Dream realised for Clare Balding in the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Class at Gatcombe Park
The Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse series is a hugely popular competition that culminates in the final held at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (1-4 September 2022).
Now in its fourth decade, it is widely recognised as the shop window for the potential ‘five star’ horses of the future. The aim of the series is to encourage breeders and trainers to produce and present the type of young horse which is considered to be the best material to make a world-class three-day event horse.
The judges look for an athletic, loose moving horse with a promising jumping technique and the correct attitude. The winner is the horse with the highest overall marks from four sections: Dressage, Jumping, Suitability & Type and Potential to Gallop.
Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Five Year Old Class
First place went to Barrington Bear ridden by Barnie Brotherton, owned by Clare Balding and Suzy Doggett. The 17.00hh bay gelding by Sligo Candy Boy out of Mill Pride Lass had a perfect score in the dressage and near perfect jumping score to finish ahead of an impressive field.
Barnie is based with Harry Meade who is the horse’s usual jockey, however Harry was fulfilling sponsor commitments so Barnie picked up the ride. “I am thrilled for Barnie, he is a lovely rider and it is wonderful for him to get the public recognition he deserves. We bought Barrington Bear as a four year old from Johnny Hornby of Barrington Sport Horses and he has a really great team of owners that have been part of the journey from the start. It has been our aim to get him to Burghley this year, so I am thrilled he has performed so well at his first qualification. The young horse classes we enter, we do so with a degree of modesty – it is not the be all and end all. We thought we would only bring him if it fitted with his age and stage rather than in anyway accelerate his progress to the detriment of his long-term development. It is a great feather in his cap and will be enjoyed by all” explained Harry.
Sue Benson, judge of the show jumping phase, said of the winning horse; “It was really hard to fault him, he is a lovely pattern of a horse with all the scope and range we are looking for in a 5* horse. There were some lovely horses in the class and it was hard to split them in the jumping phase.”
In second place was Ashanti del Terriccio ridden by Italy’s Paolo Torlania who is based at Tom McEwen’s yard at Gatcombe Park. The bay 16.2hh, mare by Monte Bellini out of Masai del Terriccio is owned by Cinitia Maria Campello.
Third was Mexico ridden by Alexander Whewall. The bay 16.3hh, gelding by Maestro van der Bisschop is out of Concorde and owned by Amy Bourne.
Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Four Year Old Class
The four year old Burghley Young Event Horse competition was held in the Mars Equestrian Arena with three horses qualifying for the final at Land Rover Burghley.
First place was awarded to Inango Z, ridden by Hector Payne, owned by Heidi and Ian Woodhead of DHI Event Horses. Inango Z is a Zanersheide by In between (Grand Sire Toulon) is out of Dorine, by Tenerife VDL. Hector has only had the horse for three weeks and explained “this is his second show but he seems to have an incredible attitude and really moves and jumps.”
Second place, Drisko ridden by Lily Bradstock.
Third place Fascinating Lily, ridden by Georgie Campbell.
Of the winner, show jumping judge Sue Benson commented “This horse has scope and range, you can see it jumping big fences and galloping well, he is a careful jumper with a good technique for a four-year-old. He has everything you look for in a potential 5* horse.”
For full results of both these classes see www.eventingscores.co.uk
