The Cossack embarking on new career with McDougal
Retired superstar jumper The Cossack (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) is enjoying the next phase of his career as a sporthorse, fittingly with former co-trainer Corrina McDougal.
The Mastercraftsman 12-year-old, known as ‘Crafty’, was a cult horse of the jumping scene, winning a total of 19 races - 15 of those over fences - and over $700,000 in stakes earnings. His list of accolades is extensive, with highlights including a Wellington Steeplechase, Pakuranga Hunt Cup, two Great Northern Hurdles and a Grand National Hurdle.
The two-time Champion Jumper had his swansong when finishing fourth in last year’s Pakuranga Hunt Cup in August, and seven months later, he was spotted at Claire Wilson’s “Winter Olympics” fundraising event in Hawke’s Bay with McDougal in the saddle.
McDougal revealed she had made a statement to co-trainer Paul Nelson about competing at the event, despite a couple of decades between her last appearance in the show jumping ring.
“Crafty initially went to James Cropp to be a clerk of the course but he wasn’t going to be suitable, so I ended up taking him home,” McDougal said.
“Paul asked me ‘what are you going to do with him?”, and being a bit smart, I said I’m going to take him to the Winter Olympics - even though I haven’t jumped for about 25 years.
“So, Richard and I took him to Montana Arena and Raukawa Arena twice a week to practise. I thought I could probably do the 90cm but Richard got out there with the tape measure and I thought, that’s bloody huge.
“I stuck to the 70 and 80cm, and it all worked out well. I was pretty nervous and we had a couple of rails in the first round - I was probably going a bit quick and wanted to get to the finish. The other class was called the Power and Speed, a two phase style, and I think my brain thought ‘here we go’ after the first half was clear, so we had a couple down in the jump off.
“But he was great. He was so well-mannered, he tied up to the float and didn’t get wound up at all, it was like he’d done it all his life. I’m still pretty rusty, but I’d love to have a go at the TiES series (Thoroughbreds in Equestrian Sport) with him this year.
“I had to go and buy a special new helmet, so I better start using it.”
McDougal joined Nelson in partnership during the 2018-19 season and while they are no stranger to feature success, she looks back on The Cossack’s career with plenty of admiration.
“He has made me realise that you don’t appreciate things until they are over.” she said. “At the time, I thought he was a great horse of course, but you look back and think how lucky we were to go to the races and just keep winning.
“It was also the people we met through him, there is a guy that keeps in touch because he was such a fan of him - he had his plates from the Wellington Steeplechase and has become a friend.
“Peter (Grieve) and Frizzy (John Frizzell) (co-owners of The Cossack with Nelson) are over the moon, they are glad that we have him here and seeing what he is getting up to.
“He probably is a wee bit spoiled by Richard and I, he rules the roost, but he deserves that.”
