Innholdsfortegnelse for 03-Oct-2019 i Horse & Hound

I’D owned horses for 25 years before losing one for the first time last year. Since then I’ve had to have my other two euthanised as well, all within 18 months of each other. Not having horses for the first time in all that time feels more than a little strange, like there is a part of me missing. I also feel relief not to be checking my phone to see if anyone from the yard has called with reason to worry. And guilt that I feel that relief. Skippy was the horse you could trust your grandma on, or your toddler. She looked after her rider — I had her for 17 years and fell off twice. She’d go anywhere and jump anything you wanted her to. Aged 22,…

LIVERPOOL TO SUPPORT THE RDA THE Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) was delighted to be chosen as the 2019 Liverpool International’s official charity. The RDA said the event provides a “spectacular” way to end a year celebrating its 50th anniversary. Show president Nina Barbour said: “We all share a passion for horses and ponies, and understand what incredible animals they are. Through the work of the RDA we can truly see what can be achieved through riding and spending time with horses.” An RDA spokesman added: “It is an honour to be given this fantastic opportunity and a chance to end our anniversary year in true party style.” SPECIAL EDITION OF H&H IS ON SALE H&H is excited to announce a very special collectors’ issue — Horse & Hound’s…

Showjumper William Whitaker and wife Elisabeth welcomed their third child on 24 September. Evelyn Marion Whitaker, who weighed 8lb 3oz, is sister to Bella and Ollie. Singer Liam Payne of One Direction fame has bought a five-year-old, Titanium Z, for showjumper Yazmin Pinchen. Yazmin said she is “extremely excited” about the partnership. Eventer Ros Canter won her first international since giving birth to daughter Ziggy. Ros won the CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk on Allstar B achieving the first half of their 2020 Olympic qualification. Groom Tim Varlec, who works for para rider Tamsin Addison, has been nominated for the FEI best groom award. The awards recognise outstanding contributions to equestrian sport. Showjumper Ellen Whitaker will join the British team at the Longines FEI Nations Cup final in Barcelona (3-6 October). Ellen…

DARREN GREGORY GREEN A LEADING figure in the Australian hunting and equestrian community, Mr Green died in July aged 52. His riding career started with the Oaklands Pony Club and he competed up to CCI2* (now CCI3*-L), as well as producing eventers who went on to success. He hunted five days a week with various packs, often with Kathleen Cust, who owned many of his hunters and eventers. Mr Green was joint-master of the Oaklands Hunt from 2008 to 2012, and continued to field master from 2012. Days with him as field master are remembered as spirited, safe and entertaining. He excelled at hunter show events and maintained his association with the Oaklands as an instructor, cross-country coordinator and course-designer. Mr Green was a frequent visitor to English country, most…

▲ROAD SIGNS Three cheers for the rider who found a semi-broken Stop sign. “Look, I’ve found a half-halt!” she quipped. Very good, madam. ▲HUNTER TRIALS The daughter of an amateur one-horse five-star eventer asked her mother if they could do a hunter trials pairs together. “Who on?” queried Mum. “Hmm,” her daughter replied. “Do you think Dizzy could manage 60cm? It is quite big, you know.” Good point, but hopefully that prep run at Luhmühlen might mean she can cope… ▲METEOROLOGY Following on from H&H’s weather-forecasting service (for sun, put rugs on, for rain, leave them off) we can now offer an exact time for when the rain will start and stop. The former just as you’ve tacked up, the latter just as you’ve given up and turned your horse…

LAURA TOMLINSON LAURA is a world-renowned dressage rider who made her first senior team appearance in 2006 at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen. She has since accrued a succession of medals, including team gold and individual bronze at the London 2012 Olympics on her great campaigner Mistral Højris. She is currently nurturing a string of young horses through the levels. TRAINING THE STARS MY small tour horse, Fallatijn Van Kairos, used to get really tense and flighty during his changes. Over time, using the following exercises and advice, I was able to encourage him to relax and they improved.…

RHINEGOLD ATLANTA With a 600D ripstop breathable outer, it has a fleece lining with no polyfill. This rug features double chest straps, front shoulder gussets, cross-surcingles, leg straps and tail guard. 4ft6in-7ft £44.95 rhinegoldequestrian.co.uk BACK ON TRACK RAIN RUG This rug features a breathable 1680D nylon outer, padded protective wither area, cross-surcingles, double chest buckles, gussets and a large reflective tail flap. 125-165cm £199 backontrack.com/uk MARK TODD LIGHTWEIGHT Manufactured in 600D polyester ripstop fabric, this breathable rug has a nylon lining, reinforced anti-rub shoulder panels, tail flap, and shoulder pleats for freedom of movement. Neck cover sold separately. 5ft6in-7ft £73.50 marktoddcollection.co.uk WEATHERBEETA COMFITEC PLUS DYNAMIC COMBO NECK MEDIUM/LITE Features a 1200D outer and 100g polyfill, with a memory foam wither-relief pad, elasticated leg straps and reflective strips. 4ft-7ft3in £109.99 weatherbeeta.co.uk…

I buy and sell a lot of horses so I see the process from both sides. Last week, I tried to buy six horses. Two came through their vettings perfectly, while two I quickly dismissed. The others showed mild radiograph abnormalities. I got several opinions on the images and they were all completely contrasting. In the end, I couldn’t take the risk — not that the horses would go lame, but that I’d be unable to sell them. Last year we spent over £20,000 on “failed” vettings. These costs must be funded by the horses we do buy. I leave 45% of horses I have vetted, but frequently see some of them successfully competing at the top level years later. H&H’s fascinating article on X-rays (29 August) revealed many horses…

