Oliver Townend retired his 2009 Burghley winner Carousel Quest, owned by Andrew Cawthray, at Burghley Horse Trials last weekend.
The 16-year-old horse, first produced by Cressida Clague-Reading, won 1,212 BE points and recorded three four-star placings.
“I feel very privileged to have had Quest as part of my life and my career and am very grateful to have an owner like Andrew, who could see his potential,” said Oliver.
This year’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials was otherwise an unhappy one for Oliver. Both his horses were casualties of Capt Mark Phillips’ “retro” cross-country course — Neo Du Breuil had a crashing fall at the Land Rover Dairy Farm and Imperial Master retired after napping and rearing in front of the Leaf Pit Classic.
Oliver said Neo was recovering fine from his fall and added: “Imperial Master is a horse that either wins or doesn’t go at all.”
This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (8 September, 2011)