Tamarillo

Known for his quirky attitude, this spooky part-bred Arab proved brilliantly athletic after a sticky start. Catherine Austen pays homage to this class act

- Catherine Austen

TAMARILLO

Bay gelding, 16.2hh, 1992–2015, by Tarnik out of Mellita (Master Spiritus) Bred by the Hon Finn and Mary Guinness; owned by Mary Guinness Mary says: “Mellita was so amazing – copybook beautiful. I hunted her and Diana Burgess evented her for a period. And Lucinda Green actually won an event on her, too. Her dam, Darya, was an Arab.”

William Fox-Pitt and Tamarillo en route to the gelding’s final victory, at Burghley in 2008. “That was very special,” says William. “He was in a class of his own across the country that day”

“HE was an absolute showman, but in no way was he arrogant; a show prince who wanted to look lovely, but needed your approval and reassurance. He felt he was important, but not superior,” says William Fox-Pitt.

Anyone who took even a passing interest in eventing in the first decade of this century knows which horse he is talking about – the quixotic, charming Tamarillo, whose unmistakable dished face revealed his Arab blood.

Together they won both Badminton and Burghley and several medals for Britain but, such was Tamarillo’s brilliance when on the form that one almost feels they never quite achieved the one pinnacle they deserved – that championship victory.

“He was a dream. He was bred for the job and I knew what I had the moment I saw him OWNER MARY GUINNESS