Tributes paid to ‘very special’ four-star event horse
Chris Burton’s former four-star event horse Newsprint has died aged 20 due to liver disease.
Newsprint (known at home as Barry) enjoyed great success with Chris, including winning the Australian International 3 Day Event in 2008, which was Christopher’s first four-star win. The pair were placed second in the same event two years later.
The 16.2hh gelding, by Rubiton and out of Dream of Kingston, competed at the lower levels during his later years. He was put down on 5 January.
“Yesterday we said goodbye to our dear old friend Newsprint,” Chris said on 6 January.
Australian rider Chris also secured numerous three-star wins with Barry and brought the dark bay with him when he relocated to the UK.
“He was really special to me,” an emotional Chris told H&H. “He was the most amazing cross-country horse I’ve ever sat on and probably ever will sit on.
“He had good movement and could do a very good test and was very careful in the showjumping — he wanted to win.
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“When you started riding him you knew straight away he was a very special horse. He was a really beautiful animal and really easy to have around.”
Chris gave Barry to his friend Gary Storer to enjoy a quieter retirement.
“Garry is a great guy and had a nice time riding him at a lower level,” added Chris. “His illness was very sudden. I have so many great memories and I am very sad to lose him.”
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Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.