Lordships Graffalo – meet Ros Canter’s supreme star who eats tack, licks cars and loves a cuddle

Pippa Roome's avatar
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Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo take second at Badminton 2022
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo take second at Badminton 2022.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Which five-star winner once licked the vet’s car completely clean when she parked it outside his stable while attending to another horse? The answer is Lordships Graffalo, the characterful 12-year-old who has made a huge impact on the eventing scene over the past few years and has been selected for the British eventing team at this summer’s Paris Olympics.

“Walter”, as he’s known, leapt firmly into the five-star spotlight when he finished second at the 2022 Badminton Horse Trials under Ros Canter. He went on to land fourth at the World Championships that autumn – on the same score as individual bronze medallist Falco, under New Zealand’s Tim Price. The British pair missed out on an individual medal only because they were faster across country, which meant they finished further from the optimum time.

Pippa Roome
Pippa Roome
Magazine editor and eventing editor

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.