Faerie Dianimo alias Maggie May
© Tess Anderson
© Jenni Autry/Eventing Nation
© Lorraine O’Sullivan Photography
Faerie Dianimo, also known as Maggie May, is a 15.3/16 hh grey mare – depending on what surface she is standing on . She is a British Sport Horse by Keystone Dimaggio out of Faerie Dazzler (Catherston Dazzler). She was born at Brockenhurst Park in the New Forest where she returns for every holiday. Faerie Dazzler was out of Trisha Rickards foundation mare, Mudlark by Ben Faerie from whom the Faerie prefix comes. Australian rider David Green evented her to 4 star level but she fell off the Leaf Pit Drop at Burghley when she decided to try and reverse her take off! Her daughter is much braver…. Jacky Green being a dressage rider Trisha decided to breed her a dressage horse, hence the choice of Dimaggio. So Faerie Dianimo aka Maggie May arrived at Jacky’s at the beginning of her 4 year old year where she started working with Angela Mace house rider, to see what she was like. She was perfect in that she was little, beautiful, had stunning paces…. but she was so naughty! Angela persisted with riding despite Maggie May dropping her on a daily basis. She was far braver than Jacky and she did a fantastic job of producing Maggie May to win the Burghley Young Event Horse 5 year old finals with her.
At the end of Maggie May’s 5 year old year it became clear that they had a precocious talent on their hands so Jacky said to Trisha that Maggie May needed a professional rider as she was super careful as well as super naughty. This is how Jacky suggested Jonelle Price and no one else has ridden her in competition since – although Tim, Jonelle’s husband did do a dressage test on Maggie May at Barbury 2 star when Jonelle was out with a broken wrist but she hated his long legs so much she picked up a cricket score and that was the end of that!
Tacante had the great pleasure of interviewing Faerie Dianimo aka Maggie May, through her godmother Jacky Green who raves about her!
Where does your name come from?
Faerie is the stud prefix… they say it’s because of Ben Faerie but I like to think it’s more from the poem “The Faerie Queene” by Edmund Spenser as that sums me up perfectly since I am also known as The Princess. Maggie May was the name I was given as a foal and sometimes Jonelle calls me Magda which I loathe.
Where do you live? Can you describe your stables?
I live at Mere Farm in Wiltshire when I am working and at Brockenhurst Park when I am on holiday. Both are lovely estates and have amazing turn out which suits me as I don’t like living in a stable, far too parochial for me.
How do you get on with your stable mates?
I don’t actually have many stable mates although I don’t mind Classic Moet in small doses. She is very common and a terrible slut but I do admire her work ethic. My best friend at Mere is Annabel Brown’s pony, aptly named Queenie. I actually insisted on her travelling to Luhmühlen with me this year as no one wants me on their horsebox as I kick so much and no one else volunteered to come with me as I have to leave 2 days earlier than everyone else. At Brockenhurst Park I live with my mother which is also pretty cool although she does bang on a bit about how much harder it was in the old days, and yet she has no idea what a skinny triple brush is!
What do you like most about your rider?
The best thing about Jonelle is that she lets me push the boundaries. She knows I simply refuse to dance in a field with no crowds so she grits her teeth and puts up with my freestyle dressage where I make up my own moves. I taught her a long time ago that these things are done on my terms, not hers. That drives her nuts!
What are your best attributes?
My best skill is my front end. I can put my front hooves up alongside my ears and I simply love to do so. I may be a Princess but I am a proper tough cookie and I can dig deep when I have to.
What is your worst flaw?
My worst flaw is that I am a terrible show off. The bigger the crowd the better.. the bigger the arena, the better. I have to admit I am also a very bad traveller. I do have a wicked streak. One of my favourite moments was when I got sent to Tim Price as a 4 year old as I had added rearing to my bucking skills. I spent a week at Mere Farm behaving like an angel. Tim brought me back to Maizey Manor and told Angela to tack me up and bring me to the arena so he could show how easy I had become. Tim hopped on and I promptly dropped him on the deck which still makes me laugh now.
What is your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure would have to be polos. I am obsessed with my weight and like to keep pretty skinny when I am working but I do love a packet of polos, fed one by one, preferably with Cloud Dancer positively salivating as he watches me eat them slowly.
Do I act like a Diva?!! Moi?!!!! Always!
What is your favourite colour?
I like the colour black as that is the team colour but I also like Jonelle’s Baby Blue cross country colours as they enhance my dapples very nicely.
Which dream would you like to come true in your life?
We so nearly won Team Gold in Rio that it haunts me and my dream is to rectify that in Tokyo.
What is your favourite activity?
My favourite activity is cross country and there has not been a fence built yet which I can’t deal with. I don’t do long routes, stops or run outs. My only two mistakes in my whole life cross country was a swim at Hambleden CIC* when I misjudged getting my landing gear out (hence my amazing water technique ever since) and a fall at a table in Saumur CCI3* when I was 8 and I was as sick as a dog. I did try and tell Jonelle by being very quiet and well behaved but she just thought she had cracked me. I still test that one… now if I am quiet and good they run bloods straight away!
What makes you feel the happiest?
Winning makes me happy. Especially when I look down the line and see an all boy line up behind me.
What do you dislike most in the world?
The one thing I really dislike is coloured horses or cobs with hairy legs. And I don’t like being told what to do on the flat. And I do hate bad manners as even though I am a terrible snob I do have good manners and everyone loves me on the ground.
What has been your best memory?
I have lots of happy memories but winning Luhmühlen in June was pretty special. I was second there in 2015 by 0.01 and that was infuriating! I am also quite proud of my son, Faerie Deodoro, who was born to a surrogate mother as I am far too posh to push and anyway I was busy with Rio Olympics when he was born. I think he will be very special.
Which frame of mind are you in at the moment?
Right now I am in a great frame of mind. I am hanging out at Brockenhurst Park and I love the sun so this heatwave really suits me.
Do you have a life motto you would like to share with us?
I don’t really have a life motto, I change my mind all the time as it keeps Jonelle on her toes.
How can we keep up to date with your news?
You can keep up with all my and my mates news on Tim and Jonelle website which is written by Jacky Green. I do have a soft spot for Jacks as I was bred for her but the thought of spending my life doing circles was just not for me. Jacks always says I can never do any wrong and that drives Jonelle mad too, as even if one day I do a really bad dressage Jacks just laughs and says I must be feeling well.