It was a very sad prelude to the 2021 Land Rover Blair Castle International when four horses being transported to the event by well-known British eventing rider Nick Gauntlett were killed in a road collision
Nick Gauntlett’s Party Trick along with three horses owned by Sophie Hulme - Charisma TH, Farytale Cooley and Ice Cool Cooley - were being transported to the event in Scotland on Tuesday 24th August in the Gauntletts’ truck when it broke down on the A9 near Perth, Scotland
Whilst stationary at the side of road, the horsebox was hit by another lorry, causing the deaths of two of the horses on board. The two other horses had to be euthanised by vets.
Thankfully Nick and his family were outside of the horsebox at the time of the accident and are unharmed.
“My amazing family are fine and that is definitely the main thing,” Nick said on his social media “But today we lost Party Trick having broken down just 30 minutes from Blair Castle. We sat on the grass verge and watched a lorry… plough into our truck. You don’t need the details but we lost all four horses on board.
“We are obviously all heartbroken. Lucy Morgan and Asha Riches-Wood, the emergency services, vets and people generally were amazing. Thank you everyone for your words of support and offers of help. The eventing world yet again proving what an amazing family it is.”
The Gauntlett’s nine-year-old stallion Party Trick was the son of Badminton winner Chilli Morning, a horse campaigned and produced by Nick in Chilli Morning’s early years. Nick and Party Trick recently finished third in the Open Intermediate at Burgham International
