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Cooley Lands, who finished third at Badminton Horse Trials in 2019, will retire from eventing.

Owner Kate Walls decided it was time to call it a day on the 15-year-old’s career after he sustained an injury in March.

By Cavalier Land out of a Clover Hill mare, “Cyril” competed both with Kate and with Australia’s Chris Burton. With Chris, he won the eight- and nine-year-old class at Blenheim Horse Trials in 2017 and was a member of the Australian team at the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG), while he and Kate enjoyed seven top-20 placings in international competitions together up to four-star level.

“I have so many fond memories of many good times with Cyril,” said Kate. “The first time I saw him at Richard Sheane’s yard in Ireland I fell in love with him and always hoped that he would go on to great things.

“I won Bramham’s Burghley young event horse class on him as a five-year-old and from that moment onwards I had so much belief in him.

“The following year when he was six I finished third at the CCI2*-L at Weston Park and then the following year he was selected for the young horse World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers where he finished fourth with Chris Burton. At nine he won the young horse class at Blenheim and was sixth at Boekelo. But my absolute highlight and dream come true was him coming third at Badminton in 2019.

“Cyril is a real character at home. All of my horses live in a herd where he is top dog! He has a best friend in a miniature Shetland pony called Bandit and they are inseparable. He will have a well deserved rest now, but will nanny the babies around and enjoy some hacking when the sun shines.

“He really has been my horse of a lifetime, who deserves a very special retirement whilst being treated like a king.”

Kate Walls and Cooley Lands at Keysoe in July 2021. Credit: Nico Morgan Media

In a feature in Horse & Hound in 2021, Chris described Cooley Lands as a “trier” and said: “I don’t think I’ve ever ridden a horse with so much turn of foot – and I used to ride thoroughbreds in Australia. At WEG, he made the time with 20 penalties when he spooked at the first water and at Badminton, I could have gone faster in any minute if I’d wanted to. In the showjumping he’s very careful with perfect technique.”

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