Living the dream Samantha Cutts of Hook Norton Vets shares her passion for breeding and international eventing
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White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook
Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5DG
Pets: 01608 730501
Equine & Farm: 01608 730085
enquiries@hooknortonvets.co.uk
www.hooknortonvets.co.uk
Living the dream
Samantha Cutts of Hook Norton Vets shares her
passion for breeding and international eventing
The Insights Team were Cambridge University to then she went on to be part
become a fully qualified vet of the Team GBR junior event
fortunate enough to herself. team in 2003 and also took
catch up with Vet and part in Young Rider Trials.
International Event Sam started riding at the age
Rider Sam Cutts before of four and quickly became Sam’s ride Piccola Star – a
a member of the Spooners mare - took her all the way
the start of both the & West Dartmoor Pony Club from Pony Club through to
breeding and eventing where she was part of the Advanced and CCI5* whilst
seasons and Sam Pony Club Area Eventing team Sam was also training to be
with her horse Piccola Star and a vet. Piccola Star was by the
shared with us her
remarkable career and
how she practices what
she preaches from a
veterinary perspective.
Sam is the senior
Equine Partner at Hook
Norton Vets and is also
the Senior Veterinary
Surgeon at Stratford
Racecourse.
Sam had the dream of
becoming at vet at the
age of eight years old after
meeting a charismatic vet
who treated one of her ponies
Sam Cutts with Piccola Diavola as a foal
and eventually trained at
60
White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook
Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5DG
Pets: 01608 730501
Equine & Farm: 01608 730085
enquiries@hooknortonvets.co.uk
www.hooknortonvets.co.uk
Irish full Thoroughbred Stallion U25 Championship class at Piccola Diavola was successful
I’m A Star who was also the Bramham with very much the like her dam and jumped clear
sire of Mary King’s Badminton support of her Senior Tutor at round her first B.E. Advanced
and Burghley winning ride Star Cambridge who was very in at Little Downham and
Appeal who won Badminton favour of women competing in qualified for the 8 and 9 year
in 2000 and Burghley in 1996 the top levels of sport. old CCI4*-S at Blenheim in the
and was 7th individually at the same year. The pair went on to
2000 Sydney Olympics. Its not surprising given Sam’s take 11th place in the CCI4*-S
success with Piccola Star that at Barrocca in 2019.
Piccola Star was 75% TB she eventually decided to
blood and Sam described breed from her after sustaining Having bred a successful
her as incredibly brave and an injury at Luhmuhlen CCI5* daughter from Piccola Star in
fast cross country. During - which happened in Sam’s Piccola Diavola Sam decided
Sam’s time at Vet School she 3rd year at Cambridge. The to breed from Piccola Diavola;
was also competing in U25 resulting foal was a filly by the but this time by embryo
classes at the same time. In event stallion Devils Jump transfer using the stallion Wish
her second year at vet school whom she named Piccola Upon A Star. Sam was able
Sam and Piccola Star did the Diavola. to use her reproductive skills
Sam and Piccola Diavola at Blenheim CCI4-S 8-9 year old. Copyright Matt Nuttall
61
White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook
Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5DG
Pets: 01608 730501
Equine & Farm: 01608 730085
enquiries@hooknortonvets.co.uk
www.hooknortonvets.co.uk
Sam and Piccola Star at Saumur CCI4-L
on her own behalf for once, other (Piccola Ivy) is smaller mature and needed a little
synchronising Piccola Diavola less quick to mature and has more time to grow and
with her two recipients before a more sensitive disposition strengthen. The plan is to
a highly successful walk in and looks more Thoroughbred produce Piccola Ivy for the
flush at Tomlinson Equine (a in type. Sam is smart in Nexgen series for young event
partnership that has worked recognising the differences horses, but Sam doesn’t feel
well for Sam and her clients) in the two youngsters and under pressure to do too much
resulting in three fertilised intends to produce them both with her too soon as Piccola
embyros and two fabulous differently; it is her plan to Diavola was slow to mature
fillies for Sam, so preserving produce Stella for four-year and didn’t do the 5 and 6 year
the fabulous dam line for the old classes and Ivy is not likely old classes but still made it to
future. to make her first outing until Blenheim for the 8 & 9 year old
she turns five years old. CCI4*-S.
