Clarke Johnstone and Quainton Labyrinth,CIC1* winners in 2014
Clarke Johnstone said that he would be keeping busy with some show jumping over the Christmas break from eventing and he has done it in fine style, finishing second in the FEI World Cup NZ League Final yesterday on board Quainton Labyrinth
Clarke took one rail in both rounds to finish just behind the winner Rose Alfeld on My Super Nova and was unsurprisingly delighted with the 10 year old gelding at just his second start at this level
Quainton Labyrinth started his career as an eventing horse and we first saw him at the Burghley Young Event Horse Finals in 2013 where Clarke told us all about the big 17.2h horse who finished fifth that year in the 5 Year Old class
In 2014, with Clarke having re-located back to New Zealand, they won the CIC1* at the NZ National One Day Event Championships in Christchurch but since 2015 Quainton Labyrinth has been enjoying success over the coloured poles. Of course Clarke is no stranger to high level show jumping with his Adelaide CCI4* winner and Rio 2016 team horse Balmoral Sensation also jumping Grand Prix to keep him on his toes.
New Zealand’s Sir Mark Todd is famous for having competed twice at an Olympic Games in both show jumping and eventing (Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992) – maybe we’ll be seeing Clarke emulate his achievement in future years?
Competing in the Burghley Young Event Horse 5YO class in 2013
