As well as riding successfully between the flags, Charlie Dando and partner Brooke Gardener-Wollen have a yard in the Gloucestershire village of Hawkesbury Upton. The couple train five pointers, who always look immaculate (Brooke does them herself and won an amazing 18 best turned-out awards from 19 runs last season). Charlie's career as a jockey seemed over after a horrific shooting accident in 2017 but he has bounced back from life-threatening injury to score on horses like his own Carrig Dubh and his father's Kit Barry, an inaugural Hunter Chase success for him last season. I talked to Brooke and Charlie about their hopes and dreams, both in and out of the saddle.
As well as riding successfully between the flags, Charlie Dando and partner Brooke Gardener-Wollen have a yard in the Gloucestershire village of Hawkesbury Upton. The couple train five pointers, who always look immaculate (Brooke does them herself and won an amazing 18 best turned-out awards from 19 runs last season). Charlie's career as a jockey seemed over after a horrific shooting accident in 2017 but he has bounced back from life-threatening injury to score on horses like his own Carrig Dubh and his father's Kit Barry, an inaugural Hunter Chase success for him last season. I talked to Brooke and Charlie about their hopes and dreams, both in and out of the saddle.
Arriving at the stables, I meet Brooke and Charlie as well as Sarah White and Frances Poole, all as well-turned out as their horses in Park Yard Racing jackets, ready to ride work. Brooke and Charlie are on new recruits Ravensdale and According to Harry, with Sarah – "I've known Brooke since she was eventing, ended up with one of her horses and help where I can" – astride Loodeen and Frances Poole – who won the 2014 Berkeley Members on "my £1 wonder pony" One To Note and is planning a return to pointing this season after two years working for Dan Skelton – on Brass In Pocket.
One familiar face missing from the yard is Carrig Dubh, who is recuperating from an injury at Charlie's father David's farm. The plan is for him to come back in 2021 to race for Brooke in Novice Riders contents. As for Kit Barry – trained by David – "We're working on a plan for the Cheltenham Foxhunters," admits Charlie. "He's a funny little horse but dad hunts him a lot and cheekpieces have made the difference."
Brooke and Charlie live in nearby Luckington, but Brooke is from the village where they train and her parents own the yard, which is as spotless as a stables can be. "I've always been taught 'clean is clean'," laughs Brooke. "And I've got a bit of OCD." Asked about her training regime, Brooke says, "We treat the racehorses as hunters until December before we start cantering them and riding them individually. Brooke, as Charlie admits, does most of the work in the yard while Charlie focuses on his role as a farrier, for Grant Cann, the Beaufort Polo Club and local hunter, eventer and livery yards.
"We use Grant's gallop once a week to give the horses a proper piece of work," Brooke tells me, "Otherwise we canter them round the fields near here and at David's farm. And we turn them out most days, as long as it's not too wet." "We're mad keen on hunting," Charlie adds. "We're both Beaufort born and bred and I whip in and sometimes field master. We do this (training) for fun and the sport lacks people like us – you don't see the old-school boys with one pointer any more."
I ask them both how they got into pointing. "I didn't start until I was ten," Brooke tells me. "My Dad Mike, who's our chief lorry driver and loves it, used to race motorbike sidecars, until I said I wanted a pony! I showjumped and evented, but it's too expensive to compete against the top horses. Then Robert Harraway offered me the ride on Gontdevon in the Beaufort Members. I rode for charity, raising £1,500 for motor neurone disease and said I'd just do it once, but got the bug!"
24 of Brooke's 25 rides to date have been for Robert, the exception being a second on Carrig Dubh at Chaddesley Corbett in May. "I've never been allowed to ride Charlie's," she laughs again. "I like training them and I get too attached – I was a wreck before the race in case something went wrong. Besides, he's known as 'fence breaker' and I've always ridden schoolmasters! I love the training and get more of a kick out of that than riding, though I never thought I would, but I'd like to ride a winner then give up. That's my goal."
And what's Brooke's magic trick when preparing her horses? "OCD!" she says again. "We plait them to perfection – Frances does the tails and I do the manes and quartermarks. We take pride in our horses – if they look well, they run well – plus it's an easy £25, it pays for the fuel and this year, every prize is going in a jar for a spa day!" Charlie confirms that his partner is fiercely competitive. "It's a quieter journey home if Brooke doesn't win best turned out than if the horses lose!"
Charlie, "Always had horses at home. I remember a Shetland pony called Flora, when I was two or three – I did gymkhanas, showjumping and have been hunting since childhood. My first ride was on a horse called Which Moscow, that Alison Dare gave me, at Barbury when I was 16. He didn't get home but he was safe as houses and taught me everything." It took Charlie three years and 77 mounts to ride his first winner, which he admits, "Was frustrating looking back," but he reiterates, "We do it for fun. I'm definitely not the tidiest or lightest – 11 stone is a struggle – and I was never going to turn professional."
