Marlborough’s Jesse Campbell makes it an Irish double at Millstreet
Jesse Campbell with KaapachinoMarlborough-based event rider Jesse Campbell dominated at the inaugural Drishane Castle International Horse Trials at Millstreet in County Cork where he won both the CIC3* riding Kaapachino and the CIC2* on Cleveland.
Jesse, who is a member of New Zealand Eventing's high performance accelerator squad, won the Noel C Duggan Engineering CIC3* on a score of 44.3 penalties.
Then on a score of 44.7, Jesse also landed the Eventing Ireland CIC2* riding the Dutch Warmblood gelding Cleveland, an eight-year-old by the thoroughbred stallion Watermill Swatch who stands at Loughrea.
The 26-year-old, who celebrated his birthday during the event, said: “It was an incredible venue where the Duggan family had made every effort to make it a superb event. Everything was fantastic, from the facilities to the Mike Etherington-Smith designed cross-country courses, which were stunning. They even amended the schedule so that we were able to catch our ferry in time back to England.”
Kaapachino is a 13-year-old New Zealand thoroughbred that Jesse purchased as a six-year-old and then exported him from New Zealand when he relocated to England in 2010. “He’s my best friend. He’s not the most talented but he always gives me everything and tries so hard. It’s an incredible feeling and he does that every time.”
The pair competed in their first four star at Luhmuhlen earlier this year where they were well placed in the top ten after the dressage and show jumping but slipped down a few places following the final phase of showjumping.
Jesse said: “It's sometimes difficult for these thoroughbreds to showjump well after cross country, but at Millstreet, he showjumped a beautiful clear first before going out and really enjoying himself across country.”
Cleveland franked the popular belief that he is the next superstar for team New Zealand after a faultless display gave them their second two star win this season. “He won at Barbury and then went to Camphire where he finished third in a very competitive class. He’s an incredible horse with a very exciting future,” said Jesse.
More international travels are in prospect for the New Zealander before the eventing season draws to a close with Kaapachino heading to Pau in France at the end of October and Amsterdam, another exciting horse, competing at Boekelo in Germany.
Jesse Campbell is based at Ogbourne Maizey.