<a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/06/laura-collett-from-hell-to-equestrian-heaven/" title="Laura Collett, from hell to equestrian heaven”>Noble Springbok, the Irish-bred eventing pony who won nine European Championship medals with three different riders, has died. Laura Collett’s career-making pony has turned 27 years old.
Laura Collett started her equestrian career with show ponies. Her mother bought the ponies, Collett trained them and then sold them. This is how the rider ended up with Noble Springbok, which was offered for sale in Horse & Hound. The Colletts bought the pony for £5,500. In 2005, Collett qualified for the European Championships with the pony, where she won team gold and individual bronze. By the end of that year she had outgrown the ponies and Noble Springbok was sold. With the proceeds, Collett bought a truck, a walker and three or four young horses. One of these was Rayef, with whom she finished eighth at the Badminton Horse Trials in 2011 and participated in her first European Championship among seniors.
Medals
Noble Springbok continued his career under the saddle of Libby Soley. With this rider he ran two European Championships, which resulted in team gold and bronze and individual gold and silver. The pony then ended up with Grace Walker. With Walker he ran two more European Championships, resulting in team gold and bronze and individual bronze. He took a sporting retirement in 2014.
Bron: H&H
