ANOTHER of the eventing circuit’s five-star events completed, the Defender Burghley Horse Trials was another triumph for Lordships Graffalo. And Colorado Blue too. The “people’s horse”, as his breeder Kate Jarvey describes him, had recorded his second top-three result at five-star level this year, an impressive strike rate.

Registered with Sport Horse Breeding (GB) (the Hunter Improvement Society’s successor), by the Selle Français sire Jaguar Mail and bred by American philanthropist Kate Jarvey, Colorado Blue’s backstory has an ecumenical theme. However, he and Austin O’Connor’s gallop through five-star events and the Olympics has earned a well-deserved fan club.

‘Salty’ was bred at Mellon Stud, Co Limerick, then owned by Kate, who subsequently moved to Monymusk Stud, near Kanturk. At the Irish Horse Board’s Marketing Conference in 2023, where she was one of the guest speakers, Kate said she had retired from breeding event horses. “I wanted to prove that you could breed a five-star event horse and I’ve done it,” however, she’s back on the quest, albeit on a smaller scale.

“Austin and a few other people twisted my arm, so Hushabye Baby, one of Colorado’s sisters is in foal to a good Jaguar Mail horse in England. We went back to the Jaguar Mail line, she’s Indoctro Blue and she’s coming home in the next week or two,” she disclosed.

Girl power

“I’m not going to breed a lot of horses, just one or two a year and I also have Ventura Rock, who was seventh in her first four-star long at Scone. She’s his half-sister too, I always kept the girls. We need plenty of girl power in this challenging world!”

Thomas Horgan, from Kilmacthomas, “just under the Comeragh Mountains, we have lovely walks through the Greenway here”, bred the mare Cavalier Crystal, who has now recorded a trio of third place results at Burghley.

The Waterford man was heading off with a Vivant three-year-old out of an OBOS Quality half-sister to Cavalier Crystal to Goresbridge, where he sold Harry Meade’s Burghley specialist as a foal.

Girl power too in the third Irish story in the top 10: Annaghmore Valoner, another of Meade’s contenders. “Incredibly proud and delighted!” Offaly breeder Sinead Healion said about this mare, who finished fourth.

“Once again, the amazing partnership and love Harry and Annaghmore Valoner have with each other was evident, from the trot-up, to the end of the show jumping round.”

Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal (ISH) took third place at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials 2025 \ Nigel Goddard

Four more Irish-breds featured in the Burghley top 20, including Cooley Rosalent (12th. Valent - Bellaney Jewel, by Roselier. Breeder: Woods Rosbotham), Ballyneety Rocketman (13th. Diamond Discovery - Ballyneety MacRocket, by Errigal Flight. James Hickey), Ballyneety Silver Service (14th. Butlers Cravat - Great Island Lady, by Great Palm. Fiona Hickey) and Hawk Eye (19th. Beach Ball - Summer Holiday. R.J Smyth).

The Burghley results will also boost the Irish Sport Horse studbook’s position in global rankings. The 2025 WBFSH leading studbooks, horses and breeders will be known next month and the ISH studbook is well on course to defend its Hippomundo crown.

Rankings races

How are Irish-bred event horses faring in the rankings to date?

September is the final month in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) calendar year and both the Burghley and upcoming FEI European eventing championships (Blenheim, September 18-21) will significantly rejig its current leaderboard.

As the penultimate WBFSH rankings stand at the end of August, Lordships Graffalo is in 10th place in the eventing horses’ rankings, which are currently headed by Izilot DHI (KWPN), Ros Canter’s Luhmühlen winner in June.

There are two Irish Sport Horses in this top 10: the Sean Kelly-bred Brookfield Quality (OBOS Quality 004 x Cavalier Royale) in second and the 2025 Badminton runner-up Cooley Rosalent (Valent x Roselier), bred by the late Woods Rosbotham, in fifth place.

In the WBFSH eventing studbook rankings, it’s a close-run race between the Holsteiner Verband (1,113 points) and the Irish Sport Horse (1,073) studbooks, the same order in which the pair finished in the 2024 WBFSH final rankings.

Lordships Graffalo and Colorado Blue’s excellent Burghley results - winner and runner-up last Sunday - will boost Sport Horse Breeding (GB)’s fifth place (775). The KWPN (899) and Hanoverian Verband (821) presently separate the British studbook from the top two rivals.

Moving to the prize money-based Hippomundo rankings and here, the ISH studbook maintains its unbeaten record in these rankings since they began in 2015. The titleholder studbook leads with a current total of €546,635, earned by 796 Irish-breds on this database, which gives an average of €687 per horse.

Sport Horse Breeding (GB) is next (€452,891) with a mere 99 registered horses and this accounts for an impressive average of €4,575 per horse, the highest figure amongst the top 10 studbooks.

The Holsteiner (€342,206 total prize money, 239 horses, €1,432 average), Hanoverian (€260,228, 222, €1,172) and Selle Français (€193,022, 412, €469) complete Hippomundo’s top five studbooks post-Burghley.