OI.— 1, Vassily De Lassos (A Hoy) 28.4,0,6.4=34.8; 2, A Bit Much (A Smales) 31.1,0,4.8=35.9; 3, Jims Pal (M Owen) 27.5,0,8.8=36.3. int sec M.— 1, Quinara (J Adams) 31.8,0,15.2=47; 2, Second Cut (P Sims) 35.7,0,11.6=47.3; 3, PSH Catalyst (A Penny) 33,0,15.2=48.2. sec N.— 1, Fools In Love (H Hankey) 30.7,4,5.6=40.3; 2, PSH Deneb (A Penny) 32.5,0,17.2=49.7; 3, Kapowairua (S James) 34.5,4,14.4=52.9. ON.— 1, Cooley Tanglewood (R Nesbitt) 26.5,0,1.2=27.7; 2, Ludo FH (H Bate) 25.3,0,7.6=32.9; 3, Queens Toxica (K Taylor) 23.8,0,11.2=35. nov.— 1, PSH Party Girl (A Penny) 28.5,0,2.4=30.9; 2, Expert (S Jimmison) 27.8,0,4=31.8; 3, Diamante II (S Jimmison) 25,0,7.2= 32.2. BE100open.— 1, Wenbach Paddy (C Clewlow) 25.3,0,0=25.3; 2, Date Night (R Gray) 26,0,1.6=27.6; 3, Noble Rebel (K Taylor) 26.3,0,1.6=27.9. BE100open u18.— 1, Escaday (L Corlett) 18.8,0,3.2=22; 2, JB’s Hot Shot…

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Polly Muirhead and Catherston Definitive secured their first under-21 open intermediate win. The pair added four showjumping faults and 2.4 cross-country time-penalties to their dressage score of 26.8 to take the lead above Jess Rimmer and Murphy May. The 17hh 10-year-old, by Catherston Dazzler, was bought from Harry Meade two years ago and Polly is hoping to make the British junior team in 2020. “It’s taken me quite a long time to get to know him and make it to the level we’re at now,” said Polly, who is studying for A levels at Blundell’s School in Devon. “We’ve struggled a lot with showjumping and keeping the energy as he can be lazy, but his cross-country is amazing and he’s very flashy in the dressage,” added Polly, who will…

Widmer Area Festival semi-final, Bucks GEORGINA TAPNER and Bugatti II went one better than their medium silver win at the same show last year. Two strong performances gave them the prix st georges (PSG) bronze and advanced medium silver titles. Bugatti, an eight-year-old by Belissimo M, started at PSG in February and his 66.4% score was their personal best. “I felt quite intimidated by the test at first but I was an eventing person and we tend to go out and have a go,” said Georgina, who gave up eventing after a rough ride cross-country made her realise that the adrenalin wasn’t kicking in any longer. “Dressage is a different kind of nerves. If I go wrong I’m not putting my life at risk. “Bugatti is still green at PSG…

Solihull EC, W Mids “HE was relaxed and listening, but there’s always plenty of oomph there,” said Laura Tomlinson of the Vivaldi-sired Fallatijn Van Kairos, who headed the inter I with 81.05%. “While he can feel quite lazy at walk, as soon as the engine is on you’re in a Ferrari.” Not to be outdone by her stablemate, Laura’s Bordeaux mare Rose Of Bavaria then scored 78.42% to take the inter II. “They did me proud,” said Laura of the two nine-year-olds, “Finn” and “Betty”. Both horses have spent little time in the limelight so far, as Laura has had her hands full since the arrival of her third child, Hanni, in January. “Finn is like a young Alf — he’s not as flighty, but he can be hot,” she…

‘YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU’LL GET’ HOME-BRED Showmaker youngster Sancus impressed at Beechwood EC, Essex, bagging a novice 22 win and a second in the novice 39. “It was only his second show and he goes out like a pro,” said Ben Martin, who bred the chilled-out five-year-old. “His full sister is probably 15.2hh — if I’m being generous — and quite sharp, while Sancus is 17.2hh and the easiest horse I’ve had in years. You never know what you’re going to get!” ‘A REAL CONNECTION’ ANNA JESTY and Flow Motion cemented their new partnership by winning their PSG debut at West Wilts EC. “We joked when we first saw him that he was the most beautiful horse in the world,” said Anna, whose former boss Anna Ross helped her…

TALL TREES ARENA 20 Sept: prelim 17 gold.— 1, Spudley Blot (C Wills) 68.28. brnz.— 1, Take Two (A Dawe) 67.59; 2, Floral Liberty (C Jones) 63.28; 3, Zenamore (N Stephens) 57.93. prelim 19 gold.— 1, Blizzard II (P Dent) 68.54; 2, Spudley Blot 67.5. brnz.— 1, Take Two 64.58; 2, Zenamore 61.04. nov 22 brnz.— 1, Dearest Posy (A Lewis) 66.72. nov 37 silv.— 1, First Mohican (S Osborne) 65.37. elem 40 brnz.— 1, First Mohican 64.84. elem 53 gold.— 1, Zorra Verte (E Skerrett) 66.91. med 69 silv.— 1, Lysander Night Dreamer (A Lovell) 66.67; 2, Zorra Verte 65.91. med 73 silv.— 1, Leyla (J Foster) 66.47; 2, Lysander Night Dreamer 65.29; 3, Woodwick Right Said Fred (N Allen) 62.79. adv med 85 silv.— 1, Euro Light (S…

