O'Hanlon Eventing

09/05/2026

The best of the best

09/03/2026

🐎 ONE FINAL CANTER: EVENTING LEGEND BALLAGHMOR CLASS TO RETIRE AT BURGHLEY

One of the greatest event horses of modern times is preparing to take his final lap in the arena where he created some of his most unforgettable memories.

Ballaghmor Class, the much-loved grey gelding ridden by Oliver Townend, will be officially retired from eventing during a special ceremony at the 2026 Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

Now 19, Ballaghmor Class—affectionately known as Thomas—has enjoyed an extraordinary career at the highest level of the sport.

He won four five-star events, claimed Olympic team gold for Great Britain in Tokyo and twice conquered the famous Burghley course.

His first Burghley victory came in 2017, when he announced himself as an exceptional talent. Six years later, he returned to win the title again in 2023, demonstrating the courage, consistency and longevity that made him one of eventing’s most admired horses.

On Sunday, 6 September, Thomas and Oliver will canter around Burghley’s Main Arena together one final time.

It will be a fitting farewell in the place where the partnership enjoyed two of its greatest triumphs. The moment is expected to be deeply emotional for Oliver, Thomas’s owners, connections and the thousands of spectators who have followed his remarkable career.

The Princess Royal will also attend Burghley that day in her roles as president of World Horse Welfare and the British Eventing Support Trust. She will present the prizes following the concluding showjumping phase as part of a special day celebrating British equestrian achievement.

But for many eventing supporters, the sight of Ballaghmor Class entering the arena for the final time may be the moment they remember most.

Retirement is not a sad ending for this magnificent horse. It is the reward he has earned after years of courage, athleticism and unwavering partnership.

Thomas has nothing left to prove.

He leaves the sport as a dual Burghley champion, a four-time five-star winner, an Olympic gold medallist and, above all, a horse loved and respected by people around the world.

One final canter. One enormous cheer. And then the peaceful retirement of a true eventing legend.

Enjoy every moment, Thomas. You have earned it. ❤️

09/02/2026

Want a more powerful, balanced, and responsive trot? Try trot-walk-trot transitions! These help engage the hindquarters, improve trot quality, and can even help settle a horse that's feeling a little fresh!

Give this exercise a go: Ride trot-walk-trot transitions in the corners of your arena. Gradually reduce the number of walk steps in each corner to refine your horse’s balance and response - just like in the picture below!

Give it a go and let us know how your horse feels in the comments!

🐴 Share this post with your horsey friends.

09/02/2026

🐴 At sixty-two, at his eighth Olympic Games, Andrew Hoy won two medals in a single day and became the oldest Olympic medallist Australia has ever had.

On 2 August 2021 at the Tokyo Games, Hoy took team eventing silver alongside Shane Rose and Kevin McNab, and individual bronze — both on the same horse, both on the same afternoon.

The horse was Vassily de Lassos, a twelve-year-old Anglo-Arab gelding owned by Paula and David Evans together with Hoy and his wife Stefanie. Hoy bought him from the French rider Tom Carlile on 13 May 2017, the same day he married Stefanie.

Hoy first went to the Olympics at Los Angeles in 1984. He won team gold at Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000, and individual silver at Sydney. That gives him six Olympic medals — three gold, two silver, one bronze. Among Australian men only Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett have won more.

Twenty-one years separate his two individual medals.

The individual final read: Julia Krajewski on 26.00, Tom McEwen on 29.30, Hoy on 29.60. Australia's team total was 100.20, behind Great Britain's 86.30.

Which rider's longevity in the sport has impressed you most?

08/31/2026