Laura Collett will event Ginger May Killinghurst this season
Young rider European eventing champion Laura Collett, 20, has a new advanced ride in the four-star mare Ginger May Killinghurst (pictured at Chatsworth 2008 with Andrew Nicholson).
Laura announced on her website on Sunday that Philip Walker — owner of the yard where she is based in Membury — has bought the remainder of the “Killinghurst” breeding line from former owner John Studd.
The team is headed by the 15-year-old chestnut mare Ginger May Killinghurst, who was sixth at the French four-star at Pau in 2007.
She has not competed since 2008 and Laura will aim her at the under-25 championships at Bramham — where the mare led the dressage in the senior section in 2007 with Andrew Nicholson, but fell at the third cross-country fence, a seemingly innocuous parallel.
Ginger May Killinghurst is a half-sister to Andrew Nicholson’s former brilliant four-star horse Lord Killinghurst — both are out of Killinghurst Girl VIII.
The other horses now in the Collett/Walker yard are:
- Mary Fives Killinghurst — 16-year-old broodmare out of Killinghurst Girl.
- Two of Mary Fives Killinghurst’s offspring, full-sisters by French sire Kadastrof — a four-year-old called Vocal Killinghurst and a two-year-old called Kitty Killinghurst.
- Ginger Junior Gillinghurst — a daughter of Ginger May Killinghurst by show jumping stallion Favoritas.
Laura wrote: “We are all very excited about this new chapter and can’t wait to see how the youngsters turn out.”
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Laura has also said on her website today that before Christmas Philip Walker bought a four-year-old brother to her legendary pony, the multi-medalled Noble Springbok — now with Philip’s daughter Grace — named Noble Skyboy, who she will produce before Grace competes him in pony trials.
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.