BRITISH event rider Emily King has lost the ride on up to 10 horses following the decision of her leading owner, Jane Del Missier, to step back from the sport.

King, daughter of the legendary Mary, announced the news on her social media accounts when returning from the international at Ballindenisk last weekend. The horses to leave her stable include her five-star mount Brookleigh, as well as Dargun, Dorado Du Buisson and Cooley Currency.

King got her first five-star (then CCI4*) start with Brookleigh at Pau in 2015 when they finished fourth. The German-bred also gave the 23-year-old her first Badminton start in 2016 and was then out for two years following a fall at the penultimate fence, when they lay in second place.

Their last outing together was in the four-star Event Rider Masters in Milstreet in late August where they finsihed fifth. “Heartbroken, gutted, devastated don’t even begin to touch my emotions but I completely respect Jane Del Missier’s decision in wanting to part company from our sport,” Emily said in a statement.

“Jane has been the most wonderful owner and I am hugely grateful for her support over the many years from when I was a junior rider. Four top horses and six youngsters less will be a large hole to Hafod Stables but when one door closes, another opens and to start a new chapter you must focus not on regretting the old, but on building the new,” she added.

Del Missier said: “I would like to thank Emily for all her hard work with my horses over the years and for the fun we had together. She has always been the perfect partner… and I cannot imagine having another rider for my horses.

“However, I have small children and being an owner is not suiting this current stage of my life. They, my husband, and my elderly parents are my priority, and I just don’t have the time to be involved in being an owner,” she added.