Classic Briolinca - veni, vidi, vici - she came, she saw, she conquered

This is a long and very personal record of the amazing journey we had with Classic Briolinca, whose life ended quickly and unexpectedly on Friday 27th September.  I am writing a blog post so that people have the choice whether they want to wade through pages of gushing nostalgia or not .....!  I'd like to sum her up first.  She arrived with us in March of her 4th year and left us when she was 18, having won a silver medal at WEG 2022 and a gold medal at the Europeans 2023.  She was absolutely brilliant and our heart horse throughout.

Way back in December 2009 we had a call from some amazing colleagues in the Netherlands.  They told Rebecca Hughes that they had the horse for her.  She was visiting with clients and rang me to say yes, this was THE horse.  But the money was too high for her to make the decision alone for us to buy her jointly so we both made a day trip - driving through ice and snow to ride her again.  The words Rebecca used to described her will stay with me forever.  It was something to the effect that she instinctively closed her body with the half-halt aid and stayed in a natural outline without being asked.  

Let me give you more insight into how much we believed in her.  We did not bother to vet her because we wanted her whatever.  

She arrived at Classic's old London base in March.  My first call was to a colleague Simon Middleton, MD of Zebra Products.  I explained that Rebecca and I had just bought a young horse that was going to go all the way.  He was down in his car that week and fitted her with his best saddle.  He believed in her because he believed in us.  

Two years of slow and steady young horse production followed.  Rebecca is never one to push a horse and if Briolinca would have been a natural Young Horse candidate she would have gone down that route.  But she felt the right route was at home, careful and with attention to detail for the future.  She was out winning at Medium level two years later when Rebecca decided she needed to take her to her home base which was Paradise Farm in Oxfordshire.  She needed to start working Briolinca under husband Gareth Hughes' eye and probably pass her over to him.  Rebecca put our mare first, saying that her potential was so huge she felt that Gareth would be able to fulfil that.

We then had a series of wins over the next 5 years, both nationally and internationally with Briolinca finding all the GP work easy and natural to her.

Probably my most memorable trip was CDI Roosendahl in June 2016.  We were having dinner on the Saturday night and talking about the Brexit vote.  I told Gareth not to worry about it as it was not possible that the UK could possibly vote to leave.  I looked at my phone when I woke up on the Sunday morning and could not believe my eyes.  And now it is prohibitively expensive to use international shows as training trips as we did in those heady days. 

Lots of ups and downs in that period - probably the worst being the Nations Cup in Rotterdam 2017.  5 Minutes before she was due to enter the famous arena, Gareth did a line of extended trot.  Exactly over the centre line she had the tiniest of missteps.  Very missable.  Apart from that we all saw it and he stopped immediately and got off.  That was the longest 10 minutes in the empty main arena!  You see that the journey is massive and full of challenges.  Nursed through all this by the incredible Steph Sharples - Gareth's Yard Manager and PA to Briolinca.

2019 Was when Briolinca's time came.  We went to CDI Compiegne in France in early Spring and she started getting THE SCORES.  77% If I remember correctly.  That is team selection material and we knew it.  The field was large and the riders unanimously gave Gareth and Briolinca the credit as the best duo.

And Rotterdam of the same year was just further confirmation of how absolutely brilliant this horse and rider were.  It was the European Championships and the team were looking good for a silver medal which duly was announced as our last rider finished her test.  Everyone scurrying to hop on the horses for the prize giving when a further announcement put a stop to all the excitement.  The final rider had been eliminated so we were out and the Swedish popped into medal position.  I attended the press conference that day and was overwhelmed by the generosity of Isabell Werth's words.  Before taking credit for their Gold, she spoke so kindly and generously about the British Team and this terrible turn of events for us.  A bad day for the team but three personal best's for Briolinca, the H&H cover and Best of the Brits!

Briolinca missed out on selection for the Tokyo Olympics due to health issues.  But now I must mention our great friend of many, many years - Judy Firmston-Williams.  She bought a gorgeous horse for Gareth to compete - Sintano Van Hof Olympia.  Sintano travelled to Tokyo, won silver at the Europeans in 2021 and the Nationals too.  And in perfect Judy FW style never stepped on Briolinca's toes!!  Our beautiful mare never squeezed him out and him not her - they both had their moments.  What love!

WEG in Denmark was an amazing Team Silver again and Briolinca's best Freestyle to new music (Madonna) created by Tom Hunt.  She was placed 5th.  We were just gobsmacked.  However, as the crowd are so keen to join in, they taught Briolinca that NO, she did not have to halt at the end!  We loved everything about her and just shrugged.  Throughout her winning spree she had an amazing team - one of which was Aron Tyler her farrier - who travelled to most of her shows to support and help.

 

And the icing on the cake was the European Championships in Reesenbeck 2023.  Previous championships were so much fun, scrabbling up the ladder from underdog.  Arriving tipped for gold was much harder.  Retaining the top slot is hard hard hard.  The team were incredible and romped it.  And it was Becky Moody's first moment as she was picked as travelling reserve.  And weren't great things to come for her.  We also loved that trip as up-and-coming star Ruby Hughes joined us!

During Spring 2024 Briolinca was in peak fitness and we were debating whether to campaign her for Paris 2024.  But for us all as a team we wanted her to bow our of her competitive career on a high.  And this was her opportunity to show Ruby Hughes the ropes as well!   That was not to be.  She came down with sudden severe colic. Our local vets Avonvale were luckily there anyway so within minutes she was whisked off to their specialist unit.  We owed her to look after her in life as well as death.  Rebecca and Steph were with her - thank you both.

Briolinca's legacy is huge.  For Gareth, Rebecca, Ruby, Steph, me and all of British Dressage and British Equestrian.  The final word must be that it takes a team to get there.  A team that never gives up and has the end game in sight!

Classic Briolinca 2006-2024.  We will always love you
In Gareth's words he lost the love of his life

Image Horse&Hound

PS there is one last thing!  National Championships 2018 when Briolinca won the Grand Prix.  All she needed to do was a beautiful Freestyle to become overall Champion but no.  The music was just too loud or maybe not to her taste? !!  Gareth had to retire as the excitement was just too much and so handed the title to Lara Butler who - bless her - didn't want it at Briolinca's expense!