Sandhills - Craig and Prue Barrett

19/08/2026

Aachen World Championships

What an experience! We have had the full World Championship experience: a wonderful horse and rider selected, a fantastic support crew, lots of friends to cheer us on and a fabulous Australian team management group.

The Australian supporters who we had never met came up to us and bought a beer for us. How good is it to be Australian on the other side of the world?! You guys are the best - thank you!

We are so grateful to share this experience with many people. Some made it to Aachen, some shared it from home.

Particular mentions must go to Claudia Smith who looked after Briar for the past 2 weeks. Your attention to Briar and his needs - anyone who knows him, knows there are a lot! - keeping him happy and content, we are truly grateful🙏❤️

I’m guessing that Oliver and Briars’ combined age would be the lowest competing in the Eventing at Aachen. To compete at the pinnacle of the sport at this stage in their careers is an enormous thrill for us and we are immensely proud of them both.

Their dressage was their best yet and with just a couple of small mistakes we believe there is very low score awaiting soon. Briar coped with the atmosphere so well and we think quite pleased to be having so much attention!

The xc was tough but fair, just what you would expect for a World Championship track. They were travelling so well until Fence 17 where a misreading of the angled brush brought them unstuck. Disappointing? You bet. But this is what this sport is, highs and lows, often within the same 24hr period.

We would have loved to watch them tackle the sj course the following day in the main stadium. Rod Brown had even made the trip from Oz for that one! Thanks Rod🙏

Now to plan B, or C… Briar and Oliver are on route to the UK with the aim of competing at Blenheim 4*L in September. Thank you to Sammi Birch for accomodating them both🙏

Thanks to everyone for your support especially:
Australian Equestrian Team for the best team management
Bates Saddles for supplying the best saddles and being there to cheer us on
Pryde's EasiFeed for sending our feed with us. Briar refused to eat anything but Prydes!
Toptac International for supporting us with Carr & Day & Martin and sending it all to us in Belgium for training camp
Majyk Equipe Australia for the best xc boots and xc saddlecloth
Tech Stirrups for best stirrups ever
Plusvital Australia & New Zealand for sending Briars supplements directly to our European base

And to our family and friends who continue to be there for us no matter the outcome - we thank you!🙏

11/08/2026

Keep dreaming and believing!!!

“But at the end of the day, it does come back to the love of the horse." 💖

At eight years old, Oliver Barrett watched Chris Burton win in Aachen from the stands, 13 years later, he returns to the iconic venue for his own FEI Eventing World Championship campaign! 🇦🇺🤩

Alongside homebred Sandhills Briar, 22 year old Oliver is hoping to bring his Australian success to Europe and mark his full-circle journey with unforgettable memories and hopefully a medal! 🐴🏅

Get to know Oliver and his journey 👉 https://www.fei.org/stories/sport/eventing/oliver-barrett-returns-aachen-where-he-first-fell-sport-eight-years-old

06/08/2026

Prydes have been with us every step of the way. Briar has never eaten anything else. We were so relieved when we were given the green light to take EasiResponse with him on the trip🤗

Oliver Barrett is ready to take on the world 🇦🇺🔥

One week out from the FEI World Equestrian Championships 2026, Barrett and his homebred Sandhills Briar are gearing up for the biggest test of their careers. From a homebred horse to the world stage, the story behind their rise is something special.

Head over to our website to read how Barrett is preparing to take on the world’s best, with Pryde's playing a crucial part in his preparations ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21x4Im8

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Sandhills - Craig and Prue Barrett

30/07/2026

24/07/2026

Congratulations to Oliver Barrett and Sandhills Briar on their selection to the Australian Equestrian Team for the 2026 FEI World Championships 💙❤️

Years of preparation and one incredible partnership, powered by Pryde’s, has resulted in a goal fulfilled. We can’t wait to see what this combination can do on our sport's biggest stage.

Follow along as we support Oliver and his team on his journey to ✨

14/07/2026

The announcement we’ve been waiting for!!!!
Many congratulations to everyone named on the Australian Eventing Team to compete in Aachen, Germany next month.
We are so proud of own Oliver Barrett Eventing and Sandhills Briar to be named in the team💫
We are also excited that Olivia Barton Eventing and her homebred APH Sodoku have been named.
Briar and Skippy are mates from way back when they were competing in young horse classes together with their previous older riders😜 They are born the same month of the same year too! We couldn’t have predicted them making their team debut together too!
There is a huge number of people who contribute to this and we would like to thank
Jo Holt and Brodie from Equine Podiatry & Lameness Centre
Bob Sim Awcf Asf
Rod Brown Equus Australia
Bates Saddles
Pryde's EasiFeed
Ariat Australia
Toptac International
Majyk Equipe Australia
Tech Stirrups
Plusvital Australia & New Zealand

15/06/2026

Melbourne International 3 Day Event

This event just gets better and better. Thank you everyone for making this event truly remarkable.

We had 7 horses from Sandhills travel to Melbourne this year.

Oliver Barrett Eventing had his own Tempranado place 5th in the CCI3*L.

jesper.barrett.eventing rode his own Satodaze in the CCN1*L. This is a beautiful young horse with a very bright future and Jesper rode him so well.

Hannah Deegan placed 2nd in the CCN1*L on her lovely Zipalon HK.

Ella McCrum was 3rd on Hez All That Jazz in the CCI2*YR and part of the winning WA team. Her other horse Thunder God, was 9th in the CCN1*L.

Olivia Shore rode Eliva Castana in the CCI4*S with a great start in the dressage but unfortunately Ivy decided it wasn’t in her plan to complete xc. Their day will come!!!

Lydia Proctor and Sandhills Style finished 7th in the CCI2*YR.

We are very proud to have 6 Sandhills bred horses competing at Melbourne and a huge congratulations to Andrew Cooper Eventing and to the owners of Sandhills Cristiano for his win in the CCI3*L.
Congratulations also to Liam Mackenzie Smith and Sandhills Invader for being the winning junior in the CCI2*L.

Bates Saddles
Ariat Australia
Pryde's EasiFeed
Majyk Equipe Australia
Tech Stirrups
Toptac International

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Tazzie Eggins Photography
Mane Memories Photography
Click Capture
Manestream Media
Chloe Tianah Photography

27/05/2026

Clue No 2 for the next episode of Between the Flags below 👇

The next clue for episode 4.

Seems yesterday’s clue was a stumper!!

Spotify and Apple Podcasts this Thursday at 7.30pm is the place to find out for sure, it’s a great listen.

15/05/2026

New episode of Between the Flags featuring our own Oliver Barrett is out now. See how to listen below
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