Innholdsfortegnelse for 23-Mar-2017 i Horse & Hound

COLIC, gastric ulcers, arthritis and laminitis have been highlighted by insurance companies as the key conditions for which claims are currently being made, and owners are urged to ensure they have proper cover. Petplan Equine’s top claim in 2016 was arthritis, the same as the previous year, with colic also remaining in second. “In 2016 Petplan Equine paid out 20% more in claims for the conditions in the top five than in 2015,” said Charlotte Gibbs of the company. This resulted in the equine insurer paying nearly £1 million in total for claims each month during 2016. NFU Mutual added that despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, colic is still one of the leading causes of emergency veterinary treatment for horses. “Sadly, it is still one of the main causes…

ITS conformation looks good, if a little metallic, and it has some great elevation going on in the trot… Sculptor Charles Elliott and his wife, showjumper Abbe, have worked together to create this full-size equestrian artwork from 8mm mild steel. Mr Elliott’s range of sculptures, each unique, is inspired by his wife’s love of horses, and her knowledge of musculature and conformation has helped shape the finished article. “She is very critical of our work and a perfectionist when it comes to the horses, metal or real life!” Charles said. “Her support with the sculptures is much appreciated and we are already bickering over which equestrian discipline to create next.” We’re not entirely sure how comfortable this horse would be to ride, and at £14,500 it’s not your average riding…

‘As well as being a gymnastic exercise for the horse, it develops the rider’s eye to a fence’ AIM The aim of this exercise is to develop the quality of the stride on the approach to the fence, and softness and relaxation in the horse going away from it. As well as being a gymnastic exercise for the horse, it develops the rider’s eye to a fence and an understanding of each horse’s jump. THE EXERCISE 1 Set up the wings as per diagram 1, with one cross-pole built. Start on a loose rein in trot towards the cross-pole and land in left canter — this is effectively counter-counter, as right canter would be true canter (so that you could easily canter on around the arena). Softly come back through…

Collection and extension “JUDGES want the dressage horse to walk like a racehorse in extended walk and collect like a dressage horse in the collected walk, and it’s an unrealistic expectation,” says David Pincus. “You can have those enormous, big-striding, stepping-under walks at the lower levels, but when you come to collect it, it doesn’t happen.” Lesley Peyton-Gilbert agrees: “Judges mark the horse down for not having enough over-track, but if it’s built with short legs and a long back, it won’t have a huge over-track. It should be about the quality of the connection and how it moves through the body.” Judy Harvey feels that the collected walk isn’t judged as highly as the extended walk. “The bigger extended walk is what often seems to get rewarded and is…

 A double at Aintree was the perfect set-up for the upcoming event season for Abi and Lady Irish Fern. Their two wins came at medium and Abi’s sights are set on the jump up to advanced medium in the near future. ‘I picked him out of a bunch of colts’ FRANCES TURNER ON HER FIVE-YEAR-OLD HALLO-L The 12-year-old mare is by the late, great Irish super sire Master Imp, and was bought after she came in for schooling with a view to being sold. “Her canter was to die for so I decided I’d have her for myself,” recalls Abi. “I bought her to event and she’s competed up to intermediate level. Although we’ll event this year I’m planning on cracking on with the dressage as she’s qualified for…

 At Brook Farm, Viktorija Rakauskaite and Sue Bambridge’s nine-year-old Irish sport horse Play Boy V posted a day-high score of 83.28%. ‘I didn’t expect a score like this’ VIKTORIJA RAKAUSKAITE ON HER 83% “I started riding him last year; we were second at the Area Festival and qualified for the winter championships. This was our first outing since the Area Festival, so it’s our little warm-up before the big show!” said the Lithuanian rider, who has been based in England for nine years. “I knew we’d done a good test but didn’t expect such a high score. Sometimes he can be spooky and gets sharp, and he’s big and very strong, but he did feel amazing in the test.” Also using the outing as preparation for Hartpury, Amanda Edwards…