AFTER ongoing problems with his jaw, Hannah Bown’s 10-year-old gelding Sandro’s Storm is back in action — winning two advanced medium silver sections at Hickstead, West Sussex. “He had a cyst removed in 2017, then more surgery this summer to treat delayed onset infection in the bone,” explained Hannah, a radiographer with the NHS. “This was his first show back after a few months. His flying changes are still quite green, but he tries so hard,” she added.…

Longines Global Champions Tour of New York, Governors Island THE Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) is the glitziest, ritziest end of horse sport — talented riders and gleaming, pampered horses traverse the globe to glamorous venues in pursuit of millions of pounds of prize money. Nothing could have spoken of this more eloquently than the new venue for the LGCT final on Governors Island, which is just 800 yards from Lower Manhattan with the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline as the arena backdrop. In both the individual rankings and the Global Champions League (GCL) team competition, clashes at 18 venues through the year came down to the very last rounds under the blazing sun. But ultimately, Super Saturday belonged to Ben Maher. By the time the British…

CSI5* — 27 Sept: 1.45m two-phase.— 1, Vendetta Treize (C van Paesschen) BEL; 2, F (E Álvarez Aznar) ESP; 3, Axel 111 Z (A Saïd) EGY. GCL first comp ind.— 1, Explosion W (B Maher) GBR; 2, Ladriano Z (D Bluman) ISR; 3, Uno De La Roque (F Mathy Jr) BEL; 7, Romeo (D Kenny) IRL. GCL first comp team.— 1, London Knights (Clooney 51/M Fuchs, Explosion W); 2, Valkenswaard United (Cornado NRW/M Ehning, Cinsey/A Zorzi); 3, Chantilly Pegasus (Uno De La Roque, Verdi Treize/C van Paesschen). 28 Sept: GCL second comp ind.— 1, Creedance (K Farrington) USA; 2, For Joy Van’t Zorgvliet HDC (K Staut) FRA; 3, Killer Queen (D Deusser) GER; 8, Explosion W; 10, Romeo 88. GCL second comp team.— 1, London Knights (Clooney 51, Explosion W);…

HUNTING can very quickly become an addiction, and any semblance of logical financial reasoning goes out of the window at the expense of feeding the soul. Today, hunting’s greatest triumph is it continues to welcome fresh blood, which is stirred up enough on the hunting field to keep coming back. Newcomers’ days have gone a long way to making “newbies” feel welcome and safe. But there are plenty still teetering on the edge unsure how to take the plunge because they do not own a horse, or just don’t know where to start the process. Hunting folk are friendly and self-deprecating — we’ve all made a prat of ourselves in front of hundreds of strangers at some point. So it’s just down to the spreadsheet: how to afford to ride…

The Harry Hall London collection features a range of hunt coats (pictured, right) made in Britain, available in navy, black or green. From £520 harryhall.com With three buttons at the neck and fitted cuffs, the Hunting Stock Market cotton jersey hunt shirt is long in length to keep out drafts. Available in cream or blue. £70 huntingstockmarket.com Windproof, fleece-lined and water-repellent, the Mountain Horse Frost Tech breeches feature grip on the seat to help keep you secure in the saddle. £119 mountainhorse.se The Ariat Bromont Pro H20 insulated boots are smart, waterproof and have a suede inner panel for extra grip. Available in black or brown. £325 ariat.com…

THIS weekend Adam and I found ourselves in the rare situation of being on our own without children. It’s good to get away sometimes and revisit the reasons we got together in the first place; the fact that we get on, for example. The fact that we laugh at and enjoy similar things. Basics that can get forgotten in the hurly burly of family life. First there was a morning’s hunting to complete — the first of the season — which meant Adam’s alarm went off at 5am. I like to think about all the other alarms going off across Britain at this time of year and all the other bleary-eyed people shaking off the urge to sleep, shrugging on shirts and breeches, boiling kettles and preparing themselves for the…

DRESSAGE is a traditional sport but should be open to new things, experts agree, as it is hoped a new grand prix test could be announced this year. The topic was discussed at an FEI test day on 9 September, when stakeholders including judges, trainers, riders and organisers reviewed tests. FEI dressage committee chairman Frank Kemperman told H&H it was a “very good event”. “We tasked the group to come up with a shorter grand prix and one test was favoured. We don’t have a conclusion yet but are in the process of launching a new test. It looks very promising and people have been very positive from the test group,” he said. “The second step is to discuss it in the technical committee. If everyone agrees, next is to…

WINSOME ADANTE The three-time Kentucky winner ridden by Kim Severson has died aged 26. Linda Wachtmeister’s “Dan” won Olympic silver and helped the USA to team bronze in 2004 and World team gold in 2002. TOPOFTHEGAME The 2019 RSA Novice Chase winner has been ruled out of the season with a minor injury. Trainer Paul Nicholls said the aim for Chris Giles and Mr and Mrs Barber’s seven-year-old is the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup. NAOMI VAN HET KEIZERSHOF The six-year-old mare by Cartendo was the top lot at the Dutch Sport Horse Sales selling for €445,000 (£395,320) to Nick Skelton and Laura Kraut. The average price was €123,000.…

WORLD-LEADING trainers and evaluators will be part of the British Breeding Equine Bridge. The programme, in association with British Showjumping, British Dressage and British Eventing, aims to facilitate development of young, talented equines. “The ultimate goal is more British riders on British horses representing their country,” said a spokesman for British Breeding. The first event takes place on 14-15 October at Addington EC, Buckinghamshire, for horses and ponies aged four to six who have qualified via the Futurity evaluations. All horses will have training with their own riders. Showjumpers will train with British junior and young rider team coach Corinne Bracken, dressage candidates with British team rider and international judge Peter Storr, and eventers with Yogi Breisner, former World Class performance manager and British eventing team chef d’equipe. Rik van…

