{{Short description|Show horse}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox named horse |horsename= Murphy Himself |image= |caption= |breed= [[Irish Sport Horse]] |sire= Royal Renown ([[Thoroughbred]]) |grandsire= Gustav (Thoroughbred) |dam= Molly (Irish Sport Horse) |damsire= Cappagh Boy (Thoroughbred) |sex= 16.3 hh (170 cm) [[Gelding]] |foaled= 1978 in Ireland |country= |colour= Grey |breeder= John (Jack) Higgins |owner= [[Ian Stark]], [[Virginia Leng|Virginia "Ginny" Leng]] |trainer=Ian Stark, Ginny Leng |record= |earnings= |wins= |awards= |honours= |updated= }}
{{MedalTableTop}} {{MedalSport | [[Equestrianism|Equestrian]]}} {{MedalCompetition|[[Eventing World Championship|World Championships]]}} {{MedalSilver|[[Eventing World Championship|1990 Stockholm]]|Individual eventing}} {{MedalSilver|[[Eventing World Championship|1990 Stockholm]]|Team eventing}} {{MedalBottom}}
'''Murphy Himself''' was a horse that excelled in the sport of [[eventing]], primarily under rider [[Ian Stark]].<ref name="levo">{{cite web |last1=Flatley |first1=David |title=300+ Famous Horse Names: From Racehorses to Olympic Favorites |url=https://levoleague.com/famous-horse-names/ |website=Levo League |date=24 June 2023 |access-date=20 January 2024}}</ref>
Born in 1978, Murphy Himself was first ridden by [[Virginia Leng|Virginia "Ginny" Leng]]. She bought him in Northern Ireland in 1981 or 1982 for eventing. <!-- comment out this phrase but retain it in case some future page editor might want to use it. It's potentially desirable: "as a supposed four-year-old (although he later turned out to be three), and began eventing him. " --> Under Leng, Murphy won both Le Touquet and [[Burghley Horse Trials|Burghley]].<ref name=austen /> Leng had difficulty controlling the horse. Stark tried him out in 1988, and he agreed to exchange horses with Leng, Murphy Himself for his own horse Griffin.<ref name=austen/> Stark and Murphy experienced great success together, completing [[Badminton Horse Trials|Badminton]] several times, receiving the silver medal at the [[1990 FEI World Equestrian Games]] in [[Stockholm]] representing the British Team, <ref name=fei>{{cite web |title=FEI WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES 1990 - Stockholm (SWE), 24 July – 05 August 1990 |url=https://fei-fan-production.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/WEG_1990-Stockholm_%28SWE%29-Eventing.pdf |access-date=21 January 2024}}</ref> and competing in the Barcelona Olympics.
After the ground jury did not pass Murphy in the final horse inspection at Barcelona,<ref name=oly/> the gelding was retired. He was [[fox hunting|fox hunted]] a few times, before he was put down due to a shattered hock from an injury in the pasture. {{when|date=January 2024}}{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}
==Achievements== * 1st at Avenches (1984) with Ginny Leng * 1st at 1986 Le Touquet CCI with Ginny Leng * 1st at 1986 Burghley with Ginny Leng<ref name="austen">{{cite web |last1=Austen |first1=Catharine |title=EquiRatings Hall of Fame: #1 Ginny Elliot |date=2020|url=https://www.equiratings.com/articles/hall-of-fame-1-ginny-elliot |website=Equiratings |access-date=21 January 2024}}</ref> * 1st at the 1988 Boekelo event * Individual and Team silver at the Stockholm World Equestrian Games in 1990<ref name=fei/> * 2nd place at the [[Badminton Horse Trials]] in 1991 * Member of the British Eventing Team at the [[1992 Barcelona Olympics]]<ref name="oly">{{cite web |title=Murphy Himself |url=https://www.olympedia.org/horses/1726 |website=Olympedia |access-date=21 January 2024}}</ref>
== References == <references/>
<!-- here are some potential sources for someone to evaluate. Please be aware that there are multiple horses named "MURPHY HIMSELF"
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/equestrianism-murphy-himself-takes-command-1531480.html
https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/eventing/great-burghley-horses-murphy-himself-309286
https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/eventing/eventing-radio-show-ian-stark-remembers-murphy-himself-308793
-->
[[Category:Eventing horses]] [[Category:1978 animal births]] [[Category:Irish Sport Horses]]