‘Of course I was wondering when Douvan was going to come past’ JOCKEY NOEL FEHILY ‘It’s difficult to make all in a Champion Chase — you’re a sitting target’ NOEL FEHILY ON SPECIAL TIARA WINNING THE HARD WAY IF Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins had known as early as the third fence that all was not well with Douvan, the visual evidence only began to filter through to the crowd as the Champion Chase runners began to stream down the hill towards the third last. Douvan, the 2-9 favourite, was already off the bridle and it was his first bitter taste of defeat since his racecourse debut in a French bumper at Saint Malo in 2014 — some 14 starts previously. Ahead of him, Noel Fehily — the…

APART from Willie Mullins’ wins with Hurricane Fly, Faugheen and Annie Power in the Champion Hurdle, the trainer had surprisingly lacked any of the other feature races at the Festival. Mullins is too pragmatic to count any chickens but he must have had moments in the build-up when he might have mentally ticked off the Champion Chase with Douvan. But racing is never that straightforward and — as history relates — Douvan’s coronation did not happen, but winning the Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle with Nichols Canyon never crossed the trainer’s mind. Having bounced back from his blank on the first two days with a double, thanks to Yorkhill and Un De Sceaux, such was his lack of confidence in Nichols Canyon he thought the Stayers’ Hurdle was a good time…

ONE TO WATCH 1 MINELLA ROCCO: finished strongly to take second in the Gold Cup. He will be bidding to do what Rough Quest did by going one better in the Grand National three weeks later. We know he gets four miles, but he did have a fall at Aintree earlier this season. 2 THE YOUNG MASTER: the mount of Sam Waley-Cohen at Aintree which is a big plus. He finished sixth in the Ultima, beaten by 21 lengths. Not eye-catching but he stayed on well and the run is expected to put him spot-on for Aintree. 3 PENDRA: having his first run — in the Kim Muir — since last year’s National, in which he finished 13th after blundering at the Canal Turn. Wearing blinkers for the first time…

‘He’s probably the worst horse we own. We buy in numbers and get a few duds and he’s one of the duds’ MICHAEL O’LEARY ON CHAMPAGNE CLASSIC ‘Sizing John was the first runner I had in the Irish Gold Cup and he won that. Now he’s my first runner in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and won that — it must be beginners’ luck’ JESSICA HARRINGTON ON HER GOLD CUP WIN ‘This game would tame a lion. We’re late to the party but we brought the music’ RICH RICCI AFTER LET’S DANCE FINALLY GOT HIM OFF THE MARK IN THE TRULL HOUSE MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE ON THURSDAY ‘Yesterday didn’t work out. Yesterday’s history. Tomorrow, today will be history. And tomorrow will be different again’…

FIRST WIN ADAM HARVEY and Picasso V notched up their first international victory in the CIC*. They trounced a quintet of Dutch riders contesting this section, the best of whom was Willemina van der Goes-Petter, second with Ekino. Adam, who has just completed a masters degree in real estate at Reading University, purchased the eight-year-old grey 17.1hh Picasso V, a British warmblood by the showjumping stallion Van Gogh, four years ago. “I nearly sold him as a four-year-old, but he was so tricky no one wanted him,” said Adam, who is trained by Sara-Jane Lanning and Nat Hudson. “Now I’m glad he didn’t sell.” Adam is currently job-hunting for a position as a chartered surveyor, but he plans to event two horses while working full-time.…

‘I’m ecstatic with how well he’s come back; having him feeling fine is such a relief ’ PIPPA FUNNELL ON SANDMAN 7’S RETURN AFTER A FALL LAST YEAR Poplar Park (1), Suffolk ANTHONY CLARK confessed he “couldn’t be happier” following his win in the open intermediate (OI) section aboard Crambamboli. The duo added 0.8 of a cross-country time-fault to their dressage score of 27.7 to finish just over one penalty ahead of Pippa Funnell and Sandman 7. “I’ve been intensively schooling him on the flat over the winter with Kirsten Mayne,” said Anthony, who is aiming the 13-year-old at Bramham. “She’s a new instructor for me but we have clicked and I find her help invaluable. We’ve been working on getting Crambamboli looser in his back and I think…

