Brave Comet – five-star runner-up and Olympic horse dies

5-star runner-up and championship horse Brave Comet, the trip of US rider Becky Holder, died final Thursday (8 February) aged 28.

Brave Comet was a gray former racehorse by Comet Shine out of a mare by Seat Of Energy. He and Becky (née Douglas) began competing collectively in 2002 and campaigned on the prime stage for the perfect a part of a decade.

“Comet epitomised the rags to riches storyline, and his thoroughbred lovers cheered him on all over the place he went,” Becky informed the US Eventing Affiliation.

“But it surely’s the issues not within the public eye that I need to share and provides thanks for. He cherished turnout. He nickered extra loudly for it than any meal or deal with. When in England, [his groom] Aubrey Dunkerton would take him on luxurious grazes and infrequently would get caught out within the subject when he refused to return to the barn.

“He usually walked briskly out to work, excited for the day’s adventures after which dragged his ft coming residence, taking any likelihood to divert again out for just a little longer. Every time I used to be within the barn, he tracked me and watched me intensely. Each time I picked up the trot on him, I smiled.”

Brave Comet’s profession included 5 finishes at four-star (now five-star) stage, with second at Kentucky Three-Day Occasion in 2008 and third in 2010 his finest outcomes. He travelled to Europe to contest his first four-star, Luhmühlen Horse Trials in 2005, and to Burghley Horse Trials in 2006, the place he was fifteenth.

The pair additionally represented the US on the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong and the 2010 World Equestrian Video games in Kentucky – the place he was denied what might have been his best end result when he was withdrawn from the holding field on the ultimate trot-up, having held particular person bronze place in a single day.

Comet was retired from top-level competitors in 2012 and gave Becky’s husband Tom a style for eventing at grassroots fixtures.

“He was spicy and sassy all through his retirement,” stated Becky. “It was our utter privilege to offer him the retirement he deserved.”

Becky remembers Comet’s quirks fondly – he was afraid of strains within the floor the place arenas had been rolled, and colored poles on the bottom. He would chunk his groom Aubrey Dunkerton’s trousers whereas being plaited and was a masterful escape artist.

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H&H journal editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a real eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand expertise of competing as much as British Eventing intermediate and worldwide CCI2*-L stage, and has labored within the business on a prime occasion yard. Pippa enjoys nothing greater than immersing herself within the sport on the highest stage, reporting from the five-stars and worldwide championships, together with the Olympics.