Innholdsfortegnelse for 01-Feb-2018 i Horse & Hound

TOP riders and trainers are adding their voices to the growing backlash against bullying in the equestrian world. Patrik Kittel, Robert Dover and Abi Hutton are among those to make passionate calls for the bullies to be aware of the consequences of their actions, and think before they type. British dressage rider Abi made an appeal to the public on Facebook after witnessing “cruel” comments on social media. “The equestrian world is a really tough place,” she said. “It’s early mornings, cold weather, long days, late nights, rare days off and non-existent holidays. You’d think by the time we’ve fought all of this, we would resist making cruel comments about each other on social media. “Think how you would feel if someone made comments like that about you, think if…

ULYSSE Swiss showjumper Pius Schwizer retired the 21-year-old gelding at the CSI5* competition in Zurich on 27 January. Ulysse won team gold at the 2009 European Championships in Windsor and came second in the 2010 World Cup final in Geneva. WESTPOINT The 2009 world young horse champion and former licensed breeding stallion has been bought by the Italian dressage rider Sara Perrucci. The now 15-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding is to be a grand prix schoolmaster for Sara. DON VHP X Dutch showjumper Harrie Smolders’ silver medal-winning ride has joined the Dutch Olympic Horse Foundation, adding NOP to his name. The foundation’s goal is to keep top horses in the Netherlands. COUNTRY TOP GUN The stallion has died aged 27. He was an elite-graded stallion with CHAPS and BSPA. “He was…

US showjumper McLain Ward has been named 2017 equestrian of the year by United States Equestrian. McLain, who won the 2017 World Cup final, was given the title at a Pegasus Awards dinner. Shires Equestrian founder Malcolm Ainge has been given the highest British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) honour; its lifetime achievement award. Full report in next week’s H&H. World Horse Welfare groom Amy Baynton has received the Haddon Training British groom of 2017 award. “I cannot think of a more deserving individual,” said farm manager Claire Dickie. US showjumper Jennifer Gates was given the Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Trophy, for showing good sportsmanship. Jennifer, the daughter of Microsoft’s Bill Gates, said it was a “huge honour”. Dressage rider Anne Meulendijks has been named talent of the year 2017 by the Dutch…

SMALL REDWORM BLOOD TEST A BLOOD test for small redworm in equines is a step closer thanks to funding from The Horse Trust. The grant will allow the Moredun Research Institute to complete the development of the test, and investigate a saliva-based version of it. Small redworm infestations are common and can have fatal consequences but direct methods for the parasites’ detection do not exist. Faecal worm counts only indicate the number of eggs being shed, but the blood test would identify the presence of worms including those in the encysted stage. TRAINING COURSE FOR RACING STAFF APPLICATIONS for training aimed at recruiting more staff into racing close in April. After the success of last year’s pilot, the “entry to employment” programme is “going from strength to strength”, according to…

GAGS Lots of comments about the Dutch rider’s father who smuggled cocaine worth almost £4million into the UK in a horsebox which also contained two horses. Top marks for the observer who suggested simply: “He should have used a mule.” HOPEFUL EMPLOYERS Good luck to the person advertising for a groom, who will have to be ready for some “hard work”! Apparently it’s a great opportunity for someone. But although all living expenses are covered and there’s training, there’s, er, no wage, which is actually illegal. So don’t all rush to apply at once... BACTERIA An H&H-er whose lorry has been in intensive care since failing its MoT found out this week it’s had diesel bug, an organism that lives in the engine and eats diesel. Every day’s a school…

“I DID spend a few months in the City; it would be fair to say that it wasn’t a great success,” says Nigel Peel. That is how the joint-master and huntsman of the North Cotswold for the past 30 years describes the only short break in his long and distinguished hunting career. Apart from that brief interlude, his whole life has been dedicated to the chase. “A Sussex man” in his own words, Nigel started his hunting life in his gap year with professional huntsman Dick Simister at the Cowdray before heading north to take his first pack in 1971. “I was 19 years old when I went to the Goathland in North Yorkshire: a wonderful place but there was nothing to chase and we had blank day after blank…

DENNIS DAVIES, founder of Davies Riding Boots and a great Welsh hunting character, has died aged 86. Born in 1931 in Nantyglo, Dennis always had a great love of nature, the outdoors, horses and hunting. Having worked in the shoe industry, Dennis and his wife Margaret established Davies Riding Boots, which specialises in bespoke hunting and riding boots, in 1977. In 2004, Dennis, who acted as amateur whipper-in to the Monmouthshire and later hunted with the Brecon and Talybont, explained to H&H how he came to found the company. He said: “I had worked in the shoe factory in Brynmawr for many years. One day, I was out with the Exmoor Foxhounds, and while leaning on a gate with [master and huntsman] Capt Wallace, he asked me what I did…