Harry Meade and Annaghmore Valoner (ISH) placed fourth at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials 2025 \ Nigel Goddard

After his unique Badminton-Burghley double win this season, Lordships Graffalo is the easily predicted top-earner this year with €273,037 in prize money. He is followed by Colorado Blue (€130,390), Kentucky winner fischerChipmunk FRH (€121,720), Cavalier Crystal (€98.847), Cooley Rosalent (€84,121), Commando 3 (€79,234), Vitali (€76,141), Et Hop Du Matz (€53,736), Brookfield Quality (€53,483) and the WBFSH current number one: Izilot DHI (€51,315).

Lordships Stud, based at Writtle College, heads the eventing breeders’ list, thanks to Lordships Graffalo, followed by Kate Jarvey in second place. Thomas Horgan (fourth), JW (Woods) Rosbotham (fifth) and Sean Kelly (ninth) also feature, while Sinead Healion is on the top-10 doorstep in 11th place.

The top-10 ranked Irish eventing breeders are Kate, Thomas, Woods, Sean, Sinead, Peter G. Brady, Jim O’Neill, Ennisnag Stud, Eamon Kenny and Bridget McGing.

‘Walter’ - or Lordships Graffalo - has boosted Birkhof’s Grafenstolz to top place in the eventing sires’ rankings, followed by Jaguar Mail, Contendro I, Diarado, Jack Of Diamonds, Zavall VDL, Courage II, OBOS Quality 004, Valent and Connor (Kannan, Chacco Blue and Cornet Obolensky are the current top-three show jumping stallions).

The final WBFSH rankings will be issued next month and Hippomundo’s results, updated weekly, run through the end of 2025.

Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent were the overnight leaders after dressage and placed 12th overall at the Burghley Horse Trials 2025 \ Nigel Goddard

Did you know?

  • Only three horses – Lordships Graffalo, Avebury (2012-2014) and Priceless (1983, 1984) have won back-to-back Burghley titles and the thoroughbred sire Ben Faerie is a common denominator in two of their pedigrees. Ginny Leng’s Priceless is by Ben Faerie, who appears too as the maternal grandsire of Lordships Graffalo.
  • Ben Faerie is also the sire of the 2003 Burghley winner Primmore’s Pride.
  • Jumbo was the Burghley-winning sire four times: Headley Britannia and then Avebury’s treble. Jumbo was bred by the late Archie Smith-Maxwell, who found Jumbo’s Irish Draught sire Skippy (Legaun Prince x Final Problem) in Mayo with the Niland family.
  • Most recent thoroughbred winner at Burghley? Parklane Hawk, back in 2011 with William Fox-Pitt. The same New Zealand-bred also won another five-star event at Rolex Kentucky (2012).
  • Vanir Kamira (2022) and Headley Britannia (2007) are the only mares to win Burghley in this millenium.
  • Both mares are also among an elite group of horses to have recorded Badminton and Burghley wins in their careers. Others include Merely-A-Monarch, M’Lord Connolly, Warrior, George, Beagle Bay, Master Craftsman, Priceless, Star Appeal, Primmore’s Pride, Moonfleet, Tamarillo and La Biosthetique Sam FBW.
  • Charlotte Opperman’s Cavalier Crystal was the highest-placed British-based mare in this year’s results and therefore won the Twemlows Burghley Scholarship for two embryo transfers.
  • Both of the Ballyneety-prefixed traditional-breds: Sam Watson’s Ballyneety Rocketman (13th) and Holly Richardson’s Ballyneety Silver Service (14th) were bred by brother and sister James and Fiona Hickey. Fiona also stands the traditonally-bred Butlers Cravat (Errigal Flight x Rhett Butler) in Co Limerick.
  • More Irish links are found in dams such as Zaragoza’s dam Saracen’s Pride (Saracen Hill), bred in Co Donegal by Jessie Hetherington. Donal Barnwell’s Billy line mares are often Irish-breds and Billy Alberto (11th with New Zealand’s Samantha Lissington) is no exception. This Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve gelding is out of Cara Carenza, a Big Sink Hope x Cavalier Royale mare, bred by Derry Kingston.
  • Cavalier Royale pops up in other Burghley bloodline backgrounds, such as Cavalier Crystal, Annaghmore Valoner and Hawk Eye.
  • The sole breeder’s prize for Burghley’s CSI5* class appears to be the British Horse Foundation’s £1,000 bonanza to the breeder of the highest-placed British-bred horse. Another T&C states the breeder’s prize will be presented provided the horse finishes in the top 12 places, which Lordships Graffalo more than qualified for. Regardless of where in the world a Burghley winner is bred, wouldn’t it be good to recognise its breeder?

    • BY THE NUMBERS

  • €1,242,000 - Hello Jefferson’s earnings in the Rolex CP International Masters at Spruce Meadows on Sunday afternoon.
  • €1,020,114 - combined amount earned by the top 10 event horses to date in 2025.
  • 52 - Burghley starters.
  • 29 - Burghley finishers
    • .

