Burghley winner and Olympic medallist put down: ‘He made dreams come true’

The Burghley winner and London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Lenamore was put down on Saturday (28 January), aged 30.

New Zealand rider Caroline Powell, who rode the grey son of Sea Crest to his greatest successes, described him as “a little horse with an enormous heart”.

Lexi Jackson (née Mackinnon), who co-owned Lenamore (“Ed”) with her mother Janie and produced him up to five-star level, said it was “the saddest of days”.

“He made dreams come true and gave us years of memories to cherish… thank you Ed and thank you Mum for being there with him from the beginning and right up until the end. We will never forget you,” she said.

Caroline added: “What a character, what a journey, what an honour. A huge thank you to Janie and Lexi for entrusting Ed to me and for the amazing journey he took us on.”

Caroline Powell and Lenamore winning Burghley in 2010. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Starting his career in the days when three-day events included roads and tracks and steeplechase, Lenamore was one of the most consistent and popular five-star horses of his era.

With Lexi he completed three Bramham Horse Trials and Blenheim Horse Trials at the now CCI4*-L level, before the ride moved to Caroline in 20o4, when the pair were second in the CCI3* (now CCI4*-L) at Blair Castle Horse Trials, their first international event together.

The following year, his first at five-star, Lenamore was 14th at Badminton Horse Trials and fifth at Burghley Horse Trials. He became a fixture at the British five-stars over the following years – in total he completed seven Badmintons (finishing in the top 14 on all but one occasion, with his best placing being fourth in 2008) and five Burghleys (all in the top eight bar one).

Lenamore’s day of days came at Burghley 2010 when he took the top spot, finishing on his dressage score. It was a stellar autumn for the Mackinnon-Jackson family as Lexi married Henry Jackson just a week later, with Lenamore appearing as a guest of honour at the wedding.

The pair made their New Zealand team debut at the 2006 Aachen World Equestrian Games and went on to contest two Olympics, finishing 14th individually in Hong Kong in 2008 and taking team bronze in 2012 in London when Lenamore was 19 years old.

Caroline Powell and Lenamore in the dressage at London 2012. Credit: Getty Images

The 2012 Olympics was Lenamore’s final event and he was retired from eventing the following spring.

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Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.