Now four years old, the fillies
are very different to each other Sam took Piccola Stella to Sam described the two sisters
with one (Piccola Stella) being the Futurity as a two-year as both having the same lovely
bigger, confident and faster old where she won a gold straightforward trainable
to mature and looks quite award but didn’t put Piccola temperaments which was
warmblood in type and the Ivy forwards as she was less also one of their dams most
62
White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook
Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5DG
Pets: 01608 730501
Equine & Farm: 01608 730085
enquiries@hooknortonvets.co.uk
www.hooknortonvets.co.uk
Sam and Piccola Diavola competing at Barroca d’Alva CCI4-S’ Copyright EquusPix
endearing traits which made the highest levels. She is then she understands the
her not only a successful currently competing at PSG emotions involved when
event horse but also as a pure level with Piccola Diavola and she has to deliver news that
dressage horse. However, was training at Inter 1 over neither the rider or the owner
with the commitment of the winter. Sam feels that particularly wants to hear
work and the arrival of a baby competing in pure dressage but has a compassion and
daughter called Sophia nine at this level has also helped understanding being a serious
months ago, Sam decided to educate her eyes on the owner/rider herself. She also
sell Piccola Stella to Louise ground as a performance vet. joked that she had done more
Bradley. than her fair share of riding
On competing at this level horses after box rest and so
Having secured the bloodline Sam said: “It also helps to had an understanding of how
again via Piccola Ivy, Sam understand her client’s goals difficult it can sometimes be to
intends to breed again but and qualification needs stick to rehabilitation plans!
this time from her dam Piccola especially when injuries Sam’s determination as a rider
Diavola when she retires and happen and plans need is clearly evident in other parts
to do this directly rather than re-adjusting to allow for of her life. She was back at
via embryo transfer. medication and recovery”. work nine weeks after having
Outside of work Sam still her daughter Sophia and back
successfully juggles being Sam said that if a horse eventing a week after that.
a mother, an event horse sustains an injury and a
breeder and competing at desired goal isn’t possible
63
White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook
Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5DG
Pets: 01608 730501
Equine & Farm: 01608 730085
enquiries@hooknortonvets.co.uk
www.hooknortonvets.co.uk
Why Hook Norton performance horse work and the UK we asked Sam what
so those two areas take up was so special about Hook
Vets? the vast majority of her clinical Norton? Her first answer was
Sam joined Hook Norton vets time. its independence at a time
in 2012 after doing maternity when there is considerable
cover for Fiona Elliot who Whilst Sam has been a consolidation in the UK
owned Jonty Evans rider beneficiary and leader of Hook of vet practices creating
Cooley Rourkes Drift; but Norton’s equine reproduction an increasingly corporate
then never actually left! She is services it is not a new field to environment for customers.
the only equine partner and them and was in fact set up Sam believes that Hook
has overall responsibility for by Simon Richards MRCVS 25 Norton’s independence allows
a department of 10 equine years ago. them to offer a service which is
vets and 5 nurses. Sam also individual to each client.
heads up the breeding team With there being an increasing
and has a strong interest in number of vet practices in
Sam Cutts eventing with her baby daughter Sophia and nanny Simone
64
White Hills Surgery, Sibford Road, Hook
Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5DG
Pets: 01608 730501
Equine & Farm: 01608 730085
enquiries@hooknortonvets.co.uk
www.hooknortonvets.co.uk
Sam Cutts with Piccola Stella, taken as a 3 year old
Hook Norton is rare in that As the practice approaches sets them apart from other
it is 100% owned and run by its 40-year anniversary Sam practices and also allows them
the six directors within Hook believes that this gives them to meet the full spectrum of
Norton Vets. The team there further advantage in the their client’s needs – after all,
do not have any shareholders marketplace. This allows them which horse owners don’t own
to answer to and all of the to become embedded in the a dog or a cat!
business decisions are made local area and are proud to
by their own vets working offer a brilliant service to their With a client base including
within the practice. However, clients – some of whom they WG Stud who stand
Hook Norton does work have worked with over several Silvester and Carthargo
with other fully independent generations! Chicago, Team Way
practices in a wider group Eventing, and Hill View
called ‘XL Vets’ which enables Sam believes the level of Stud it is no surprise that
them to unleash corporate specialist care that they are Hook Norton are one
advantages such as increased able to offer to a range of of the most respected
buying power, group training, animals whether that be vet practices for equine
and a graduate training horses, cats, dogs, farm reproduction in the
programme. animals and domestic pets
Midlands.
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