Innholdsfortegnelse for 7-Jul-2016 i Horse & Hound

NEWS of Olympic medal-winners facing retests, and the fact that Rio’s drug-testing laboratory has had its accreditation suspended weeks ahead of the Games, have pushed the issue of doping into the spotlight. In the equestrian world, the case of Cheltenham winner Any Currency (see box, right) has sparked discussion over detection times. But what is doping and what makes it so ethically wrong? Doping is the administration of drugs in order to inhibit or enhance sporting performance. The FEI, British Equestrian Federation (BEF) and British Horseracing Authority (BHA) are united in their stance towards clean sport. “The overarching policy behind medication control in British horseracing is the principle that no horse should run in Great Britain under the effects of medication or have any substance present in its system that…

ANNA RENOUF The entrepreneur from Sutherland has won an award from the Converge Challenge, Scotland’s biggest entrepreneurship development programme, for designing a saddle with an innovative tree design. KING CHARLES II A statue of the king who was pivotal to the establishment of Newmarket will be unveiled at the racecourse. The statue will be revealed on the first day of the July Festival (7 July) after the Newmarket Town Plate. ROSE BEATTIE Ms Beattie was awarded a Lifetime in Racing award on 27 June as part of Stable Staff Week, which celebrates the unsung heroes of racing. She was presented the award by trainer Mark Johnston, whom she still works for on a part-time basis. LARA DYSON The dressage rider and her husband Gary Edwards welcomed their daughter, Annabelle Rose…

OWNERS are invited to complete a survey aimed at improving the available information and advice on the risk of insect bites on equines. Researchers at the University of Liverpool are looking for information as part of a study into the risk to British horses from mosquito-borne viruses. Biting insects are known to play a role in transmitting conditions including West Nile and African horse sickness viruses. Although neither of these is currently in the UK, the researchers say climate change means the risk of the viruses being introduced is increasing. Survey co-ordinator Gail Chapman said researchers want to hear from as many owners as possible, even if “you don’t feel your horse has any problems with biting insects”. • Visit: www.facebook.com/Mozz.Horse…

FRANK CHAPOT THE US showjumping chef d’equipe and six-time Olympian died on 20 June aged 84. He made his Olympic debut in 1956 with the one-eyed horse Belair, going on to compete at five more Games, winning team silver at Rome 1960 and Munich 1972. He also claimed individual bronze in the 1974 World Championships, rode on 46 winning FEI Nations Cup teams and three Pan American Games teams. After his competitive career, he served as chef d’equipe to the US jumping team for 24 years, which won nine Olympic and nine Pan American Games medals under his leadership. Mr Chapot also bred and trained top showjumper Gem Twist. MARK RUSSELL US-based dressage trainer and natural horsemanship devotee Mr Russell died following an accident with a young horse on 13…

RIDERS are being urged to take action after a further spate of road accidents involving horses, writes Rachael Hook. Cornish rider Debbie Smith, who launched a national campaign, Pass Wide and Slow, in September last year, is calling for riders to get in touch with their local MP to encourage them to take action on this important issue. This follows three recent road accidents that have been reported to Horse & Hound, one of which was fatal for the horse. Last month (6 June), Alicia Whitaker was hacking near Lechlade, Glos, when a car hit her from behind. “We flipped up over the bonnet,” she said. “It was very traumatic and I can’t even describe how frightening the whole incident was.” Alicia suffered spinal fractures and a broken ankle. Her…

HORSE AND CARRIAGE Sir — It was a breath of fresh air to see the Royal Cornwall ridden hunter reserve champion, Honour N’ Glory (showing, 23 June). The horse is going in a perfect outline with the poll the highest point of the neck and his head just in front of the vertical. The rider has a lovely long rein and there is a straight line from the hand to the bit. The horse is looking “through the bridle” with ears pricked and looks to be floating along. Because of his head carriage the horse can see where he is going — which is vitally important for a hunter. Bill Adams and Judy Gibson Yockleton, Shrops A GREAT VENUE Sir — Reading Carl Hester’s response to the cancellation of Hickstead’s…

