ORIGINALLY, there were two types of hack: the “covert hack” would carry a gentleman to the meet, and the more refined “park hacks” were paraded in fashionable places - such as London’s Rotten Row by dashing young gentlemen and eligible ladies of the day. Gradually, the park hacks took over in the show ring while the stronger, covert types eventually found their niche in riding horse ranks.
One of the early showing supremos was Count Robert Orssich, whose elegant riding style concealed exceptional skill and served as a shining example - not only to competitors back then, but much later too.
Tim Wiggett, former president of the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) and a respected judge, recalls: “The Count was a true master of his craft and I learned a huge amount from him. He always extolled the virtues of proper self-carriage as once you achieved
