Sharon Hunt mourns loss of exciting young horse

Sharon Hunt has spoken for the first time about losing her promising horse, Cavalier Bertie, at Weston Park Horse Trials, Shrops (14-15 April).

The eight-year-old Cavalier Royale gelding was injured in a fall in the intermediate and had to be put down.

Writing on her Facebook page, Suffolk-based Sharon said: “I’m only now able to write about Sunday, the most awful day of my career so far.

“I had a terrible fall with Cavalier Bertie, who broke his elbow and had to be put to sleep.”

Sharon and Bertie fell at the Toboggan Run, a fence which – according to H&H eventing reporter Jo Prestwich – “otherwise caused little trouble”.

Sharon told H&H that Bertie was one of her best horses, in terms of potential.

“He was about to go advanced, at Chatsworth. I thought a huge amount of him. It is incredibly sad,” she added.

Writing in the new issue of Horse & Hound (19 April), Jo Prestwich said: “Two superb days of competition [at Weston Park] were marred by the death of Sharon Hunt’s intermediate ride, Cavalier Bertie.”

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