British eventer Nick Gauntlett‘s young stallion Party Trick, plus three horses belonging to British-based US rider Sophie Hulme (Ice Cool Cooley, Charisma TH, and Fairytale Cooley) died on Tuesday afternoon (August 24) in a lorry accident on Scotland’s A9, less than an hour from their intended destination of Blair Castle Horse Trials. Nick took to Facebook to confirm the news, sharing that his horsebox had broken down and was struck by another lorry.
Nick’s post reads:
“Tough day… maybe an understatement! My amazing family are fine & that is definitely the main thing, but today we lost Party Trick & 3 of Sophie Hulme’s horses. Having broken down just 30 [minutes] from Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials we sat on the grass verge & watched a lorry (whose driver we think may have been on his phone) plough into our truck. You don’t need the details but we lost all 4 horses on board. We are obviously all heart broken. Lucy Morgan & Asha Riches-Wood, the emergency services, vets and people generally were amazing. Thank you everyone for your words of support and offers of help. The Eventing world yet again proving what at an amazing family it is.”
Nine-year-old Party Trick, by Badminton winner Chilli Morning and out of a Tolan R mare, had been making a splash in the eventing world, both as a sire and as a competitor in his own right, and had stepped up to four-star this season with success.
We are additionally devastated for American rider Sophie Hulme, who hails originally from California and has written for EN in the past (including this piece spotlighting Party Trick). Each of Sophie’s string of horses was entered for this week’s CCI2*-L; Ice Cool Cooley had jumped well around Haras du Pin and Gatcombe previously with Sophie, while Cairnside Sir Alex competed to four-star with Nick in the irons, notching up an impressive top-ten placing at Tattersalls in 2015 before Sophie took the reins in 2019. This week would have marked their first international run together after a top twenty finish at Burgham last month. It was also to be an international debut for Charisma TH, who joined Sophie’s string earlier this summer.
No further information on the accident has been released, as yet, by the Scottish police, though a local news report confirmed that an air ambulance had attended the scene. There have been at least eleven accidents on the A9 since the beginning of June, with several fatalities in that time period and a number of incidents involving freight lorries, making this Scotland’s most notorious road and one, perhaps, in need of more stringent policing.
There are no words to convey the sheer horror and heartbreak of today’s accident. Our most heartfelt sympathies go to Nick and Amanda Gauntlett, Sophie Hulme, and all those connected with these wonderful horses.
