5-star occasion rider Richard Jones has introduced his prime experience, Alfies Clover, will retire following his last occasion at subsequent week’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials (5–8 September).
The much-loved gray gelding, who’s 17, has notched up a number of top-10 placings at four- and five-star stage, together with ending seventh at Burghley in 2022 and 2018, tenth at Badminton in 2022, sixth within the five-star at Bicton in 2021 and fourth and seventh within the CCI4*-L at Bramham in 2019 and 2018 respectively. Alfie and Richard have been additionally named on the British staff’s nominated entries listing for the 2022 eventing World Championships at Pratoni del Vivaro in Italy.
“Alfie is glad and having fun with each minute of the build-up to the Burghley occasion, and I owe it to him to maintain him that method for so long as I can,” mentioned Richard.
Richard purchased Alfie from Goresbridge Gross sales in Eire as an unbroken three-year-old and produced him all through his profession from his base in Rutland, quarter-hour from Burghley.
Alfie’s journey started at Burghley in 2010.
“I purchased an unbroken three-year-old – Impression III – by Grasp Imp from the 2009 September Goresbridge sale in Eire,” Richard advised H&H in 2017. “On the time, Goresbridge was providing a £5,000 bonus to the best-placed Goresbridge September three-year-old sale graduate on the Burghley Younger Occasion Horse (BYEH) four-year-old last.
“I wouldn’t normally compete in BYEH courses, however it appeared like a superb alternative and we ended up profitable the prize. I used to be very lucky that the proprietor of the horse, Jo Musto, let me hold the cash.”
Three weeks later, Richard returned to the September Goresbridge sale and used the cash to purchase an unbroken three-year-old. That horse was Alfie.
“From day one, he has been a prime class horse — in the best way that he gallops to the best way he went in his first ever cross-country college,” mentioned Richard.
The Irish-bred gelding by Tajraasi is well-known for his capability to gallop and soar and, since embarking on his profession as an occasion horse on the age of six, has competed yearly over the previous 12 years with loads of success.
Subsequent week at Burghley, Alfie strains up at his eleventh five-star competitors with Richard, drawn as quantity 24, and they’re certain to have loads of native help.
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Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Future
