Last updated 05:42, Friday, 22 August 2008

TWO THYME stands in his field happily munching grass, blissfully unaware that he and his rider Ruth Edge should have been on the plane to the Beijing Olympics.

Occasionally, he throws his head up at the sound of a 40ft-long lorry containing a couple of his stable-mates, rumbling down the drive on its way to a three-day event.

Instead of being part of the bronze medal-winning British eventing team, he’s spending his days grazing in his field at Heads Nook, near Carlisle, while he recovers from the leg injury that cost Ruth the greatest moment of her career.

Only the prospect of competing at the London Olympics in 2012 has softened the blow for Ruth, who received a late call-up for Beijing as replacement for royal rider Zara Phillips.

She said: “There are more lows than highs in this sport – that’s why you appreciate things when they go right and learn from the disappointments,” she says with a shrug of the shoulders.

“Of course, I was gutted at the time because my aim in life is to represent my country. It was incredibly disappointing to get so close to my dream and then get knocked back.

“Unfortunately, it’s part of eventing and I firmly believe that what’s meant to be is meant to be.”

There have been plenty of ups and downs in 29-year-old Ruth’s eventing career – a sport which demands mastery of three riding phases: dressage, showjumping and cross-country.

Last year she and Two Thyme were among the favourites to be selected for the British team to compete at the European Championships in Italy, but they were forced to withdraw when he suffered a minor leg problem.

This year they were named as reserves for the Olympics and, when Phillips was forced to pull out after her horse Toytown got injured, they were in the frame for Beijing...only for disaster to strike for a second time when Two Thyme went lame again.

The London Games will come too late for 14-year-old Two Thyme, but not for some of the other talented equine stars in the fields surrounding the cottage Ruth shares with her husband of four years, Peter, a Carlisle electrician.

While her top horse has been convalescing in his field, Ruth has been anything but idle and his unavailability has given her the opportunity to compete on some of her younger horses.

Two weeks ago, she galloped home on Mayhem III to win the British Open Championship at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park.

She led the dressage with an exemplary test, was one of only three to go clear in the showjumping and then topped it off with a foot-perfect cross-country round.

It came hot-on-the-heels of her victory at a three star international three-day event at the Mitsubishi Motors Hartpury International Horse Trials with her new ride this season, PC Wilson, when she again led from start to finish.

Eventing has always had a bit of an image problem, largely because it is regarded as a sport for rich toffs.

Its profile has been raised in recent years through the success of double World and European champion Zara Phillips, who was crowned 2006 BBC sports personality of the year.

Ruth said: “She’s a fabulous sportswoman. We are mates and we always have a good laugh when we meet on the circuit.

“She’s very down-to-earth and is great for the sport. Nobody envies her royal connections – mainly because she’s followed everywhere by the press and has extra pressure to cope with.

“She was very unlucky to miss out on going to the Olympics, especially as she had already missed out on the Games in Athens.”

Another reason for eventing’s lack of widespread appeal is perhaps due to the dangers of the cross-country phase, where horse and rider have to tackle terrifyingly big and unforgiving fences at speed when the slightest error of judgement can have fatal consequences.

The perils of eventing were once again graphically displayed in Hartpury when 23-year-old rider Emma Jonathan died when her horse somersaulted at a fence towards the end of the cross country course.

It’s the worst kind of fall because the horse often falls on top of the rider, causing major crush injuries. In 2007 alone seven riders were killed while competing around the world.

Ruth has personally been touched by tragedy as four years ago her close friend Caroline Pratt was killed at Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire.

She watched in horror was paramedics rushed to the aid of her friend after her horse suffered a catastrophic fall at a water complex, and landed on top of her.

Ruth refuses to entertain dark thoughts and pushes the dangers of the sport to the back of her mind.She said: “Danger is part of life and there are lots of risk sports. Accidents do happen in eventing – but they can happen crossing the road or driving a car. If you didn’t risk anything, you wouldn’t get anything out of life.

“Yes you have to be brave, but you also have to trust your horse, and a lot has been done to make the sport as safe as possible.

“It’s desperately sad to lose anybody, let alone a friend, but they were doing what they enjoy.

“The dangers are always in the back of your mind, but I love what I do so I overcome those thoughts.”

Ruth’s ascent to top-level began at a young age when she became one of the youngest riders to conquer the world-famous Badminton Horse Trials at the tender age of 18 on her former horse Ice Dancer.

She underlined her potential by winning the 1999 Young Riders’ Championship on another great servant, Classic Wizard.

Three years ago, she won a two star International Intermediate at Gatcombe Park, and then last year posted her biggest win when she claimed her first four star three-day event victory at Luhmühlen in Germany – both victories coming on Two Thyme.

She also has top 20 finishes at both Badminton and Burghley under her belt.

Going to the Olympics has been Ruth’s aim ever since she landed a place on the World Class Development eventing programme. It was a crucial breakthrough as it provides financial support and back-up to help riders reach the summit in what is a very expensive sport.A

Even talented riders like Ruth need training to keep them at the top of their game.

British team selector and Olympic judge Judy Harvey helps keep her dressage polished, she has regular show-jumping classes with Peter Murphy and Kenneth Clawson, and she has had cross-country schooling from GB eventing team manager Yogi Breisner.

Eventing is a round-the-clock occupation for Ruth, who has 15 horses belonging to a variety of owners to keep happy, seven stable staff working for her and a string of sponsors to satisfy.

She clocks up 20,000 miles-a-year going to events, but has resisted the temptation to migrate south where wealthy owners and generous sponsors are more likely to be found.

Being based in the north has done nothing to impede Ruth’s progress, and there are plenty of opportunities for British team glory even before the London Olympics, with the World Eventing Championships in Kentucky in 2010 and the Europeans at Blenheim in 2011.

“I would have been ready for the Olympics this year as Two Thyme and I were in fabulous form, but it obviously wasn’t our turn,” said Ruth.

“London is now the major goal and we have to start again impressing the selectors.

Two Thyme will be too old by then but I hope with the talented string of horses I have there will be one who is ready to take over. .“Everything is starting to come together with Mayhem, and he really deserved the win at Gatcombe as he performed brilliantly in all three phases.

“We’ve Blenheim coming up in mid-September. He’s 11 and coming up to his peak so hopefully he can continue progressing.

“There’s always something to aim for in sport. If I was to achieve my ambition in getting to the Olympics, I’d then be dreaming of going back and winning a gold medal one day.”