His first winner was Artistic Approach, owned and trained by his father, at Ston Easton in 2011. "It was fantastic," he recalls. "He made all and jumped like a bunny. We celebrated with champagne at the Ship in Luckington – we do that for all our winners." As the successes mounted, Charlie started to get rides on better quality horses, including Cecile De Volanges for Michael Hawker and Clive and Eileen Bennett's Iberico – "I was their farrier and he was probably the best I've ridden, but I've had the most fun with Kit Barry."
Charlie winces as he remembers the incident that almost ended his career in January 2017. "I was pheasant shooting, someone was loading for me and the gun went off in his hand. It blew through the arteries and nerves in my leg and, when I got to hospital, my heart stopped twice… I'm lucky to be alive." However, Charlie was quick to bounce back. "I came out of hospital on February 4th and sat on a horse about three weeks later," he recalls. "The Master of the Beaufort gave me the aim of being a horse-catcher at Badminton in early May and I did." He returned to pointing in February 2019 and rode an emotional comeback winner later that month on Kit Barry at Barbury.
As for his ambitions, Charlie is modest. "To ride more than Dad", he smiles. "He had 33 and I'm on 27 now. I'm lucky enough to have ridden at Cheltenham and would love to ride over the Aintree fences. That's the ultimate goal for Everybody's Talkin, but the trainer might jock me off!"
After the horses have worked, we move up the road to David's farm at Old Sodbury, where we put the world to rights. The first thing Charlie would do if he was in charge of point-to-pointing would be, "To try to get more owner-trainers involved to boost horse numbers. It's hard to afford to have horses with a big yard and that's one of the reasons I think numbers are declining. You can't buy a cheap horse any more and take on the professionals. We do it for fun, but it's no fun if you always come last!"
For Brooke, one potential solution to falling numbers is to promote pointing at grass roots level, via the pony clubs. "Very few people from the Beaufort come into pointing," she tells me. "They do dressage, showjumping, eventing… People don't know how to get into pointing because it's not accessible. They should have pony racing at the club camps and gymkhanas – and there's a link between pony racing and pointing. I'm an example," she goes on. "If it wasn't for Charlie, I'd have stayed eventing. I didn't have a clue about things like rider certificates and medicals."
Another issue for the Dando-Gardener-Wollen clan, unsurprisingly, is the lessening of the link between hunting and pointing. As David explains, "Most of the Beaufort point-to-point committee are farmers who give up their time free of charge. One perk for us was a free certificate for a pointer, but now that's been centralised, it costs a lot more money. The link between hunting and pointing is disappearing," continues David. "Most meetings are run in aid of the hunt, by people involved with the hunt. The PPORA fixture struggled – that's why it no longer takes place. When I was riding, most jockeys in the Members race were hunting farmers. Traditionally, farmers had a mare, bred from her and raced the foal, but there are fewer farmers with pointers now."
Pointing may be losing its traditions, but everyone can see ways in which the sport has improved. For Charlie, the number and standard of new courses is positive and he welcomes the point-to-point bumpers, although Brooke disagrees! "I think it's crazy that a jockey who hasn't had five winners can't ride in a bumper but is allowed to get on a four-year-old over fences," she says indignantly." All concur, however, that the standard of riding – thanks in part to pony racing and jockey training – has got better over the years. Brooke confirms she has benefitted from the latter, visiting Dominic Elsworth and attending the coaching days at Oaksey House.
My final question to the assembled gathering is what they love about pointing. For Brooke, "It's friendlier than other equestrian sports – people talk to you!" David cites the adrenalin of riding, while Charlie loves the social side, at which point Charlie's grandmother Suzanne, quiet until now, has the final word. "That's why we're always the last to leave!"
Brooke & Charlie's Famous Five
According to Harry (Charlie)
One of my ambitions is to win the Beaufort Members and he could be the one. I bought him privately from Nicola Martin. He had good form last season – second twice before winning at Trebuddanon. Brooke and I will share the ride on him.
Brass In Pocket (Brooke)
Won at Siddington in 2017 – our first winner – and second twice last year. He's a cheap, fun horse who we got through J D Moore and, while he's no world-beater, he jumps well and is never too far away. The main aim is to win a Restricted.
Everybody's Talkin (Brooke)
We bought him at Ascot, with the help of Ed Bailey Bloodstock, in June 2018 – he's ex-Nigel Twiston-Davies. I choose him because I thought he'd make an eventer and he was really pretty. Our friend Daryl Jacob said 'What have you bought that for?' but I thought he was the best thing since sliced bread and said he'd win at Badbury Rings – everyone else disagreed, but he won by 12 lengths in a fast time! He got a niggle and didn't run again but the plan is to start him in February, win an Intermediate, then go Hunter Chasing.
Loodeen (Charlie)
On some form, he's the best maiden in the country, but he's been disappointing and, since a crashing fall at Badbury Rings, he's dogged it when things get tough. I'd love him to get his head in front. He's got wobbly knees (!) but is a good hunter.
Ravensdale (Charlie)
Another ex-Twiston-Davies inmate we got through Daryl Jacob and half-owned by Stephen Bush. He won a hurdle and we hope to have some fun with him. It's taken a while to get his head right but we're hoping we can sweeten him up.