Growing Old Disgracefully

Some say old age is a licence to misbehave. These former stars certainly think so, finds Andrea Oakes, who tracks down some who still get up to crazy antics

- Andrea Oakes

He may have hung up his horseshoes, but former international eventer Twinkle Bee is not yet ready for the carpet slippers. Instead, the grandfather of Anna Warnecke’s yard seems intent on growing old disgracefully – like so many high-profile horses who still rule the roost in retirement.

Known as “Trusty”, the 25-year-old gelding has a number of tricks to keep Anna and her groom Laurie Robinson on their toes.

“When he’s led out to the field, he will suddenly jump metres into the air,” explains Anna, whose tactic with the still-powerful OAP is to “hang on and hope for the best”.

“He does the same coming in; he flies in, as he knows he gets his dinner first.”

Trusty completed 10 seasons with Anna at top level, running at Badminton or Burghley – often both – for eight consecutive years and winning a European team bronze for Germany in 2005. From his viewpoint, he’s still a champion and Anna is keen to let him maintain this belief.

“He’s not ridden now but has all the same treatment,” she says. “He’s groomed and clipped, and made to feel happy. It was the way he was looked after in the competition years; everything revolved around him, and he is adamant that things should still be done in the same way.”

While his behaviour may not be deemed age-appropriate, Anna admits that it is nothing new.

“He always had very clear ideas about what was acceptable and he hated being told off,” she says. “He thrived on the atmosphere and he just loved the sport. He’s still pretty naughty.”