DIADEEM Sophie Wells’ 11-year-old big tour campaigner has been put down following a battle with laminitis. The Westenwind mare competed at para internationals and made the step up to grand prix with Sophie in May. GERHART Rhett and Jilly Bird’s trailblazing Gelderlander has died aged 32 following a long retirement. He was placed at national and international grands prix with the pair and was long-listed for the 2004 Athens Olympics. RAMEXICO Roy Haggerty’s stallion has died aged 28. The Damiro son sired winners in top-level eventing, showjumping, dressage and showing.“The years caught up with him,” said Roy. “His loss has left a huge gap.”…

TUCKING IN A rider and lorry owner asked for advice on whether one needs a “taco” on board if one is only using the lorry for oneself. “Only if you’re really hungry,” quipped a wag. Ho ho. PRAYING A rider dressed for a show called in at his local church’s harvest festival en route and knelt in prayer. Which was fine until, upon rising, he found his spur was jammed under the pew behind. It took two ladies, the vicar and a pause in the service to free the red-faced rider, who may just leave the spurs off next time… TRANSLATIONS An advert for a “Nebab De Reve x Quidam De Revel” mare caused some chuckles when Facebook offered to translate it. Apparently, in English, this horse’s ancestors were Dream…

WHILE we were on the way home from a very enjoyable Saturday at Blenheim Horse Trials, I realised that a precious gold necklace I wear was missing. Despite searching everywhere, I could not find it. It is of great sentimental value and the thought I’d lost it was very upsetting. In a last-ditch effort, I emailed Blenheim at 11pm that night and went to bed feeling sure it was lost forever. However, on Sunday at 8am, I had a call from a lovely lady at Blenheim to say that they had my necklace. I was astounded and overjoyed, so I’d just like to thank the angel who found it and handed it in — and the amazing people at Blenheim who have reunited me with my necklace. It means so…

Your horse should be able to do nice walk-to-canter and canter-to-walk transitions without jogging or leaning on the reins or using the reins to balance. When he does these correctly, you know you can collect the horse and ride forwards while remaining in balance. Transitions build strength in your horse’s core and quarters, building push-power required for expressive and improved changes. The only aid for the change is the lower leg — you should be looking up and straight ahead, with your shoulders parallel to your horse’s. For example, the left lower leg slides back to initiate the horse to change to the right. A little outside rein half-halt will aid the straightness and balance through the change. Remember that most horses learn a change one way much easier than…

WITH around 7,000 horses leaving racing in Britain each year, finding second careers for these thoroughbreds is vital. There are many avenues of opportunity for ex-racehorses, whose versatility often sees them achieve more success in their new discipline than the one they were actually bred for. On leaving the sport, some retire to stud, while others may go point-to-pointing or even be sold to race abroad. However, the highest percentage of these horses coming out of racing, over 40% in fact, are retrained for another equestrian discipline, such as eventing, showing, dressage, team chasing and polo — the list is long. Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) is Britain’s official charity for the welfare of horses that have retired from racing, and was launched in 2000 and has been growing since. “RoR…

• Denier (D): a rug’s “D” rating refers to the number of yarns used to make one thread. The higher the rating, the stronger the outer shell. • Weight: this refers to the rug’s filling, which largely determines its warmth. The weight can vary from 0g in a no-fill sheet to 400g or more. • Ripstop: a pattern of weave that makes a rug less prone to tearing, and helps prevent any rips that do occur from spreading. • Ballistic nylon: similar to ripstop, this tough fabric is very durable, and resistant to tearing.…

CCI4*-L.— 1, Allstar B (R Canter) GBR 27.2,0,0.4=27.6; 2, Dreamliner (O Townend) GBR 30,0,0=30; 3, Well Designed (S Straker) GBR 32,0,4=36. CCI4*-S.— 1, One Of A Kind II (J Avery) NZL 30,0,1.2=31.2; 2, Fonbherna Lancer (I Taylor) GBR 31.1,0.8,3.2=35.1; 3, Samuel Thomas II (E Power) IRL 35.1,0,1.6=36.7. CCI3*-L.— 1, PSH Lava Flow (I Taylor) 27.5,0,0=27.5; 2, Heartbreaker Star Quality (L Seed) GBR 33.5,0,0=33.5; 3, Whitetree Sky (L Hancock) IRL 33.6,0.4,0=34. CCI3*-S.— 1, Alcatraz II (O Townend) 25.5,0,4=29.5; 2, Cooley Moonshine (E Halliday-Sharp) USA 29.9,0,3.6=33.5; 3, Langford Take The Biscuit (E King) GBR 35,0,0=35. CCI2*-L.— 1, OLS Queen Bee (C Daniels) IRL 26.5,0,0=26.5; 2, Withington (S Ecroyd) GBR 26.7,0,0=26.7; 3, Lost In Translation (A Ho) HKG 27.2,0,0=27.2. CCI2*-S.— 1, Benicia B (H Woodhead) GBR 25.8,0,0=25.8; 2, Shannondale Mari (E Power) 25.9,0,0=25.9;…

Pontispool (3), Somerset A MUCH needed confidence boost consolidated Toby Pigott and Freestyle R’s partnership after a nasty fall, while wrapping up their 2019 season in style. The pair suffered a cross-country fall in the advanced at Aston-le-Walls (3) in July, which put them out of action for a few weeks, but after a careful double clear here they moved up the scoreboard to head the open intermediate (OI). Freestyle R added 0.8 of a cross-country time-penalty to a dressage score of 29.8, which knocked dressage leaders Alexander Whewall (Chakiris Star) into third position after they accrued eight showjumping faults. Toby, who was in hospital for three weeks due to several skull fractures and a broken arm and collarbone, said he’s now on the mend. “It’s nice to come back…