WHEN Stuart Hollings and Jack Cochrane judged at the South African Horse of the Year Show recently, little did they know that history had repeated itself. They chose producer Clare Marcus and her thoroughbred Thatchers Way as supreme champions — only finding out later that this duo won last year under Shelley Perham and Stuart’s brother Nigel. Clare — a lifelong H&H subscriber — has now claimed the title 12 times with different animals under many other UK judges. “I try to go over to England once a year to one of the big shows to keep my eye in,” said Clare, who runs a busy yard with her Oxfordshire-born mother, Monica.…

Crawley & Horsham, Parham TWENTY-FOUR hours after Paul Nicholls trained the first and second in the Foxhunter at Cheltenham, Ian Cobb accomplished exactly the same feat in the opening hunt members race at Parham. Ian saddled the 2/1 favourite Letskeepit Simple, but it was his wife Heather’s 10-year-old, Take The Mick, who ran out a ready winner for the trainer at 8/1. “I was up all night worrying,” admitted Ian. “I was thinking how can we get this horse to enjoy himself. But he did — the course, ground and tactics were all perfect, I’m so pleased.” Shane Roche continued his impressive run of form in the restricted, as he bided his time patiently aboard the seven-year-old West Lake before pouncing to claim victory. West Lake had run below form…

Hurworth Hunt, Hutton Rudby CHARLOTTE CRANE overcame a slipping saddle between the last two fences to land the members’ race on her father Ivan’s ex-Irish chaser, Fever Pitch. Still only third coming to the last, the 11-year-old finished with a flourish on the climb to the line as she threaded him through a gap between Fairy Mix (Christy Furness) and Ourgetaway (Aaron Anderson) to beat the former by one-and-a-quarter lengths. Charlotte, 20, a third-year student at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, said: “That’s my sixth winner but the first in the north since my family relocated to Guisborough. Fever Pitch has really thrived since we bought him in September. He’s had a few breathing issues and you need to keep getting his lungs filled up during the race, but…

Quantock Staghounds, Cothelstone JAMES BOWEN will be thanking his parents Peter and Karen for deciding to keep Universal Soldier, the 12-year-old with whom he scored a third career win in less than a week of his 16th birthday. Universal Soldier was the subject of a bad debt and a decision had been made to enter him in Ascot sales in January. But, said Karen, “we must have been off our heads to enter him for the sales because with James reaching 16 on 12 March, he was an obvious ride for him as a schoolmaster”. James gave the bay, who is trained by his brother Mickey, a confident ride in the mixed open and beat Before The War (Will Biddick) by four lengths. When Presenting William (Ed Bailey) re-entered the…

‘It was either completely empty stables or bedding with mushrooms growing in it’ SHOW centres that do not operate a “clean box” policy on their stabling are putting horses at risk, owners have claimed. One owner has “had enough” of paying up to £75 for stabling, to find dirty bedding, with the associated biosecurity and contamination risks. “Some centres are brilliant; you get there and the stables are completely empty and clean but others are absolutely vile, and even clean-looking bedding could be contaminated,” said the owner, who did not want to be named. Adele Cutler’s mare contracted ringworm at a show. “My mare was the first one in the box that weekend,” she told H&H. “My concern is that the stabling hadn’t been disinfected [from its previous venue]. It…

“YOU only have one head, look after it” is one of the main messages from the Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund (MDIRF), ahead of next week’s national equestrian safety day . The aim of the first annual initiative, to be held on 25 March, is to raise awareness of the importance of wearing the correct, properly maintained equipment, including hats and body protectors, whenever appropriate. “It’s so important,” said MDIRF administrator and fund co-ordinator Rosemary Lang. “Putting your hat on should be second nature, like wearing a seat belt. From all the injuries we’ve seen, we can’t stress enough how important it is to wear and look after your safety equipment. “Check it; make sure it meets the latest standards and check your tack. I don’t want to spread doom…

