Photos: Rob Galpin
Interview: Dan Cates
It’s been a full seven years since we last spoke to Horsey. Since then he uprooted from his beloved Death Skateboards, left the country, signed up for the good times at Self Help and then returned back to blighty with an obsession for big arse motorbikes. With this new Brixton clip in tow, Dan Cates abuses him with words and delves into his new life in Epping.
For the record Horsey was: “willing to give away a used t-shirt for all the female fans. Bieber style.” Watch this space.
What sort of a name is Horsey, and how does a guy go about getting such a strange alias?
The name originally came from a pal in Harlow who looked like Boy George and his only comeback was that I had hair like a horse. Nobody really paid much attention to that, but then somehow you heard it Dan and you wouldn’t let it go. Think, to get a good nickname to stick you need a friend much like yourself to constantly keep saying it over and over at the top of their lungs until everyone around you gets in on it and keeps calling you it too! You should probably get this friend to then introduce you to strangers with the nickname and just insist on calling you this dumb name. Thanks for that.
Is it because you have a weird nick-name that you are so stoked on Peter Faggot Eyes? Explain your obsession with Faggot Eyes?
Peter Faggot Eyes is indeed a hero of mine. For those who don’t know Peter was Jason Jesse’s replacement on the first KOTR as Jason couldn’t be arsed to go, so he sent his buddy. We religiously watched that dvd for weeks and then we tried to track him down in his home town of Santa Cruz but he got away. He’s a true life inspiration to both of us.
Tell us the one about getting arrested as a kid for steeling Cats Eyes off the middle of the road, I love that one?
That was just a classic case of kids being dumb. Some friends and I were skating in Cambridge and we took the train back to the nearest station to Saffron Walden, which was 2 miles from the town. We all cleverly thought it would be a good idea on the skate back to pop the cats eyes out the middle of the road. I can’t remember what plans we had but it seemed like a victimless crime we thought nothing about, until the police pulled up and arrested us all. I didn’t want it coming back to my dad so I made them take me to my mum’s as she was a lot friendlier with these sort of things.
Ph: Cates is not the only wallie on this page.
My other favourite young Horsey story is the one about when you got your ear pierced when you were 3 years old, were you some kind of hooligan as a kid?
I don’t really think I was a hooligan, but my dad was all about West Ham and going to the pub and that kind of stuff. He’s a bit of a skinhead but not into nothing too gnarly. I just remember having a ear-ring when I was really young and my Dad had about 5 and big sovereign rings and bleached Levi’s! When I lived with him for a bit he would always blast the Sex Pistols really early on a Saturday morning! I hated it at first but then I got into it. Same with my Mum. She was the biggest Bowie fan and I used to laugh at her because she went to see him and fainted at the show but eventually I got into it too.
Why does your Dad look so much like Duane Peters, has he ever skated?
I have no clue why he has modeled himself on Duane but no, he has never skated. He was 17 in 1977 so he was all about the Sex Pistols and The Clash and then got into Madness, PIL etc. He’s never really grown up or grown out of his punk days I suppose. Even nowadays still wears his ripped jeans and Doc Martin boots even though he has done a runner and lives in Spain.
Ph: Of course he dropped in from the top of this..tut.
Why were you so quiet when we first met you?
That was back in the day when I had only just started hanging out with the Harlow crowd and I met you on route to Australia on a Bigworms trip. In honesty, I was fanning out a little on you because I had seen you on all the videos and in the mags and you was well cool. Plus, the only guy I really knew on that particular trip was my buddy Crook from Saffron Walden and he had managed to piss everyone off and get hated so I tried to keep my head down and not get any abuse off you or Dibs!
Do you think I’m fit?
Bare fit.
How did you end up living in my garage?
Well after we met in Australia and you fell in love with me we became good friends. 6 months after Australia we went kept the good times going and went to Barcelona and even tho you punched me in the face at that skate bar Manolos, you still liked me enough to invite me to live in your garage in Harrow. I don’t think I even came down to see it as it was a no brainer and I spent 5 years in that dirty, dank, stinking garage. It was the most fun though being in the Death house. We had the ramp in the garden and every weekend there was some crew of degenerates staying over. The living room just constantly stunk of feet and there was shit everywhere. It was great and everything I imagined it would be except there was never any girls about.
Obviously getting sponsored by Death was by far the raddest thing to ever happen to you, but how did it come about?
That all came about by accident really. I had moved in with you guys and obviously in the back of my mind I wanted to get on the team but I didn’t want to be to eager or try hard. I had a bunch of footage that Nicholson had kindly put together and I think he showed it to Zorlac and then it all went from there. Straight away we did the Squadrophenia tour and then it was 5 years of non-stop trips and best times. Basically, deep down I owe everything to you and we both know that but we don’t speak about it.
Admit that quitting Death was a big mistake?
That’s not even a question. I expected a lot more from you as you have done a lot of these interviews over the last 30 years. My time on death was amazing! We did the best trips to the craziest places and we had the most fun. It came to the point where I had ten opportunity to take a risk and try something new and I went for it. I was living in the states and all over most the year, and Todd is my homeboy so I went for it. I could of easily rode for Death forever and been happy, but I wanted to get involved in something new. Death had got pretty huge and I felt like it wasn’t as tight as it was back in the day. I love Nick and everyone to bits and didn’t want to bum anyone out but I had had to go for it.
