EQUESTRIAN: Four-legged members of Australia’s Eventing team have celebrated a birthday in Rio, marking the occasion with a special cake constructed of carrots.

August 1 is the standardised birthday for Southern Hemisphere horses. Northern hemisphere horses celebrate their birthday on 1 January.

In the Aussie stables there were double celebrations as Eventing team reserve Samantha Birch also celebrated her 39th birthday.

Birch shares a birthday with her horse Hunter Valley II, an Australian bred horse which she brought over to the UK where she now lives.

“In Australia all the horses have their birthday on 1 August so it’s Gizmo’s (Hunter Valley II) birthday and also Shane’s horse Darcy’s (Qualified) birthday and also Stuart’s horse Pluto’s birthday,” said Birch.

“I bred Gizmo in Australia. He is very naughty. So naughty that he has his own hashtag #naughtygizmo. He can be very grumpy in the stable.

“He’s not particularly cuddly but I still love him,” said Birch.

Shane Rose also treated his horse Qualified to some of his favourite treats.

“My horse loves food. He loves liquorice, carrots and apples and pretty much anything that you can feed him.

“We don’t feed them liquorice at events so we’ll treat him to apples and carrots today.”