Biography

Former British Junior and Young Rider team member Harry Dzenis (27) gained his first Badminton completion in 2015 and last competed here in 2016. Last year with Badminton entries Xam and Dromgurrihy Blue he completed Burghley with both horses (11^th & 25^th).

Harry, who is based near Haselmere in Surrey, began eventing aged 13. For three-years he represented the South East region at the Junior Regional Championships at Weston Park – he was their highest placed team member in 2005. He also competed and was placed at the National Pony Club championships

In 2007 aged 16 he won Junior European team gold and in 2009, aged 18, Young Rider European team gold. After A levels he was based with trainer Niki Ryan for one year before returning home in 2011 to run his own yard. That year he represented Great Britain for the third time at Blair Castle in the Young Rider European Championships on Rockin’ Robin. In 2013 he was stable jockey to William-Fox-Pitt for the year and then set up his own yard in Wisborough Green. In 2014 he completed his first Burghley with two horses, winning the prize for the best Under 25 and in 2016 he completed Burghley with Xam.

Harry trains with Gill Watson. In order to fund his eventing he works as a part-time waiter in a resturant owned by the Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans and aside from horses ‘loves eating out and going to the cinema’.
Xam is a 17-year-old British-bred gelding. Bred by Mrs A Bolitho in Cornwall he is by the former leading thoroughbred event sire Java Tiger (Mrs Bolitho is also the breeder of former our-star horse Tigers Eye II also by Java Tiger). Java Tiger is the sire of many event horses including Mistatiger, Catch the Tiger, Feast of Florios and is the dam-sire of Opposition Buzz. Xam’s dam was a driving mare of unknown breeding.  Harry got the ride on Xam at the beginning of 2011 from Ken Spencer. His owners, the Xam Partnership, is a group of family and friends who came together to buy Xam for Harry.

Dromgurrihy Blue is a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. Bred by Theresa Walsh he is by the ISH Puissance (sire of Irish international horses Horseware Bushman and Sir Percival) out of a mare by Furisto. He was formerly produced by Irish rider Michael Ryan and Harry gained the ride at the beginning of 2013 while based with William Fox-Pitt. The combination completed Burghley 2014 then the ride passed to Oliver Townend who completed Burghley with him in 2015 & ’16 after which the ride went to Padraig McCarthy. He came back to Harry in July 2017 and the pair completed Burghley. He is described as a ‘very kind and gentle horse and is a yard favourite’