Young rider European eventing champion Laura Collett, 20, has a new advanced ride in the four-star mare Ginger May Killinghurst (pictured at Chatsworth 2008 with Andrew Nicholson).
Laura announced on her website on Sunday that Philip Walker — owner of the yard where she is based in Membury — has bought the remainder of the “Killinghurst” breeding line from former owner John Studd.
The team is headed by the 15-year-old chestnut mare Ginger May Killinghurst, who was sixth at the French four-star at Pau in 2007.
She has not competed since 2008 and Laura will aim her at the under-25 championships at Bramham — where the mare led the dressage in the senior section in 2007 with Andrew Nicholson, but fell at the third cross-country fence, a seemingly innocuous parallel.
Ginger May Killinghurst is a half-sister to Andrew Nicholson’s former brilliant four-star horse Lord Killinghurst — both are out of Killinghurst Girl VIII.
The other horses now in the Collett/Walker yard are:
- Mary Fives Killinghurst — 16-year-old broodmare out of Killinghurst Girl.
- Two of Mary Fives Killinghurst’s offspring, full-sisters by French sire Kadastrof — a four-year-old called Vocal Killinghurst and a two-year-old called Kitty Killinghurst.
- Ginger Junior Gillinghurst — a daughter of Ginger May Killinghurst by show jumping stallion Favoritas.
Laura wrote: “We are all very excited about this new chapter and can’t wait to see how the youngsters turn out.”
Laura has also said on her website today that before Christmas Philip Walker bought a four-year-old brother to her legendary pony, the multi-medalled Noble Springbok — now with Philip’s daughter Grace — named Noble Skyboy, who she will produce before Grace competes him in pony trials.
