The eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S at Blenheim produced several horses with international potential. This brief profiles five that stood out: Faerie Good Golly, Rosa’s Party, Kilcoltrim Cooley, La La Land D’Arville and The Highlander.
Faerie Good Golly is a full-type match to her dam Classic Moet and produced an eye-catching cross-country performance for Jonelle Price.
La La Land D’Arville carries direct familial links to five-star success through her half-sister Hooney D’Arville and impressed with her attitude to cross-country.
The Highlander has an unblemished international jumping record and two prior four-star wins, making him a proven prospect despite a steady Blenheim run.
Trials eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S is watched closely because previous winners have gone on to five-star success. At Blenheim this year a mix of embryo-born foals, established four-star winners and lightly campaigned youngsters all caught attention. Below are concise profiles of five horses that stood out for breeding, performance or proven results.
Faerie Good Golly is an eight-year-old mare by Upsilon and out of Classic Moet, the 2018 Badminton winner. Born by embryo transfer and bred by Tim and Jonelle Price, she is ridden by Jonelle and owned by a syndicate including Maggie and Mark Woolhouse. At Blenheim she delivered a powerful cross-country ride that echoed her dam's style. The mare's breeding and physical presence mark her as one to watch as she gains experience at higher levels.
Ridden by Australia's Sammi Birch, this eight-year-old chestnut by the late Party Trick scored 28.3 in dressage and jumped double clear, adding 10.8 cross-country time faults to finish 10th. Bred by Nick Gauntlett and owned by the Party Horses Club, Rosa's Party has only been eventing for two years. Birch highlighted the mare's temperament and brain, noting she remains relatively inexperienced but enjoys the sport—attributes useful for a progressive career.
A pint-sized grey by Herald 3 and out of Nooney Blue, La La Land D'Arville is a half-sister to Hooney D'Arville, Lara de Liedekerke-Meier's five-star winner at Luhmühlen in 2024. Bred by Larga Sprl and owned by Five Star Eventers, she was brought to Blenheim mainly for exposure to the atmosphere. Lara described her as small but fiercely competitive with a big heart and a clear enthusiasm for cross-country, traits that informed the decision to give her experience at Blenheim rather than to target a result.
The Diacontinus son, bred by Nicole Nehm, already has two four-star wins to his name and had an unblemished international jumping record going into Blenheim. Ridden by Tim Price and owned by a syndicate including Gillian and Stephen Brooker, Ginny Rusher and Glynn Norcutt, The Highlander finished lower in the Blenheim standings after a measured cross-country run but remains an exciting prospect given his previous performances and spotless jumping record this season.
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