The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
AT 36 Bridget Stidolph isn’t ready for marriage as she fears such a commitment will deprive her darling horses of the love they deserve.
Stidolph’s stable is enjoying a purple patch and last week she was walking to the podium again at the Commander Air Force of Zimbabwe Charity Fund Horse Race.
She trained three of the top four finishers, and Stidolph reckons she is reaping the rewards of a lifetime love affair with horses.
“Since ten, riding has always been part of my life. I had to balance my education with my passion but when I left university I went into horses fulltime, working for Lisa Harris,” she told The Sunday Mail Sport. The seven years under Harris taught Stidolph valuable lessons.
“I learnt basically everything about horses, including managing a stable because I was always in charge whenever she travelled. During my first year of internship I won the Championship, in my second year I came second. I attribute my wins and dedication to Harris; she gave me the perfect internship,” said Stidolph. In 2014 Harris retired, leaving Stidolph in charge of a 35-horse stable.
It was then that the renowned trainer realised that she needed to make some sacrifices, including cutting some family time. “When I took over from Lisa I realised that being a fulltime trainer, especially with a big yard, needs dedication. It involves a lot of hours every day and you possibly put everything that you can into it,” said Stidolph.
“My family is supportive and appreciates that I cannot always be with them because of my work. The horses take so much of my time, settling down is not top priority, I have my horses and they are my passion.”
A partnership with some South African partners has seen the Stidolph stable getting a facelift and growing to 55 horses. In preparation for next season she has some three-year-olds coming through from South Africa.
“The challenge is that the breeding industry here has pretty much died, there are fewer and fewer locally-bred horses so we import the majority of our horses,” said Stidolph.
“Although I try hard not to buy old horses, my passion does not allow me to ignore a good horse. There are some old horses that get rejuvenated by a change of environment and I am always on the lookout for such horses.” While she loves all her horses, Stidolph confesses to having a soft spot for Simona. “From the moment Simona walked into my yard I fell in love with her. She is a phenomenal filly who came and turned the corner to win so many races for me.
“In the last Republic Cup she came second, this season she came second in the Tankard and first in the OK Grand Challenge, becoming one of my top class horses. I have great confidence in her,” she gushed.
