Title contender withdrawn from Burghley: ‘The main thing is he’s healthy and well’

Title contender Lucy Latta withdrew RCA Patron Saint before the Defender Burghley Horse Trials first trot-up this afternoon.

Lucy told H&H: “Unfortunately ‘Paddy’ got a bit of colic after travelling [from Ireland] and we had to give him some pain relief to keep him comfortable. Thankfully he’s 100% back to himself today, and there’s no long term effects but due to the medication we had to withdraw. I’m gutted to miss out on our first Burghley but the main thing is that Paddy is healthy and well!”

Lucy and 13-year-old RCA Patron Saint, by Birkhof’s Grafenstolz, were a surprise sensation on their five-star debut at Badminton Horse Trials in May, when they put in the fastest cross-country round over Eric Winter’s track, just one second over the optimum time, to rocket up the leaderboard and finish second.

Lucy Latta was long-listed for the Irish team for the Paris Olympics, but not selected, so then settled on Burghley Horse Trials as an autumn target.

The pair have been in great form since Badminton, with two double jumping clears at CCI4*-S. They took second place at Aston-le-Walls CCI4*-S in July and then put in a steadier cross-country round at Burgham later that month. On both occasions they scored below 30 in the dressage, which seemed to bode well for improving on that phase from Badminton here at Burghley.

Irish rider Lucy, 27, is a rare amateur rider in the world of top-class eventing. She works full-time in marketing for the alcoholic canned drinks brand White Claw. She is from a family with strong equestrian ties and is coached by her cousin, Irish five-star rider Esib Power.

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