HORSE and Hound has reported that Daisy Berkeley's popular Irish-bred event horse Spring Along has died of a suspected heart attack at Gatcombe Horse Trials.

The 18-year-old bay died instantly while jumping the two steps up to palisade, fence 23ab on the 25-fence open intermediate course. Daisy was not seriously injured.

Spring Along, bred by Patrick McConnell, was having his first run of the season, having finished last season on a high by winning the British open championships at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe. Daisy then announced she was pregnant with her first child, stopping competing soon afterwards.

The Irish-bred by Pallas Digion will be mourned not only by Daisy and her mother, his joint-owner Caroline Dick, but also by his legions of fans. Spring Along was one of the most popular event horses of the past decade, known for being a great character, his consistency cross-country and his occasional naughtiness in the dressage.

Daisy bought Spring Along as a five-year-old from Lucinda Fredericks. As well as his 2010 British open win, he won the CIC*** at Barbury in 2009 and was third and best of the British at Badminton last year. He also represented Britain four times, helping the team to gold at the 2007 Pratoni European Championships, silver at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in 2006 and bronze at the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong.