David Broome, star rider

Patrice Chaplin

David Broome's choice of an evening out is to go to the local cinema. He may soon have to choose something else as cinemas are Closing in Britain at the rate of two hundred a Year. While entertainment generally is going through a depression his shows, half entertainment, half sport are surprisingly thriving and the organisers themselves are at a loss to say why. Captain Coldrey, director of Arena North, Lancashire, said: 'It's a mystery. We're getting bigger and bigger gates for our shows. And more applicants than ever for each class of show jumping.' And so the queues, once thick outside local cinemas are now flourishing at local horse Shows . The one at Arena North at the Weekend would have made Wardour Street Sit up and take notice — over twenty five thousand flowed in to see the stars of the equestrian world.

And the 'Star' is every bit as important here as in other entertainments. It is to see them that the crowds pay the gate money. There are remarkably few stars (any grooming in that department is only for the horses) and these are spread thin, appearing in shows up and down the country, five days a week. Charisma is bandied around a lot. David Broome has it, so has Harvey Smith and Ted Edgar. I'd seen David Broome on television this summer win at Wembley, win splendidly, trophy after cup after trophy. Whatever he did, even when he went wrong, he couldn't lose. There was something so outrageously successful about that performance it caused stirrings of excitement and admiration in Worlds far removed from the horsey one. I arrived at Arena North expecting to see Wembley again. I expected the show jumping scene to be exclusive and county. I rather hoped it would be ferociously competitive, tantalising, dangerous, glamorous.

In fact, show jumping's greatest ally is television. Everything that matters is seen Vividly on the screen — the rider and horse, the obstacle he has to get over. There's no disappearing out of camera, no fragmentation. The viewer, able to see everything, is involved effortlessly. The rules are simple. There are not many sports so henefitted, so wooed by television. Its impact is as relaxed as at a cricket match. A. nd capturing the immediacy of television IS the latest hurdle of organisers and riders.

Mrs Vicky Coldrey, a small blonde woman with a pony tail and bounding energy said: 'The sport is entertainment. That is what a lot of people have got to realise. They are entertainers. They'll only keep the sport going if they keep the public. Show jumping is like going to the theatre. People come to see the red coats.' Harvey

Smith's recent row with David Broome and the Selection Committee must have been a godsend. At least it got a television camera up to Arena North if only to zoom in on the quarrel.

'In this particular arena we put on other things between the classes to keep the audience happy,' she said. 'I defy anybody to sit and watch from nine in the morning to six at night, horses just going around courses. It's boring. You don't want a horse in the arena for more than ninety seconds or else the spectators' interest will be waning long before the jump-off.'

As with any entertainment that's drawing the crowds, big business is sniffing around. A lot of companies are finding show jumping a more effective way of publicising their products. The managing director of Berger Paints said: 'Its better than TV and cheaper. It's good, clean, family entertainment. There's not the bitchiness in this sport. One or two of the leading promoters like Everest Double Glazing spend all their money on show jumping. It's paid off. They're only a small firm but it's made them a household name. You get to Mr and Mrs Average Man.' He was a warm friendly Northerner prepared to take a chance. I'm used to the pale, gloomy finance men of Wardour Street. I'm not used to confidence.

`I'd like to sponsor a young horse and young rider who's unknown so we can build something up.'

'How do you know if someone's good?'

'You have to be told don't you,' he said.

'Who tells you?' He laughed. 'That's a good one. You'd gave to have someone with expert knowledge, who's been in the trade a long time. A blacksmith, even a blacksmith can tell you.'

'Presumably the sponsors want some control in exchange for their money?' He looked down and murmured spmething modest. My next question got around that. 'Would you like a bigger gate?'

'Well yes, yes I would. Last week they had the Royal Show on the TV not once did any of the commentators mention next week the show comes to Arena North. They don't help themselves. I think the reason is a lot of the people who run the sport are the old establishment who are not really in today's world of promoting themselves. On the other hand, maybe it's nice. You don't want to become too professional. They should cut the timetable. Starting eight o'clock on a Sunday morning. That's crackers! Newspapers don't given them enough writeup. You've really got to dig up the Horse and Hound or something. And you may get the wrong impression reading something like that.' He was the gentle

sponsor. Some of the others called for a louder tune.

