On November 4, 2018, four new inductees were welcomed into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame. Since its inception in 2006, a total of 57 champions have been honoured for their contributions to Canadian hunter/jumper sport. In this issue, we look back on the accomplishments of Big Secret, inducted in the category of Hunter Horse during the 2018 Hall of Fame Gala.
Hunter Horse: Big Secret
Big Secret is remembered as one of the best hunter horses of his era. Paired with Anne McLean, the attractive and powerful brown Thoroughbred gelding turned heads whenever he entered the show ring.
Purchased as a three-year-old by Dr. John Gilray, Big Secret was sired by First Secretary, a stallion known for producing good jumping horses. McLean’s parents purchased Big Secret soon after, and a fairy tale of a girl and her horse came to life. Big Secret lived in the backyard in the family’s one-stall stable in Thornhill, ON, and he and McLean enjoyed their early days together riding with the Eglinton Pony Club.
When it came time for McLean to concentrate on her studies, Big Secret moved into training with the legendary Tom Gayford, who remembers the horse as easy to train and a saint whenever McLean was aboard. Under Tom’s tutelage, McLean and ‘Bigsy’ became a formidable force in the competition arena with a show career that spanned an entire decade.
Included among Big Secret’s most notable achievements were winning the Ladies Working Hunter Championship at the 1960 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair; the Ben Rough Challenge Trophy at the 1961 Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto; the Ladies Working Hunter Championship at the 1963 Central Horse Show; and the Working Hunter Championship titles in both 1966 and 1969 at the London Hunt Horse Show.
Standing 16.3hh, Big Secret had a long stride and a lovely temperament to match. Those who judged him were impressed by a good-moving horse with a commanding presence and scopey jump. He and McLean suited each other, creating an elegant and beautiful picture in the hunter ring that was hard to beat.
We are proud to welcome Big Secret as the 21st horse to be inducted into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame.
PHOTO-Anne McLean and Big Secret in 1962.
Photo Credit–Courtesy of Anne McLean.
Presented by Jump Canada
To watch the tribute video highlighting Big Secret’s accomplishments, click here.
PHOTO–Anne McLean accepts Big Secret’s Hall of Fame trophy from former coach, Tom Gayford.
Photo Credit–Michelle C. Dunn