ELEGANCE AT SPEED Sir — I was fortunate enough to be present at the Bicester hunt’s point-to-point at Whitfield racecourse on Sunday 12 March, where the Muddy Duck Side Saddle Dash took place. With a vested interest, I am an area chairman for The Side Saddle Association and had many friends riding. I was thrilled to see such a great turnout with 14 ladies taking part (above). The elegance in the parade ring coupled with smiling faces made it a joy to behold and the elegance continued even at speed. Much work had gone in to getting the steeds ready with trips to local gallops to ensure fitness for both horse and rider. Vet Jo Hales, the worthy winner, had her work cut out in every way being on call…

‘I check my girth at least four times and if I can’t get it any tighter, I ask my partner Graham to check it too’ My tip for jump schooling… When we’re jumping at home, I make sure that after every exercise or course that we’ve jumped, I walk the horse and give him a couple of minutes just to think about how that went before going again. If it’s not going right and you keep doing it and doing it and doing it, they won’t have the time to think about what you’re asking of them, and they’ll get more uptight and worried, which is the point at which you as a rider get angry, and then you may as well give up. My tip for saving time around…

LOTTIE (pictured, top right) was referred to Rainbow Equine Hospital when she developed a head tilt and experienced difficulty walking. Her head position and the way she was moving were typical of an inner-ear problem. A CT scan showed that the middle ear was not full of air, as it should be, but contained fluid — possibly indicating infection. The structures around the middle ear were also inflamed. While the temporohyoid joint was slightly enlarged, this enlargement was not so great as to suggest that temporohyoid changes were responsible for middle- and inner-ear disease. There was no sign of skull fracture. When Lottie’s condition failed to improve after a week-long course of antibiotics, she was anaesthetised so that a sample of fluid could be collected from her middle ear. Lab…

‘I’ve learnt life goes on whether you’re successful or not’ WE’RE only three months into the year, but Isabell Werth has already taken three different horses to World Cup qualifiers, often with just a few days in between — Amsterdam (Weihegold OLD), Neumünster (Don Johnson FRH), Gothenburg (Emilio 107) and Doha (Don Johnson FRH). When we meet she’s just competed Emilio in the grand prix in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. What did these shows have in common? She won them all. An unprecedented streak, where she made light of the fierce competition, and, on current top ride Weihegold, broke the 90% barrier a few times. In all this she always finds the time to talk to the media, to stop for photos with fans, to accept, with genuine gratitude, passers-by’s congratulations. She’s as…

‘The in-hand work helped Pascal become more supple laterally so he can produce his lovely big half-passes’ Diane Thurman-Baker IN-HAND work can be a valuable tool in any dressage trainer’s tool box. An increasing number of coaches and riders are realising that these techniques improve performance throughout the horse’s training at every level. The repertoire of movements taught from the ground extends from a square halt and rein-back, through lateral work, and up to grand prix movements such as piaffe and passage. The handler on the ground exerts control over the horse’s legs and body and can influence his flexion and bend without the weight or interference of a rider. While it is most often seen in the classical schools of Europe, or used to help rehabilitation and build…

WHENEVER asked whether she ever considers selling any of her horses, Isabell Werth’s long-time owner Madeleine Winter-Schulze always jokes that she is in the sport “not to make money, but to lose it”. That’s a pretty accurate summary of what being a dressage owner involves — but apart from this one general rule, asking how much it costs to own a competition horse is a bit like asking how long a piece of string is: the costs depend on countless factors. Personally, I consider myself very lucky that the horse I fell in love with and bought for myself as a day-old foal turned out to be the kind of horse that would excel with a good professional rider. Even though I never thought I’d be an “owner”, travelling to…