“He’s had nearly a year off with a foot imbalance problem, but boy does he feel well now,” said Hannah, who survived a couple of spooks on the way to the win. “I think he’s glad to be back out competing and he’s loving life.” The son of Canal Laura’s Lad was bred at Myerscough College, where Hannah works in the equine event department. “It’s taken us time to get to this stage, but I’m hoping to qualify for the regionals and we’ll also be heading for the BD native championship,” said Hannah. Ginnie Turnbull had a day to remember at Field House, winning at prelim and novice with Jesmond Jasmine, Bathsheba and Fidalgo Classic. “It’s my first affiliated outing in nearly a year,” said Ginnie, who is gearing up…

HAYLEY PARNELL had almost reached the end of her tether with Moveen Knight (Prince) when a friend suggested she ask her trainer Andrew Gould to take the horse for a month. “I’ve had him for three years, but he was more green than I realised when I bought him,” said Hayley. “I spent five days a week schooling in the arena to stay in my comfort zone. Last March, I took him to a BD camp and he bucked, napped and was horrible.” “Andrew has been so supportive and when Prince came back from training with him, he was a different horse, so I decided to try again. I’ve changed his diet and he has less turnout, so he’s lost weight. He seems much happier not being stuffed full of…

TIME to evaluate those New Year’s resolutions. I made only one — to up the score on my metre beater. So far, so good. It started as a fitness regime ahead of competitive entries on a young horse. But it was having an older one to ride too that gave me a shock… A grand prix typically asks for 275m to be covered in sitting trot, with a halt and rein-back at C — or in my case, a collapse at C! So the metre beater works like this: I measured the circumference of our arena, deducted a bit for bad corners, then trotted round, first in a normal trot with stirrups, then a posh trot with stirrups, then a posh trot without stirrups. My metre beater is now proudly…

Addington Manor 148cm Pony Premier, Bucks THE ever-determined Shaunie Greig whitewashed the Charles Britton Equestrian Construction winter JA classic qualifiers, banking a ticket for each of her three rides in one weekend. The 14-year-old Fife rider turned her second pony premier of the season into a bumper payout, taking a one-two in Saturday’s big JA class on Destavelars Misty and Moonlight Flight before heading the second day’s qualifier on her leading pony showjumper champion, Casino Royale VIII. The four riders through to the final round on the first day all produced treble clears, with the already-qualified Claudia Moore (Elando Van De Roshoeve) opening proceedings with a sensible 44.84-second round. Shaunie was next to go on her mother Julie’s 14-year-old Welsh section D Destavelars Misty — they rattled a few poles…

CSI2* Spring Met Tour, Oliva, Spain “HE is coming into his own this year — he’s really stepping up,” said Scott Brash of the exciting nine-year-old Hello Mr President after securing their second grand prix in as many weeks at the start of the Spring MET Tour. Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s Belgian-bred gelding has been touted as a serious prospect since the Scotsman took the reins in 2015 and Scott’s typically meticulous production is reaping rewards. This could be a very exciting year for the pair. “I believe each horse is very individual, and has its own character,” said Scott. “However, his mother is a pony and what I can see in him sometimes are some of those features. He is very clever, very quick and a real winner.”…

IN a sport where highs and lows are endemic, the passing last week of Richard Woollacott not only came as a huge shock to the racing community, but pushed the boundaries of the scale to an all-new low. Of Devon farming roots, Richard became a stalwart of the West Country point-to-point scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s. When I entered the changing room tent for the first time as a 16-year-old — in the season best known for being cut short due to foot-and-mouth disease — Richard was already established as a leading rider for the area. Having spent time before then watching him hone his riding skills in gymkhanas at local shows, it came as no great surprise to me that we would be adversaries on the…

SAVILLS HEYTHROP HUNT, COCKLEBARROW, SUNDAY 28 JANUARY Knight Frank Heythrop Hunt members, subscribers & farmers.— 1, H Pauling’s En Passe (P Mason) H Pauling. Carter Jonas restricted. — 1, S Herbert’s Ballycahane (M Herbert) N Sheppard. King’s Head Inn, Bledlington PPORA Club members’ conditions for novice riders. — 1, N Pearce’s Kashmir Peak (N Stubbs) N Pearce. Skinner’s ladies’ open. — 1, C & F Marriott’s Dabinett Moon (C Hardwick) F Marriott. Smith & Williamson Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup men’s open. — 1, C Bennett’s Iberico (S Jukes) S Jukes. Red Savannah four-, five- and six-year-olds open maiden. — 1, Kilkenny Racing Partnership’s Silent Warrior (N Phillips) E Brown. Wurzel High Speed Broadband six-year-olds and over open maiden. — 1, S Bradstock’s Damby’s Star (L Bradstock) S Bradstock. THE…