Everyone I met was eager to disclaim the upperclass, luxury sport image. Nevertheless that's the one it has. Almost proudly, they listed the occupations of the riders. Bricklayer, horse dealer, hire car driver, farmer. 'I understood it was upper, upper when I came into it,' said the man from Berger. 'But it's a very down to earth sport. The riders are straight, simple people. Nice people.'

Dorian Williams, in a book he wrote in 1968, said the sport had a false image and that the general public should be made to realise it's straighforward, down to earth, farmer's sons, hire-car drivers, etc: Nine years later it still has the same image.

The chemical condition that held all these people, that made them spend hours in stables, days and nights travelling, was easy to diagnose, hopeless to cure. It was called 'Horse in the Blood'. Like charisma, you either had it or you didn't. Some people were born with it. I tracked it down quickly. Vicky Coldrey made it sound merciless. 'Once they get into your blood, once you're into horses you're into horses. It's an impossible thing to give up.'

'Do the wives travel around with the riders?'

'Some do. They get involved. They have• to. Horses are demanding.'

There was a lot of waiting around between competitions and I'd seen the riders sitting on the steps of the arena, wives and girlfriends beside them. 'What do they do? Do they just hang around?'

'No they do not hang around. Good Lord! They help!' She could see I didn't have 'Horse in the Blood' at ten paces. 'You don't want someone hanging around when you've got horses to do. The women give a, jolly good backup and support to the rider.'

'If this show didn't have Harvey and David Broome you wouldn't have the numbers you've got this afternoon,' said the managing director. In this country only a few of the top riders are sponsored. I asked him if there was any rivalry between companies to get the stars. 'I would think so. In a sense . .; He changed the subject. 'Harvey always makes news whatever he does. It's strange why he's so popular. He's a nice enough bloke,' he added quickly.

'Perhaps it's the V sign?'

'Maybe. He's very blunt. He doesn't talk much. David Broome is, well the chap next door.'

'How d'you rate him?'

'Oh he's the world's best.' Vicky Coldrey said: 'David's the greatest rider in the world.'

'What makes him successful?'

'Dedication to the sport. And to his horses. He sees they're done well. And he's got a good eye for a stride. A lot of riders can't see a stride and that makes it twice as difficult. It's born into David.'

'Has success changed him?'

'How do you mean?'

'Well is he blasé?' 'I don't know any blasé riders. They all have their little fads but they certainly don't become prima donnas.' I upset her when I said stars in the cinema start to call the tune. 'I mean they only have to point to the box office receipts of their latest successful film to get their own way.'

'Our box office receipts are nothing to do with the riders,' she said firmly. 'They compete for the prize money. That's what concerns them.'

'Don't they ever behave like stars?'

'We have a rule book,' she said promptly. 'They may try and bend the rules.'

David Broome was signing autographs. In his world he's described as, 'the nicest person you could ever hope to meet,' One feels this world to be self-sufficient. His audience, his fans don't seem to concern him. 'When I go into the ring it's what my horse is doing that bothers me.'

He spoke quickly; he didn't like wasting time. A spectator passing, gasped. 'That's David Broome,' she whispered to her husband.

There was a confused mingling of star riders, riders, organisers, arena officials, general public on the arena steps. Men . gawped at Broome. Their stars were so available, they only had to reach out and touch them.

, 'Your win at Wembley was marvellous.' I was confused in my admiration.

He dismissed all that with: 'I was lucky to win one class. Other people had fences down and I made a mistake and left it up.' He'd seemed like a real winner. That's what was so exciting about it. I found it hard to tell him. I felt I'd sound like a displaced groupie.

; 'Success will breed success. If you're on a winning streak you'll get away with a lot of .; things whereas if you're having a bad spell ; you only have to tap one rail and down it will come.'

'It seems to be a glamorous life. You seem to make a lot of money?' I didn't , believe it anymore — it was more a question to fill a gap. I thought he was probably , impatient with gaps.

; 'Oh no no no no. You're not right on ; either score really.'

`Will you go on with it?' I'd heard he was ,:thirty-seven and thinking of retiring. : `As long as I've got good horses and my : back holds out. If I give up what else would I :do? I'd have to start working. That would be :awful wouldn't it?'