Lynn Paisley rode the 13-year-old Highland gelding Jura Of Meggernie to lead at prelim and novice bronze. “We’ve been British Dressage [BD] registered for years but never contested any championships as I’ve always put the show ring first. Last year Jura was placed in all his Horse of the Year Show [HOYS] qualifiers and was overall supreme Highland ridden pony at Blair Castle,” said Lynn, who is part of the Hi Ho Highlands Team Quest team. “I need to plan ahead in tests, setting him up in advance and keeping him in front of my leg,” added Lynn, who is also looking forward to her first visit to the Area Festival Championships at prelim bronze with the traditional cob Lionheart Phantom. Also off to Hartpury — but for the medium…

Heiligenberg’s Pushed Again and Lily Cordwell-Smith won both novices at Northallerton after spending the winter training and getting to know each other. The 11-year-old was bought for Lily as a schoolmaster from Anna Johannson last autumn. “He’s beautifully trained and is teaching me lots,” said Lily, 12, who trains with Sam Brown. “I’m hoping to qualify for the regionals and I’m also aiming for the BYRDS squad.” Susan Wilde, who chose her Irish coloured gelding Lightening Cappry Jack because he felt safe, is also going from strength to strength between the white boards. They won a novice at Alnwick Ford with plus-70% and came third in the qualifier. “He’s exceeded my expectations, and we’re heading towards qualification for the summers after a top 10 placing at the winter regionals in…

When he's not doing dressage, the Pro-Set son accompanies hacks in Chrissie’s riding school. “I am so busy with work and children that I took a decision not to chase the qualifiers and just enjoy my dressage. Taking the pressure off seems to be paying dividends,” said Chrissie, who triumphed at Bicton. Primary school teacher Sophie Turriff rode her home-bred Limeddies Devon Brooke to win both the medium 61 and elementary 59 at Duchy College. Ivybridge-based Sophie, 24, is trained by Karen Lisk and hopes to take the seven-year-old to the BYRDS Home International. “She’s nothing flashy and fairly chunky, but she is very correct and has a lovely rhythm. We hope to do our first advanced medium soon,” said Sophie of the mare by No Limits. List Two judge…

‘He had to go up through the gears but once he hits top gear, bang, he’s off ’ NICO DE BOINVILLE ON ALTIOR THE most dramatic finish of this year’s Cheltenham Festival was unquestionably the RSA Chase, in which Nicky Henderson’s Might Bite beat his stablemate Whisper by a nose. That, however, did not begin to tell the story. Might Bite was the novice chaser who had fallen at the last when 12 lengths clear in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Daryl Jacob got much of the blame for that fall — not from Henderson, who has too much class to do that in public, but from the armchair jockeys. In light of what happened at Cheltenham that criticism should certainly be reviewed. Might…

PACHA DU POLDER finally had his day in the Festival spotlight, a year too late for an Olympic cyclist but perfect timing for a 21-year-old with racing blood running through her veins. Bryony Frost, daughter of Grand National and Champion Hurdle-winning jockey Jimmy, delivered a classic ride to win the St James’s Place Foxhunter and provide trainer Paul Nicholls with his sole success of the meeting. Paul pointed to last year’s race — in which gold medal-winning cyclist Victoria Pendleton steered Pacha Du Polder into a late-closing fifth — as ample evidence that the horse had the attributes to win hunter chasing’s championship title. And Frost, whose previous Foxhunter mount had been left at the start, was determined not to lay out of her ground, settling Pacha Du Polder on…

‘It is like having a whizz round on a top-class jumping pony’ SARAH PARKES ON DASSETT COOLEY DUN, THIRD IN AN AI Riseholme College Lincolnshire Horse Trials, Lincs OLIVER TOWNEND dominated the scoreboard, winning a staggering four intermediate and open intermediate (OI) sections. There was no catching the Yorkshireman, who won every section he was entered in on the final day of the event. The entry lists for both the OI and advanced intermediate sections were peppered with equine stars, who were there for an early-season warm-up run. “I think my cross-country times came up [on the whole] faster than anybody else, but I don’t always feel like I’m going fast — they were definitely comfortable,” said Oliver. “Their ears were pricked all the way.” He added “98%” of…

