Spotlight on Demo Horse: Fergus MacFinn

Demo rider Christine McCarter was looking for a young horse to train and compete. She was at a lesson with her trainer and saw a big white horse playing in the pasture. At the time, Fergus MacFinn (aka: Fergus) was a gangly 15.3 hand 2-year-old, but she decided to look at him in the round pen. He was a trooper and did everything he was asked to do. So, Christine's mother decided to buy him for her birthday. He had only done ground work, so Christine was the first to back him. At first, he had no power steering or brakes, but he learned those very quickly. After that he had to learn how to do eventing, but it all seemed to come pretty naturally to him. Fergus is by the RID stallion, Mac's Blue Erin, out of the Thoroughbred mare, High Dynah.

At his first show, Fergus did Green as Grass as a 3-year-old. Now, he has moved up through Beginner Novice and Novice. He is now a 16.2 hand 6-year-old that is running Training level. Fergus has not been a Grand Champion yet, but everywhere he goes everyone loves him.

Fergus is always in training for 3-day eventing. He is ridden anywhere from 4 to 6 times week, doing dressage mainly but jumping once or twice a week. To keep him fit for cross country, he goes on trail rides every couple of weeks, where he gets to do everything from walking, trotting, and galloping.

Fergus’s favorite toy in the pasture is Christine's mom’s minature horse, The Little Duke of Foster, also known as Foster. Fergus likes to play chase the minature and pick up the minature. They are hilarious to watch because Fergus is this big almost completely white horse, and Foster is little black minature. Another funny story Christine tells is one day she and Fergus were riding with some friends, when this woman brings out one of the young horses at the barn. As the group was jumping some of the cross country fences there, the lady decided to try to get the young horse down the bank. The young horse did not want to go. So, Fergus, ever the helper, got behind the horse and pushed the young horse down the bank with his nose. It finally worked! That's Irish ingenuity!

Watch for Fergus and Christine in the Demo ring on behalf of the Irish Village at the World Equestrian Games. They are qualified to Demo in Dressage, Eventing, Jumping, and Foxhunting.