Vale 'Lofty'
Eleanor Osborne and all at Highborne Farm are mourning the loss of “Mighty High” aka “Lofty” who passed away suddenly of a suspected heart attack at home at Highborne Farm on 21/4/14 aged 17 yrs.
Lofty was the 17 hands, 8 yr. old ex racehorse, untried at eventing, found in the back yard of a small semi - rural property by Eleanor’s then pony club instructor and mentor, Steve Ling. Over six years the combination progressed from EvA 80 to successfully complete their first Adelaide 4*. They returned to the Adelaide 4* in 2011 and finished 8th in a 35 horse field, the highest placing achieved by a Qld horse to date, with Eleanor as a result winning Qld International rider of the year.
His loss is compounded by the fact that after two bouts of surgery and extended periods of rehabilitation he had successfully completed another Sydney 3* 3DE in 2013 and was on track for another crack at the Adelaide 4*.
A tough but gentle, no nonsense, animal he will be remembered as the horse that taught Eleanor an immense amount and under the guidance of her coach Tony Manca , allowed her to kick start her ambitions of a long term international eventing career.
The “Mighty High” memorial trophy, a perpetual trophy donated by the Osborne family, will be presented by Eleanor in” Lofty’s” memory to the winner of the 3* event at this year’s QI3DE.
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