CSI4* Sunshine Tour, Vejer De La Frontera, Spain THERE was no stopping Guy Williams and his veteran stalwarts Casper De Muze and Depardieu Vant Kiezelhof this week. With the sun on their backs, Guy’s long-time partners looked ready to take on the world, with Casper, 15, collecting the first big win of the week — the Coca-Cola small grand prix on Saturday — and his stablemate “Zac”, 14, collecting a €25,000 (£21,800)payout in Sunday’s invitational grand prix. “This has been an incredible week, winning two of the most important classes,” said Guy. “It is also the third time I have won the invitational grand prix here, and the Sunshine Tour is a very special event for me.” A lightning-quick eight-rider jump-off brought the tour’s feature class to a conclusion and…

‘Ruth was a wonderful horsewoman in her own right but she had this amazing knack — and still does — as a teacher’ Allister Hood THE prolific showman won the supreme riding horse championship at the Royal International Horse Show last year with Diamonds Are Forever, as well as the supreme horse of the year championship at Horse of the Year Show with Our Cashel Blue. I was lucky to be taken on by trainer Ruth McMullen when I was 15. She was a wonderful horsewoman in her own right but she had this amazing knack — and still does — as a teacher. You never realised you were having a lesson. Among many others, she taught Pippa Funnell (then Nolan), who’s been phenomenally successful. In one of her books…

ANIMAL charities have welcomed the end of a long-running legal battle which confirms individuals have the right to choose who will inherit when they die. On 15 March, the Supreme Court overturned a previous decision in Heather Ilott’s favour over the amount left to her in mother Melita Jackson’s will. Mrs Jackson had left almost all her £458,000 estate to charities with which she had no connection — and nothing to her only daughter Mrs Ilott. The two had been estranged for 26 years, since Mrs Ilott left home at 17. “We are pleased the Supreme Court has given welcome reassurance that — save in limited and specific circumstances — the wishes recorded in a person’s will must be respected,” said a joint statement from main beneficiaries, the RSPCA, Blue…

“AMAZING prizes” and the chance to compete in the atmosphere of an international competition are on offer at the first Horse & Hound championships this summer. H&H is inviting competitors to its unaffiliated CCI-format three-day event, to be held at Keysoe on 27-29 May. Classes will run at 70cm, 80cm, 90cm and 100cm and the event will be extensively reported, both in the magazine and online, at horseandhound.co.uk. H&H managing director Steve Kendall said the team is looking forward to the competition. “Horse & Hound has always been passionate about supporting grassroots competitors and discovering the next generation of talent,” he said. “These championships are a great way of offering riders the opportunity to compete at a top venue, for great prizes —and the chance to appear in H&H. “This…

DORSET Whitcombe Monymusk Stables and Stud For you: a three-bedroom eco house, stud manager’s flat, four-bed trainer’s house, five staff flats, staff dormitory and a racing office. For the horses: two all-weather gallops, a grass gallops, 137 stables, indoor arena, three horse walkers, a wash-down area, farriery area and an on-site vet facility. Set in 307.99 acres. £3.75m Savills, 01722 426800, savills.co.uk YORKSHIRE Arthington Barn Stables For you: set on the edge of the North York Moors National Park there is a four-bedroom main house, a three-bedroom trainer’s house and staff accommodation with eight bedrooms. For the horses: all-weather and grass gallops, 67 stables, three horse walkers, a lunge ring, office and tack room. Set in 25.34 acres. £1.45m Windsor Clive, 01672 521155, windsorclive.co.uk…

