A horse who won puissances, was placed in the Hickstead Derby and represented Great Britain – and who “didn’t have a bad bone in his body” – has been put down after a long and happy retirement.
Owner Julie McClelland and producer Fiona Burgoyne had to make the call for 24-year-old Volcano (Max) as his age was catching up with him. Max and Douglas Duffin won the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) puissance, clearing 7’3”, outright in 2013 and jointly in 2011 with Joe Clayton and Leonardo. They were placed three times in the Derby, and jumped on a Nations Cup team in Prague.
He retired about seven years ago and had been living with Fiona, next door to Julie, near Edinburgh.
“He had a very good friend, a mare called Wise Talk who Fiona used to jump, and it was the right time, “ Julie told H&H. “They went together, which made it extra hard, but they went very peacefully. Sometimes it’s just their time.
Max, front, and Wise Talk together
“I’d owned him since he was four – 20 years. He’s been part of the family.”
Julie bought Max from the Gillespies, his breeders, where Fiona had spotted him.
“We thought he’d be a good showjumper; we had no idea as to how far he’d go,” Julie said. “Fiona just really liked the stamp of him.”
Fiona and Max were successful together with wins and top placings, including winning the grade C at Blair Castle International Horse Trials. Max then competed with Tracey Newman for a few months, and Douglas took the reins in 2008.
“Douglas and Max got on like a house on fire,” Julie said. “Their puissance in 2011 and was their first one and you could see Max figuring it out. There’s a video of him touching the wall and doing a double flick of his back legs, it was fascinating.
“He absolutely loved a crowd and rose to the occasion; I’ll always remember standing behind the curtain with him at HOYS and he was just solid; head up, listening to the noise and the music. It really made him come out at his best.
“The year he came third in the Derby [2010] he was drawn first and beforehand, they’d had the big parade with the brass band and he just came to life, he loved it.”
Max retired before he tried a fourth Derby as he had sustained a minor injury; Julie had thought she might jump him at lower levels.
“But he’d had a wind operation as a youngster and the rest made the muscles a bit weaker so it made him cough and I said ‘We’re not doing this’,” Julie said. “He’s been too good for us.
“So he retired; he was a great ‘granddad’, keeping an eye on the youngsters, although when he got bored, he’d just jump the fence and come back in!
“He was such a gentle giant, a kind and friendly horse, with a lovely, lovely nature. There wasn’t a bad bone in his body.”
Julie and Fiona travelled to watch Max at all the triumphs of his career.
“He just always made the two of us so proud,” she said. “I remember, when he was nine or 10, I was offered quite a lot of money for him but I said no. A horse like that is irreplaceable and he took us places we would otherwise never have been. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
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Joe Clayton and Douglas Duffin shared the puissance spoils after jumping clear over the big red wall