Innholdsfortegnelse for October 22, 2015 i Horse & Hound

WITH the clocks changing and temperatures falling, the excitement builds towards opening meets and all the season holds beyond the big day. Few will remember the 2014/15 season as being epic, with scenting conditions inconsistent for most packs around the country. However, with fresh eyes and renewed enthusiasm, the optimists on the hunting field look forward to what this season will bring. Hunting is in great health. We have a government that is still committed to allowing a vote in government time regarding the future of the current Hunting Act 2004, but the politics continue to get in the way of change. The hunting fraternity looks to the leaders of the Masters of Foxhounds Association and the Countryside Alliance to continue fighting our corner for a positive outcome. The recent…

FORMER team manager and chef d’equipe of the senior British showjumping teams Ronnie Massarella has died aged 92, writes Amy Mathieson. Ronnie, who led Britain to victory many times around the world during his 30 years in the position, died on 18 October. Under his leadership the team won silver at the 1980 alternate Olympics and 1984 Games. He was also at the helm when the team won gold at the 1979 World Championships and the 1985 European Championships (pictured, left, John Whitaker, Michael Whitaker, Ronnie, Nick Skelton and Malcolm Pyrah). The team also took silver at the 1983 Europeans. He retired from his role in December 2000. In 1982 he was appointed an OBE for services to British showjumping. Ronnie was also honorary vice-president of British Showjumping. Aside from…

A second senior figure in Middle East endurance has been provisionally suspended by the FEI in connection with the “phantom rides” scandal. Abdul Aziz Mohd Yasin Sheikh, head of endurance at the UAE Equestrian Federation, has, according to the FEI, been “consistently failing to observe the FEI rules and regulations at a number of events”. Last month, the UAE federation’s head vet, Dr Hallvard Sommerseth, was suspended in connection with the same scandal. The scam unravelled earlier this year when H&H was tipped off that a 21 January qualifier may not have taken place. Its detailed horse data was lifted from an earlier ride. Volunteer researchers found 12 further rides going back to 2012 with duplicate results. An official enquiry found a total of 16 “phantom” rides. In most cases,…

DAVID HUNTER has resigned from his role as GB para equestrian dressage performance manager and chef d’equipe. David had held these roles since 2002 and has steered the team through three Paralympic Games, four world championships and five European championships, as well as a number of other major international competitions. “Under his leadership, the team has enjoyed a period of unprecedented success and has exceeded its medal targets, including by winning team gold, at all of those events. We wish him all the very best for the future,” said chief executive of the British Equestrian Federation Andrew Finding.…

THE rule change will come as a relief to many, as this summer competitors were warned to take precautions if riding in the heat. Charlotte Fry suffered in extreme temperatures at the European Young Rider Dressage Championships in Vidauban, France (1-5 July). “It was between 35 and 40°C and after the individual test on the hottest day, I got off my horse and collapsed,” said Charlotte, 19. “Normally I am fine in heat, but during a test you give it everything and then when you stop, your adrenalin dips and it really hit me. I had been a bit wobbly after the team test, as had other people.” For the kür the following day, Charlotte made sure she was better prepared. “I drank water all day and Dad put my…

IN case of an accident, Dr Jörg Kühne, consultant anaesthetist and a volunteer with both the SARF and the Devon Air Ambulance, recommends: • Always carry a mobile and install an app that will provide a grid reference for your position. Rescue takes time; minimise that. • Remember that often emergency calls work when other calls won’t — and texts work when calls can’t. ICE (In Case of Emergency number stored in your phone) is very good, but choose your contact carefully as someone who will handle an emergency well. • If riding alone, make sure someone knows roughly where you are going and for how long. • After a fall, experiment with careful self-movement (wiggle your toes, then your ankles etc). Your body won’t allow you to make an…