‘Am I a rotten mother for not wanting to frolic in the snow with my bairns?’ MOST of the time I love living here. Not that it would suit everyone. We live on a farm, which most people would consider remote, two miles up a dead end road in the middle of the Cheviots in Northumberland. If you look down the valley at night you can see the twinkling lights of another farm but it would take you 10 minutes to get there by car. If a psychopath showed up to murder you in your bed, no one would hear your screams because neighbours in this part of the world live two or more miles away. It’s a 40 minute round trip to buy milk or a paper. Picking up…

THERE is a philosophical paradox that asks whether, if something has had all its components replaced over the years, it is still the same object. When John is standing high on the hills watching hounds hunt below him, he wonders that about his hunting whip. He was given it by his grandfather when he was 13, and it remains a prized possession. It has had umpteen new lashes, several new thongs, the stock has been re-covered in leather twice by that chap on Exmoor, and a few years ago, after a particularly long day (and a couple of whiskies at tea) John left it by the side of his trailer and drove over the handle. Luckily, the Exmoor chap had a lovely bit of antler handy, and John’s hunting whip…

JEAN-MARGARET CUNNINGHAM THE dedicated eventing supporter died in January aged 81. Mrs Cunningham owned many top horses over the past 30 years. A 16-year battle with inoperable cancer, involving 129 rounds of chemotherapy, never interfered with her following her horses. She had horses with Mark Todd, Andrew Nicholson and Leslie Law among others. Her eventers included Warren Gorse, who finished second under Mark Todd at the 1998 young horse championships in Le Lion, Fulham Fair and Super Sloane. She ran the dressage stewarding at events including Longleat and Nunney, and was given the Cubitt Award for her support of the Wylye Valley branch of the Pony Club. A memorial service will take place on 15 February at 3pm at St Andrew’s in Mells, Wiltshire. RICHARD WOOLLACOTT THE racing world is…

CAMELS Remember the debate over make-up on horses at this year’s HOYS? Well, 12 camels were disqualified from Saudi Arabia’s annual camel beauty contest (prize fund £22.6million, fact fans) as they’d had botox-type injections to make their pouts look better. Where do you start? FINGERS Feel for the hunt follower who broke his little finger in an “involuntary dismount”. “Pass the first-aid kit,” came the cry, at which he was given brandy and some parcel tape. Sorted for the rest of the day, then. MEMORY Oh dear. Feel also for the rider who forgot she was not at the yard when a “dolly daydream” was taking her time at the supermarket checkout. “I gave her a prod, with a click and a firm ‘WALK ON’, confided the horsey shopper. “I…

“I TURNED down a lot of money for Farouche, I wouldn’t do that again.” So said Lynne Crowden, breeder of double world young horse champion Farouche, when giving prudent breeding advice in an article for horseandhound.co.uk last week. We hear a great deal about riders’ — or owners’ — decisions to sell top horses when offered life-changing sums. The dilemma is as real for breeders of course. And so it is interesting to hear that this standout British breeder would sell if she had her time again. Farouche has done a great deal to raise Lynne and her Woodlander Stud’s profile. Kudos should continue despite a sale, were all horses to retain their stud prefix and assuming they were sold to someone able to achieve their potential. But this is…

THE EQUESTRIAN APP ‘It was worth the sleepless nights’ COMING up with a genius idea over a pint of beer is what every budding entrepreneur dreams of. And this is exactly what happened to equine dental technician Jonathan Keen and graphic designer Daniel Duhig, who joined forces and designed an app aimed at equine dental technicians, physios and farriers to record charts and help equestrian businesses. “We built the prototype version of the Pimbury Dental App in 2014 and launched the current version in 2016,” says Jonathan. “The app has now produced over 250,000 charts for equine dental technicians and vets worldwide.” What prompted the pair to give it a try? “An opportunity to advance the industry I’ve been involved with led me to throw everything at this new venture,”…

RECENTLY, as the mercury was rising, a wise man reminded me that hunting is not an exact science. Quite. There are too many things out of one’s control for everything to go according to plan all the time. We have had many days with several hunts of an hour or more, but at a slow pace, which of course is very nice for the opportunity it can afford people to see hounds working, but not so many days where you have to gallop like the very devil just to keep up. And in truth, those are the ones we all love and hope for. It can be hard, let’s say “character building”, for a huntsman through prolonged periods of difficult scenting conditions. All I can say is that there are…

“Athena” and Nicky Harrison’s elementary tests were awarded 78.62% and 79.06% by Marion who recently rejoined the List Two judging panel. Marion said: “Nicky maintained a connection from the base of the neck through the rein and the horse didn’t draw back for a single stride. “Friesians often carry their poll high and come behind the bridle, but the rider had the horse working in a lovely shape — she maintained a balanced position and rode with her hands low and either side of the wither to keep the shoulder free.” Nicky added: “Athena can draw into herself and feel lazy if she goes into a strange arena, but she’s trainable and not hot like some Friesians. We didn’t compete a lot last year as we’ve been working on suppleness…

THERE have been many articles recently from people who aren’t exactly happy about the way the sport is going in Britain and I’d guess 99% of us agree with much of what has been said. So what can we do — or rather should British Showjumping (BS) do — to get the sport moving in the right direction? Most of our top riders rarely compete at home these days. I don’t blame them because they have to make a living and overseas is where the big prize money is on offer. But what about the thousands who stay here and produce the horses the big names later take on? I propose that BS should reinstate a ranking list based on results on our national circuit only. They could combine the…

ALL eyes are on the Cheltenham Festival now, especially after Trials Day at the weekend. Cheltenham’s always a great place to have runners, and although we didn’t have any winners, we were pleased with the ones we sent out. Aye Aye Charlie finished third in the Grade Two Novices’ Hurdle and did really well to do so; Paddy Brennan gave him a brilliant ride. The horse looked like he didn’t like the ground, which was heavy, but he showed his grit. Colin’s Sister also ran a good race in the Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle, which was won by Agrapart. I thought she might go better, but they probably didn’t go as quickly as we’d hoped early on. She ran a credible race, though, and had some good horses behind her.…

The Royal Artillery Hunt, Larkhill, Wilts THE wet weather and soft going saw Thereyarsee return to form under Lorcan Williams to finish 25 lengths ahead in the conditions race. The gelding came from behind to speed ahead two out. “The front pair were going a bit quick so I sat him with the more experienced horses and waited. Two from home, he saw a long one and just kept going. I hadn’t realised how far ahead we were until we were over the last,” said Lorcan, who is an amateur jockey at Paul Nicholls’ yard. Despite being a three-time winner at Larkhill, the Sally Alner-trained gelding has fallen twice in his last four outings. “He couldn’t organise himself quick enough jumping so we sent him to Yogi Breisner. The going…

RICHARD TYACKE is to step down as joint-master and huntsman of the Wynnstay at the end of the 2018/2019 season. Richard, who is in his 14th season hunting these famous hounds, said: “When I came here in 2004, I was hoping to survive 10 seasons. At the end of next year I will have done 15, and it is probably time for a change and a new challenge. “It has been an amazing experience and I have had a wonderful time — it has been a very difficult decision.” Richard started his hunting life at the Atherstone, where both his parents were masters — Richard snr for 20 years and mother Penny for 10. He hunted the Stowe Beagles in the 1993/1994 season, and became master and huntsman of the…

WHILE tennis fans have been glued to the action at the Australian Open in recent weeks, a trio of cheeky colts have also hit the headlines for their on-court antics. Kyle Edmund may have made the semi-finals, but Andre Agassi, Pancho Gonzales and Rafael Nadal’s equine counterparts took their rescuers to a full five sets before they could be caught. The ponies had been loose and evading capture for more than a week, until a quick-thinking member of the public managed to tempt them into public tennis courts in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. They were given hay and water and locked in overnight while the RSPCA arranged more suitable stabling. The charity is now seeking new homes for the “tennis stars” as no owner has come forward. “The ‘tennis court…

Sir — I really enjoyed reading “Meet the horsey children of yesteryear” (11 January). It brought back many happy memories and as a mother of a young horse-mad daughter, I hope she’ll have similar memories in years to come. Although she has dreams of going round Badminton, we keep it simple with training and local competitions — all with the aim of having fun. And while I applaud the opportunities available to compete, I find it’s more about sponsorship, social media and who has the latest bling than the simple pleasures of hacking and the Pony Club. Maybe I’m nostalgic for an age that doesn’t exist now, but I think that’s a sad reflection of how times have changed. For me, fun for my eight-year-old with her pony and Pony…