HEAD AND TOPLINE “He has a wise look with intelligent eyes,” says Annamaria. “His neck looks a little short here, but this could be misleading as his head is turned toward the camera. “He has a good depth of girth, giving room for the heart and lungs. It is difficult to comment on his topline because of the lighting in this photo; however he seems adequately muscled. His withers are relatively long and the remaining back relatively short, which can make finding and fitting a saddle challenging. However, a shorter back that is well supported by muscles can be advantageous over long distances.” BACK END “His hindquarters are probably his most impressive asset,” says Annamaria. “His hindlimbs have good conformation and look strong. Again, lighting makes it difficult to comment…

‘Temperament, riding and training are the cornerstones — with these, any horse can go advanced medium’ Hawtins Stud’s Judith Davis puts conformation in context PROVIDED you know what you’re looking at, a horse’s conformation will offer a series of vital clues about the way he is likely to move. But how exactly does what you see translate into what you feel when you’re in the saddle? For dressage trainer Matt Frost, a glance at a horse that’s standing up or even walking around the field will offer important pointers about his ridden performance. “When you look at a horse you assess his build, which usually relates to his way of going,” he explains. “Can you see him carrying a rider well, lifting at the shoulder and floating in an…

USING poles — raised or flat on the ground — can contribute to developing the muscles and coordination required for a successful dressage horse. Many equine physios recommend working horses over poles to strengthen and supple the back and leg joints. It requires the horse to use his full range of motion without additional strain on his legs. You can start with just a few poles on the ground and ask the horse to walk over them either from the saddle or in-hand. Set them at an appropriate distance for him to comfortably stride over or set them at unequal distances and heights so the horse learns to think where he’s putting his feet. Grand prix rider Liz Diegutis begins using pole work when her horses are four and starts…

 Dawn bought her Windmill Farm double novice winner, the seven-year-old Dinozoff (Don Schufro x Baroncelli), 18 months ago on a trip to Blue Hors Stud in Denmark. ‘I wanted one that wouldn’t kill me’ DAWN BUCKLEY ON BUYING HER FIRST YOUNG HORSE, DINOZOFF “It’s always been my dream to ride at the nationals so I asked Matt Frost to help me find a horse capable of getting me there,” said Dawn. “As it was my first young horse, I wanted one that wouldn’t kill me! Dino’s brilliant even though he’s green. He was second at the Merrist Wood regionals and is now on his way to qualifying for the summer regionals too.” Georgia Renouf won all her novice and elementary classes at the two-day Guernsey Dressage show on Sligo…

‘If it wasn’t for Douvan, we’d still be running over two miles’ JESSICA HARRINGTON ON SIZING JOHN’S TWIST OF FATE JESSICA HARRINGTON capped an extraordinary lifetime spent in the company of horses when she sent out Sizing John, ridden by Robbie Power, to win the Timico Gold Cup at Cheltenham last week. Between them, Harrington, 70, and Power, 35, have just about every branch of riding covered — she represented Ireland at the 1984 Olympics in eventing and he, the Grand National-winning son of Irish showjumper Con Power, triumphed in the 2013 Speed Derby at Hickstead. Sizing John, a seven-year-old by Midnight Legend, came into this year’s race as the least exposed of the 13 runners and something of an unknown quantity at the trip. People were questioning whether…

IN many ways Buveur D’Air had the perfect Stan James Champion Hurdle profile. He was one of last season’s top-three novice hurdlers, is trained by Nicky Henderson (that seems to be quite a help) and was a nice winner of what appeared to be a so-so trial for the race in the Sandown mud. However, he’d also had two runs over fences. That is less conventional. Indeed, had the original plan — mapped out by owner JP McManus when the horse was purchased over the summer — been adhered to, Buveur D’Air would have been contesting Tuesday’s Arkle against his stable companion Altior. Whether Henderson was ever totally persuaded about Buveur D’Air as a steeplechaser even before his first run, I am not sure. The form of his first win…