AP MCCOY will be back in the paddock at Cheltenham next month, but this time it will be on board a dressage horse. The 20-time champion jockey will be under the tutelage of Olympic gold medallists Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin. The jockey will be put through his paces in the parade ring on 13 November at the Open meeting at the Gloucestershire course. “It’ll be fun, and interesting for the crowd to see him try something new,” said Carl. “Charlotte will do a demo first then they’ll swap. I expect he’ll be one of those irritating people that take to it straight away. He is very talented at balancing a horse at speed, now he’ll have to learn to balance it at a slower pace.” Carl told H&H that…

In 2007, I was living in Australia and experienced the worst equine movement lockdown I had ever known due to an equine influenza epidemic across eastern Australia. Horses could not move from our farm, and farriers and vets were not permitted to attend a horse without permission from the local agricultural board. I was due to return to the UK with my horse during that year. He went into quarantine ready for travel and then ended up staying there for four months. Eventually, we were allowed a route out via New Zealand, the UAE and into Amsterdam — all because there was no equine influenza vaccination programme in Australia. Call me unlucky, but at the end of last year I bought a horse in Ireland and arranged for him to…

Mental preparation • My mental preparation for competition centres around having a clear plan for every phase. • I take a little black book to the three-day events and make notes about each fence and how to plan for it. Writing details down, such as which tree to turn at or remembering to keep a good body position, helps imprint them in my mind. I carry the book with me and read it through before the cross-country — it’s a fantastic tool for visualising what’s to come. Nutrition • Eating well — and often — has made a big difference to my energy levels and concentration. • Before we leave for a road trip, I do a Tesco shop online and arrange for it to be delivered straight to the…

“I bought 40 acres [which was being used as arable land] with a large barn and some hard standing around it; it was previously used for sheep. I then began the task of developing my yard. I had little idea that everything that goes underground — services, hardcore, concrete and the suchlike — was so expensive! “I designed the inside of the barn to incorporate 14 stables, a tack room, rug room, office, accommodation for myself and space to store haylage, hay and straw. I used concrete block work, and then Monarch stable fronts, all with rubber mats. “I reseeded the 40 acres to grass, to use as turnout and to make haylage. Equestrian Surfaces built my school and lunge pen. The pen has been invaluable for young horses and…

“GOOD hunting ponies make their riders lifelong lovers of hunting,” says a wise old bird. That bird is my mother, who ensured that my brother and I had the sort of ponies that meant we only ever looked forward to days hunting with huge excitement, and never a drop of fear. Tolerant and generous, they taught us to love hunting as much as they evidently did themselves. Aged five and off the lead-rein for the first time, I fell off one pony as it turned a corner quite sharply. A hundred yards later, the pony realised he had lost his jockey, stopped and came back for me. A good hunting pony may not be beautiful or particularly talented. But it will be safe. It will adore and apparently understand hunting…

Catherine Ingham IT was third time lucky for the tax lawyer who finally secured her Mitsubishi Motors Cup ticket at Littleton Manor Horse Trials with her own Fieldmouse II. “I’d had two regional final attempts before today, but this was the first time everything came together at the same time,” said Catherine, who juggles full-time work with motherhood — she has two children under five — and eventing. “My sister, Nicky Collins, had qualified, so the pressure was on. We lost our mother last year and promised that we would ride at Badminton together.” Georgie Pease THE mother-of-one from Carnforth, Lancs, made a winning return to eventing at Weston Park (2) at her second competition after 16 years away. “I competed as a junior, but then university, work, marriage and…

LINDSAY HANCOCK had tears in her eyes when she realised she had won the advanced medium restricted with Barachiel – both with joy and from the pain of severely damaged ligaments in her back. She had suffered a crashing fall from the Gribaldi eight-year-old a week before, when he was spooked and set off broncing round the school. “I had suffered a head injury from a fall last year, so when I realised I was going to come off I was conscious of trying to protect my head and fell badly onto my bum,” said Lindsay. “I struggled on, but after a few days thought I’d better see the doctor, who diagnosed soft tissue and ligament damage and put me on mega painkillers. I was determined to try to qualify…

