Irish Sport Horse “Cooley Master Class” makes history as the first horse to win CCI5* in Kentucky
The Irish Sport Horse “Cooley Master Class” and Oliver Townend made history in winning the first ever FEI CCI 5* title at the 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event this weekend, making it their second consecutive year winning the title.
Cooley Master Class (ISH) was bred in Co. Wicklow by John Hagan; the bay gelding is by the late Belgian Warmblood stallion Ramiro B (BWP) out of The Swallow (ISH) by Master Imp (TB). Cooley Master Class (ISH) started his competitive career as a four-year-old, show jumping with Cathal McMunn and was subsequently produced as a five-year-old by Steven Smith. He was then sourced by Richard Sheane of Cooley Farm.
At Kentucky, with one pole separating the top three riders on the final day of the event, Tim Price (NZL) with Xavier Faer lying in third place made a superb clear round, as did Boyd Martin (USA) with Tsetserleg which put all the pressure on Oliver Townend.
However, Townend and Cooley Master Class (ISH) maintained their skill and composure to deliver a faultless round which then denied Martin the opportunity of a home victory. This win for Cooley Master Class (ISH) and Townend made history, being the first to win a back-to-back Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event Title, and the first ever CCI 5* title to be won at this event.
Townend, speaking after winning the Kentucky Three Day Event for the second year in a row with the Irish Sport Horse Cooley Masterclass (ISH), had this to say, “I am so proud, I can’t say what this means. It’s a huge team effort, it hasn’t been an easy journey but we always believed in him and the horse is pure class – it was just my job to press the buttons at the right time and he delivered again.”
A delighted Richard Sheane from Cooley Farm said today “He is a horse I always believed in and we were delighted when he went to Oliver Townend where we knew he would be produced to show his true colours. I think it’s important to reflect on his breeding as he is out of a very high blood percentage dam “The Swallow” (88% TB) and by the very successful continental eventing sire “Ramiro B”. I think if we can breed from high Thoroughbred percentage Irish mares in this way we will continue producing these successful top-class, quality horses. It was wonderful that he won the first ever FEI 5* event in such style.”
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