Three-time Barbury winner Avebury is to have a fence at the event named in his honour.
The 15-year-old grey has won the St James’s Place Wealth Management Barbury International Horse Trials three years running, partnering top New Zealand rider Andrew Nicholson.
And this year (9-12 July), as the pair bid to win their fourth consecutive title, the cross-country course’s signature fence — the stone circle — is being named after Avebury.
Avebury, who is owned by Rosemary Barlow, was bred by Andrew, raised in Wiltshire and named after the world heritage site — the Avebury stone circles.
Avebury’s also a regular visitor to the Barbury Estate where he works on the gallops.
To mark the hat-trick, as well as the re-naming of the Avebury fence, Barbury has released a short film — The Avebury Story.
“Avebury loves Barbury and he also loves the camera so filming this video was good fun,” said Andrew. “We are all proud of what he has achieved here and look forward to being back at Barbury in a few weeks time.”
Nigel Bunter, chairman of Barbury International Horse Trials added: “After winning Barbury for a remarkable third time and with Avebury’s local connections we wanted a lasting tribute and felt renaming our most iconic cross-country fence was a fitting to a wonderful horse.
“We hope Avebury fans will enjoy our film on him. We want to encourage as many as possible to visit Barbury in July to see a living legend and maybe history repeating itself with a four timer.”
Fans of Avebury will be excited at the chance to see the grey, as he was withdrawn ahead of Badminton due to a small injury sustained at Aldon earlier this season.
At the time Andrew told H&H Avebury was “not as fit as he could be” having missed two weeks work and he’d therefore be aimed at Barbury, Gatcombe and Burghley.
And the gelding is a hat-trick expert, he helped Andrew into the record books by winning Burghley in September, becoming the first rider to win the event three times consecutively on the same horse.
For information and tickets visit: www.barburyhorsetrials.co.uk
