5-star tournament rider Richard Jones has introduced his peak trip, Alfies Clover, will retire following his ultimate tournament at subsequent week’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials (5–8 September).
The much-loved gray gelding, who’s 17, has notched up a number of top-10 placings at four- and five-star stage, together with completing 7th at Burghley in 2022 and 2018, tenth at Badminton in 2022, 6th within the five-star at Bicton in 2021 and fourth and 7th within the CCI4*-L at Bramham in 2019 and 2018 respectively. Alfie and Richard have been additionally named at the British staff’s nominated entries listing for the 2022 eventing International Championships at Pratoni del Vivaro in Italy.
“Alfie is worked up and playing each minute of the build-up to the Burghley tournament, and I owe it to him to stay him that method for so long as I will be able to,” stated Richard.
Richard purchased Alfie from Goresbridge Gross sales in Eire as an unbroken three-year-old and produced him all the way through his profession from his base in Rutland, quarter-hour from Burghley.
Alfie’s adventure started at Burghley in 2010.
“I purchased an unbroken three-year-old – Affect III – by means of Grasp Imp from the 2009 September Goresbridge sale in Eire,” Richard informed H&H in 2017. “On the time, Goresbridge was once providing a £5,000 bonus to the best-placed Goresbridge September three-year-old sale graduate on the Burghley Younger Match Horse (BYEH) four-year-old ultimate.
“I wouldn’t in most cases compete in BYEH categories, however it gave the impression of a excellent alternative and we ended up profitable the prize. I used to be very lucky that the landlord of the pony, Jo Musto, let me stay the cash.”
3 weeks later, Richard returned to the September Goresbridge sale and used the cash to shop for an unbroken three-year-old. That horse was once Alfie.
“From day one, he has been a peak magnificence horse — in the best way that he gallops to the best way he went in his first ever cross-country college,” stated Richard.
The Irish-bred gelding by means of Tajraasi is widely recognized for his talent to gallop and soar and, since embarking on his profession as an tournament horse on the age of six, has competed yearly over the last 12 years with a number of luck.
Subsequent week at Burghley, Alfie traces up at his eleventh five-star festival with Richard, drawn as quantity 24, and they’re positive to have a number of native fortify.
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Meet the rider who has persisted a coarse yr and his horse who was once purchased after a win at Burghley
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Long run