TIMELY intervention ensured the successful arrival of Dexter, one of 27 foals born at Mount St John stud in North Yorkshire this spring. The mare, Aperta, had passed the bag (the whitish sac, or amnion, the first part of the placenta) and was straining when resident vet Kara Johnston MRCVS realised that something wasn’t right. “No feet or head were visible, so I inserted my arm and found that the foal was upside down,” says Kara. “His legs were above his head, so Aperta was pushing his feet into her rectal wall. “A foal stuck like this won’t be able to get out alone and can die through lack of oxygen,” Kara explains. “Without help, it’s bad news — and dangerous for the mare, too, as she can suffer a…

JUNIOR rider Angus Corrie-Dean’s Keystone Walentino x Joli Coeur 11-year-old Walters Fable was reunited with long-lost connections at the show. Angus explained: “We bought ‘Jeff’ from a lady in the New Forest who had swapped a 13.2hh pony for him as he was possibly proving too much horse at a London riding school. We traced his history back through his vaccination record. He had showjumped in France but was bred in Surrey. “We went to see some young horses at Sue Griffin’s Fables Stud, near Godstone. We mentioned Jeff’s full name and Sue said, ‘I bred him’.” Sue added: “He nearly wasn’t born at all because his dam developed septicaemia late in her pregnancy. I lost contact with Walter after he was sold.” Angus concluded: “He’s a wonderful character and…

THE 22nd edition of this stunning show, in the Tyrolean Alps, offered top sport to a sold-out crowd of 6,000. The latest grand prix horse produced by Germany’s Isabell Werth, Madeleine Winter-Schulze’s Emilio 107 (Ehrenpreis x Cacir AA), joined Valegro and Uthopia as one of only three horses ever to break the 80% barrier at this show. The 10-year-old Westfalian gelding made his international debut at the level less than a year ago but has already scored over 80% this season (in Munich in May). He produced an outstanding grand prix special in front of a full house of Rio judges, with the piaffe-passage tour as the main highlight. Together with the black mare Weihegold OLD, Emilio is one of Isabell’s Rio prospects; the decision on which of the two…

MUCH has been written and many ideas put forward about what we should or shouldn’t do to try to keep equestrian sports in the Olympics. We’re in the entertainment business and, as such, should be looking to produce a harmonious picture and elicit positive emotions to make spectators hungry for more, whatever the discipline. A good jumping course-designer is one who can develop a course as it progresses and ask questions in a way that encourages the flow, thereby producing a pleasing picture. Perhaps we need the same mind-set in producing dressage tests? I will have my judging hat on in Rio and I have seen a lot of eventing tests this year. The present set of eventing dressage tests are not helping riders produce the picture we want. The…

RICHARD HOWLEY and Chinook III ticked off another box when they galloped away with victory in the British Masters grand prix. Masters they certainly were, over a technical first-round track and jump-off course set by Mark McGowan. With a dozen hopefuls coming forward to the final round, the obvious question seemed to be how fast riders would risk going on the long run to the final fence sited just past the gate. “I originally walked it on 12 strides, but we got there on nine,” said Richard, who has had a memorable few weeks with George and Beverley Aitkenhead’s son of Tygo. After jumping on their first Nations Cup team for Ireland at Drammen, Richard and Chinook went on to win the Bramham grand prix for the second year running…

TOP Canadian showjumper Ian Millar (right), who has been selected for 10 consecutive Olympic teams, will miss Rio after his top horse Dixson was sidelined through injury. The 69-year-old rider made his record-breaking 10th Olympic appearance in 2012 at London and had been on target to make it 11 with the 13-year-old son of Vigo D’Arsouilles. However, the Belgian warmblood required surgery for a case of rare nasal haematomas and although he has recovered, Ian didn’t believe his top ride would be back to full fitness in time. FAREWELL TO NIAGRA B FORMER showjumping mare Niagra B (pictured) has been put down following a field accident. Retired aged 11 to High Offley Stud in Stafford, the 21-year-old bred six foals. She competed at international level under Derek Morton, who had…

