Foxhunting on Foot?

Alec Thayer was out photographing Cheshire Foxhunt over the weekend when he met a retired champion steeplechase trainer with a very interesting hobby.

His name is Michael Dickinson, and he’s a former professional jockey, trainer and British Steeplechasing Hall of Fame inductee. He is perhaps most famous for the extraordinary feat of training the five finishers in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup. This accomplishment, along with four others, are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Dickinson emigrated to Maryland in the late ’80s and retired from racing in 2007.

Now, at age 72, Dickinson has invented a new means of entertaining himself.

Alec explains, “During the winter he runs alongside the fox hunt for the whole day (usually 3-4 hours) and jumps all the fences and goes through the mud and all the fun stuff.”

Thanks for sharing, Alec! Go Riding.