10 of the greats

From the inaugural winner to a modern day star, Ellie Hughes, Catherine Austen and Pippa Roome pick Burghley’s horse heroes

- Ellie Hughes, Catherine Austen and Pippa Roome pick

His dam pulled a dray and he was wanted by the circus, but Lorna Clarke’s Popadom found his place in the eventing history books, claiming Burghley in 1967

Popadom

OF all the Burghley winners, Lorna Clarke’s skewbald cob with the hogged mane was surely the most unlikely. His mother pulled a dray.

“When it came to buying him as a youngster, his new owner, Jennifer Harrison, had to haggle with Chipperfield’s Circus, which was desperate to have him,” says Lorna.

In the end, Jennifer purchased Popadomfor £40 and the gelding soon found his niche eventing.

At the time of his Burghley win in 1967, he was certainly not Lorna’s first string. But he was quickly promoted when he jumped one of only half a dozen penalty-free cross-country rounds over a tough course that wiped out more than half the field.

Merely-A-Monarch scored emphatic wins at both Burghley and Badminton under Anneli Drummond-Hay

Merely-A- Monarch

THE first of the 12 horses who have won both Burghley and Badminton was Merely-A Monarch, who took the inaugural Burghley in 1961, aged six. On this occasion and winning Badminton the next spring, he was more than 40 points clear of the field.

Anneli Drummond-Hay then took Merely-A-Monarch showjumping, where he had a spectacular second career.

“He was gorgeous-looking with incredible scope; stunningly brave and careful. He was a class horse in a league of his own,” remembers Lucinda Green.

Merely-A-Monarch’s grandmother was a Fell pony.

“That pony blood made him so intelligent,” Anneli remembers. “He was a freak.”

The rider once took Merely-A-Monarch for a pipe-opener at a leading trainer’s gallops.