SOPHIE BREWSTER shed a tear after collecting a HOYS ticket with her father Alex’s home-bred lightweight hunter Clifton’s Only Just (OJ). The Stonegrove Ace six-year-old had an inauspicious start after his dam Cranswick Alice, a previous Royal Highland Show in-hand hunter champion, died the day after his birth. “He was bottle-fed before being partnered to an Arab mare through the National Foaling Bank - hence the name Only Just,” explained Sophie, who lives two miles from the showground. “We enjoyed a successful but light novice season last year while I juggled riding with completing my masters in physiotherapy. We’ve only been to a couple of shows this season and have qualified for the Royal International in the lightweight and amateur classes. “OJ is completely home-produced and to qualify a horse…

MICHELLE CUERDEN celebrated two HOYS tickets in one day when Beau Diddley (Bobby) and Del Boy V (Derek) topped their coloured native and traditional horse and pony classes. Although he had already netted two early tricolours at Myerscough and the BSPS winter championships, this was a first HOYS ticket for Bobby, ridden by Ben Hester. “He has been lightly shown as he needed time to mature,” said Michelle of the eight-year-old graded stallion she bought two years ago. “He has a lovely attitude, good conformation and a massive gallop. Ben rides Bobby once a week and I hack and do dressage with him.” Michelle partnered the 12-year-old piebald stallion Del Boy V. “He’s a real showman; when he hears the lorry start, he’s ready to go with ears pricked -…

Wales & Border Counties Builth Wells, Powys 30 JUNE By Mark Hankinson ENTRANTS were down at this year’s Wales & Border Counties Hound Show, with only 10 packs competing in the English foxhound classes. However quality remained high, particularly in the open classes, and it was a good day for the Bicester with Whaddon Chase (Bicester) who dominated the restricted classes and more than held their own against the bigger Gloucestershirepacks. Ultimately, the star of the show was the North Cotswold’s doghound and overall champion Granite 15. First honours went to the Albrighton and Woodland’s Grocer with a quick victory in the single unentered restricted class. This nicely proportioned and agile son of Middleton Albert 11 also went on to win both the special prizes for best unentered and best…

‘He was awash with sweat before Ascot, but didn’t turn a hair today. He’s grown up’Trainer Charlie Appleby on Hawkbill HAWKBILL notched up a notable Godolphin winner when landing the Coral Eclipse from Coolmore’s hot favourite, The Gurkha. The racing press probably make too much of the idea that European Flat racing at the highest level is a battle between two superpowers — Coolmore and Godolphin. The reality is that with Al Shaqab, the consistent Khaled Abdullah and a resurgent Aga Khan, there are more than two major forces in the sport. However, the sport arguably needs Godolphin to counterbalance the success enjoyed by Coolmore. The racing public’s biggest gripe against Godolphin in the last seven or eight years has been its inability to take the fight to its Irish…

‘I watched the Barcelona Olympics when It’s Otto was six, thinking how I’d love to go to an Olympics. Four years later, he took me ’ IT’S OTTO came to me when his owner Gerard Lever’s jockey left and he needed a rider. He proved how good he was straight away. As a six-year-old he qualified for the Foxhunter final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), he was second in the HOYS grade B championship as a seven-year-old, and as an eight-year-old he jumped the grand prix at HOYS. He also jumped his first of 15 Nations Cups aged eight. I remember watching the Barcelona Olympics in the lorry at a show when It’s Otto was six and thinking how much I’d love to go to an Olympics. Four…

ANY CURRENCY THE case of whether 2016 Cheltenham Festival cross-country winner Any Currency should be disqualified from the race is set to be heard by the BHA’s disciplinary panel this month. The 13-year-old tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide (TCA) — a synthetic corticosteroid — following his win on 16 March. The substance is a controlled medication, meaning it can be legitimately used in equine practice and horses in training for various therapeutic purposes, but must not be present in a horse’s system on a raceday. Following news of the hearing, trainer Martin Keighley stated the horse was given the treatment 42 days before the race. The BHA rules state the minimum time between this treatment and when a horse can race again is 14 clear days. “Although he is 13…

YOU’RE driving home from a competition when to your horror you realise your lorry is on fire with horses on board. Would you know what to do? Catherine Austen reports This is the terrifying situation that faced Faye Boyling and her family, who were on the A19 travelling back from Skipton Horse Trials to their home in Middlesbrough on 26 June when a tyre blowout caused, they think, the the fuel pipe to split. They managed to get themselves and horse Chester out of the lorry moments before it burst into flames. The family had used an extinguisher kept in the vehicle on the flames. Jon Phillips from the Organisation of Horsebox and Trailer Owners said: “I recommend two 2kg dry-powder extinguishers, one in the cab and one in the…

Six-time British champion Flat jockey Kieren Fallon has made the decision to retire from the saddle due to an ongoingbattlewithdepression. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/  fallon-retires Uthopia is to remain withCarl Hester at his Gloucestershire base, it has been confirmed, more than a month after he was sold at auction. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/  uthopia-stays-with-carl BritishEventing’strialofallowingriders at lower levels to use stopwatches has been extended until the end of the 2016season. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/  be-stopwatches-trial Mark Todd is not the oldest New Zealand athlete heading for Rio, it has emerged,butis“happytoconcede” thecrown. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/  mark-todd-olympian An orphaned foal (pictured, above) was saved when his great-grandmother was brought into milk by ahumananti-sicknessdrug. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/  human-drug-saves-foal BE events will no longer run at BrooksbyMeltonCollege,Leics,…

THE National Equine Forum (NEF) is looking for nominations for unsung heroes of the horse world for the 2017 Sir Colin Spedding Award. The winner will have made “an extraordinary contribution to equestrianism over a number of years”. The award was introduced in memory of Sir Colin, the founding chairman of the NEF, who aimed to “allow the equine world to consider and then speak with a coordinated voice”. Submissions, of no more than 100 words, must be made by 31 July. Finalists will be invited to the National Equine Forum on 25 March 2017, when the winner will be announced. Email entries to: info@nationalequineforum.com…

SPEEDY DONKEYS Hundreds of visitors attended Westbury Lions’ donkey derby at White Horse Country Park (12 June). Over £4,000 was donated to local causes. EQUINE RETIREES Police horses Kruti, Priya and Asha, from Ahmedabad, India, have been retired after 20 years of service, including riot work during times of unrest. The trio will spend their veteran years at the Meghaninagar Mounted Police Camp. BLENHEIM PALACE BBC’s Countryfile Live (4-7 August) will take place at the beautiful Oxfordshire site. There will be four areas dedicated to animals, including an equine village and dog arena. NORWEGIAN POLO The Norwegian Polo Club, based at Stall Kubberød, hosted the country’s first ever polo tournament on 18 June. The Norwegian Polo Open raised funds for cancer research charity Kreftforeningen.…

EXHIBITION Equestrian art and sculpture from the Sladmore Gallery and Osbourne Studio will be exhibited from 7-9 July at Rothschild Yard, Newmarket. www.palacehouse newmarket.co.uk POLO Enjoy the British Beach Polo Championships at Sandbanks, in Poole, Dorset, on 8-9 July. www.sandpolo.com EVENTING Watch the next leg of the Event Rider Masters at Barbury. The Wiltshire event runs from 7-9 July and features CIC2* and CIC3* classes, and the jockeys vs eventers challenge. www.barburyhorsetrials.co.uk LECTURE A talk about diagnostic imaging in lame horses is being given by Annamaria Nagy at the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, on 12 July. Email: gail.lochtie@gmail.com DRESSAGE Hartpury, Glos, hosts its British Dressage Premier League show on 6-10 July. www.britishdressage.co.uk RACING Go to the July Festival at Newmarket on 7-9 July. The fixture features Group…

