Biography
New Zealander Jesse Campbell has completed Badminton three times, finishing 15th in 2024 on Cooley Lafitte, his ride this year.
The pair has also finished 20th at Pau CCI5*-L last year and 21st at Burghley in 2024.
Cooley Lafitte came from the Cooley Stud in Ireland and has been with his owner, Jay Jaffar, since he was first backed. He was initially ridden by Jonty Evans, but has spent his international career, since 2019, with Jesse.
Jesse, who studied communications at Waitato University, NZ, and worked with ex-racehorses, moved to England in 2010 to work for New Zealand Olympian Andrew Nicholson as part of the NZ Eventing High Performance Squad. Two years later, he established his own competition yard in Marlborough, Wiltshire.
He represented New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, riding Diachello.
Jesse now lives in Lamberhurst, Kent, the home of his late wife, Georgie, who evented to five-star level and tragically died as a result of a fall in 2024.
Entries
Cooley Lafitte
ISH,
Ireland,
2012
17.0hh , brown , gelding
Sire Je T’aime Flamenco
Dam Graf Shenanigans (Scirocco Delle)
Breeder Nigel Jackson
Owned Jay Jaffar
- The highest rated performance of Cooley Lafitte's career so far came earlier this year at Kronenberg's CCI4*-S. They finished on their dressage score of 33.9 to finish sixth.
- Cooley Lafitte is one of the most experienced horses in the field at this level, he is making his eighth appearance at CCI5*.