‘She was like a dancer’: farewell to ‘sound and tough’ five-star mare, aged 23

Guy Avis has paid tribute to his “wonderful” five-star mare KBIS Briarlands Matilda, who has died aged 23.

The 15.2hh mare and Izzy Taylor twice finished seventh at Burghley in 2012 and 2014, and competed for Britain as an individual at two Europeans, finishing sixth at the Blair-hosted championships in 2015.

Mr Avis and the late Lorna Schuster bred Matilda out of Briarlands Appleby, by the stallion Miley, and the mare lived with Guy her whole life. He did the early work with her, as he is now with her four-year-old Eden Park D’Argan son, as well as her exercising and fitness work throughout her life.

“She was wonderful,” said Mr Avis, who also rode Matilda’s dam and grand-dam.

“She was so sensible. I could get off to open a gate, then climb up the gate to get back on. I backed her and hunted her as a four-year-old with the Heythrop, and she went on from there.”

Matilda started her eventing career with Tristram Owers, before Izzy gained the ride in 2008. She had a string of runner-up places during her two-star (now three-star) campaign and finished third in her first CCI3* (now CCI4*-L) at Blenheim in 2009.

Her other top results included third at Bramham in 2012, multiple places at three-star (now four-star), as well as her Blair Europeans result and two seventh place finishes at Burghley.

“To look at her, she wasn’t outstanding to look at. She didn’t have a tremendous amount of presence, which is why she struggled a bit with the dressage,” said Mr Avis, remembering being brought to tears of pride when she produced “an amazing test” at the 2013 Europeans in Malmo (“she beat most of the Germans!”).

“It was her jumping [that made her so good] – to watch her showjump would take your breath away. She was like a dancer, so light on her feet and so well balanced.

“She competed until she was about 18 – she was a very sound and tough mare.”

Matilda had three foals. The eldest of these is Briarlands Sweetango, who was an embryo transfer by Jumbo as part of the best mare prize she won at Burghley and whom Izzy competed to intermediate.

Guy has her two part-bred offspring at home – a filly who “looks just like Matilda” and the four-year-old, who is starting his education and already showing an aptitude for jumping.

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