TH E Rio Olympics are on the horizon and, as we know, equestrian sports, — particularly dressage and eventing — have been under threat for years. But with new sports coming in at Rio — golf and rugby sevens — and five more recommended for inclusion at Tokyo 2020 — baseball/ softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing — this is a threat we need to take really seriously. The big question mark with dressage is the length of the tests and the time it takes. In eventing it’s the cost and time of course-building and so on. Great Britain must be at the forefront of trialling ideas and piloting classes to help our sport stay in the Olympics. In dressage, for example, the time it takes for each competitor…

WITH feelings still running high after there was no young rider championship at the Horse of the Year Show, the 48 riders lining up for the Dodson & Horrell world class performance under-23 competition proved to be one of the highlights. Producing a class round to win was Graham Gillespie and Reve De Bacon (pictured). “We came here to put some points on the leaderboard and I hope we have done enough to qualify for Olympia [the final],” said Graham. Despite having had the ride on Johan Dejager’s 10-year-old only since the Arena UK Festival, Graham has quickly formed a winning partnership, with the pair clinching a grand prix victory at Solihull. “We get on well, and after he seemed to like being worked in a hackamore at home we…

BUYING a new horse is supposed to be an exciting time, but when you get him home only to find out he’s lame, nothing is worse, as student physiotherapist Stephanie Sherborne found out. “We bought him two years ago and the first time I rode him at home, he went hopping lame,” said Stephanie of her 10-year-old gelding by Cornet Obolensky, Conrad V H Gehucht Z (left). “It took a lot of time, money and effort to work out what was wrong with ‘Verdi’, but eventually we were told he had a hole in his pedal bone and was a write-off. “He was supposed to be put down as the vet said there was nothing he could do, so we turned him out with no shoes on and waited a…

WHEN the concept of an end-of-season meeting in Britain to rival Arc day in France and the Breeders’ Cup in America was first mooted, it did not meet with universal acclaim within the sport. The naysayers said that it would be taking place at the wrong time of year, would invariably be run on bad ground and that France and America would suck the best horses away. But Frankel gave it a good start winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 2011, then in his swansong the Champion Stakes in 2012. Although 2013 was a bit of a washout, last year Noble Mission and Al Kazeem served up a thriller in the Champion Stakes. On its fifth birthday, however, QIPCO British Champions Day really delivered. The chances are that both…

DUEL was bought for £1,200 from the Malvern sales as an unbroken four-year-old. I bought him on a Tuesday and by the following Monday I was out autumn hunting on him — he was that easy. He went on to be a four-star horse but the path to get there wasn’t smooth — he had a couple of falls into water and then lost his confidence and became unreliable. It took me two or three years to solve. Eventually I decided I would ride him to the river every day for three months. I would take a book and just sit on him in there. This picture of him jumping into the lake at Badminton is very poignant. He taught me patience and not to give up on a horse…

WHERE: Ascot racecourse, Berks WHEN: 12.04pm, Saturday, 17 October WHO: Frankie Dettori WHY: the popular jockey takes the opening race FRANKIE DETTORI took the Flying Officer’s name literally on Saturday (17 October) when he thrilled crowds at Ascot’s British Champions Day with his trademark flying dismount. The jockey took the long distance cup aboard the John Gosdentrained five-year-old, kicking off an exciting day of Flat racing to mark the end of the 2015 season. “This is a good horse, only lightly-raced and he’s on the way up,” said the Italian-born rider. • For full report see p84. Looking forward to the opening meet: huntsman William Goffe with the Warwickshire hounds. • For hunting special see p34 Riders take part in the traditional ‘Fantasia’ Barb Horse Championships as part of the…

AS H&H went to press on Monday (19 October), top British eventer William Fox-Pitt remained in hospital in France with a head trauma. The world number three suffered a serious fall at Le Lion d’Angers on 7 October with Reinstated (pictured, left). The pair were competing in the seven-year-old CCI2* class at the young event horse World Championships when they fell at fence 20, an owl hole. The horse was not injured. The course was held for more than an hour while William received medical assistance before being transferred to Angers hospital. “William has suffered a head trauma but is otherwise fine. He is comfortable and stable under sedation and will be under constant observation,” read a statement on Saturday. On Monday, a spokesman from British Eventing told H&H there…

