Davy Harvey

This talented dressage rider is on a roll. Polly Bryan hears how he continues to surprise himself

- Polly Bryan

WHEN Davy Harvey arrived at Hartpury for the 2023 Winter Dressage Championships, he'd never won a national title. But five days later, he had three to his name. He scooped the prestigious inter I gold crown on Hawtins Rossana, and then an advanced medium double with Diamond Blue. In doing so, he became the most talked about rider of the championships, partly for his hat-trick, but also his heartwarming reaction to his achievements.

"You never think it will be you, or that you could be good enough," he said at the time, overcome with disbelief and amazement as title after title came his way.

And even when we speak, just over six weeks later, he admits he isn't sure if his success so far this year has quite sunk in.

Perhaps it's something to do with the fact that he "had no intention of doing horses for a living", despite some of his earliest memories being "ragging around" on an elderly Shetland named Queenie, as a child at home on the Orkney islands.

"Orkney was a beautiful place to grow up-as children we were pretty: much free range and a little out of control," remembers the 28-year-old, who is now based near Swindon.

"All I wanted to do was go fast and so did Queenie, so it was a nightmare for my mum. One day she let me go in the field at the back of the house and I cantered until I fell off. After that I behaved."

Davy was just eight when he had his first "proper" pony, Gemini, an opinionated mare bought from the local riding school, with whom he developed something of a love-hate relationship in the years that followed.