Having run a riding school for more than 20 years, I would completely disagree that no one takes British Horse Society (BHS) exams seriously, as one of your interviewees suggests (news, 30 July). The BHS and Association of British Riding Schools (ABRS) exams are the most useful to me. The BHS exam system may have its failings but it is infinitely better than the Work Based Diploma (WBD, formerly NVQ). The WBD allows candidates to pick out “easy” units — only some are compulsory — and miss out areas that employers would expect a Level 2 apprentice to have covered. As apprentices start at a Level 2 diploma they can arrive without even knowing the points of the horse. It is government policy to put our apprentices through WBDs, but…

My secret weapon… Bananas. All my horses love them — Dublet [Kasey’s top horse Goerklintgaards Dublet] begs for his after a ride. The biggest mistake I have learnt from… Not reading the rules for making a freestyle. I went to a show and the programme was seven minutes long, way too long for an I-1 (elementary) freestyle. I spent the whole show trying to find someone to cut the music while I redid the choreography. I learned then always to read the rules for everything. Getting emotional… No matter what the Olympic sport is, I will become emotional. I am very competitive, so when I invest my time into watching an event I tend to pull for a certain team or person. Also, the Olympics are on another level. As…

‘You could only see flags in a sea of water’Jane Holderness-Roddam on cross-country day, Mexico City ISN’T it British to be talking about the weather in Rio? But while any Olympian is focused on rivals and tactics, there’s a glut of other factors — weather included — that are far less peripheral than one may imagine. Past Olympics abound with tales of flooded courses, volcanic terrain and horses dying in transit. Stifling temperatures in Barcelona 1992 provoked a four-year study into the effects of heat and humidity — leaving a lasting legacy in how we cool horses today — while in Mexico City 1968 riders collapsed due to the high altitude only a week before the event. So what have our great riders of the past suffered in the name…

WHEN I first became involved with horses, I heard people using terms such as “coming through”, “on the bit”, “half-halt” and “wrap your horse around your inside leg”. It sounded like a secret language that all the serious riders understood — one I needed to learn to join the chosen elite! Now looking back several decades, I wonder how many people either understood those terms or if they did, meant the same when using them. I suspect that they were repeated by trainers, dressage judges and riders without any real comprehension or consistency of meaning. This still happens. This assumption of meaning, using hackneyed phrases and soundbites, leads to a block of real understanding. It would be so much simpler if we would stop using those terms, or at least…

I recently had a horse based with a rider in the Netherlands. When the bill arrived, I couldn’t work out why the show expenses were half what they are in the UK. I was talking to the owner of a Dutch show centre, who said that their federation has an option that if entry fees are less than €12.50 (£10.50), you don’t have to give prize-money. If more than 200 horses jump in a day, and he’s in profit, then he chooses to give prize-money to the first five. He says more often than not, 500 jump in a day — so the system works. From a producer’s view, when you’re jumping 20 horses, it makes a big difference to pay £10 rather than £25 a class. If a horse…

• VERY NICE, Timothy Hendrix’s five-star ride, has been retired from top-level competition, but will continue to jump at lower levels with a young rider. Stal Hendrix’s 14-year-old by Cantos, who notched up numerous international victories, will also “spend more time in the field”. • SHOWJUMPER Holly Gillott - who produced and rode Dougie Douglas before he was sold to the US last November - married her long-term partner Graham Smith on Friday (1 July). • ORGANISERS of Olympia, the London International Horse Show (13-19 December) have announced the Emile Faurie Foundation as the official charity for this year’s show. The charity reaches out to underprivileged children and was the brainchild of top international dressage rider and trainer Emile Faurie. “In 2016, our foundation is celebrating its 10th anniversary, so…

