Eagle Lion | |
---|---|
Breed | Irish Draught Sport Horse |
Sire | Gipfel (Thoroughbred) |
Grandsire | Henry the Seventh (Thoroughbred) |
Dam | Stream Lion (Irish Draught Sport Horse) |
Maternal grandsire | Ideal Water (Irish Draught Sport Horse) |
Sex | Gelding |
Foaled | 1985, Ireland |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Patricia Nicholson |
Owner | Mr. George Strawberry of Wilmington, DE |
Eagle Lion (1985-2013) was an event horse that has competed at the highest level of the sport with great success. He stood 16.1 hh (169 cm).
Eagle Lion was out of the famous mare Stream Lion, a producer of excellent event horses, including stablemates Pirate Lion and Regent Lion. His Thoroughbred sire, Gipfel, stood in Germany and produced many top-class sport horses.
With Bruce Davidson in the irons, Eagle Lion won the Fairhill CCI***, the Badminton Horse Trials (making him the first of only two American horses to win the prestigious event), and has had top-five placings at Fairhill, Burghley, and other attempts at Badminton. Between 1990 and 1998, the horse gained 1277 points.
There is now a bronze sculpture of the horse with his rider. Artist Jean Clagett depicted the pair jumping over the "Head of the Lake" obstacle at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day. The sculpture was mounted at the Kentucky Horse Park during the 2007 Rolex Three Day.
Eagle Lion is one of the few horses (if not the only horse) to complete the 4-star course at Badminton double clean (no jump penalties, no time penalties) four times.