'Ugly duckling' who became an Olympic star: dressage horse 'Nip Tuck' passes away at 19

'Nip Tuck', or Barney as he was known, won a silver medal in dressage at the Rio Olympics in 2016 Credit: ITV Channel

A Olympic medal winning horse "Nip Tuck", or Barney as he was affectionately known, has passed away at 19 after a short illness.

Carl Hester, an equestrian from Sark, rode Barney at the Rio 2016 Olympics, winning a silver medal in dressage.

Carl and his wife Jane de La Mare from Jersey, purchased the world champion steed when he was a gangly yearling for just a thousand pounds.

Speaking about Barney, Carl said "Everybody loved him, he was a clown, he was a very accident prone horse. He fell on top of me at the European championships one day when a waiter dropped a glass because he was very sensitive to noise…"

"To think that he then went on to then become a very successful Olympic horse… was just beyond all of our dreams, and this 1,000 pound ugly duckling just became an Olympic star."

In last two years of his life Barney spent his retirement coaching other horses in a paddock at Jane's home.

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