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.