  • 18 - Irish Sport Horses on the start list.
  • 8 - Irish Sport Horses through to Sunday’s show jumping phase.

  • 6 - ISH in the top 20.
  • 5 - the top-five earning Burghley horses of all-time - Ballaghmor Class, Lordships Graffalo, Vanir Kamira, Ringwood Sky Boy and Vitali - includes three Irish-breds.
  • 4 - mares in the Burghley top 10: Cavalier Crystal, Annaghmore Valoner, Zaragoza and Bling.

  • 3 x 3 - the number of third places recorded by Cavalier Crystal in the past three years at Burghley.
  • 2 - Rock King is the damsire of both Lordships Graffalo and Colorado Blue.
  • 1 - thoroughbred-sired top-10 horse: Annaghmore Valoner.

    • What the top-10 breeders said:

    Kate Jarvey: “Sometimes in this workaday world, special things happen. I’ve used a lot of superlatives about the pair and I’m not sure I have any more! They [Austin and Colorado Blue] keep doing it and it’s so good for Ireland. Now we have to say that the horse belongs to all of Ireland, he belongs to you and me and everybody. He’s too big for one person. He’s charismatic and he knows it. He’s the people’s horse now. Only two things that have moved my life: horses and philanthropy. They’re not mutually exclusive by any means.”

    Thomas Horgan: “I sold Cavalier Crystal in Goresbridge as a foal to showing people in England. I was in contact with them because they kept her on until she was a three-year-old and she won a lot in the showring before she was sold to go eventing. She won the five-year-old class at Burghley [with Tiana Coudray] and then, after that, she went on to her present owner. Actually, we went over to see her in England and that was enjoyable.

    “There’s nothing in black and white with horses, you need a bit of luck along the way. I was tracking her at Burghley on the phone and then we watched it yesterday evening.”

    Sinead Healion: “To perform so spectacularly well in all three phases and to not have had a proper run since finishing fourth at Burghley last year is a testament to how talented she [Annaghmore Valoner] is. I feel the best is still to come from them. The Posfords are owners that we, as breeders, dream of, giving her the best of everything, including the [FEI] world number one rider in Harry Meade. Her dam passed away peacefully in May at 28, but I have four of her half-sisters in foal.”

    Burghley winners (2004 - 2025)

    2004 - Moonfleet (TB).

    2005 - Ballincoola (ISH).

    2006 - Headley Britannia (SHB(GB)).

    2007 - Parkmore Ed (ISH).

    2008 - Tamarillo (AA).

    2009 - Carousel Quest (AES).

    2010 - Lenamore (ISH).

    2011 - Parklane Hawk (TB).

    2012 - Avebury (SHB(GB)).

    2013 - Avebury.

    2014 - Avebury.

    2015 - La Biosthetique Sam FBW (BAD-WÜ).

    2016 - Nobilis 18 (HANN).

    2017 - Ballaghmor Class (ISH).

    2018 - Ringwood Sky Boy (ISH).

    2019 - MGH Grafton Street (ISH).

    2022 - Vanir Kamira (ISH).

    2023 - Ballaghmor Class (ISH).

    2024 - Lordships Graffalo (SHB(GB)).

    2025 - Lordships Graffalo (SHB(GB)).

    Irish-bred Burghley champions (2004 - 2023)

    2004 - Moonfleet (TB). 1991 gelding by Strong Gale - Blue Suede Shoes, by Bargello. Breeder: Basil Brindley. Rider: Andrew Hoy (AUST).

    2005 - Ballincoola (ISH)(TIH). 1994 gelding by Highland King (ISH) - Dawn Girl, by Kildalton Gold (ID). Breeder: Pat Keogh. Rider: William Fox-Pitt (GB).

    2007 - Parkmore Ed (ISH). 1992 gelding by Parkmore Night (ISH)(TIH) - Bodalmore Lass (ISH). Breeder: Sean Aylward. Rider: William Fox-Pitt (GB).

    2010 - Lenamore (ISH)(TIH). 1992 gelding by Sea Crest (ID) - Karinella (TB), by Valiyar. Breeder: Helen Walsh. Rider: Caroline Powell (NZ).

    2017/2023 - Ballaghmor Class (ISH). 2007 gelding by Courage II (HOLST) - Kilderry Place. Breeder: Noel Hickey. Rider: Oliver Townend (GB).

    2018 - Ringwood Sky Boy (ISH). 2003 gelding by Courage II (HOLST) - Sky Lassie (ISH)(TIH) by Sky Boy (TB). Breeder: Myles Mahon. Rider: Tim Price (NZ).

    2019 - MGH Grafton Street (ISH). 2008 gelding by O.B.O.S Quality 004 (OLD) - dam not recorded. Breeder: Martin J. Collins. Rider: Pippa Funnell (GB).

    2022 - Vanir Kamira (ISH). 2005 mare by Camiro de Haar Z (ZANG) - Fair Caledonian (WNTR), by Dixi (TB). Breeder: Kate Jackson. Rider: Piggy March (GB).