Andrew Cooper is one of Australia’s most prolific and successful homegrown eventers in recent years. The 32-year-old has competed seven different horses to five-star level and notched up 37 FEI wins alongside countless placings throughout his career. Andrew has now not only added Melbourne International Three-Day Event CCI4*L to his resume but has a horse short-listed for the Paris Olympics.

The headline CCI4*L class at Melbourne International Three-Day Event (MI3DE) is an accolade every Aussie event rider wants to their name. Andrew Cooper had previously finished third in the class on three occasions, mostly recently last year with Sharvalley Thunder. This year it was his turn to celebrate after he claimed victory with nine-year-old Pepper Jack – a horse that’s been in his stables since he was a four-year-old.

Tenth after the dressage, the pair took the lead as the only combination to go clear and under time on cross country and were able to hold on to that position following the final jumping phase. “His test was probably his best to date, but we made quite a big error that was very costly,” explains Andrew of his performance in the dressage arena with the gelding, whom he owns in conjunction with Helen Pyle. “If you wipe that part out, he was really good. It was definitely much improved everywhere else, and it placed us only five points off the leader.”

Andrew explains that Jack used to often lead the dressage in the lower grades, but as a young horse at the top level he’s still developing the strength and power to really ‘sit’ and perform the higher-level movements. “That’s just been a work in progress,” he says.

Known for his skill and speed cross country, Andrew was always going to be in with a chance of taking the lead on the second day. “Cross-country was super. He did get a little bit tired towards the end, but he kept jumping well. I actually didn’t think I was going to make time, but then I was pleasantly surprised.”

Out of a Thoroughbred mare who was handy on the track, you’d think Jack would be pretty quick cross country – and being the only horse in the CCI4*L to make time certainly alludes to that. However, Andrew says Jack leans more towards his sire, Warmblood stallion Fürst Love, and isn’t naturally all that quick.

“He leans more towards the Warmblood ‘doughy’ side. He’s not normally fast, but he’s very easy to handle cross-country and goes in a snaffle,” he explains, adding that it’s this rideability that makes it possible to achieve time.

“I had to be on his case to keep him motoring, but he actually recovered really well when he got back… within 10 minutes his heart rate was back to 80 bpm, and he had perked back up and wanted to go again. He can fool me a little bit out there!”

Andrew says Jack has always been a good jumper, but at the same the show jumping isn’t his strongest phase – especially when he’s a little tired. “I thought I only had one rail down, but I had rolled two… which was very annoying!” says Andrew of their CCI4*L show jumping round. “I thought he tried really hard though; he definitely felt a little tired in the warm-up, but he actually came to life in the arena and jumped quite well. It was annoying about the two rails, but a win’s a win, right?”

It’s certainly nice to have reward for effort, especially when competing at MI3DE means a big trip down from Queensland for Andrew, and time away from two very busy businesses at home.

Andrew and wife Madeline moved from Victoria to southeast Queensland in 2019, where they now run two properties: Washpool Lodge and Winjarra Park. The former is a racehorse breaking, pre-training and spelling operation, while the latter is Andrew’s performance horse team.

The performance horses include Pepper Jack, as well as five-star horse Hey Arnold; four-star horse and Olympic team contender Sharvalley Thunder; off the track Thoroughbreds (OTT) Manhattan and Omega Star, also at four-star; three-star horse Ocean Eight (OTT); and then several young horses, both OTTs and homebred Warmbloods, who are competing at the lower levels. Ella Smith, who was entered in the CCI2*L at MI3DE with Petros, helps Andrew with the team.

If that doesn’t sound like enough horses to handle, Washpool Lodge typically has up to 250 Thoroughbreds, with between 60 and 100 in work. “It’s a big operation with a lot of horses and a lot of staff,” explains Andrew, adding that Gemma O’Leary – who was sixth in the CCI4*L at MI3DE with Arnage Porsche – manages this side of the business. Spending his mornings with the Thoroughbreds, Andrew will ride between 10 and 20 horses – before heading off to Winjarra Park to work the eventers. “Some days are longer than others!” he laughs.