VALEGRO The Olympic gold medal-winner and new addition to the Aachen hall of fame has been immortalised again - in a series of children’s books. Book one of The Blueberry Stories starts the story of Valegro’s “trials and tribulations”. NAYANA The 15-year-old by Royal Feu is to be retired from showjumping. Most recently ridden by Penelope Leprevost, with whom she was on the 2013 French Nations Cup final-winning team, Nayana is to become a broodmare for owner Geneviève Mégret. STANLEY West Yorkshire Police’s mounted section has announced the name of its newest recruit. More than 1,000 people submitted suggestions for the four-year-old gelding, and Stanley was the winner by more than 200 votes. Police say he has settled in well. DHI LUPISON The horse long-listed for Rio will not be…

A student currently undertaking an equine-related degree is keen to raise awareness that apprenticeships can lead to higher education. Harriet Lawson (pictured) has finished her first year of a BSc in equine business management at Bishop Burton College. The 21-year-old from Perthshire said: “I left school after my Highers [equivalent to AS levels] and wanted to work in the horse world, but my mother was keen for me to carry on my education. “I got a job with event rider Jamie Atkinson, and he arranged for me to do an apprenticeship.” Ms Lawson started her apprenticeship, through Stubbing Court Training, in 2013. Having “learned a great deal”, she went to work for Vicky Clarke. “With Vicky, I was able to take on more responsibility; both yards taught me so much,”…

THE South Herefordshire Hunt has been suspended pending results of a full inquiry following allegations of animal cruelty at its kennels, writes Polly Portwin. The Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) recently confirmed that an independent inquiry would look into claims made by the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) that fox cubs had been kept on premises owned by the hunt. An undercover team associated with LACS also removed the carcasses of two cubs it believed had been mauled by the hounds. The results of the MFHA panel’s first interim report into the conduct of the South Herefordshire said: “A full investigation will, necessarily, take some time. “How much time is likely to depend on the extent to which the panel receives cooperation from those who know what took place; on…

A QUIET PINT A pony, a donkey and a cow walked into a bar in Northern Territory, Australia, earlier this month. The unusual trio strolled into the Humpty Doo Hotel after escaping their field. LEICESTERSHIRE EVENTERS Affiliated horse trials will no longer be held at Brooksby Melton College. Developments have led to a reduction in the available land for the event. Other competitions at the college will continue as usual. REPORTING A video of a Greek journalist reporting in front of a horse’s stable has gone viral on the internet. Over one million people watched the humorous clip on social media. The friendly bay repeatedly interrupts the presenter with nuzzles, leaving him in hysterics. AN ESCAPEE Drivers on a highway in Houston, USA, were confronted with a loose horse galloping…

IS it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a… horse? It’s a five-foot, papier-mâché horse. Called Marilyn. Playing a guitar. No biggie. The sculpture of a rock-and-roll equine has been created by James Cochrane for Retraining of Racehorses’ (RoR) first fundraising evening, at Sandown Park Racecourse on 13 July. As well as music from Jess Glynne and a range of events, including a performance by the RoR Musical Ride, there will be an auction, also running online, featuring some “amazing” lots. There will also be the chance to win a sculpture similar to Marilyn, donated by Mr Cochrane. The aim of creating Marilyn was to highlight the second careers in which ex-racehorses can excel — not necessarily including guitar-playing, however. For the auction, visit: www.ror.auction-bid.org…

I hope you will forgive me for using my comment this week to draw readers’ attention to the coverage Horse & Hound will be providing during Rio 2016 — honestly, it’s worthy of a mention. With just four weeks to go until the action kicks off in Brazil, we are gearing up at Horse & Hound headquarters for the most full-on weeks of our working year, incorporating 24-hour press days aplenty for the team remaining in Blighty. Three of our journalists and one photographer are travelling to Rio to cover the Olympic and Paralympic Games for Horse & Hound , allowing us to create the most in-depth coverage available anywhere on our equestrian heroes’ fortunes. All Olympic breaking news will appear as it occurs on www.horseandhound.co.uk, where you can also…

