DECLAN Cullen’s four-star winning Traditional Irish Horse sport horse stallion Glenhill Gold sadly passed away last week at the age of 26. The coloured stallion by Saracen Hill out of the Flash Park Gold mare Travellers Gold, was foaled in 1998 by breeder David Black.

Known affectionately as ‘Tonto’, he went on to compete under Cullen up to CCI3* (now 4*) level and won the CCI3* at Ballindenisk in 2011. Writing on the Glenhill Gold Facebook page, the Cullen family said: “As a family at dawn this morning, we sadly said our goodbye to a very special horse Tonto, Glenhill Gold, who had changed our lives and others for ever with his gentle, kind nature and his ability to exceed expectations.

“Tonto loved life, people and cross-country, happy to go round a 4* or help a young rider learning the ropes, including Katy O’Hare, Fionn Clarke, Caitie Slater, Pradyumna Dhumal and was the first horse Kitty Cullen ever rode. We are ever indebted to the day Stephen Orr came to us with Brooke, as he was named then, but for some reason soon became known as Tonto.

“Never has the Irish Sport Horse studbook had a winning 4* stallion traditionally bred and he was selected by HRH The Queen to cover her mares. How would anyone [have] believed that a wee foal from Dungannon, bred by John Black, would have ever [had as] decorated career as [he] did. Thank you Tonto for the incredible journey and looking after us all, you beautiful boy.”