Monmouth JAYNE WHITBREAD celebrated her first affiliated eventing win when taking BE90 section L at Monmouth aboard her own seven-year-old Quantum IV. The 43-year-old mother-of-three, who bought “Jack” in November 2018, added 2.4 cross-country time-faults to a 24.3 dressage. “He has come a long way since he has been with us — I never thought we would be winning BE events,” said Jayne, who bought Jack after returning to the saddle following a “nasty accident”. “I was cross-country schooling in 2017 and jumping off steps into water,” she explained. “I didn’t want to end up in the water so landed on my feet and obliterated my tibia and fibula — my ankle essentially turned to dust.” Jayne’s breaks took nine months to begin to heal and she got back on…

WEE BURGIE Nov.— 1, Rainbows Little Rock (E Coghill) 35,0,3.2=38.2; 2, Couldoran (A Ferrari) 39,4,8=51; 3, Chiara D (M Knowland) 34,8,16=58. BE100open.— 1, Laghey Clover (S Bultitude) 36.5,0,0=36.5; 2, Litchfield Jack (A Runcieman) 35.5,4,6=45.5; 3, D’Millo Express (M Arnott) 33,7,33.6=73.6. BE100open u18.— 1, Loughshore Warrior (E Leslie) 29.8,1,0=30.8; 2, Cairnview Corry (A Edgar) 27,4,0=31; 3, Gucci Lady (R Morgan-Paulson) 30.5,0,1.2=31.7 BE100RF.— 1, Vistimar (K McLaren) 24.5,0,0=24.5; 2, Whos Vision (C Meikle) 28.5,0,1.6=30.1; 3, Clover I (K Reid) 32.3,4,0=36.5. BE100.— 1, Good Enough II (F Wilson) 34.5,0,4=38.5; 2, Fuerty Cruise Brigade (C Bolger Fotheringham) 32.8,7,0=39.8; 3, Zuccheros Deff Leppard (E Herd) 29,0,11.2=40.2. BE90open u18.— 1, Mulgrave Freddie (K Grieve) 22,0,0=22; 2, Bankeir Midnight (C Carrie) 32.8,0,0=32.8; 3, Boolagh Tinkers Tune (J Johnstone) 33,0,0=33. BE90 sec A.— 1, Machno Showtime (C Swales)…

HER inter II triumph was Sara Garvie’s first Area Festival win and first sash with Ri Alto (pictured), the 14-year-old Ricardos gelding she has owned since he was four. Amateur rider Sara, who is a business consultant, has put in plenty of hard work to achieve success with Rio. She took a severance package to enable her to live in Germany for two years and train with top German trainer Jonny Hilberath, former coach of the German team. “I was in my mid-40s and it was the opportunity of a lifetime to take the money and spend it unwisely,” joked Sara. “The most important thing I learned was to establish the basic way of going — you can’t move on to the higher levels without that.” Rio has only done…

HOORAY for the new Area Festival format! It’s easy to follow, and will now be twice a year — what’s not to like? This is a real boost to the British Dressage (BD) calendar, but it does leave us with two silver national champions at some levels. The old restricted section was dominated by “stable jockeys” and the silver seems to have attracted the same. Would it be better to leave the silver section at Area Festivals, and just have one class at nationals at novice, elementary, medium and advanced medium? Or maybe it’s better to have two silver sections, so stable jockeys who wish to ride in silver can compete at regionals and Area Festivals can return to being a championship for grassroots riders — albeit very good ones!…

WITH the Countryside Alliance-backed Hunting Newcomers’ Week (19-26 October) fast approaching, there is never a better time to take your horse out with your local pack than now. Details of what’s going on and where are available at countryside-alliance.org, but knowing what to wear and how to present your horse can be daunting if you’ve never been out with hounds before. The first rule of thumb is to be smart and presentable. The ideal kit includes a pair of boots, beige breeches, tweed jacket and stock or tie, along with a properly fitting hat with harness, and a pair of gloves. If you ride and do anything mildly competitive, you’re likely to have a lot of this already. Since Newcomers’ Week takes place before most opening meets, all hunts will…

White or cream string gloves are correct hunting attire and these 100% Arran oiled wool gloves (pictured, left) feature an extra-long cuff. £32, huntingstockmarket.com No one will mind if you have to go extra-warm on cold days — the WoofWear Precision thermal gloves will keep your hands toasty while maintaining a strong grip. £32, woofwear.com Waistcoats are also correct dress but a nice optional extra, and you can find classic styles such as the Equetech Classic Tattersall check waistcoat. £54.50, equetech.com The Equetech Marcella cord stock is self-tying with a waffle feel. £29.95, equetech.com The Shires untied stock (pictured, above right) is a smart and plain cotton stock — perfect for the minimalist. £11.99, shiresequestrian.com You can find vintage pins and fox- or horse-head designs, but the Equetech traditional plain…

