Goodbye to one of eventing’s greats – triple five-star winner put down aged 30

Primmore’s Pride, who won three five-stars in the days of the long format eventing and brought home two Olympic medals with Pippa Funnell, has been put down today aged 30 (20 March).

“Out of all the horses I have ever had, he was the one right from the first day I sat on him that I knew would become a champion,” said Pippa.

Bred by Joanna and Roger Day out of their Ben Faerie mare Primmore Hill, who was ninth at Badminton Horse Trials 1982, by Mark Todd’s Mayhill, “Kiri” was bought as a foal by Roger and Denise Lincoln at the High Performance Sale in 1993. He spent his holidays at home with the Lincolns throughout his competition career.

Primmore’s Pride was precocious from the start – he won the five year old Burghley young event horse final in 1998 and the Le Lion D’Angers seven-year-old World Championship in 2000.

After successful runs at two- and three-star (now three- and four-star), including fourth at Blenheim Horse Trials 2001 and second at Punchestown 2002, Kiri first went to Burghley in 2002 as a nine-year-old and finished sixth. He was also British national champion that year when he finished second in the British open at Gatcombe Horse Trials to New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson and Mallards Treat.

In 2003 he won the first leg of Pippa’s Rolex Grand Slam at the Kentucky Three-Day Event and after Supreme Rock won Badminton, Kiri concluded the grand slam by winning Burghley Horse Trials that autumn.

In 2004 Pippa and Kiri were instrumental in the British team’s silver at the Athens Olympics, also collecting individual bronze.

In 2005, the pair won Badminton, making Kiri the only event horse to have won the three major four-stars (now five-stars) of the time at long format (competitions with roads and tracks and steeplechase).

After retiring, Kiri was ridden at home by Denise and then spent his older years with Pippa Woodall at the Park Farm Stud out with old friends.

“We are so pleased that after everything he gave as a competition horse, he could relax in his later years in the ownership of one family for almost the entirety of his life,” said Denise. “He has been such a special horse both in his phenomenal ability, but also our relationship with him and will be greatly missed.”

Pippa added: “How grateful I am to Denise and Roger Lincoln for giving me the opportunity to produce and compete Kiri throughout his eventing career. Rest in peace big man – you really were one of my very special boys. Thank you.”

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