What is your plan for getting back on Death?
I’m waiting for you to finally retire then I’m down to get back on.
Ph: Rough as horse shit wallie blunt.
I want to know your favourite transition trick, your favourite street trick, and your favourite flat ground trick, and why you like them?
Any kind of air is my favourite transition trick. I have always liked the look of people flying about but I can’t really do any. If I do manage to do something then a little backside air or lien air makes me feel good. As for street all I wanna do is kickflips all day long like Reynolds. Everything else is like a bonus. I haven’t really got it in me to try and flip my board all over the place. I just wanna do kickflips and some pole jams and maybe a wallie or too. If you watch the clip you can see that.
Who do you like filming and shooting photos with the most?
My favourite filmer in the world is Jake Martinelli. He’s the most fun guy to go skate with and down to film anything and make it look good. Also, Jackson Casey is a true gent and a genius to film with when I’m over his way in the states. As for photographers, here Rob G is a rad guy to just go out with and see what happens and get some goods. My other 2 loves are Sam Maguire and Matt Price. It’s always a guaranteed good time when those guys are about.
Ph: Rugged and Raw.
Tell us a little bit about your own photography?
My photography is the ultimate budget set up. I have always had disposables and shitty 35mm things that I’ve taken about everywhere. I don’t really know what I like taking pictures of but I always get random bits and bobs from all over the place. I wish I could be a little more proper, maybe even step up and go digital but then I would feel like I’m cheating on film. Also it’s way to much hassle having proper pricey gear as I’m so forgettful and clumsy. I bought a 35mm camera the other day, took it into London and left it on the train at the first stop I got off at.
When I move to the seaside are you looking forward to coming to visit me?
Oh mate, for sure. I cant wait to come party in your new house. Why else would you bother having a house if it’s not just to have no rules party every weekend! I’ve seen how you have done things at house parties over the years so I wanna just give back some radness to you.
Let’s talk about your current situation and how it came about, because I am still amazed by it. You live in a big house on the edge of Epping Forest with your smoking hot girlfriend and you have a Harley Davidson. Take me through it step by step and tell us how it happened?
Ah man, I have no idea what’s going on. I got the Harley for a very reasonable price in parts and built it with my buddy Barry. As for the girl and house, that’s just me being very lucky/buff. I try not to be a arsehole as much as I can and I guess it’s paying off.
Ph: Pole jammin’ as standard.
Obviously your job at M6 Footwear is a rad situation as well, tell us about that?
Well that’s another case of just being really lucky and everything working out. I managed to do my knee in when I was in Vegas then when I came back a little while later my shoe and clothing sponsor decided to kick me off the team and stop paying me and not tell me. After being broke and fucked I then needed knee surgery to sort it out, so I was in a bit of a state and luckily Steve Hemming who was running Motel 6 skateshop needed a little help moving boxes into a warehouse, so he gave me a some work. I managed to keep pestering him and he let me do other jobs which then slowly developed into me getting proper involved at M6footwear.com. I kinda owe a lot to Hemming, so thanks for that mate! He’s the one of the best people I know and working with him is radical! I managed to get him into building motorbikes too which has made work even better.
Ph: One-footed Horses are usually shot like this.
What about the time you went on tour with Muska and Greco?
That was a pretty surreal week. I somehow winged my way onto a trip to Paris for my old shoe sponsor and it was Muska, Greco, Ellington etc. It was like my 14 year old selfs, ultimate wet skate dream and I was just chucked into the middle of all those radical guys. As you can imagine it was awesome, but Muska managed to blow his knee out and Greco got in a couple fights. One was with a taxi driver as Greco was upset the guy didn’t just know where his hotel was and couldn’t take him there. Ellington is a very sound guy. He handled business when he needed to and then partied every other day. The trip ended a bit sourer when I got a bit too excited and then managed to disclocate my big toe.
I’m guessing that as this interview is accompanying your Brixton clip that we should talk a little bit about that, and also about when you are gonna hook me up with some of your sponsors. I’m still waiting for those Fallen’s you know.
Don’t you worry mate, those Fallen’s are coming your way! The good people at Brixton first started sorting me out bits maybe 7 years ago. It was pretty much just hats back then and I met with the main guys when they were over but it all sort of fizzled out for a bit. Recently, Jerome has started working for them and we were just chit chatting and he kindly sent me some bits as there was this one hat I desperately wanted. I sent him back some photos and footage skating in the stuff and then it just went from there. Once we figure we was going to do a clip, myself and Jake got stuck into it over 3 months and now here it is.
And your message to the world is?
Well, thanks as always to you. If you hadn’t of invited me to live with you this interview may not ever of happened, and I may never of left Saffron Walden. So cheers buddy. Thank you Jerome and everyone at Brixton. Cheers Jake Martinelli for filming and being rad and thanks Rob Galpin for being a true G. Hemming you are the best. Thanks to Todd Bratrud and Nesser at Send Help skateboards and Jamie Thomas and Stu Titmus Fallen footwear. Mark Nicholson shine on my don. Go skate and have fun everyone.
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