THE UP-AND-COMER

Andrew’s success at MI3DE didn’t stop with Pepper Jack – one of his young team members came along for the ride, and ended up winning the Rising Stars class and was crowned Young Event Horse Champion of Champions.

Four-year-old OTT Never Been Better (Better Than Ready x Testy by Testa Rossa) was a late addition to the MI3DE team – and it was certainly rewarding to have the judges see the same potential that Andrew saw when he first laid eyes on the horse.

“We’ve had him for a year, but he’s been on our property since he was a yearling. He came to Washpool Lodge to be broken in, and as soon as he got off the truck I said to the trainer, ‘I’ve got to have that horse once he finishes racing’. I definitely have a type that I look for. I don’t really go for the big rangy ones; I like the compact types. When I find one like that, I normally try and get them.”

Fred, as the gelding is known at home, didn’t impress on the track but as he was still so young the owners opted to put him up for online auction to continue racing rather than immediately seeking a new career. “We had to pay a lot more than what I would have liked,” laughs Andrew, who ultimately still purchased him.

“I’d never actually jumped him, but he just trotted really well and could canter even better. I just thought that if he couldn’t jump, he was pretty and so I could sell him as a show horse.”

MI3DE wasn’t the original plan for Fred, but with space on the truck and class schedules aligning, it was decided to give him an outing. “I think he’s a nice horse and the judges obviously did too! I think he stood out to them and for a four-year-old to win the Champion of Champions out of horses that are a lot older than him and who have done a lot more, it was pretty cool.”

THE OLYMPIC CONTENDER

Andrew’s success at MI3DE didn’t end there. The Queenslander also took out the CCN4*S – a class run this year specifically for those long-listed for the Paris Olympics – aboard 11-year-old gelding Sharvalley Thunder.

“I just think Thunder really
is an Olympic horse…”

In March, the pair competed in New Zealand at the Oceania Challenge where they finished third individually on 38.2 in strong company.

“His dressage was a little disappointing [at MI3DE] as he did get a little bit hot,” says Andrew, who feels the horse does have serious potential on the flat. “It definitely wasn’t as good as his New Zealand test [where he scored 30.6], and he’d been going a lot better than when he was in New Zealand.”

That being said, 32.7 was still a strong score to carry into the cross country phase. “I knew that I had to go out and run fast and prove that he can make time at Melbourne,” says Andrew of how he approached the CCN4* with Olympic selection in mind. “Thunder was amazing. He was fast and felt great. He loves it; he hasn’t actually seen a cross-country fence since New Zealand, because he doesn’t really require too much education in that department, he knows his job.”

The pair had a rail in the show jumping phase, which Andrew says was annoying. “He jumped super, and I just probably wasn’t as smooth as I should have been through a turn back to the treble.”

Bred by Sharen Gotts and brought up through the levels to two-star by her daughter, Amy Gotts-Wheeler, Thunder was sold to young eventer Eliza Harvey before landing with Andrew Cooper in 2021. Andrew stepped out at FEI three-star level in 2022 with the horse – who he says had excellent foundations – and they haven’t looked back.

When it came to Olympic selection, Australia had several strong eventing contenders – some already with proven Olympic experience – vying for just three team slots. Andrew knew it was always going to be tough to make the cut. Although he hasn’t been named on the team, Sharvalley Thunder is still short-listed and therefore a reserve – a notable achievement in itself.

“I just think Thunder really is an Olympic horse… with the cross-country that little bit shorter, it would really suit him rather than a five-star. He’d jump around a five-star every day of the week, but he’ll have time faults on a course like that…. and I don’t like having time faults!”

Paris aside, Andrew knows he has a special horse who at just 11 years of age has the best of his career still ahead of him. The 2026 World Championships at Aachen are just around the corner, and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are now on the horizon. “I was pretty lucky to end up with Thunder. He’s a true athlete and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.”

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