The news that Allstar B had been put down in Aachen last Saturday (2 July) marked the passing of one of greats of the sport over the past decade. With four gold medals to his name, Alby – ridden by Ros Canter and owned by Ros and Caroline Moore – was a British team stalwart and a much-loved member of the eventing scene.
Let’s take a look back at the highlights of his career…
Allstar B: his life in photos
The son of Ephebe For Ever started eventing with Emily Parker and Caroline Moore, joining Ros in 2013 having already had some placings at intermediate and CIC2* (now CCI3*-S). In 2016, the pair tackled their first five-stars and finished 25th at Burghley Horse Trials.
A year later, they really hit the big time with fifth place – and best of the Brits – at Badminton Horse Trials. This was their debut round the iconic cross-country course as Alby had been withdrawn after dressage here the year before.
Ros spoke after cross-country about how Chris Bartle had helped her ride with longer reins, allowing her to ride faster round big tracks as she no longer felt she was constantly going up the horse’s neck. This style of riding proved a trademark of their cross-country consistency in the years to come.
Badminton 2017
Ros and Alby’s Badminton result led to a first team call-up, for the European Championships in Strzegom, Poland, where they finished fifth individually and contributed to Britain’s first team gold for seven years.
Europeans in Strzegom 2017
Back at Badminton in 2018, the pair improved on their fifth place the previous year with third.
Badminton 2018
Badminton 2018
In September 2018, Allstar B travelled to Tryon, USA, for the World Championships. It was a week fraught with drama – Hurricane Florence meant changes to the schedule and the showjumping was pushed back a day – but Ros and Alby kept their cool throughout to finish on their dressage score, rising from third after the first phase to second following cross-country and then all the way to individual gold. They also led the British team to the top spot on the podium.
Horse & Hound’s magazine report said: “Of course Ros has talent and ability honed by training and years of experience (she is 32, despite looking barely out of her teens). But she also possesses abundant level-headedness and an extraordinary partnership with her mount, Allstar B.
“Now 13, ‘Alby’ is by French Nations Cup showjumper Ephebe For Ever. He was bought by Vere Phillipps from Addington’s December Elite Sale and then sold as a six-year-old to Caroline Moore, the renowned British junior trainer who still co-owns him with Ros. He started his career with Emily Parker — a young rider European champion for Britain herself — and joined Ros five years ago.
“Ros is only 5ft 2in tall and Alby is 17hh, but she knows him incredibly well and used this to her advantage. She gave him the day off before the dressage and never warms him up for cross-country.
“‘When he gets excited he sometimes wants to go back to the stables and he’s so big that when he wants to go somewhere and I don’t, I don’t have much say,’ she said. ‘So I just walk to the start.’
“On the technical side, Ros has benefited from help from Chris Bartle since he took over as British team coach two years ago, stepping up her game to take a European team gold in 2017 and third at Badminton this spring. She was not a pre-event favourite, this result was not out of turn.
Ros said: ‘Chris has changed my style of riding so it’s a bit less intense — I ride with a longer rein and am better at letting the horses do their job and not helping out too much.
“‘It’s also about the confidence he instils — the horse does his job and the rider always has one to do too. When I went into the showjumping it was all about the process. My job was to keep my eyes up and my reins long and then the results happen.’”
After the 2018 World Equestrian Games, Ros decided to take some time out from eventing to have a baby and her daughter Ziggy, with partner Chris, was born in July 2019. Ros returned to eventing a month later and won her next international outing with Allstar B, at Ballindenisk CCI4*-L in September 2019. At that time, Ros thought she’d have a race against time to renew qualifications and prove her form before the Tokyo Olympics, but of course Covid-19 ended up delaying the Games by a year.
In 2020, Ros and Allstar B won a CCI4*-S section at Burgham and in 2021, they finished third in the highly competitive CCI4*-S at Bicton Horse Trials in June, which served as the final trial for the Tokyo Olympics.
Bicton 2021
After Piggy March withdrew from the squad, they were called up to be the travelling alternates for the team – a difficult role but one which they carried out brilliantly, offering solid support to the three team riders, who went on to take the gold.
Tokyo
Alby’s final team appearance was at the 2021 European Championships, where the pair sat second after dressage but things unravelled with a couple of run-outs across country. Nonetheless, strong performances from the rest of the British squad meant another team gold.
Avenches Europeans in 2021
Alby’s final event on British soil was Badminton this year, where he recorded another great result, finishing 12th.
Thank you for all the memories, Alby.
Pictures by Peter Nixon and Alamy Stock Photo
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