The Festival of British Eventing takes place this weekend at Gatcombe Park in the UK. The Park is the spectacular home of the Princess Royal and her family and incorporates the British Open, Intermediate and Novice Championships. As well as a weekend of top class eventing this weekend will see the retirement of Zara Phillips' horse Toytown (Noddy).
Zara and Noddy quickly struck up a relationship and Zara was crowned British Under-25 Champion at Bramham in 2002. Twelve months later, the pair headed to Burghley for their first crack at a CCI**** — a competition that unfolded into one of the sport’s greatest ever showdowns. Zara and Noddy headed the eventual winners Pippa Funnell and Primmore’s Pride going into the final showjumping phase, but one rail down — in the phase that was unquestionably the only chink in his armour — relegated Noddy to second and allowed Pippa to claim the Rolex Grand Slam. The result did, however, prove that the young combination was a serious force to be reckoned with.
A leg injury ruled Noddy out of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, but he returned with a vengeance in 2005 to win team and individual gold medals at the Blenheim European Championships. Twelve months later he was part of the British squad for the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, where, once again, he took the individual honours and the team won silver.
Noddy made his final team appearance at the Pratoni European Championships in 2007, where he finished sixth individually and helped Britain secure team gold. The gelding accumulated 1421 British Eventing points in his illustrious career and, fittingly, completed his last ever event at “Little” Gatcombe in September 2009.
Zara said: “Toytown is my horse of a lifetime and he has given me more than I could ever have dreamed of. It seemed fitting to give him a proper retirement ceremony at home, at Gatcombe Park.”
Noddy will enjoy his retirement hacking out in the Gloucestershire countryside and grazing at home on the Gatcombe estate where “he will be thoroughly spoiled”, according to his rider.
To see what the riders, including Australian riders Clayton Fredericks, Chris Burton, Lucinda Fredericks, Paul Tapner, Bill Levett, Andrew Hoy and Hamish Cargill will be facing, take a course walk with the current British Open champion Daisy Berkeley
Video courtesy of Horse&Hound and LandRover