ATILJA The 10-year-old mare by Guidam has been taken on by Jessica Mendoza. The horse was previously ridden by Jessica’s boyfriend, Belgian rider Michael van den Bosch, and the pair were on the gold medal-winning team at the young rider European Championships. DELTRY CONNOISSEUR The eventer, who was bred in Australia and completed Blenheim with Matt Ryan before being ridden at four-star by Italy’s Giovanni Menchi, was put down after a field accident aged 26. Since 2005 he had been ridden by Sorrel Porteous, taking her up the levels. DAKOTA The showjumper bought by Egypt’s Abdel Said at last year’s Eurocommerce online auction has been sold to the USA. The 11-year-old mare had been competed up to five-star level this year. Mr Said intends to invest more time in his…

EQUESTRIAN equipment manufacturer Aerborn Equestrian has gone into liquidation. The company, founded by the late John McGowan, produced horse equipment, including a cotton mesh anti-sweat sheet as well as a range of other products for horse and rider. The current managing director, Tremayne Roden, took over the company in 2008. The company went into liquidation last month. Its website is currently offline and is displaying an “under maintenance” message on the homepage. The company phone number has also beendisconnectedand H&Hwas unable to contact the owners.…

THERE will soon be greater chances for apprentices in the equestrian industry thanks to the government’s approval of a new scheme. The equine groom and senior equine groom apprenticeships’ standards were approved by David Cameron this summer, and next month work will begin on the assessment plans. The apprenticeships were drawn up by a group made up from all facets of the industry, from the British Equestrian Federation to the Household Cavalry. Through the radical reform of apprenticeships, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills aims to increase the quality and simplify the system. In doing so, it expects that the successful apprentice will be held in the same esteem as a university graduate. The government is currently redesigning 76 different schemes, ranging from TV production to welding. The standards…

DENMAN The 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner won his first rosette, coming second in the intermediate at the Pytchley team chase as part of Team Ride-Away III. His rider Charlotte Alexander said that the 15-year-old gelding “absolutely loved it”. WETHERBY RACECOURSE The racecourse will be replacing the old members’ stand with a new £3.2m building. The old stand was opened in 1960 and housed the jockeys’ changing room and weighing room, the members’ restaurant, and bars for both members and non-members. A DOUBLE CELEBRATION Clare Davies saw her pony Harvey’s Magic Moment win the M&M ridden New Forest pony of the year title at Horse of the Year Show on 7 October. The following morning, her daughter Melissa Thorley gave birth Henry Robert Adams, weighing 6lb 10oz. CLAIRE LOMAS The…

Showjumping championships The All Stars Jumping Championships runs from 22-24 October at Bury Farm, Bucks. www.buryfarmequestrianvillage.co.uk Charity fundraiser Pontispool Equine Sports Centre, Somerset, is hosting charity jumping on 24 October. www.pontispool.com Stars of the future The Pony Racing Series final will be at Aintree racecourse’s Old Roan Chase meeting on 25 October. www.ponyracingauthority.co.uk International para dressage Watch top para dressage riders compete in the CPEDI3* at Bury Farm on 27-30 October. www.buryfarmequestrianvillage.co.uk…

Getting away from it all... My best country to relax in is definitely Thailand. It’s beautiful and there is so much to do there. Eating out… It has to be Hakkasan in Mayfair, London. It is out of this world and I love going there on special occasions. Watching... My favourite TV show is Nashville . Because I’m away a lot I take my laptop and catch up that way when I have evenings available. Biggest indulgence... Nutella. I eat it out of the pot (and I really shouldn’t do that!). Best tip for warming up… Stay calm, stick to a routine and don’t let too many people interfere. Get into the zone your own way and focus. Competing at... The Global Champions Tour in Monaco. I have the best…