Keeping it real • I found it invaluable to have my own team around me — they helped me stay grounded. • My wife, Jenny, was always there, even if we couldn’t be together all the time. She knew me best and knew how to cope with me if I was getting stressed. Self-belief • Once there, you must be careful not to be intimidated by the opposition. • It’s easy to look around and say ‘I shouldn’t be here’, especially if you have a training day that doesn’t go quite as well as you’d hoped. You need to have confidence. Fit for the job • I never worried about my own fitness when I was younger, but in later years I trained harder and would go swimming and running.…

TIM PRICE made his first visit to Great Witchingham a winning one, claiming the open intermediate with Kate Maitland’s Pats Jester, thanks to the fastest cross-country round of the section. “The organisers are lucky to have the option of a second course,” said Tim, referring to the fact that rain had precluded the use of the “summer course”, which runs across water meadows. “I thought it was a good track,” said Tim. “There’s space to get going at the start, then the Slope to Roll Top drop in the trees [fence seven], closely followed by a big oxer, wakes you up a bit — I enjoyed riding that on all my horses. “It was great to have a long arena for the dressage, you rarely see that at a standard…

HICKSTEAD’S Premier League was a show for heroes — horses, riders, judges, the secretariat and ground staff — due to intense heavy rain on Thursday and on Saturday afternoon. Samantha Thurman-Baker and Spring Pascal — heroes both — secured their nationals grand prix qualification with 69.42% and their first win at the level since returning from a traumatic couple of years. Samantha only discovered she and her 15-year-old Pascal son had won the coveted ticket on the way home. After checking her sheets, she asked for a recount. “This is a really important qualification for us and although I’ve got youngsters coming on, he’s my only grand prix ride,” said Sam, 23. The pair have been together since Sam was 13 and Spring Pascal five. They competed on the junior…

CASSANDRA MORRIS, reserve prelim champion on 73.5%, travelled from the west of Ireland to compete in the Dressage Masters with her former showjumper Redpark Majic. Cassandra gave the now 14-year-old time out while she studied for an animal science degree and spent a year on placement in America with Coolmore, the international thoroughbred breeding enterprise and then spent a further three years working for the stud. Her next port of call was to have been Coolmore Australia, but sadly Cassandra was involved in a car accident. “I shattered my hip and pelvis,” she said. “I have two plates, 13 screws and my pelvis is threaded together with wire. I also have permanent nerve damage in my lower back that extends all the way down my leg. “I’m now a grade…

SAMANTHA WUIDART, overall winner of the A squad tests, credits two riding accidents for giving her the dressage bug. First she was hospitalised when her old pony stepped on her chest after a fall showjumping. Then she was kicked by another horse while out hacking - breaking her arm. “The arm took seven months to heal. Doctors warned me about jumping, so I began to concentrate on dressage,” said Samantha, who says she has bounced back from both incidents. “I train with Tasha Wakely and have produced Maisy [Blue P, pictured] from intro to medium and hope to go further.” “She’s not a natural dressage type but she’s gone beyond all our expectations. We call her Supercob!”…

FIVE months ago Alice Pullem was facing uncertain times, having found ex-racehorse Cheeky Wee Red with her off hind leg gashed from the front of the hock to the fetlock. “She’d been in the field and her leg was sliced open about 8cm wide,” said Alice, who won an elementary on the pair’s first outing since. ‘Rosie’ spent a week at Ardene House veterinary practice in Kingswells and as the skin was missing, vets decided to use pressure bandages to hold the wound together and encourage new skin to grow. “She can be quite hot and has never been a fan of vets, but she was a very good patient,” said Alice. “My local vets, Donview, came in every three days to change the bandages and she was on box…

