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Ballaghmor Class – celebrating the career of this outstanding five-star eventing hero

Catherine Austen Catherine Austen

    • Exceptionally athletic and a supreme trier, this sensitive character met his ideal match in Oliver Townend and they went on to become one of the greatest partnerships in eventing history, as Catherine Austen explains in this exclusive article for H&H subscribers

    Diamonds are forever – except in the case of horses, they are not. Ballaghmor Class is a diamond. He has dazzled at the very top of eventing for the best part of a decade, illuminating CCI5* level at a time when it has threatened to drop into shade. But he is not immortal, and, at the age of 19, it is time for him to retire.

    Oliver Townend, Ballaghmor Class’s partner and jockey for 15 years, says: “Of course I will miss [competing] him – although he’s not going anywhere – he’s my best mate. That’s probably pretty sad, but it’s true. All the things we’ve done together, for so many years… But, touch wood, all my top horses’ careers have finished in the right way, with them well and happy; I’ve always called ‘time’ before they did.”

    In a career that started in September 2012 and concluded in October 2025, the standout statistics are these: four CCI5* wins, two at Defender Burghley Horse Trials, one at Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event and one at Mars Maryland 5 Star. Ten consecutive top-five placings at CCI5*. An Olympic team gold medal. Numerous other victories merely as warm-ups for those five-stars. A total of 2,845 British Eventing points. He is a hero of the sport, a cross-country deity whose spiritual homes were the world’s biggest, most challenging courses.

    Behind the headlines is a shy, brave, wilful, affectionate and needy character whose relationship with Oliver runs extremely deep. His stable is directly opposite Oliver’s bedroom window and everything about Ballaghmor Class’s life has been meticulously organised to suit the vagaries of his character for 15 years.

    Oliver Townend rests his head on Ballaghmor Class's neck after showjumping clear at Kentucky 2021

    This relationship between horse and rider runs deep – “He’s my best mate” says Oliver. Credit: Cal Sport Media

    How this special relationship began

    Enjoy more exclusive insight from Ballaghmor Class’s travelling groom Jess McKie, his part owner Karyn Shuter and Equiratings’ Sam Watson in Horse & Hound magazine, in shops from Thursday 29 January

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