SPILLERS RESPONSE Controlled levels of cereal starch and highly digestible fibre and oil help deliver power, with chelated minerals and antioxidant vitamins to support athletic performance. £11.30 for 20kg spillers-feeds.com BLUE CHIP PRO Formulated for competition horses. Contains a blood-building supplement, digestive aids, soya, linseed oil, vitamin E and omega-3 and 6. Molasses-free. £41.95 for 20kg bluechipfeed.com SARACEN HORSE FEEDS COMPETITION-FIT MIX An instant-energy, cereal-based mix to optimise power and recovery, with extensive vitamins and minerals, and a live yeast. £14 for 20kg saracenhorsefeeds.com TOPSPEC COMPREHENSIVE FEED BALANCER Full of essential amino acids but low in starch. Contains antioxidants, pre- and probiotics. £39.50 for 20kg topspec.com MOLLICHAFF CONDITION COMPLETE A complete, high-fibre feed suitable for encouraging weight gain or helping maintain weight…

Jackie Ingram’s 15-year-old gelding Ballcullane Lad was diagnosed with a suspensory injury last year which put him out of action for a year. But thanks to hard work and dedication, the gelding has made a full return to work, and the pair scored 71.79% to head the elementary 57 qualifi er at Swallowfi eld. “He was given plasma rich platelet (PRP) treatment by Robert Walsh at Corner House Equine Clinic, and then I did six months of road walking with him,” explained Jackie, who has owned the gelding since he was four. “All the patience has paid off and he is now stronger than before.” The gelding, by the Connemara stallion Templebready Fear Bui, was competing at medium before his injury and Jackie hopes to return to the level shortly.…

She won the novice qualifier at Hartpury College on her home-bred Furst Libretto, who has had success in young horse and Futurity classes. “It was an emotional day,” said Deborah, who was injured 19 months ago in a fall. “I’d been debating for so long whether to hang my boots up.” “Even though I smashed my ankle I thought I’d be back in the saddle after six weeks,” she said. “But it’s taken so long to mend. I’ve since had metalwork taken out and a bone graft. “Furst Libretto is quirky, but lovely,” added Deborah. Nicola Mahoney won the advanced medium qualifier at Summerhouse with Charlotte Dunkerton’s Zokosky, finishing second on her own Dream Of Joy. “I’ve had Dream Of Joy since he was a foal,” said Nicola. “I’ve been…

The seven-year-old Jazz mare, bred by Fiona Bull, had only been lightly competed as dental nurse Shannen has been taking exams. “First the horsebox broke down, then it started snowing, but she behaved herself and felt amazing,” said Shannen. “We’re doing the regionals, so I’m hoping she keeps it up.” Another British-bred mare, Wasara, won both prelims at Cherwell with owner Danielle Brown. The six-year-old by Wanninger was bred by Alvescot Stud and bought by Danielle at the age of three. “She came on breaking and sales livery, but I ended up buying her mid-process,” said Danielle, who runs Crown Farm Livery. “I affiliated for the first time last summer and qualified for the regionals in three shows. I was impressed with how she behaved as she’s not been here…

MOUNT BALLAN SEEKS NEW ORGANISER WALES venue The David Broome Event Centre, also known as Mount Ballan, will cease hosting one-day dressage shows after 24 February, unless a new organiser is found. James Broome, who manages the centre, has confirmed that the existing team will focus their efforts on running major competitions, such as the Welsh Dressage Championships in July and the BD summer regionals in August. “The smaller, one-day dressage competitions are becoming increasingly difficult to run due to the time involved, but we don’t want them to disappear from our calendar completely,” he said. James and BD’s regional development officer for Wales, Vanessa Archer, invite anyone interested in running single day dressage competitions in conjunction with the venue to get in touch by emailing vanessa.archer@britishdressage.co.uk or james@cricklands.com LEGOLAS…

‘You won’t see a better mover — walking, trotting or galloping. He’s going to be some chaser’ NICKY HENDERSON ON SANTINI Cheltenham, Glos ONLY time will tell how many Festival winners the Cheltenham Trials day actually throws up. However, the Malton-trained Definitly Red put himself in the thick of the Timico Gold Cup picture when coming home eight lengths clear of American in the BetBright Trial Cotswold Chase on Saturday (27 January). In fact, the race has a better record with Grand National winners than Gold Cup heroes — Looks Like Trouble in 2000 was the last to complete the double. But it had always been Brian Ellison’s plan to come to Cheltenham for this meeting, to see whether Definitly Red liked the place and then decide upon whether…