Next stop Maryland for Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent

 

An Eventful Life filmed all competitors on cross country at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials – order or view videos here

The current World Number One Oliver Townend has some very talented grey horses in his stable, including the 2023 Burghley winner Ballaghmor Class, but it is a rising star of Oliver’s stable that is heading to contest the CCI5* at the Mars Maryland CCI5* at Fair Hill from 19th – 22nd October.

The nine-year-old mare has been with Oliver since she was four years of age and has shown plenty of potential since the early days of her competition career. She was runner-up in the Six-Year-Old World Young Horse Championship at Le Lion d’Angers in 2020 and most recently she won the 8/9 Year Old Championship at Blenheim Palace International

"This horse is something different” said Oliver at Blenheim “We've had her since a four-year-old and she's been special since the word go. She's got lots of blood and she really wants to do it; she had her ears pricked all the way round the cross-country."

Oliver will be hoping that she has the same attitude at Maryland, which will be her second start of CCI5* level, after tackling the CCI5* at Luhmuhlen in June. She picked up 20 penalties on cross country there, and at such a young age it would be surprising if she didn’t have a few whoopsies at the highest level of competition, but she is still one we love to watch on cross country and we’re looking forward to seeing her at Maryland.

With the draw order now released, we will see Oliver and Cooley Rosalent fourth last on the dressage and cross country draw

Follow our full coverage of the Mars Maryland CCI5* at Fair Hill here

Oliver Townend rides Cooley Rosalent on cross country to win the CCI4*-S at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials 2023 | An Eventful Life