side-saddle
  • 17th Century Dressage

Speciality:

  • Jousting
  • Mounted combat
  • Levade (learning)
  • Spanish walk (learning)

Previous Appearances:

Charlie has a lot of fun each year at English Heritage St George’s Day Festival at Wrest Park, where he goes into the arena on his own to face a fearsome fire breathing dragon which he must defeat.

Charlie was part of the main attraction at Mary Queen of Scotts Festival in Kinross in 2017 accompanied by Pericles. The pair had a long weekend on the village green (just opposite the pub) and enjoyed taking competitive jousting to Scotland for the first time in centuries! Read more here.

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Cobrador

Cobrador

Stable name: Coby

Cobrador (Coby) is a Hispano gelding, he is the longest serving member of the Historic Equitation team and possibly the most adored! Dominic says this horse has taught him the most and forgiven his mistakes more than any other.

Coby is a great horse for skill at arms and 17th Century Dressage where his natural suppleness and classical training shine through. His skills are in the more refined movements with controlled yet still explosive power!

You will often see Coby at Bolsover Castle, he especially enjoys the final Historic Equestrian event!

Roles:

  • 17th Century dressage horse
  • Marshall horse

Speciality:

  • Pesade
  • Pirouette
  • Terre á terre
  • Levade

Previous Appearances:

  • Coby has been to the Battle of Hastings leading the Cavalry, charging up the enemy shield wall and intimidating his enemies.
  • Coby has been to countless performances at Bolsover Castle (and is in fact the face of their Cavalier Horses Page on the English Heritage website!)
  • He has also proved a useful horse on the jousting field, being the chosen mount of Dominic Sewell whilst he was Knight Marshall at Bolsover Castle, amungst many other venues!

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Briar

Stable name: Briar

One of the longest serving members of the Historic Equitation team, Briar is never far from his stable mate Duke.

Briar is a fierce jouster, he is experienced enough to help those who are just learning, but strong and powerful to often challenge the more experienced riders! 

He may look slow with his large frame, but there is no doubt he is an excellent and intimidating Destrier.

Roles:

  • Jousting horse
  • Marshall horse
  • Beginners horse

Previous appearances:

The Hampton Court Flower Show: British Roses.

 

In memoriam – Duke

Duke

Never far from Briar in the field, Duke was a Frisian, but unlike any seen before! He had tremendous natural paces and ability and was a great all-rounder. He knew and loved his job, and was always disappointed if he did not get at least one run up the tilt rail during schooling!

Image courtesy of Hannah Brewer Photography

Roles:

  • Jousting horse
  • Marshall horse
  • Beginners horse

Appearances:

Duke was ridden by Dr Tobias Capwell when escorting Richard III’s coffin to its final resting place in Leicester Cathedral on 23rd March 2015 accompanied by Dominic Sewell with Coralito. You can read about the event in the Telegraph’s online article.

He was ridden by Dr Tobias Capwell in the series Secrets of the Shining Knight.

Duke was ridden by Dr Tobias Capwell in the BBC 4 series Metalworks where he introduces the Greenwich Armouries of Henry VIII.

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Pericles

Pericles

Stable name: Perry

Pericles is an Irish Draught gelding, possibly the mightiest war horse in the stables at the moment (although Nuevo may soon take his place!) He is fearless, and enjoys nothing more than the heat of battle or the thrill of a joust!

Despite his formidable size and thundering hooves, Pericles is extremely agile, and has been known to canter pirouette around the end of the list ahead of the next course, and will levade impressively before his rider gives him the signal to go.

Despite his astounding agility in modern day tournaments, he will not be appearing at Bolsover Castle in classical performances to showcase airs above the ground.

Roles:

  • Jousting horse
  • All-round tournament horse
  • Marshall horse

Speciality:

  • Jousting
  • Mounted combat

Previous Appearances:

Batholem de Bento

Bento

Stable name: Bento

Batholem de Bento (Bento) is one of the most well known horses at Historic Equitation, known not for his talent but rather for his part in the 1066 March in 2016 and his social media following that grew as a result of his cheeky personality.

Bento is on of the few Portuguese horses we own, he is a pure Lusitano gelding but was born and bred in the UK.