Open.— 1, Fox Grant Dot Com (Y Goss, P Nichols, A Stone, W Grant); 2, Wishful Thinkers (S Coady, L Brown, R Tuck, P Bradley); 3, Boring Gorings (C Alexander, L Davies, J Stevenson, S Dampney). int (speed).— 1, Eternal Optimists (S Coady, E Chamberlain, A Lockwood, S Gray); 2, Team Ride Away IV (S Clark, A Bradshaw, R Stanning, E Walker); 3, Fox Grant Thrusters I (L Fowler, A Stone, P Lovett, E Setchell). int (bogey time).— 1, Berkeley Boobs (M Pane, K Camm, F Dawes, P Gundry); 2, Berkeley Bouncers (L Grey, M Ford, E Pane, C Stevenson); 3, Champagne Stompers (P Lloyd, R Richardson, F Radford, P Gyldard). nov (bogey time).— 1, More Cunning Stunts (G Webster, J Doidge, T Ivings, S Coady); 2, Fox Grant Cubs…

THIS weekend’s Osberton International incorporating the British Eventing (BE) young horse championships (3-6 October) is due to go ahead after last weekend’s washout. Organisers Bede Events said on 30 September the ground was looking “great”. With further rainfall expected, Tuesday’s (1 October) trot-up was cancelled with all horses due to trot up on Wednesday instead and Wednesday dressage was moved to Thursday and Friday. Following the abandonment of Kelsall Hill (29 September) and Bricky Horse Trials (28-29 September) due to the adverse weather BE announced the BE80(T) championship will take place at Norton Disney in Lincolnshire on 25-27 October and the BE100 regional final has been rescheduled for Bovington, Dorset, on 19-20 October. “It is such a shame the BE80(T) championships weren’t able to go ahead. We are extremely appreciative…

A RIDER who offered polo taster sessions through Airbnb was shocked to be told she breached welfare guidelines banning activities such as bear-baiting and cockfighting. Aurora Eastwood had been running introductions to polo through the accommodation website’s “experiences” platform for some 18 months, attracting all five-star reviews. But last week, she received an email from Airbnb saying she did not comply with guidelines the site has developed with charity World Animal Protection, which were to apply from 27 September. “It was taster sessions — starting by using a mallet on the ground, then get on a horse and pick up the steering and brakes basics, then eventually, get them to hit the ball from the back of a horse so they could leave happy,” she told H&H. “Then Airbnb emailed…

CELEBRATIONS are being held across the UK as the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) marks its 50th anniversary. The RDA has been raising awareness of its work, with events including a parliamentary reception and an episode of the BBC’s Countryfile, while Clare Balding’s new book The Racehorse who Learned to Dance features an RDA member. A special gold rosette has been produced to help groups celebrate, with 3,000 sent out. Events include a gold pageant, a blessing of the horse and a pony angel party. “We want all groups to be able to celebrate in their own way,” said RDA UK communications manager Caroline Ward. “Celebration week is a way of bringing everyone together in a shared recognition of this important milestone, as we acknowledge just how far we…

‘It’s like being a nanny, psychologist and politician rolled into one’ I knew early on my riding ability meant I’d never go far in the competition ring, and hopes of becoming a vet faded as I failed to achieve the grades. I wanted to do something involving my favourite sport, so I signed up for the inaugural equine studies degree course at Warwickshire College. Becoming a lecturer or physio was in the back of my mind. While there, I became friends with Clare Boardman, who worked for the then Horse Trials Group, which has now evolved into British Eventing. It was 1996, so an Olympic year. I’d finished my degree. Still clueless about “what next?”, I received a call from Clare in a panic as her boss had just left,…

RELAXATION of muscles and ligaments is all part of the natural pregnancy process, but can take its toll on the mare’s physical health — as Lucy Bell, an Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT) physio explains. “The process of carrying and delivering a foal affects the abdominal muscles and the muscles in the hindquarters, such as the gluteals and hamstrings,” she says. “The foal’s weight at birth can be around 10% of the mare’s bodyweight. A lack of abdominal activation and strength, combined with this, puts pressure on the mare’s spine and encourages it into a more extended position — leading to a build-up of tension through the large muscles of the back. “The additional weight can also overload the forelimbs and create tight, sore muscles,” adds Lucy,…

1 Be realistic about your abilities but also your confidence. Rider experience doesn’t necessarily equate to confidence. When the security blanket of being in training is removed, racehorses can behave differently until they adjust, and they will soon pick up on a lack of confidence from their riders. 2 Good schooling skills are vital as you are teaching the horse a new way of going. Ingrained ways have to be erased and new ones put in place — for example, for the horse to learn how to use his back properly. 3 Patience is required, so if you’re frustrated easily an ex-racehorse probably isn’t for you. Having time is important, as ex-racehorses cannot be rushed. 4 Finally, remember that not all racehorses are used to being hot-shod, they don’t often…

STRUGGLING to gauge if your horse is feeling comfortable under his rug? Horseware’s Horsepal app and sensor measures the temperature and humidity of a horse under his layers via a sensor attached to the rug, which connects to your mobile’s Bluetooth. The horse’s temperature and levels of humidity within the rug will be displayed graphically and the user can tell if a horse is comfortable, too hot, too cold or damp, and if the horse is sweating. The user takes readings 10-30 metres from the horse through the sensor with the Horsepal app on their Bluetooth device. The “rug adviser” on the app detects the horse’s GPS and, using algorithms based on the rug the horse is wearing and his temperature, provides advice on what rug to use, factoring in…

Ballindenisk, Co. Cork A YEAR and two weeks after they took individual and team gold at the World Equestrian Games, Ros Canter and Allstar B returned to top-level competition and won the CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk. The British star pair led the dressage with 27.2 and only added 0.4 of a showjumping time-fault to that. Surprisingly, it was Ros’ first four-star victory and comes 11 weeks after she gave birth to her daughter, Ziggy. “It takes time to get going again, and there was some pressure to return this season and get our Olympic qualification,” said Ros, who now just needs a result at CCI4*-S to be individually qualified for Tokyo. “We have achieved what we set out to do, which is a relief and gives me the confidence to crack…

