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‘He loved it’: Olympic medal-winning eventer comes back from injury to shine showjumping

Eleanor Jones Eleanor Jones

    • Olympic gold and silver medal-winning eventer Toledo De Kerser has been out showjumping – looking fabulous and enjoying every moment.

    The 18-year-old and Tom McEwen made a guest appearance at Wellington Riding Centre’s British Showjumping fixture yesterday (27 October), jumping double clear on a ticket, or hors concour, in the Blue Chip power (1.10m) qualifying class.

    Toledo, who is owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns and Tom’s mother Ali, has not evented since 2023, when he sustained an injury. He and Tom featured in a Carl Hester masterclass at Burghley this year when, as Carl said, he “still looked five years old”, fit, well and happy.

    Tom told H&H his old friend was delighted to be out.

    “He’s doing really well,” he said. “We’re finding things for him to do, without doing too much. He’s a good age now but he likes doing things, it’s good for him mentally and physically – and he really enjoyed being out.”

    Toledo won Pau CCI5* in 2019 with Tom and had three other top-10 places at five-star level, not to mention his Olympic team gold and individual silver in 2021 and world team gold in 2018. He is by the legendary showjumping sire Diamant De Semilly, and he was flying yesterday – had his and Tom’s been a competitive rather than an HC round, they would have qualified for the Blue Chip Winter Showjumping Championships next year.

    “He’d been out once to Rectory Farm to do a 90cm or 1m class,” said Tom. “He loved his jump round, and he was looking for people watching him afterwards; I’m not sure there were many at Wellington! But he loved it.

    “The idea is to do random bits and bobs, from the Burghley [demo] to a jump round; whatever it takes to keep his life interesting. And it shows the old boys can enjoy a life after eventing.”

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    Eleanor Jones
    Eleanor Jones

    H&H news editor
    Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
    Eleanor Jones

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