The Lusitano originated from the mountainous areas of Portugal in the Iberian Peninsula making them extremely strong and adaptable. The Lusitano is a true all-rounder, originally being used in the cavalry but later becoming popular on farms, within the bullring and also for classical dressage. They are one of the oldest saddled breeds of horses in the world having been ridden for more than 5000 years.

Bento has taken the full range of skills that a true Lusitano has to offer, with an unshakeable determination, strong will, fluid movement and ability to perform high school classical movements.

Bento joined the Historic Equitation team when he was five (and with a slightly darker hair colour, as had some of the team then!) Since that time Domenic and the team have worked to further develop Bento’s haute école movements, with his speciality being the capriole and levade. The capriole is a movement whereby the horse leaps into the air, at the highest point of the leap (and with the horse’s body horizontal) he kicks out with both back feet. Historically it is a useful movement for repelling attackers on foot – something we do not encourage now!

Roles:

  • Mounted falconry
  • Marshall horse
  • Jousting horse (in training)
  • 17th Century dressage demonstrations
  • Skill at arms

Speciality:

  • Capriole
  • Levade

Previous Appearances:

Bento completed the majority of the 1066 anniversary march in 2016 (it would have been all had he not thrown a shoe!)

You can read more about the march here: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about-us/search-news/the-1066-march and  http://blog.english-heritage.org.uk/battle-of-hastings-march/

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Icaro

Icaro is a Boccado Carthusian stallion, the Boccado bloodline is ancient and there are less then 500 horses of this line alive today.

Icaro was purchased as an unbroken stallion, and began his ridden career with Historic Equitation. Nothing phase this little chap and we hope he enjoys the busy season we have planned ahead!

He made his jousting debut at Wrest Parks 13th Century Tournament on St George’s Day in 2018 as the mount of Dominic Sewell. He has since also been used in his first 15th Century Joust at Alnwick Castle where he took everything on his stride, a very useful horse indeed!

Roles:

  • 13th Century jousting horse
  • 15th Century jousting horse
  • Classical horsemanship

Speciality:

  • 17th Century dressage
  • Spanish walk

Previous Appearances:

  • Duke of Newcastle Cavalier Horse Displays at Bolsover Castle
  • 13th Century jousting horse at St George’s Day Festival at Wrest Park
  • Commentators horse for horsemanship displays at Kenilworth Castle’s Elizabethan Event
  • Alnwixk Castle 15th Century Joust
  • Marshall’s horse at the beautiful Framlingham Castle

Coralito

Coralito

Coralito is one of the most powerful horses at Historic Equitation, with the almost unbeatable combination of strength, power and control coupled with excellent schooling, which make him the most manoeuvrable in the yard.

Coralito is often used for mounted falconry displays with a skilled rider as he is able to move seamlessly into position to enable the rider to land a hawk whilst on the move.

Whilst he may not be the bravest warrior, he is a reliable performer who likes to showcase his haute école movements in front of the crowd and relishes his annual task of leading the cavalry charge at the Battle of Hastings.

After a long day filming Coralito loves nothing more than a good roll. His favourite trick at home is to throw himself in the muddiest puddle when he sees you approaching with a headcollar, ensuring there is fresh, sticky mud coating across his entire body!

Roles:

  • Knight marshal horse
  • Mounted falconry
  • 17th Century dressage demonstrations
  • Jousting horse

Speciality:

  • Pesade
  • Levade
  • Piaffe
  • Mounted falconry

Previous Appearances:

Coralito was ridden by Dominic Sewell when escorting Richard III’s coffin to its final resting place in Leicester Cathedral on 23rd March 2015 accompanied by Dr Tobias Capwell on Duke. You can read more here and on the Telegraphs website here.

Coralito was used to give Jeremy Taylor from the Financial Times a day in the life experience of being a jouster at Kenilworth Castle, near Coventry. Jeremy wore armour for the first time and rode around the ramparts getting used to the feel of the extra 20kg in weight, read about his experience here.

With his steadfast nature and abundance of patience, Coralito was the natural choice for Fiona Bruce to ride during filming of the Antiques Roadshow.

Coralito was used for the second year of jousting at Framlingham Castle in Suffolk, read the full article.

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