OI.— 1, Freestyle R (T Pigott) 29.8,0,0.8=30.6; 2, Exclusive (E Llewellyn) 26.1,0,5.6=31.7; 3, Chakiris Star (A Whewall) 24.3,8,0=32.3. int sec P.— 1, C Born Fresh Z (D Evans) 26.4,0,2.8=29.2; 2, Dignified Hero (B Levett) 29.6,0,4.4=34; 3, Happy Boy (T Price) 32.7,1,3.6=37.3. sec Q.— 1, Lime Rickey (T Price) 27.5,0,3.6=31.1; 2, Summer At Fernhill (W Fox-Pitt) 27.3,0,5.2=32.5; 3, Bachelor Boy (A Harris) 30.7,0,3.6=34.3. OIu21.— 1, Catherston Definitive (P Muirhead) 26.8,4,2.4=33.2; 2, Murphy May (J Rimmer) 27.7,8,0.8=36.5; 3, Newferry Irish Mist (A Hallows) 32.3,8,0=40.3. ON.— 1, Manyoshu (R Batting) 30.3,0,0=30.3; 2, Coolrock Wacko Jacko (G Strang) 29.5,0,0.8=30.3; 3, Lokis Trumpet (D Evans) 26.8,0,4.8=31.6. nov sec T.— 1, Prometheus II (M Joannides) 27.3,0,0=27.3; 2, Langaller Sherlock (A Lucas) 30.5,4,0=34.5; 3, Don Stefano (M Brown) 31.3,4,1.6=36.9. sec S.— 1, In Fashion Too (T Pigott)…

ON.— 1, Dazzling Springtime (A Kneen) 28.5,0,0=28.5; 2, PSH Mirror Image (A Penny) 29,0,0.4=29.4; 3, Diamond Dancing Hettie (K Raybould) 30.3,0,0=30.3. nov sec A.— 1, PSH Mirage (A Penny) 29.3,0,0=29.3; 2, Completely Mint (S Beadle) 29.5,4,0=33.5; 3, Jailhouse Rocky (R Losano) 39,0,0.4=39.4. sec B.— 1, Carlingfords Hes A Clover (L Harwood) 28,0,2.8=30.8; 2, Galicia (D Sibley) 33.3,0,0=33.3; 3, Neffect S (K Raybould) 34.5,0,0=34.5. BE100plus.— 1, Top Billing (B Balian) 29.5,0,0.4=29.9; 2, Domino Derval (C Hardinge) 30,0,0=30; 3, Firestone C (S Kula-Przezwanski) 31.5,0,0=31.5. BE100open sec G.— 1, ALS Dexter Doolittle (G Strang) 25.5,0,0.8=26.3; 2, Gringolet (K Richards) 27.8,0,0=27.8; 3, Ngong Valley (M Warburton) 28,0,0=28. sec J.— 1, Renkum Capitano (S Bunn) 18.5,0,0=18.5; 2, Lucy Sparkles (E Williams) 24.5,0,0=24.5; 3, Volentieri (A Tough) 29.5,0,0=29.5. BE100open u18.— 1, Cendora (I Rugman) 23,0,0=23; 2,…

Inter II silv (J Firmston-Williams, K Ratcliffe).— 1, Ri Alto (S Garvie) 65.2; 2, Wonderland (S Gordon) 58.09. inter I silv (A Duck, J McGarel Groves, A Bostock).— 1, Bear (J Pharaon) 69.3; 2, Nirvana Celestial (D Barley) 67.89; 3, Zidaan (T Johnson) 66.27. brnz.—1, Evaldo (C Cockerton) 65.13; 2, Mister Samson (L Darby) 65.04; 3, Midnight Cassini (J Frost) 63.03. PSG silv (D Wardle, A Nicell, J Head).— 1, Walentino 77 (T Millward) 69.34; 2, Donatella IV (P Blain) 67.5; 3, Nirvana Celestial 67.5. brnz.— 1, Bugatti II (G Tapner) 66.4; 2, PSH Indiana (A Trew) 66.05; 3, Old Speckled Hen II (M Watt) 64.61. adv med 91 silv (L Waller, J Robinson, C Gardiner).— 1, Bugatti II 69.27; 2, Delius I (P Parker) 67.82; 3, Sheepcote Well To…

SOLIHULL EC 19 Sept: med 69 silv (R Baldwin).— 1, Garryduff Chacoa (C Pearson) 65.15. med 76 silv.— 1, Don Zack Zumba (E Castle) 70.91. adv med 85 silv.— 1, Coco Chanel II (R Scalisi) 65. adv med 92 gold.— 1, Woodcroft Francisco (L Wollen) 67.16. silv.— 1, Coco Chanel II 69.19; 2, Garibaldi (E Castle) 64.05. adv 105 silv.— 1, Garibaldi 63.06. PSG gold.— 1, Exito (J Bentley) 65.53. silv.— 1, Billy Elliot III (D Stibbe) 69.47; 2, Hillgrove Rockwell (H James) 68.03; 3 Stuntman AF Hvarre (P Jaggs) 65.66. inter II silv.— 1, Newho Philharmonic (S Stewart) 64.21. inter I gold.— 1, Fallatijn Van Kairos (L Tomlinson) 81.05; 2, Exito 66.18. brnz.— 1, Ratio (V Jenner) 65.39. inter II gold.— 1, Rose Of Bavaria (L Tomlinson) 78.42; 2,…