UNLESS clipped and living out 24/7, most horses will not need rugging until overnight temperatures dip to 5-10°C. • Rug older, younger, thinner or clipped horses sooner. • Move to thicker rugs as it becomes colder, but consider swapping back to a thinner rug once your horse becomes acclimatised. • Allow an hour of unrugged turnout a day for vitamin D formation. • Feeling your horse’s legs, face or ears is a poor indicator of how warm he is. Instead, place your hand under the rug behind his withers. If it feels cold, consider a thicker rug. If it is damp, he is probably too warm.…

“SPIDER” has far outreached the ambitions of his owner-breeders, Sally Williams and Nicola Dickson. “When we won a rosette in the novice at Chatsworth, our local event, we thought we’d done it,” says Sally. “What has happened since has been amazing.” Spider was so naughty as a five-year-old that Emilie seriously considered sending him back. “He used to rear and bronc in the collecting ring and we nearly got rid of him because he was so bad,” says Sally. “But he won the British Eventing five-year-old championships that autumn — he always pulls it out of the bag.” Emilie adds: “As a young horse Spider wasn’t one that felt effortlessly scopey, but he has always done everything very correctly and has learnt and tried. I just hoped at Burghley that…

LAURA COLLETT proved she has serious horsepower in depth in landing a surprise win at Le Lion CCI2*. She stole through the field on seven-year-old Mr Bass, outjumping her rivals to take the gold medal. But the event was marred by William Fox-Pitt’s nasty fall, and he remained in hospital as H&H went to press (news, p7). The dressage had a familiar theme, with two Germans leading, and a Brit close up in third. Michael Jung’s Lennox 364 produced a flashy test for 38, 3.1 penalties ahead of Julia Krajewski and Chipmunk FRH, while William Fox-Pitt’s Reinstated earned consistent marks for 43.2. And 20-year-old Brit Noah Brook continued to impress in fifth with British novice restricted champion Deo Volente. The E judge placed him second, at odds with the M…

THE current system for arena familiarisation provides an hour-long window the evening before the dressage in which riders can walk their horses on a loose rein in the main arena. But the events with all-weather arenas, such as Luhmühlen, adopt the same familiarisation as the dressage shows, enabling riders to school their horses in the main arena at a set time. It would be great if we could do the same at all CCI4* events. This could work if the technical delegate (TD) were to decide if the going is “good” or “soft” — or terms to that effect. If it is good then competitors can go into the arena in blocks of, say, six, and spend ten minutes working in there — not within the actual dressage boards but…

HOME-BRED stallion Aldborough Rubenhall took the top spot in the grand prix on the Saturday night under Bobby Hayler. The pair bettered their grand prix special performance the night before where they finished a creditable second, to earn 70.6% and win the grand prix. “We both enjoyed it as much as each other and it’s the first time we’ve had 70%. I got a bit emotional and cried,” said Bobby. Bobby’s father, Paul, had the 13-year-old by Rubioso N as a young horse and brought him up through the levels before handing the ride to Bobby. “He’s fantastic for me to get some experience and that’s what he’s for, to get me out there,” she said. “Yesterday was only the third time I’d ever run through the special, so it’s…

KERRY BRENNAN and Wellington M saved their best until last, racing past the post to claim the Equi-Trek winter grand prix. “We hit one of those unlucky four-fault patches on the run-up to the Horse of the Year Show [HOYS], so it’s nice to break through it. It was a stiff first-round course and the combination proved tricky, but he went through no bother,” said Kerry. “In the jump-off we picked up the pace in the second half — I saw a good shot to the third from home and took a forward, tighter line to the last.” Record entries at Aintree ensured every class was hard fought, and such was the standard, course-designer David Cole was already wondering what he could do for the major competitions at the halfway…

