Prodney’s Blog: Proud to be a Russian Trotter
I’m usually referred to as ‘a Russian gentleman’ but as nobody else has elaborated on this I thought it was about time I explained
I was born in 1981 into the historical tradition of Russian harness racing, and as a young horse started my training as a ‘trotter’. My job was to trot as fast as I could (without breaking into canter) whilst pulling a driver in a little two wheeled cart called a sulky around a sand racecourse.
Humans can be so hard to fathom out. If they wanted speed, why couldn’t we at least canter? Why go round and round a track when we could have been galloping across fields? As a young horse it was all a bit frustrating.
In the end my trotting didn’t meet the required speed and in 1984 I was sent to the UK for a new career as a showjumper.
I still have nightmares about that crate and the rolling of the ship. Even now I get momentary flashbacks when getting into the trailer to travel between our fields in Surrey and Park Lane, and it’s been 37 years!
I think I’d have been a brilliant showjumper, but my riders weren’t quite in my class, and my career stalled. A few years later I was living in Birmingham, and met Natalie who was working for a dental practice as an orthodontist. She tells me it was love at first sight (understandably), and that she was determined that I should come to live with her.
Back in 1992 she didn’t give up until she’d scraped the money together (let’s face it, she’s good at this), but as she didn’t have any left over to buy a saddle it was bareback riding for the first few months. This was fine by me, and I admit it did help lay down a bond of affection between us (but don’t tell her I said so, her head’s big enough already). I finally got to take part in show jumping competitions, but we did plenty of hacking in the countryside too. It felt like I had finally put down roots.
Once in a while I still can’t resist showing off my speedy trot, just to show I’ve still got it even at 40. It might not have been fast enough for me to make the grade in Russia, but Natalie tells me it’s more than fast enough for her, thank you very much, and shall we canter now?
Now you’re talking.
Prodney is Chief Equine Officer (CEO) at Park Lane Stables, and has achieved celebrity status following the TV coverage in 2021. He continues to supervise comings and goings at Park Lane from the pavement, where he can often be seen sucking on a carrot or being groomed by Daniel.