PHILLIP DUTTON USA OLYMPIC EVENTER & MR MEDICOTT

Francis Murray General June 25, 2013

 

It was recently announced that the World’s number one event horse, the Irish Sport Horse Mr Medicott, has a new rider. United States Olympic eventer Phillip Dutton has acquired Mr Medicott (ISH) through syndication. The new syndicate members of Bruce Duchossois, Annie Jones, Stephanie Speakman, Tom Tierney and Caroline Moran join the existing shareholders of Sarah and Jerome Broussard, Jacqueline Mars and Suzanne Lacey to complete the revamped ‘Mr. Medicott Syndicate’.

The USEF-sponsored Eventing Owners Task Force (EOTF) was instrumental in ensuring that Mr Medicott found the most suitable rider and remained available for Team USA.

“We had to look at who had the best possibility of getting Cave to the next one or two team events, meaning WEG and the Olympics. We knew it had to be a rider we all thought as a group would have the best probability to maximize the experience Cave already has. Phillip was the one who looked at his program and supporters and decided he wanted to move forward to acquire the ride.” Dr. Mark Hart, chair of the Event Owners Task Force

Dutton has competed in major international events including the 2004 (Athens), 2008 (Beijing) and 2012 (London) Olympic Games as well as the World Equestrian Games in 1998 (Rome), 2002 (Jerez), 2006 (Aachen) and 2010 (Lexington). Mr Medicott will join Phillip Dutton’s impressive string of Irish Sport Horse international eventers which already includes Mighty Nice (ISH), Fernhill Eagle (ISH), Atlas (ISH), William Penn (ISH), Fernhill Fugitive (ISH) and Kilkenny (ISH).

Mr Medicott (ISH) has competed at two Olympic Games to date placing individual 9th at London 2012 with Karen O’Connor (USA) and finishing 25th with Germany’s Frank Ostholt (GER) in Beijing 2008. Last year the Irish bred gelding was the number one horse in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horse (WBFSH) individual eventing rankings which also helped the Irish Sport Horse Studbook to claim the number one position in the WBFSH Eventing studbook rankings. Following a highly successful season in 2012 Mr Medicott was voted United States Eventing Association (USEA) Horse of the Year.

Bred by Dr Donal Geaney in Castleisland, Co. Kerry, Mr Medicott (ISH) was originally named Crag Cave Slievelrach (ISH). Mr Medicott (ISH) is by the Irish Sport Horse stallion Cruising out of Slieveluachra (ISH) by Edmund Burke (USA) (TB). Slieveluachra (ISH) also produced Castlederry (ISH), by Hallo (SF), who jumped successfully with young Italian rider Alessandro Ferrero. The pair placed 2nd in the 2004 Italian Junior National Championships and 3rd CSI2* Gran Prix in Cinzano (Italy), 2006. The Mr Medicott (ISH) full brother Cobrino Cruise (ISH) competed with Laura Renwick (GBR) winning the Midway Grand Prix in 2009. Cobrino Cruise (ISH) is currently competing with Guernsey Showjumper Melanie Round.

The damline of Mr Medicott (ISH) can be traced back to the 1964 Registered Irish Draught mare Bodecia. From this damline the two-time badminton CCI4* winner, Supreme Rock (ISH), has been bred. Supreme Rock (ISH) took 4th place in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games with Pippa Funnell (GBR). Other damline performers include Model Behaviour (ISH), winner of 2011 CNC2* Burnham Market with Francis Whittington (GBR) and Rock Classic (ISH), 2nd CNC2* Tattersalls in 2011 with Irelands Eamon Wycherley.