Innholdsfortegnelse for 29-Sep-2016 i Horse & Hound

HORSES have been trained to communicate with humans, to let them know whether they want to wear rugs, a study has revealed. Researchers from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute worked with a trainer to teach 23 horses how to signal whether they were too warm or too cold. The animals were taught to associate different symbols on a board with whether they wanted a rug, no rug, or no change. By the end of two weeks of training, with 10-15 minutes’ work per day, all 23 horses were able to indicate their preferences. They tended to request rugs in wet, windy and cold weather but not when it was warmer, which the researchers said showed they were able to make their own choices. “We wanted to explore whether the ability of…

THE British Horse Society (BHS) has issued advice to owners following the deaths of a number of horses in thunderstorms. Snowball Farm in Berkshire lost Blue and Beau to a suspected lightning strike, on the night of 15 September, when storms hit the area. There was no mark on either pony when devastated staff found them the next morning, as was the case with Jo-Anne Karlsson, whose 22-year-old pony Napolion was found dead in his Berkshire field on the morning of 16 September. “My daughter was very upset,” Ms Karlsson said. “It was intense. Normally, storms go around us but not this time — quite a few horses died or were hurt in the area.” Louise Crow’s seven-year-old event mare Roulette (pictured, left) had to be put down after she…

EMILY KING The eventer withdrew from the British squad at the young rider Europeans in Italy (21-25 September) as her ride, Jane del Missier’s Dargun, had a “slight bout of travel sickness”. Emily said the horse’s welfare is the “first thing”. THOMAS FRÜHMANN The 65-year-old Austrian Olympic showjumper has announced he will retire from the sport this year, after a career spanning more than 40 years. His competitive highlights include team silver at the 1992 Olympics. TIM FINCH The commentator received a British Eventing award for more than 50 years of service to the sport. Mr Finch received his award from British Eventing vice-president Polly Lochore at Dalston Green Horse Trials in Cumbria on 11 September. KEITH TAYLOR Mr Taylor has stepped down as chairman of the British Equestrian Federation…

Allow 48 hours to ensure all the right paperwork is in place. Lorry owners should take advice from their insurance company to ensure the borrower is covered to drive the vehicle. Ensure the borrower has the correct driving licence for the weight of the lorry. Take the lorry on a test drive together. The borrower should take the lorry to a weighbridge if they are unsure of its weight. They then need to calculate the weight of their horse, passengers, and tack and equipment to ensure it does not exceed the limit. Draw up a written agreement containing every potential issue, for example: • The agreed mileage • That the vehicle is returned in an agreed state with half a tank of diesel • That only the borrower drives it,…

A five-year partnership to help young people into the racing industry has been set up between Godolphin and the Newmarket Academy. The Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project will be managed by charity Racing to School and includes a £250,000 investment from Godolphin. The project will include personalised career guidance and learning days, such as maths activities at Newmarket racecourse. “The racing industry offers wonderful variety, opportunities and challenges for young people to improve their skills and plot their later careers,” said John Blake of Racing to School.…

INTERNATIONAL HOYS FANS This year’s Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) has attracted equestrians from all over the world, with tickets being sold to fans from Europe, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Australia. The event takes place next month (5-9 October) at Birmingham’s NEC. ASPIRING RACING STAFF Exeter racecourse has added RaceTech, which provides technical and broadcast services to the racing industry, to its student ambassador scheme. The scheme enables students to experience work placements within the industry. AFRICAN HORSES Nine motorbiking vets have raised funds to vaccinate hundreds of horses in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, against African horse sickness. The vets covered around 2,500 kilometres over 12 days, providing educational events for horse owners and vets along the way. PEDAL POWER Sue Hughes and Chris Lloyd cycled from Land’s End to…

HORSES respond equally well to both auditory and visual cues, a recent study has found. Researchers from Australia studied 10 horses and 10 ponies, who were assessed in a series of tests. The animals were released by a handler four metres from two buckets, one of which contained a carrot reward. The horses and ponies were tested on their ability to correctly select the bucket containing the carrot after receiving a visible or audible cue, or both, to indicate which was the correct bucket. “Our study showed that horses and ponies can respond with equal proficiency to both visual and auditory cues, alone and combined,” said the researchers. “In contrast to our hypothesis, combining cues did not significantly improve the likelihood of correct choice.” It was also found that the…

THE RIGHT CRITERIA? Sir — I recently attended the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Futurity (report p84) event held at Writtle College. It was an enjoyable and well-organised day and I was thrilled when my two-year-old, Future Inferno, achieved a higher first premium in the endurance section. However it is disappointing that, due to the ever-tightening sire criteria rules, my horse — despite having been bred to event — is unable to enter this category. He is by the late Arab sire H Tobago, who has in previous years seen his progeny achieve incredible results across all the categories — surely a sign of an excellent stallion? Despite Tobago’s excellent record the latest rule change for 2016 means his progeny can now only be entered in the endurance section. Where is…

My first pony... Seaholm Comic, an 11hh lead-rein/first ridden pony. She was the sweetest pony and gave me lots of confidence. Watching... On the rare occasions I sit down and watch TV, I enjoy crime investigation programmes, such as CSI. They bring out the curious side in me. Settling down with... I’m reading Dressage with Heart and Mind (inset) by Hasse Hoffmann, which focuses on horsemanship. I like learning about how others train their horses. Looking back... At one show I had to switch ponies to go into the championship. As I jumped off, I leant on my jacket and all the buttons popped off. I went into complete panic mode, but luckily we had enough safety pins to patch it back up. Eating out... Haweli Curry House in Twyford,…

