Kaapachino
Kaapachino is a premier team member he represented New Zealand at Boekelo 2015 Nations Cup with the responsibility of securing Rio Olympic qualification for New Zealand Eventing – which we did. Earlier in the year we had our 4* debut at Germany’s magnificent Luhmuhlen International where he scored 75.50 dressage placing us at the close of the first dressage day one place from Michael Jung and his Olympic gold medal and World Champion horse. Kaapachino went on to run a faultless cross-country winning the Cross-Country prize for completing Captain Mark Phillips course bang on the optimum time. He made it feel so easy. In every way he is a gentleman and my best friend.
Jesse and Kaapachino competing at Boekelo International help qualify NZ Eventing team for Rio Olympic Games
Kaapachino’s Story
As I drove to Luhmuhlen in late 2015 I knew there was no other horse in the world I wanted to ride at my 4* debut, he tries so hard for me and always gives his best. Who would have known Kaapy was hospitalized with a serious bacterial infection only a few months before his outstanding 4* debut. After Luhmuhlen we went on to win the Mittstreet/Drishane Castle International CIC*** where he posted a winning 74.84% dressage, show jumped clear and was foot perfect cross-country.
Kappy’s Journey: 2009 October. I arrived home to New Zealand after six months working and training with Sir Mark Todd, my top competition horse was retired and I needed to start from scratch and rebuild my team. When a bay thoroughbred arrived at my yard I was pleased to have a ride – Kaapachino came to me as a catch ride, I was asked to compete him at the NZ Puhinui International 3Day Pre-Novice Championship.(BE100 equivalent) I spent time training him and to everyone’s delight he had his first competition win. Several months later the owner approached me to buy him. Which I did!
2010 March, we placed 3th at NZ Eventing HOY CIC1 Star Young Rider Championship and in May, at the close of the NZ Eventing season, we won the Taupo National CCI 3Day Championship Swarbrick Trophy for the highest placed Young Rider. In the spring of 2010 we were second at Taupo’s CIC2 Star. December 2010, one year after our Pre-Novice debut at Puhinui we were back at the same venue where we placed 4th in the CCI2 Star Championship. After this event Kaapy went out for a well-deserved spell, and the next day I flew to the UK to take up my position as rider at Andrew Nicholson’s yard.
2011 February, Kaapachino flew to the UK to join me at Andrew‘s. July 2011 we claimed our first major win.
(NZL) Jesse Campbell (KAAPACHINO) CCI** CHAMPION (IRL) Tattersalls International Horse Trials
After his Tattersalls win Kaapy placed in the top 20 in a highly competitive Advanced class and went on to be invited to compete in his first 3Star at the prestigious Blenheim Castle CIC3 Star 8 & 9 Yr old class. Imported to the UK from NZ Kaapachino was the youngest eight year old competing at Blenheim. He excelled in his first 3Star competition proving he had the courage and skill required to take on the big international tracks and the worlds best eventing combinations.
2012 Kappy at his first start for the season placed 4th in an Open Intermediate at Eridge, he went on to win the Quail Open Intermediate at Nunny International against a world-class field giving their horses a pre Olympic run. At Blair Castle he competed in his first CCI3 Star where he again excelled in winning the dressage by a handsome 10 marks. Across the country we were awarded the Horse and Hound ‘Class Ride of the Day’ for the ease with which Kaapachino handled the difficult combinations and the influential water complex. Unfortunately slippery down hill conditions caught me out on the second to last jump, I debunked when Kaapy slipped after a downhill trekaner. We regrouped and went on to Boekelo CCI 3 Star, where in wet conditions against the best in the world, including the entire German Gold medal Olympic team, Kaapachino again showed his quality with a top 20 placing from 160 starters, he was one of only ten horses to complete the xc in the time. Once again the fluidity of his cross-country caught the eye of a world expert and we found ourselves featuring in Captain Mark Phillips Horse and Hound column.
“A rider who caught my eye there (at Boekelo CCI*** International) was New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell. He rode across the country with all the class trademarks that have stood Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson in good stead for so many years. He has not been in Europe long, but he will surely be a powerful addition to the Kiwi team…” – Captain Mark Phillips Horse & Hound November 2012
2013 was a stellar year for Kaapachino, he represented NZ at the British Nations Cup Championships where he finished with a top 10 place, one of the highest scores for our NZ Team. At Aston le Walls he won his Advanced division by 15 marks, finishing the event the highest scoring Advance horse from 260 Advance entries. He had wins and top 5 placing at European and British Advance and CCI-3Star.
Our plans to compete at Pau 4* at the close of the 2013 season did not eventuate. After competing at Blair Castle CCI 3 Star where he placed 4th I made the decision for Kaapy to have an operation to correct damage that occurred on his long flight from New Zealand.
2014 he enjoyed a well deserved break and came back into work with a long slow build up without any pressure to meet event deadlines
2015 Kaapachino began the season with an Open intermediate start and went on to his Four Star debut at Luhmuhlen where he scored 75,50% dressage, won the xc optimum time prize. Although show jumping didn’t go to plan we placed 16th in a competition which featured the world’s top riders and horses. After Luhmuhlen our next competition was the CIC3* Drishane Castle International which we won, leading with our 74.84% dressage, clear show jumping and a perfect cross-country.
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