Armada the Cross Country Machine
On 9th July 2019 the cross-country machine Armada was put down aged 20. The incredible event horse was ridden initially by Andrew Nicholson and then by Oliver Townend. He was owned by Paul and Diana Ridgeon, bred in Spain by Ramon Beca and the full brother to Andrew Nicholson’s ride Nereo.
Armada completed 16 CC14* the equivalent to the now CCI5* with 5 clears at Badminton Horse trials, 4 of which were inside the time. Armada and Oliver Townend also finished 2nd at Badminton Horse Trials in 2014. He also completed three CCI5* at Luhmuhlen and never finished outside the top 10. He ha a staggering total of 2559 British Eventing points.
Andrew Nicholson said “He has unbelievable power and an amazing length of stride, which made the cross-country, especially in his early days, feel effortlessly easy. You had to sit on him across country to be able to appreciate the power and the feeling you got.”
When Oliver Townend spoke about Armada he said “He had a wild side, he could get excited very easily and his blood boiled quickly, but he was very quiet and gentle outside of competition environment and at home. He was very sensitive, and almost timid until you put him on a cross-country course. He was a different class across country. You couldn’t have built a track too big for him. In his heyday, you could do anything on him – I’ve never ridden one like him across country”.
From The Horse Exchange team thank you Armada for all the amazing memories.