I asked him about the pressure. Did he :jump the fences in the night before the big :events? `Never! You're alright if you're :going well. Success will come to you. But if :you're not the pressure's enormous. It's up :to you to come out of it, weather the storm. :I've been in the sport twenty years and it's :not all sugar and spice.'

: I was surprised at the amount of shows he :went to. 'I jump five days a week, ten :months a year. In the old days I used to :finish riding at the Horse of the Year show :in October and I didn't sit on a horse till the 'following April.' `Has the sport changed much?'

'People will tell you it has. It's just as difficult to win now as ever it was. You have to work harder.'

'You said in your book that every new horse is a chance to dream.'

'I love new horses. It's like a breath of fresh air going through the camp. They've all got their different problems, they're a new challenge. Your success, your hopes depend on them. You need a star horse to make a star of you. You'll never be a star on a clunk.'

'How much can you do towards making it a star?'

'You can give him twenty, twenty five per cent. Basically he has to be a star before you start.'

His young, pretty wife sat next to him, and in front, her brother Graham Fletcher. Farther along the step I could see David's sister Liz Edgar and his brother in law Ted. He agreed his family was quite close outside the ring. It looked as though it had to be.

'Didn't you used to pool the prize money at one time?'

'I never did that. Ever. Never. Ever!' For a moment he was confused. `That's twenty years ago. It actually stopped when I started to come to the top. I don't know who told you that one.'

We watched the dressage. It was rare to find an entertainment where there was no American influence, no takeover. I wondered what Wardour Street would do to it. Show-jumping's approach towards more audience appeal seemed touchingly naive compared with what film tnoguls were digging up to lure a public.

It's a great sport, it's a very fair straight sport,' he said. 'There's very little cheating.'

`What 'happens to the star horses when they've passed it?'

`They retire. I wouldn't say they all get a nice retirement because the pounds, shillings and pence come into it.'

In his book he'd said: 'One of the worst things in the world is to see a great show jumper going downhill. Once a horse has been successful he learns to love the limelight. He gets niggly and miserable if he's left at home.' Perhaps that also applied to old riders.

`Do you feel like a star?'

`I'm not conscious of anything like that. I just like to be successful. I'd never like to be third in my sport. That would prompt me to retire quicker than anything.' laughed. 'Probably my horses will tell me when to retire.'

'D'you like the social life?'

'You make your own social life. It can be what you want it. At home I'm the best man to sit on a chair by the fire' and watch telly. I love that. I'm away so much.'

I asked him about friends. Were they in the sport too? `Friends? You get the upstarts in the sport. It's been full of them all my life. They last two or three years then they've gone again. But your real friends are friends for life.'

`Who do you like most?'

`Friends?'

`No, showjumpers. Well, friends and showjumpers.'

'I wouldn't say I have too many friends. I've a lot of acquaintances. There's a lot you don't meet that often but you call them friends. Well, you're never with them long enough to find out anything different. To take the nasty aspect of it you have no time to fall out. I have a good friend in Ireland. He's a horse dealer.'

'What sort of people do you admire?'

'Hove the triers of the world. People who go out and strive. I'd rather read about a man's record than hear him rattling about it. I love to see doers not talkers.' Luck,! could see concerned the riders, as charisma did the organisers.

'The luck of the sport isn't whether you hit a pole and it stays up or not. The luck is being in the right place at the right time to buy the right horse. That'll keep you lucky for five years. I've bought very few lately and that's asworry. You can have a bad day at a show but as long as you've got some good horses in the pipeline you say well, never mind, I've got that lot coming along. But if you've got nothing in the pipeline you know you're heading down a dark tunnel.'

He wanted the same changes as Mrs Coldrey. 'We want to keep people glued to the thing. We could do with some fresh blood in the sport. More enterprising. We're just treading water as progress goes.'

Vicky Coldrey was running around preparing the next 'draw' — the stars racing the course in landravers. I asked how the riders kept fit. 'Cucumbers.' I supposed she meant they pressed slices of cucumber onto their faces as I've seen actors do to rejuvenate their skin. My interpretation I could see, alarmed her. 'I meant throwing them,' she said brusquely. 'Cucumber competitions in the arena.'

A great cheer went up as the man they've travelled miles to see canters into the arena. David Broome. Nothing succeeds like success.