meet Ros Canter’s characterful Badminton winner

Which five-star winner as soon as licked the vet’s automobile utterly clear when she parked it exterior his steady whereas attending to a different horse? The reply is Lordships Graffalo, the characterful 12-year-old who has made a big impact on the eventing scene over the previous few years and who’s now a frontrunner for the British workforce for this summer time’s Paris Olympics.

“Walter”, as he’s recognized, leapt firmly into the five-star highlight when he completed second on the 2022 Badminton Horse Trials below Ros Canter. He went on to land fourth on the World Championships that autumn – on the identical rating as particular person bronze medallist Falco, below New Zealand’s Tim Value. The British pair missed out on a person medal solely as a result of they had been quicker throughout nation, which meant they completed farther from the optimum time.

A yr later, Lordships Graffalo actually confirmed his colors as certainly one of eventing’s elite. He gained Badminton within the spring and was then topped European champion. Each competitions occurred in powerful circumstances, with Ros and Walter the one pair making the time throughout nation on the Europeans.

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo end the cross-country on the 2023 European Championships. Credit score Peter Nixon

Lordships Graffalo: breeding and background

Walter is out of the identical mare, Cornish Queen (by Rock King), as one other of Ros’s rides, Pencos Crown Jewel, who completed eleventh at Burghley Horse Trials in 2022 and ninth at Badminton final yr.

Breeder Pennie Wallace offered Pencos Crown Jewel as a foal to Kate James and Annie Makin, who went to the Burghley younger occasion horse last to select a rider for her and selected Ros. As a result of Ros had Pencos Crown Jewel, Pennie determined to ship her Lordships Graffalo – who was bred whereas Cornish Queen was on mortgage to Lordships Stud – to be damaged.

“I cherished him from the day I received him and he was at all times on the market, so I approached Michele Saul, who was searching for a younger horse, and requested her if she’d take into account shopping for him,” mentioned Ros of the son of Grafenstolz.

“He’s type of untrainable on the bottom. He’ll rugby deal with you whenever you attempt to put the bridle on and he’s not superb at social distancing.

“However he was simple to interrupt in and by no means bothered in regards to the rider. He was fairly lazy to start out with – he’d get utterly left behind ambling alongside out hacking – however out of the blue he might buck or rear or do one thing humorous.”

However Ros mentioned Walter’s complete household are performers and at all times pull their greatest work out of the bag at competitions.

‘He cruises by means of life’

After his win at Badminton, Ros described Walter as the final word occasion horse, saying: “It’s what he lives and breathes for. He’s a busy little character when he’s not being ridden, so this job suits him completely.”

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo win Badminton 2023. Credit score: Peter Nixon

Following their double gold efficiency on the Europeans, she added: “It’s Walter’s world and we’re privileged to have the ability to dwell with him in it. However that, I feel, is absolutely what he thinks; he simply cruises his approach by means of life.”

Georgie Frow, who’s the second rider on Ros’s yard, mentioned: “Walter is at all times inflicting leisure – it’s humorous to look at should you’re not making an attempt to tack him up! He eats the tack, throws headcollars throughout the yard, tries to seize maintain of brushes. In the event you depart him too lengthy within the cross-ties, he’ll dribble and throw it to see how far he can get his spit throughout the yard.”

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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 high 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.