SWEDISH rider Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Casall ASK produced a masterful grand prix performance in Paris to top a jump-off full of world-class riders, including Great Britain’s Scott Brash. The 1.60m track tested the horses’ power and agility and the first round caught out many combinations including Laura Renwick and Bintang II, who finished on eight faults. Meanwhile John Whitaker retired his stallion Argento following two fences down as the rain continued to fall on the sand arena. It was therefore left to Scott to fly the British flag and the Scottish rider produced a treble of clears aboard the 15-year-old mare Ursula XII, to finish fifth. Rolf-Göran went home with a healthy € 105,600 (£88,400) thanks to his win here in the 10th leg of the Global Champions Tour (GCT)…

THE best of Scotland’s native breeds took home the Queen’s Cup, a trophy that is awarded in rotation across all livestock sections of the show. This was Fred, Yvonne and Graffin Hanna’s home-bred Clydesdale champion Macfin Diamond Queen, a Glebeview Sir Charles four-year-old mare. Willie Clark, the female judge, said: “She’s just a picture — very feminine, with beautiful silky hair and nice flat bone.” The Northern Ireland-based Hanna family are regular visitors to the show. Graffin said: “Diamond Queen was first here as a yearling and two-year-old and also champion at Royal Ulster the past three years.” Standing reserve was the Shetland champion, the Sleigh family’s Wells McCoy, a three-year-old entire son of Stow Review. “I knew whenever I saw his dam Whitefield Pride that she was a special…

‘He’s very intelligent — but he does live up to his name as he’s a bit of a character’Kirsty Nelson on novice ridden pure-bred champion, Asbeau STEPHANIE TURNER continued her strong start to the season with Lee Bennett’s 10-year-old mare Ianthe, to head the open ridden pure-bred championships. Although Ianthe, by Shaka out of Lady Jane Grey, is a new ride this season for Stephanie, they are proving to be a formidable partnership, having already qualified for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in just four outings together. For the third year in a row, albeit this time aboard a different mount, Stephanie was the recipient of the Jennifer Burns memorial silver salver and £200 prize, awarded to the winner of the pure-bred ridden mares’ class. “Ianthe is so polite…

THE inevitable rising costs can be a struggle when keeping a show horse on the road, but do we really need to be stung for extra passes at county shows? At Lincolnshire show, two passes were allocated per horse. We already pay hefty entry fees for these shows, not to mention the cost of taking a groom with you and travel costs. It is unacceptable for owners then to pay again just to see their horse compete. Apparently Royal Cheshire County decided to search horseboxes this year on arrival for sneaky smugglers, which left many people wondering whether a search warrant was required? On a serious note, competitors reported that they were faced with brusque stewards and felt it a huge imposition and invasion of privacy. Some took to social…

THIS year’s doghound and overall English champion has an illustrious pedigree. Both his sire Greenwich 13 and his grandsire - the near legendary - Bodmin 10 were champions here, as well as winning many other classes. His uncle, Gripton, won the day’s stallion hound class - he is named after the well known hunt countryman Bert. After the show season of 2014 Bodmin proved to be one of the most widely used sires of winning hounds. His tail line goes back to Brecon Petrel 32 and also has an infusion of the famous “St” line that Capt Brian Fanshawe introduced from the Old Carlow in Ireland, and which has proved so successful in kennels up and down the land. Nigel Peel MFH says of Bodmin and his progeny: “He never…

• Giant’s Causeway (2000): Aidan O’Brien’s “Iron Horse”. Part of a sequence of five Group Ones he won in a row, and rounded off his career with second in a thrilling Breeders’ Cup Classic. • Hawk Wing (2002): another O’Brien winner. Runner-up to High Chaparral in the Derby, he dropped back in trip for the Eclipse. The following year, he won the Lockinge Stakes by a sensational 11 lengths • Oratorio (2005): another trained by O’Brien. He ran badly in the Derby but ended the season by beating Motivator twice, once in the Eclipse and again in the Irish Champion Stakes. • Sea The Stars (2009): the John Oxx-trained superstar. Carried all before him in his Classic season, winning the Guineas, Derby, Eclipse, International, Irish Champion and Arc. • Golden…

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