Paul only getting into his stride

Want an investment for 2013? Try Hickstead Derby champion Paul Beecher, writes John Tynan

IT’S barely credible, but Paul Beecher still exudes an air of surprise as he watches a video of his triumph in the Hickstead Derby.

It’s as if it’s live and somehow the result had yet to be determined.

Sitting at the table in his kitchen in Tallow, Co Waterford, he’s reliving the approach to each fence, what he needs to do here, what it felt like after scaling that particular mountain, the connection with his horse Loughnatousa WB...

It gives an insight into Beecher, who rarely has the mount to scale the heights as the family is in the business of selling the stable stars.

That’s why he’s so in awe when he does reach the pinnacle.

The Hickstead Derby is not a competition for the faint-hearted and, yet, in one glorious afternoon, Beecher produced two of the only 56 clear rounds in the competition’s 51-year history.

Highs are best when contrasted with the lows and Beecher doesn’t have to dig deep to remember those.

“The lowest came the day before the Derby when I got eliminated in the Speed Derby on [Loughnatousa] OB. He just wasn’t ready for the competition and he panicked at the second fence.

“When I came out of the arena, it was suggested I couldn’t handle the pressure and it was questioned if I was good enough to ride at this level.

“On top of that, I had only returned to riding Loughnatousa WB on the Monday and had little time to gel. No surprise then, when two days later, we had five down in our first competition. But I reassured the owner, Patricia Brown, I would have him ready. I knew the horse could do it, but you can imagine the pressure?”

In fact, his confidence was so well-placed, he planned a €200 bet on himself at 33/1. However, his concentration turned to the task few believed he could achieve — joining an illustrious list of Irishmen that have added lustre to the competition, such as four-in-a-row winner Eddie Macken, whose horse Boomerang gives his name to the competition’s trophy.

But that pressure was immense. He was first into the arena, in what was only his second year in the competition. He was confident though and jumped one of only two clear rounds on the day, the second from Britain’s William Funnell on Dorado who, like Beecher’s mount, learned his trade at the Ballyrafter Centre in Lismore.

“2011 was my first time in the Derby. It stood to me hugely last year. It’s out on its own as a competition. One of the biggest tracks you’ll get. I had butterflies, yet I was confident. I know it sounds cocky, but I had full faith in the horse.

“When I jumped with him last year, he was green starting out. But once he got into his stride, he was comfortable. I was confident that if I got over the first two fences, I could settle him.

“Eight faults would be respectable in any man’s language over that course, so obviously I was delighted when I went clear.

“First thing I thought when William Funnell matched me, though, was ‘How the hell am I going to do a second clear?’, but I just continued where I left off and, fortunately for me, William knocked a fence early on.”

Loughnatousa WB, says Beecher, had a late start to jumping, as “he over-reached as a five-year-old and as a six-year-old he got a rare fungal infection on his coat. A year later, he qualified for Dublin Horse Show and finished fourth there. I sold him as 10-year-old, but I got the opportunity to ride him again in 2011.

“Unfortunately, I lost the ride after winning the Derby. The owner is into flat racing, and has a full-time jockey riding him now. But I knew I was always filling in and there’s no hard feelings. In fact, if she ever wants me, she knows where I am.”

THE Derby performance highlights Beecher’s ability to strike up a relationship with his mount. It comes from a lifetime’s experience. Fate ordained his childhood would involve horses, courtesy of his dad Tim, from a dairy farm up the road, who honed his skill as an outback rider in Australia.

“Dad used to carry me on the saddle in front of him when riding. I think this began when I was aged two. My earliest memory is looking at the horse’s neck and thinking it was like sitting on a giraffe.”

It is obvious his father inspired Beecher, as he explains why he’s yearning for the big time, which would probably necessitate moving abroad.

“That’s not such an easy decision when you are devoted to your home and business. Dad lived in the outback in Australia, rode rodeos and rode mustangs. He built up this business from one horse, Black Tudor, that he point-to-pointed, hunted and show jumped. He sold him and that was the start.

“I feel a loyalty to both what he’s achieved and to what the farm has to offer. Sure, the Derby was my biggest win by far, but our job is to produce and sell horses, which is why I don’t compete at that level as much as I’d like.

“We have 120 acres here and every blade of grass is devoted to horses. We have 40 stables, but we would have about 150 horses in total.

“When you are doing your own horses, the expense is a major headache, coupled with the pressure to sell. It is almost impossible to get the true value for a horse now,” said Beecher, who pointed out that Tim also sourced the gelding Kilbaha — another Hickstead Derby winner — for the Army.

WHILE the Derby ensured headlines for Beecher, he also made the news in September when thieves stole almost €20,000 of tack while he filmed a TV interview near home. Seven or eight saddles were found dumped near Abbeyleix, but none of the big-brand names were included.

The ideal New Year present would be the arrival of somebody to finance some real horsepower: “I’ve just sold my up-and-coming grand prix horse, Loughnatousa Rio, to an American and, hopefully, he will do well. Naturally, it would have been preferable to keep him, but as always that money is needed to fund the horses coming through.

“I would love to compete at Nations Cup level. I would also be hoping that after the Derby win, an owner would finance a top-class horse for me. I’ve got lots of six-year-olds, but no real firepower and that is where a new owner would come in. Times are tough, but you never know.”

And as everyone knows, New Years are all about new beginnings.

Photo: ROAD TO SUCCESS: Paul Beecher walking Loughnatousa Ziizanne and Loughnatousa McFly, near his stables in Tallow, Co Waterford. Picture: Denis Scannell