FIRST FESTIVAL WIN THE trainer (see comment, p69) had all the pressure of preparing the Albert Bartlett favourite, Barters Hill, last year. However, there was much less fuss over the Paul and Clare Rooney-owned Willoughby Court (pictured, right) this year. The six-year-old made all under a terrific ride from David Bass to hold off a sustained challenge from Neon Wolf by a head in a stirring finish to the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle. Barters Hill’s defeat last year taught Pauling that the Albert Bartlett is a gruelling race for a young horse and he always preferred the Neptune Investment for Willoughby Court. “He was gutsy as you like,” said the Bourton-on-the-Water trainer after breaking his Festival duck. “There weren’t any confirmed frontrunners except ourselves and I told David [Bass]…

AS usual, Ireland-based breeders dominated the Cheltenham Festival, winning 12 of the 28 races. But it was the home side who took the most prestigious bragging rights — notching three of the five senior chasing and hurdling championships. The winners of the Gold Cup (Sizing John), the Champion Chase (Special Tiara) and Stayers’ Hurdle (Nichols Canyon) were all foaled in Britain. And with those of the other two, the Champion Hurdle (Buveur D’Air) and Ryanair Chase (Un De Sceaux), bred in France, it was a rare omission for the Irish. The last time they drew that sort of blank was in 2007, and before that in 1967. For the British, it was the first time with three senior titles since 1997, when Make A Stand won the Champion Hurdle, Martha’s…

WORKING RIDER EQUINE physiotherapist Etti Dale balances her eventing with work and motherhood. The Lincolnshire-based rider came second in intermediate section P with “the best horse I have ever had”, Simply Simon II. “I have to fit in a lot and he has suddenly been worth making this effort,” she said. Etti was treating the horse in 2014 for previous owner Jess Butler when she heard he was for sale and thought he would make a “nice hunter” to share with her husband. Etti added that Simon has a “cheeky streak”, but frequent cross-country schooling early in his career and a season hunting with the Belvoir has helped him “click” with the cross-country phase. They are now aiming for their first advanced at Belton.…

Happy half-termers Bicester and Whaddon Chase Children’s Meet, Northbrook, Oxon A field of 80 — including more than 60 children — gathered at Northbrook, home of Julian and Sue Eeley and their daughter and son-in-law Jo and Ben Hales during half-term (16 February). Bicester joint-master Lucy Holland said: “We had a brilliant day. It was very busy and lots of fun. There weren’t too many fallers, and most of those were from saddles slipping and other ‘tack malfunctions’, rather than as a result of fences, although we did tons of jumping.” Guy Allman is in his second season hunting the hounds, and his wife Fran was out with their two small children. The day took in Northbrook, the Tylors’ Studd Farm and Kirtlington Park before an excellent tea back at…

‘After the third fence, I never saw another horse. I finished on my own, and never pushed my horse’ ROWAN COPE, WYNNSTAY WINNER ON ARTHUR OLD BERKS HUNT SCURRY CLARE KING took the open race riding Ravens Brook, on whom she had won the adjacent hunts’ class at the same fixture in 2016. “He had just come out of training [with Clare’s husband Neil] then and those were the first hedges he had jumped — he’s come on a lot since then and I had a lovely ride round,” said Clare. The 11-year-old winner of two steeplechases has adapted to life outside racing very easily. “He’s amazing out hunting — so well-mannered, perfect with hounds and jumps anything,” she said. “He’s bombproof; I’m very lucky to have him.” In…

NORTH Yorkshire-based producer Lizzie Richmond is among 12 riders taking part in the Best Western-sponsored “Ride of Their Lives” at York Racecourse on 17 June in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Lizzie has taken up the challenge in memory of popular showman Tim Bennington, who died last summer. “Tim’s widow, Steph, is one of my closest friends,” said Lizzie, who has already raised £3,000 of her £10,000 target. “I knew from speaking to her that Macmillan played a huge part in the final months of his life — the nurses gave unwavering support to them both.” Despite having been involved with show and competition horses — including TV work — all her life, Lizzie’s previous racing experience was limited to a few point-to-point outings with the former show hunter, Mount…