By Darren Cartwright
A thoroughbred that had never stepped foot on a racetrack and spent most days lazing in a Gold Coast paddock became an eventing legend after being spotted by a keen-eyed mother seeking a horse for her teenage son.
Deo Juvante was seven years old when he was plucked from obscurity to partner then-14-year-old Chris Burton, living in the regional town of Bymaroo, about 145km northwest of Brisbane as-the-crow-flies.
Together, the young teen, who would represent Australia at the 2012 Olympic Games, and the untried gelded chestnut would forge a formidable eventing partnership for more than a decade.
Within six years of their union, Deo Juvante would take Chris from pony club events to Adelaide 5-Star, and his international debut at the 2003 Puhinui Horse Trials in New Zealand.
Deo Juvante may not have been destined to shine on the track, but his pedigree suggested he had eventing potential.
The son of Habituate’s bloodlines traces back to one-time Kentucky Derby favourite Sir Gaylord, the grandsire of Sir Tristram.
Sir Tristram is considered one of the greatest sires of stayers, including Melbourne Cup winners Brew, Gurner’s Lane and Empire Rose.
Both of their bloodlines can be traced to jumping champions such as dual Warrnambool Grand Annual winner Hibernian Prince (Sir Gaylord) and Grand National Steeple victor Mookta Heights (Sir Tristram).
It was Chris’s mother Ruth who spotted the gelding at Nerang, Queensland and brought him home to the family farm at Box Ridge.
The intention was to provide Chris with a ride for Pony Club, but she could never have envisaged the heights they would reach in eventing.
Chris credits both his mum and Deo Juvante, who he affectionally calls Deo, for helping him transform into a professional rider.
“He was my ‘young rider’ horse. While I was teaching him, he was teaching me. Deo’s best achievement was teaching me as much as he did. I owe him everything,” Chris said.
Chris recalled the first occasion three-time Olympic equestrian rider Vicki Roycroft spotted Deo.
“She got cross with me and told me he was in the wrong sport,” he joked.
Deo was an all-around athlete with the bonus of being tough and sound - a testament to his impeccable bloodlines.
Consistency was Deo’s biggest strength because he never had a “best” phase in eventing, he excelled in all phases, Chris said.
“To win the dressage you just took a dressage lesson the week before,” he said.
“To make the time on Cross Country, you just went faster. I never understood why people couldn’t make the time.
“He always jumping clear. He was a very good and careful showjumper”.
Like so many good horses, Deo had his quirks and Chris knew when he was “cranky.”
“When he got cranky, he would fly buck and kick his very athletic back legs into the air as high as he could,” he said.
“Maybe I was younger and athletic then, but it never felt very hard to stay on”.
Or, a young Chris Burton, was just showing the skill and talent that would see him become Australia’s highest-ranked rider on the FEI eventing rankings and go on to be tagged the world’s fastest man on Cross Country!
After finishing his eventing career with Chris, Deo went to Monique Barret who was a very good showjumping young rider.
He jumped 1.40m tracks and excelled in the sport “he was probably born for”, Chris said.
Deo was forced into retirement after an unfortunate floating accident at around the age of 20.
He returned to the family farm at Box Ridge and has been enjoying “the ever-loving care of my mum in her retiree’s paddock,” he said.
“The same place we started our career together.”
Although Chris now has a stable full of warmbloods in the UK, thoroughbreds still hold a place in his heart.
“Thoroughbreds are such triers. If they understand what you want and they are on your side, they give you more than the average horse,” he said.
Throughout his career, Deo never saw a vet and finished eventing sound and healthy, which Chris says, is the ideal way for horses to retire.
Do you have an off the track Thoroughbred or Standardbred? We’d love to hear from you! Whether you compete with your retired racehorse, ride for pleasure or they’re a valued companion animal, we’d love to hear about your lives together and how you found your equine friend. Click here to connect with the QOTT Team.
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