TRAGEDY marred a super weekend’s eventing at Gatcombe Park as Spring Along, the popular horse ridden by Daisy Berkeley, died of a suspected heart attack whilst on the cross country course.

Olympic eventer Berkeley, who gave birth to daughter Mary Beatrice in January, was giving the 18-year-old bay gelding his first run out of the season at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Estate, prior to being entered at the Mitsubishi Badminton Horse Trials at the end of April.

The horse died instantly after collapsing at fence 23a (the Supercharged Steps Up), on the 25-fence Intermediate course designed by HRH the Princess Royal and Pattie Bidden.

Berkeley herself sustained minor cuts and bruises, and was understandably very upset at the loss of her long-term partner.

Having arrived with Berkeley as a five-year-old, Spring Along went on to represent Britain four times, achieving team gold at the 2007 European Championships, silver at the World Equestrian Games in 2006 and bronze at the 2008 Hong Kong Olympics.

Spring Along and Berkeley took third place at Badminton last year before going on to win the British Open Championships at the Festival of British Eventing in August.

However, other local riders did especially well at the event, including Zara Phillips, who took Tiger Lily IX to a superb victory on home ground in the Novice (D) class on Saturday.

Her other two rides, Silver Lining and Lord Lauries, did not fare so well in Sunday’s Advanced Intermediate Class, finishing well down the placings in 40th and 41st place.

The class was ultimately won by Chipping Sodbury’s Nick Gauntlett, riding Elektron, with Andrew Nicholson coming in second riding Mr Cruise Control and Louise Skelton riding Partly pickled in third place.

“I’m really pleased,” said Gauntlett, who is still not quite up to full fitness following an operation to remove his spleen a month ago.

“I’m hopefully taking him to Badminton with Rocket Science, so if all goes well I think we stand a good chance. It’s terrific motivation for me to get fully fit because obviously Badminton is where we all want to ride.

“Thankfully I’ve got a good team behind me who have been keeping the horses fit while I’ve been off. It feels like they’ve done the hard work and I’ve just taken the glory.”

Gauntlett also achieved success in the Open Intermediate Class, coming third on Penguin Ice.

The class was won by British team member Oliver Townend on Gorsehill Star, with second place taken by Sam Griffiths on Real Dancer.