Farewell to top endurance horses

Regency Prince, one of the greatest endurance horses ever produced in the UK, has died aged 22, after clocking up 14,000 miles.

Barbara Elwell’s athletic pure-bred Arab, by Prince Of Darkness out of African Queen – pet name “Nippa” – completed 13 one-day 100-mile rides, several two-day 100-milers and numerous 75- and 80-mile rides.

The gelding also competed overseas, representing Ireland in 2000 at the World Championships in Compiegne.

Nippa and Barbara dominated the Summer Solstice when it was held at Wincanton, winning the 100-mile race in 1996 and 1997, and were only denied their hat-trick in 1998 when Nippa shied at a banner on the run-in, allowing Liz Platt’s Silver Leaf to get ahead.

The pair received consolation that season when Nippa won the EHPS supreme national championship.

• The Tyson family’s Quantocks-bred Robin has been put down aged 41, after a brief illness.He was bought unbroken for a teenaged Yvonne Tyson, and when Yvonne’s daughter, Sarah, was seven, Robin, then in his late 20s, was her first endurance partner.Sarah soon became the youngest rider to complete a 100-mile one-day ride in this country, and went on to represent Britain. Robin introduced a succession of children to the sport, and his latest tiny jockey was Henrietta Johnson.

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