Lightly campaigned, he filled third spot in a very competitive pre-novice, having produced one of only eight double clear rounds.

“He’s a big horse at 17hh, so we have given him time,” explained his Kinsale-based owner/rider.

“He was placed fourth in an intro last year, but since then we have been largely concentrating on the dressage as he is quite a sharp type. He won the South Munster regional finals, and then again at the Cavan winter finals, where he was placed reserve champion in the prelim class,” she added.

Recent show jumping lessons from Ian Fearon have balanced the training, and White feels he has huge potential.

“He’s bred to be an event horse, but it’s good for him to mix the disciplines,” she maintained.

It was White’s father, veterinary surgeon Michael White, who first spotted the big gelding as a four-year-old in the yard of his breeder Maureen Tierney.

Better known as a racehorse trainer, Tierney has bred six foals out of the dam, who is a half-sister to Camilla Speir’s former advanced ride, Portersize Top Dollar.

Now based in England, Top Dollar completed Boekelo CCI*** in 2010, and is currently with young rider Sophie Beaveridge.