CAPEL HORSE AND PONY CLUB CCI

The season’s first eventing competition burst into action this weekend, drawing an impressive field of 118 Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. As proud sponsors of thee exclusive off-the-track classes and providers of Best Performed OTT awards across all star levels, we were thrilled to see such a strong presence of retired racehorses competing.

Standout Performances by OTT Horses

Thoroughbreds once again shone a light on their athleticism, with three of the four star classes won by an off the track horse. Of the 16 open classes, retired racehorses came away with an impressive six wins.

Super Maxi, the 2025 Melbourne International 3DE 3* champion, made his return to eventing with a win in the 4-star class: a milestone first for both horse and rider at this level.

Isobel Stevens-Menzie and her retired thoroughbred, Distribute (fellow competitors of Charlee and Super Maxi at Melbourne) also started their year off with a decisive win in the 3-star class as the only off the track combination to complete.

The 2-star class, where off-the-track horses made up 77% of the entries, was won by Riley Lyall and Order is Restored. OTTWA Retrainer, Michael Dagostino and his big black gelding, Steel Business, followed closely behind in second place.

OTT Class Breakdown

The dedicated OTT classes delivered some exciting competition, with strong entries across all heights:

• 13 in the EvA95cm
• 20 in the EvA80cm
• 24 in the EvA65cm

Cross‑country proved to be a particular strength for these horses, with every EvA95cm combination finishing clear. The class was won by OTTWA Retrainer, Tegan Cook and her exceptional retired racehorse, Platoon, in a tightly contested field where the top five combinations were separated by only the smallest of margins.

The EvA80cm class showcased exceptional consistency, with Bethany‑Jane Rainbow and Hookham securing the win through a polished dressage performance and two faultless jumping phases. The top eight combinations in this class were incredibly close, reflecting impressive depth of talent.

In the EvA65cm, rising OTT pairs continued to shine. Leah McCoy and Transcendent delivered a near‑perfect performance—including a sub‑30 dressage score and clear rounds across all phases—to take the win. They were closely followed by Ivy Parsons and De Lovely Lad, who’s cross‑country time fell just milliseconds outside the optimum.

We look forward to supporting the next eventing competition in April, with WAYER International Horse Trials set to be another hotly anticipated event.