‘One of those things’: five-star winner ruled out of Kentucky and Badminton
Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue will not contest a spring five-star, following a “setback in training”.
The 2023 Maryland 5 Star winners were entered for both Mars Badminton Horse Trials (6-10 May) and Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (23-26 April) and were expected to compete at the latter. After withdrawing from Badminton yesterday (8 April), they have now also withdrawn from Kentucky.
Austin confirmed to H&H that he and 17-year-old Colorado Blue – who were third at Badminton last year and runners-up at Defender Burghley Horse Trials – would not be travelling to the US.
“He’s had a bit of a setback in training, but hopefully it’s fairly short-term. We’re going to give Badminton and Kentucky a miss this time, and hopefully have him back out in five or six weeks,” said Austin.
Austin and Colorado Blue finished sixth in Thoresby Park’s four-star Grantham Cup at the weekend (3–5 April) in what was their prep run for Kentucky.
“He was on great old form, it’s just one of those things. We’re going to miss a five-star this spring but it’s not the end of the world,” he said.
“Hopefully we’ll have Aachen [the World Championships on 11-23 August] to look forward to.”
As reported yesterday, Ireland’s Joseph Murphy has withdrawn Belline Fighting Spirit from Kentucky – but he remains on the Badminton entry list, so is expected to run at the Gloucestershire event.
Padraig McCarthy is now the only remaining Irish entry for Kentucky, with Rachel and Sarah Gough’s and his own Pomp N Circumstance. There are 35 entries remaining from the original 37 for the US CCI5*.
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