27/05/2026
Second place, Best Condition Award, oldest horse in the class… and one very special comeback story. 💚
Huge congratulations to Andrea Champ and her wonderful 19-year-old Arab mare, Druimghigha Lantana, who finished second in the two-day 80km class at the iconic Golden Horseshoe Ride — and, most importantly, took home the coveted Best Condition Award.
Held on Exmoor, the Golden Horseshoe is one of endurance riding’s most historic and demanding events. This year brought an extra challenge, with very hot conditions widely reported as some of the toughest in recent years. But Andrea and Lantana showed exactly what endurance is all about: partnership, patience, experience and riding to the conditions.
“I’m thrilled,” said Andrea. “She had a heart rate of 43bpm at the end, which really surprised me given how hot it was. We didn’t go fast, we rode to the conditions, but I’m very proud of her as we have had a couple of rough years.
“At Golden Horseshoe, she has done the 120km and the 160km in the past, and I’m really glad that we’re back on our game. She’s 19 now, so she’s not a young horse anymore.”
Lantana’s Golden Horseshoe record is already an impressive one, including being awarded Bronze in the 160km class, winning the Exmoor Fox class, and earning Gold in the 120km class in 2022. But after Andrea badly broke her collarbone when Lantana fell on the second day of the 160km class in 2023, followed by a freak accident in last year’s one-day 80km class, this result meant even more.
The pair returned to competition this season with second place at Haywood Oaks and sixth in the 54km at Breamore Downs before heading back to Exmoor.
Andrea also paid tribute to their support team: “We couldn’t have achieved all this without our top crew Cecilia Lindberg, who was meticulous in her care of both of us.”
Reflecting on the course, Andrea added: “I enjoyed it immensely. The organising committee decided to move the start times an hour earlier, which made a tremendous difference to us. The route was fantastic, very varied, and the going was perfect.”
A brilliant achievement for a very special mare and a partnership that continues to inspire. 👏
David Saunders Photography