WHEN Taylor Greenwood’s vet told her that her beloved Zipper II (below) had torn his suspensory ligament, her world came crashing down around her. “He was out for a year and we didn’t know if he’d ever come back,” said Taylor, who trains with Anna Austen. “The vet said it was an old injury that had returned and the prognosis wasn’t good.” But not one to give up easily, Taylor began a strict rehab regime and lo and behold, her horse came sound again. “He had three months’ box rest and then we did lots of walking work on hard ground for a month, then trotting for a month and then cantering for a month,” explained Taylor. “And then it was up to me whether I jumped him — my…

OLYMPIC rider Tina Cook is calling for riders to take extra care when travelling their horses after her eventing world team silver medallist De Novo News (“Herman”) died due to complications from shipping fever last week (13 October), writes Pippa Roome. The 12-year-old developed pleuropneumonia — when infection in the lungs (pneumonia) breaks out into the space between the lungs and the ribs — after returning from Strzegom, Poland, in June. Some fluid was drained from Herman’s chest cavity, but an inoperable abscess also developed. This was being treated with intensive antimicrobials and the horse seemed to be improving, trotting around the field and gaining weight. But the infection spread to his hocks and he had to be put down. “I want to learn from this if there is anything…

SOMERLEY PARK Horse Trials is the latest loss to the British Eventing calender. The Hampshire event has been running for 18 years and hosts a CIC2* as well as classes from BE100 up to advanced intermediate. Organiser Suzie Cotterill cited rising costs as the reason for closure. “It has been an extremely difficult decision to come to since we have been running a very popular event in a stunning location for many years,” she said. The event was founded in 1997 by Adele Schardt, a long-standing organiser of the affiliated fixture. She died in 2013 at the age of 59, following a long illness. “This year was a great success and a legacy to Adele. We will find another event that meant much to Adele and have our CIC2* trophy…

A £1m bonus is on offer for any National Hunt horse who emulates Kauto Star and wins the “Chasing Triple Crown” this season. The three races are the Betfair Chase at Haydock (21 November), the King George at Kempton (26 December) and the Cheltenham Gold Cup (18 March). The reward has been put up by Jockey Club Racecourses. Kauto Star won the trio during the 2006-2007 season, landing a £1m bonus that was offered by Betfair. The owner of the winning horse will win 65% of the prize, the trainer will receive 15% and the jockey and stable staff 10% each.…

NEW jacket regulations are among the rule changes that will come into force at British Dressage (BD) competitions, writes Lucy Elder. Under current rules it is up to the organiser or judge to decide whether riders may go jacket-less in extreme heat. However the new rule leaves the decision down to the rider. “In regular competitions, riders may choose to ride without jackets and wear a fitted, plain, conservative-coloured waistcoat,” the new rule states. “If no jacket is worn a suitable long/short-sleeved shirt that fastens at the neck (white or cream, and not bright or multi-coloured) with a tie, American collar or correctly fastened stock must be worn.” Paul Graham from BD confirmed that riders can ride without a jacket or waistcoat if they feel it is that hot. Competing…

A HORSE SANCTUARY A horse named Orchid, believed by Remus Horse Sanctuary in Essex to be one of the oldest in the world, has died aged 50. The mare was put down after a bout of colic. A DRESSAGE RIDER Italian junior dressage rider Filippo di Marco has been injured in a dirt bike accident. He has broken his right femur and will be out of the saddle for at least six months. A COB IN A BOG A horse was trapped in a Dartmoor bog for more than two hours on 12 October. The 15.2hh gelding, Inky, was being ridden in Two Bridges, Princetown, by his owner when the accident happened. Both escaped uninjured. A MOTORIST Wild ponies in Dartmoor have reportedly caused £1,200-worth of damage to a car…

ENOUGH ROSETTES Sir — Why do “names” have to enter local unaffiliated dressage competitions? There are no “open” and “restricted” sections, so the weekend dressage rider who chooses not to affiliate, probably due to cost, finds themselves up against experienced affiliated riders who probably have a string of affiliated horses in a big fancy lorry! Affiliated dressage riders should think twice about competing unaffiliated at a level well below their usual. Surely the need for rosettes isn’t that great! Kate Bruce Portsmouth, Hants H&H’s Alice Collins replies: I’m afraid I disagree. Riders complaining about lack of protection from “names” should save up to affiliate and take advantage of the restricted section; just one of the many benefits. Professionals are just as entitled to compete unaffiliated as anyone and they could…

