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‘I hope he can come back for the real thing’: Burghley Young Event Horse winner is tipped to go all the way

Martha Terry Martha Terry

    • Oscar became the fourth horse in the 34-year history of the event to complete the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse double, held at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials. Now five, Oscar topped the final Burghley Young Event Horse results for the second year in a row to back up his four-year-old win last year.

    This Dutch-bred gelding by Kitt SB, out of mare by Quasimodo VD Molendreef, ridden by Michael Jackson, excelled in the cross-country and gallop phases to take the win on 87.5, just 0.75 marks ahead of Abydos and Storm Straker. The runners-up led going into the final stage, thanks to their leading dressage and showjumping marks. Austin O’Connor and Oldrock Amy were third, two marks adrift on 84.75.

    The format of the competition is that the horses are judged in dressage, jumping and over a small cross-country course, plus conformation. The top 10 at this point are brought into the main arena for a final go-round in each pace, and then a gallop, which was judged by Yogi Breisner.

    Oscar – owned by Gwen Meacham and Heather Bell – lay in second at this point, but his super gallop drew him ahead of Abydos (Askari x Diarano) in the final reckoning.

    “I was hopeful as I know he’s an eyeful and gallops really well, so he’d be in the top couple in most people’s eyes,” said Michael. “He’s very consistent at a show, he’s almost more trainable and rideable – he can have episodes at home, but he knuckles down at a show and likes an atmosphere. At home he’s laid-back, but goes out with his friends and has a good scrap; he’s a real lad.”

    Burghley Young Event Horse results pave the way to grander aims

    Former winners of this class include the likes of Primmore’s Pride and Cavalier Crystal, who have progressed to the podium here as five-star horses. Michael Jackson has high hopes for Oscar to follow in their footsteps.

    “I do think he can go to the very top and hopefully come back for the real thing in a few years’ time,” he said. “He does this level so easily, he’s done a couple of novices, and I’ve had to put the handbrake on. I will put him in the field because he will fly up the grades, so you need to wait for their bodies to fit into place before going to the next level.”

    Mike Jackson and Oscar, jump the Dubarry planks on their way to winning the five-year-old Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse final 2024 in front of Burghley House.

    Oscar demonstrating how easy he finds the jumping under Michael Jackson during the five-year-old Dubarry Young Event Horse final at Defender Burghley. Credit: Stephen Bartholomew

    Oscar, a gleaming bay with three white socks, is an upstanding model who really fills the eye, but Michael must have a shrewd eye to foresee how quickly he would become successful.

    “When I bought him as a three-year-old I was worried he wasn’t going to be big enough as he was only 15.1hh, but he’s shot up and grown in stature,” he said. “He was a bit of a feral pony but you could see he was classy, really easy across the ground, so I could see the potential.”

    Another riser at the final gallop stage was Austin O’Connor’s ride Oldrock Amy, a mare by Sligo Candy Boy x Master Imp. This bay Irish Sport Horse has an outstanding walk to match her ground-covering gallop, which moved her up from fourth to third.

    But the biggest improvement of all came from Piggy March’s ride Brookfield Royale Love, who was lying 10th. Piggy really asked this Irish Sport Horse by Fruits Of Love to stretch, earning a big cheer from the crowd and leapfrogging many others to eventual fourth.

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    Martha Terry
    Martha Terry

    H&H features editor
    Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
    Martha Terry

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