Grace Cooper wins top event and aims to get on Olympics long list

Grace Cooper, 26, from Backbarrow, said that not many people in the Lakes compete in higher level eventing, joking 'it's definitely the wrong part of the country to be based' as the south-west is better known in equestrian circles. 

Grace tackles a jump with Bertie (Image: Louise O'Brien Photography)

Grace competed as an amateur with her horse who is formally known as Cedarmount Cavalier but she calls him Bertie. 

Grace and Bertie competed at Lisgarvan House International, in County Carlow, Ireland, in August. It was their first CCI4*L which is the equivalent or harder level to the one used at the Olympics. 

She said that the north west is not a typical place for eventing (Image: Louise O'Brien Photography)

They are now qualified for 5* level competitions, the hardest in eventing, and of which there are only six in the world. Grace earned €2,300 for winning the competition. 

She said during dressage Bertiw was 'really good, quite focused.' The pair had a day off between the dressage and the cross country, which gave Grace time to look at the course. 

Grace and Bertie performing dressage (Image: Louise O'Brien Photography)

"I prepared for how we were going to make it as quick as possible," she said. 

"He made everything feel really easy."

About two-thirds of the way around the course, she saw a rider next to their horse, meaning that it had not completed a jump. 

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"It always makes you think, she's a five star rider and if she's had a problem I need to really make sure I look at the fence because it's a tricky one." 

When he made the jump, Grace said 'it was brilliant.' 

Bertie is kept in a field in the Lyth Valley or at a yard in Broughton. They train with Nicola Wilson, who is an ex-Olympian. 

"With this result now we are Olympic quality," she said. Her aim now is to put them on the long list for Los Angeles in 2028.