Burghley celebrates eventing’s rising stars
Sons of well-known eventing sires Mill Law and Primitive Rising took the prestigious Winergy Burghley Young Event Horse titles at Burghley Horse trials last week. Cotton King was crowned the top four-year-old, while Trequite triumphed among the five-year olds.
Marguerite Boucher’s Cotton King fought off competition from 43 other horses to take the title under Angela Tucker. This big attractive bay is by Mill Law and was bred by Hazel Bramley.
Pippa Funnell was placed second with the Jane and Jonathan Clarke’s Billy Landretti. This horse was homebred by the Funnells by William’s former show jumping SHB(GB) graded stallion Vechta.
Third was Judy Bradwell’s Dutch-bred mare Varisienne, who was ridden by Hayley Rose. Judy said, “She’s very scopey, generous and genuine.” Varisienne is by the world famous jumping sire Voltaire out of a mare by Karendasj.
The Preci-Spark stable proved unbeatable in the five-year-old section with Trequite, ridden by Sarah Cohen. Trequite is by the dual purpose Thoroughbred sire Primitive Rising and is a half brother to Trebetherick, who won the title in 2004. Sarah said: “I’m bringing him on slowly, I’m very excited about him.”
Breeders Vin and Liz Jones also gained the special Winergy prize for the best British-bred horse.
Bettina Hoy was second with the upstanding dark bay Leap For Joy, who was bred in Germany with a mainly show jumping pedigree. Bettina has high hopes for this horse, not least for the London 2012 Olympics. “I think he could be something special. He’s a very big horse but so balanced,” she explained.
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Pippa Funnell also added a third place to her second in the four-year-old section, this time with her own chestnut gelding Re-designed. He is another horse with show jumping parentage being by the stallion Kanute, who jumped at the Sydney Olympics. Pippa said: “He’s got the most amazing brain — I hope he’ll be ‘a proper one’.”
The South Essex Insurance Brokers Burghley Event Pony title went to Torthowald Just Barney, a seven-year-old chestnut gelding, owned by Elaine Hack and ridden by Sophie Rowbotham. Twenty-two ponies came forward for the finals after qualifying at the P(UK) Summer Championships.
For a full report on the Winergy Burghley Young Event Horse finals, including analysis and pictures, see Horse & Hound (21 September, ’06)
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.