The Rock Model trophy will be presented at The Eventing Spring Carnival
Former 4* event rider Sarah Bullen is marking the career of one of her beloved homebred horses by providing a new trophy for The Eventing Spring Carnival this April.
Sarah bred the talented Rock Model, selling him to Vittoria Panizzon as a six-year-old, and followed his career closely with the tiny, but dynamic bundle of fun being a big winner over the years.
The bay gelding won the Grantham Cup at Belton and a number of other major events with Vittoria in the saddle.
To mark his achievements Sarah has had the ‘Rock Model Trophy’ designed and made for The Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park in Nottinghamshire, a horse trials also organised by the BEDE Events team who were responsible for the success of Belton for such a long time.
The ‘Rock Model Trophy’ will be awarded to the winner of the 3* Investec sponsored section on the Saturday of The Eventing Spring Carnival.
Vittoria lost Bug, as he was known at home, in 2014 after her ‘best friend’ and the horse that took the Italian rider to her first Olympics died of a heart attack while out hacking at the age of 19.
Standing just 15.3hh Rock Model was by Sarah’s stallion Rock King out of Little Model, a mare she bought at Ascot Sales.
A prolific winner at BEDE organised events Rock Model finished third at Belton in 2013 and second at Oasby in his last run, while winning twice at Belton in his career.
“He took me round the world competing in Hong Kong, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Italy,France and Great Britain” says Vittoria
“He was 16th and double clear at my first Olympics at Beijing in 2008, was eighth and bronze at the Europeans and should have won gold - my fault silver - at the Young Rider Europeans.”
“It is wonderful to mark his career even so many years after his passing and thanks to this new trophy he will continue to shine a light on the fantastic career he and Vittoria had together” added Sarah
