Andrew Cooper and Hunters Hill in the CNC2* Hickstead at Ballarat
“It feels like a long time ago” says Andrew Cooper of his third place in the CCI4* at the 2016 Australian International 3 Day Event “But it was a good way to end the year”. It certainly was, leaving him just outside of the Top 50 ranked riders in the world and hopefully able to move even further up the rankings this year
However, with his 4* horse Evergem Perfection on the market, Andrew has the task of continuing to build up a stable of young stars and some of them were competing (or training to compete) at the Ballarat Hickstead on Sunday 12th February
Andrew was one of the instructors on the Saturday training day then hopped on his own horses on Sunday to take five of them into the dressage arena and around the Hickstead course.
In the EvA80 he had Quinn, a horse out of the 4* mare Tora Bora previously ridden by Amanda Ross (and now ridden by Amanda’s mum!) by the Olympic show jumper Quintus. Marty Clark and his daughter Jemma, who owned Tora Bora, bred Quinn and Jemma told us a little about the young horse in an interview in 2015 here.
It seems that the now four year old Quinn is living up to all expectations, finishing sixth at his first competition, despite not having seen a cross country fence until Andrew schooled him here before the competition. Definitely one to watch for the future .....
Andrew also had Echo in the EvA105, the Irish bred Buchanan and Double Vision in the CNC1* and the ‘naughty’ Hunters Hill in the CNC2*. Unfortunately we don’t have results to hand at the moment but we’ll let Andrew tell you how they went, what is coming up in the first part of the season and his horses for sale!
Andrew Cooper
Andrew and Double Vision in the CNC1*