“SHE’S the perfect stamp,” said Jaz Armistead of her home-bred mare Shiraz 11, the offspring of a thoroughbred dam and the 17.3hh registered drum horse stallion Jubilee Ted. “Her dad moves brilliantly from the shoulder and has a great active hindleg, which she has, too.” ‘Suddenly, things clicked and now she now takes it all in her stride’JAZ ARMISTEAD ON SHIRAZ 11, AKA MRS MAGU The 16.1hh piebald mare, nicknamed Mrs Magu, started her affiliated career a year ago and scored outright wins in the novice freestyle and the elementary 43 at Kings EC, Herefordshire. “We had to be quite sensitive with her at the breaking-in stage, but she has recently become really trainable and rideable,” added Jaz, who has been focusing on Mrs Magu’s lateral work with her trainer…

BURY FARM 16 Sept: prelim 15Q brnz (C Alston).— 1, Zaromeo (H Clear) 64; 2, Heathermore Ricozing (T Hopkins) 63.6; 3, Feronia (L Howson) 61.6. prelim 19Q silv (A Nicell).— 1, Eternal Weltoscha (K Lipton) 70.2; 2, Huntingfield Pemberley (J Telford) 70; 3, Loughrea Prince (M Cooper) 67.08. nov 23 silv (C Alston).— 1, Totili London (F Langley) 68.95; 2, Etrust (L Robson) 67.5; 3, Eternal Weltoscha 64.79. brnz.— 1, Huntingfield Pemberley 65. nov 37Q gold (A Nicell).— 1, Tottola (M Frewin) 67.77; 2, Destiny I (A Ershova) 63.88. silv.— 1, Centaurus (M Hackett) 65.37; 2, TJS Tankerstown (E Taylor) 65.18; 3, Geurt (K Turner) 64.25. elem 45 gold (C Alston).— 1, Faberge Egg (E Johnson) 70; 2, Tottola 67.06. silv.— 1, Gershwin (C Bloom) 66.72; 2, Siglan Edward (P…

NEW YORK has been a great venue for the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) final. I expected it to be a little more difficult to get around, but it worked out to be really simple using the ferries. The views were amazing, the ring and warm-up were a really good size and there was plenty of space for the horses to walk around. The arena surface was a little loose on the first day, but the team worked hard on it and it improved every day. This is typical of the LGCT — Jan Tops is at every show checking everything and if something isn’t right, he gets it fixed. I don’t know how he has the energy, but it means the tour steps up every year. The standard and…

27 Sept: Nupafeediscovery.— 1, Jet Stream (A Dunsdon); 2, Billy Hansel (J Butler-Smith); 3, Alfredo IV (B Cassidy). Equitop Myoplast Foxhunter.— 1 & 2, Tropical Don & Irish Warrior (C Flynn); 3, Croquant De La Pome (L Long). 1.20m.— 1, Trevoulter Lady Utah (H Webster); 2, Fraternizer (H Tiley); 3, Greece II (J Draper). DDS Demolition winter 1.25m.— 1 & 3, LK Rocky & Cachento (H Webster); 2, Twistaire Pleasure (C Flynn). 1.30m.— 1, Chico Bella (G Tattersall); 2, Dons Dark Gold (M Shirley); 3, Hotesse (M Garry). Dunsdon Family 1m Derby.— 1, Lady Warrior (I Ketteridge); 2, Little Em (H Smith); 3, Big Cheese (J Applegate). British nov.— 1, Fabrice Royale (C Baker); 2, The Cavaliers Queen (E Mainieri); 3, Zorba Nero Z (K Skinner). 90cm.— 1, Kilbarron May…

✓ Do ring the secretary of your local hunt to book in — if you can’t find the number, call the Countryside Alliance. ✓ Do tie back long hair neatly — a hairnet is correct dress and looks smarter. ✓ Do remove earrings, or only wear studs. ✓ Do pop a V-neck jumper under your jacket if you get cold. ✓ Do clean your tack and horse as best you can. ✓ Do put a green ribbon (or electrical tape) in your horse’s tail if he hasn’t been out with hounds, or a red ribbon if you know or suspect he’ll kick. ✓ Do wear gloves. ✓ Do use a saddle-shaped numnah if possible. ✗ Don’t worry about plaiting — nobody really plaits before the opening meet anyway. ✗ Don’t…

Made with 600g Melton wool, the Equetech wool frock coat features double vents and and concealed zipped pockets. From £269.95 equetech.com The Shires hunting shirt is made of knitted jersey cotton and makes a great base layer. Plus, it’s also available in a thermal version. From £26.99 shiresequestrian.com The waterproof and fleece-lined Fouganza Kipwarm jodhpurs are high-waisted for extra comfort and feature grip on the knees. £39.99 decathlon.co.uk Made with soft leather in a range of calf sizes, the Fouganza 900 Jump boots have a zip at the back. Available in black or brown. £129.99 decathlon.co.uk…

‘She relished every obstacle and flew over all types of terrain’ MARES have always been the preference of Lady Sarah McCorquodale, joint-master of the Belvoir. “They’re better at self-preservation,” she says. She asked Leicestershire legends Ashley Bealby and Barbara Rich to find her a mare in Ireland: “Marple was the result.” Aged six when she arrived, the black mare had her faults. “She was always evil to other horses,” remembers Lady Sarah. “Definitely the most unpopular horse on the yard. I had to rebuild my lorry to stop her removing all the skin from her hindquarters, she wouldn’t stand still in the wash box and was vile at feed time.” Marple’s transgressions didn’t end on the ground, either. “At first, she bronced and bucked and fly-kicked. We learnt to lunge…