WITH large sunglasses perched atop her bright orange hair — even though it’s October — Becky Moody bears out her assertion that she “likes to be different”. So does her brown attire in the show ring. We meet at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), where she’s brought Carinsio to contest the inter I developing horse freestyle class. There’s some confusion about where we’ll meet as the show is gigantic, but, just as I’m messaging her, she bounds into the press office, grinning. This is typical of the bouncy, friendly rider from Yorkshire. She’s also only wearing a polo shirt, and it’s not wildly warm. But then she was born in Northern Ireland and lived in Scotland until she was six, when the family relocated to their current base in…

CAROLINE HARRIS’ stunning liver chestnut mare Billy Bumble (Kannan x Topas) caught the eye in the CCI2*. The Hartpury CCI* winners moved up from 29th after dressage to seventh with a double clear. As the final competitor, Caroline, 25, was held on course for over an hour while medics attended to William Fox-Pitt, and well deserved her applause as she cantered home clear and inside the time in the dusk. “All the British riders were great; they came on the course to keep me strong,” she said. “Billy Bumble was brilliant. She always jumps well and tries her best, I just have to do my bit.”…

SEVEN years ago retired police officer Audrey Cole was at her wits’ end with her Port Eliot BE90 regional final winner, Sambucca (Sam), whom she had bought as a just-backed four-year-old, unaware of his wild child tendencies. “He had a terrible start in life; as soon as I tried to put a saddle on his back he would turn into a lunatic,” she recalled. “Getting on him was an utterly terrifying experience. I was told by three different people that I should have him shot.” In a last-ditch attempt to get to the root of the problem, Audrey dispatched Sam to young horse trainer Dan Wilson, who used to ride for Monty Roberts. “Dan found that Sam’s issues stemmed from pain when the girth was done up — probably as…

PARA rider Julie Blanchard took the grade III championship riding her 13-year-old mare Fatila, by Harvard. Although she has owned the mare for four years, two of those years have been spent recovering from injury and training at home. It’s also the first time in two years that the pair have competed at Vale View and the first time ever that they have completed a test in the main indoor arena. “There has always been something at ‘A’ that has scared her and we’ve always been eliminated,” said Julie. “This time, I put my brave hat on and after riding past the scary spot and then back again, she seemed to take a deep breath and I was able to ride her. I was just thrilled that we completed the…

LINCOLNSHIRE-based Susanna Wade met the Diamond Hit 11-year-old D’Artagnan III only five months ago, but their high scores have been noted already, and raised her para international hopes. At Merrist Wood (10 October) they produced a 75.87% individual qualifier. A car accident in her mid-20s left Susanna paralysed from the collarbone down. She said: “I didn’t ride for several years. I felt I couldn’t cope mentally but then my sister-in-law Samantha Wade suggested side-saddle. Once I was out of my wheelchair and on a horse, it seemed only yesterday I’d last been on one.” “All the muscle memory from being an able-bodied rider is there,” she added. “Although I can sense movement, when my brain tells me to move my legs, I can’t — so I ride with two whips…

AS the outdoor season ends, it’s worth reviewing new combinations with thepotential to be on British teams next year. One that has really stood out for me is Clark Glasgow and his stunning 10-year-old bay mare Fleur De L’Aube. Clark’s fledgling career has gone through the roof over the past few months. He’s the British Showjumping national champion and at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) he won a class, was placed in the grand prix and finished as the leading British rider. Fleur has blood; she’s also careful, scopey and has the ability to go all the way. Nevertheless, Clark is abandoning his international ambitions because he feels his chosen profession of medicine is more important than the fame and glory a sporting career can bring. I caught up…