Fast facts • Bone is one of the fastest-healing tissues in the body, able to regain full strength after successful healing. Outside of racing, devastating fractures are rare. The most common cause is a one-off traumatic injury - typically a kick from another horse, a road accident or collision with a solid object such as a fence post. • Fracture repair plates are made of steel alloy, with the same type used for many species. Very few are equine-specific. • Modern equipment and techniques now allow the repair of many distal (lower) limb fractures under standing sedation, without the need for general anaesthetic. • A successful outcome depends upon accurate diagnosis of the fracture and careful planning of the surgical repair. • Tim Barnett is one of the relatively few…

WHEN H&H sent me to Henrietta Knight’s West Lockinge yard it was like sending a kid into a sweet shop — an opportunity no avid racing fan would ever turn down. With its picturesque setting, West Lockinge Farm is steeped in National Hunt racing history and it is from this yard that Hen sent out Best Mate to win three Cheltenham Gold Cups. But on this day I am swapping my racing cap for a showing one, as Hen is equally well respected in the show ring — as a judge and breeder — as she is on the racecourse. Until her retirement from racehorse training in 2012, Hen had been breeding and producing up to 25 Connemaras alongside her racing duties in a separate yard on the 320-acre farm.…

Where it went wrong for Britain’s young riders EMILY KING AND DARGUN THE week got off to a rocky start on Wednesday, following the first trot-up, when Emily’s ride Dargun was withdrawn due to a slight bout of travel sickness. WILL FURLONG AND LIVINGSTONE II IT started well for defending individual champion Will when he led the dressage on Livingstone. But a foot abscess was discovered on the morning of the cross-country and despite a mammoth effort from the behind-the-scenes team, Will was forced to pull up and retire at fence eight on the cross-country course. SAM ECROYD AND OPERA HOUSE SAM helped keep Britain’s medal hopes alive, but it wasn’t meant to be - Opera House had to be withdrawn before the final trot-up due to a minor injury.…

LAST September Tracy Morgan and Ballyboe Integrity headed the prix st georges (PSG) at the Northern Area Festival, and went on to collect third at the finals. This year the pair went one better to take the inter I title on only their fifth outing at the level. “We’re learning together, so I had no expectations,” said Tracy, a freelance instructor. “I felt he was a bit behind my leg in the trot work, and we had a blip in the two-times, so there’s plenty to work on. It’s a lovely surprise to have won.” Tracy, who trains with Paul Hayler, has been steadily working up through the grades with the Ricardo Z 15-year-old, who used to be an eventer. In second was another rider trained by Paul, Sharon Lindop,…

THE decision to retire Valegro from competition — while he is relatively young and on top of the world — commands even more admiration to be heaped on to Carl Hester and the horse’s other connections. At 14, Valegro is relatively young for an international grand prix dressage horse. Other back-to-back individual gold medal-winning horses, such as Rembrandt and Salinero, have gone on to be campaigned for a third Olympics and the next few years would certainly have seen Valegro capturing more medals and victories. But as Carl says: “Valegro has already won every title there is to win, and he holds every world record,” and I think Carl’s decision is wholly honourable and admirable. In making Valegro available for select public appearances, where he will continue to inspire thousands…

BRITAIN came within a whisker of winning their first ever FEI Nations Cup final in Barcelona when, with three superb rounds from Nick Skelton, Michael Whitaker and Scott Brash, they took Germany to a jump-off (see report, left). A dazzling display from Olympic gold medallist Skelly recorded a fast clear many must have thought to be the winning round. But the “cool as ice” Marcus Ehning used second draw to come home just in front. Such a good British team performance came as a welcome relief after a year that’s seen us dumped out of the top division, 11th at the Olympics and a horror show in Calgary. There will be many looking for radical explanations for why we went so well in Spain. It’s simple, we fielded our best…

Tom Best (show/ conformation) “I was very impressed with the format - with type not being an issue, it comes down to the purity of conformation and movement, which affects performance and is the foundation for all show horses and ponies. The individual show was very effective in sorting them out; it was obvious which ones went in a correct manner and I penalised the ones that didn’t. It was disappointing that so many fell into canter after their gallop, and a lot cannot walk.” Sarah-Kate Coward (ride, horses) on Bankswood Savoir Faire “I had several really good rides but the champion just had the edge. It went beautifully and was so elegant and refined. It also had impeccable manners. I was delighted that its conformation mark was good too…

Abbie Kirkbride DESPITE having low mileage, Westhill Queen Of Hearts gave 12-year-old Abbie Kirkbride her biggest win to date. The Basford Court Jester 10-year-old mare (pictured) has bred two foals and was backed a year ago. “My oldest daughter Ellie has ridden her this season; Abbie only started riding her around six weeks ago. She’s very straightforward and has been the perfect introduction for Abbie, who was previously in 128cm classes,” explained Abbie’s mother, Lisa. “The combination oozed star quality and jumped out at me,” assessed Alex Ahern, who co-judged with Pat Potter and Dawn Collinson.…

I have followed with interest the recent e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting organised by Mark Avery and supported by TV presenters Chris Packham and Bill Oddie. Under government rules they must consider for debate any topic reaching 100,000 signatures through such petitions. Mr Avery launched a near-identical e-petition in 2014 and received support from just over 33,000 people. This time, after considerable effort, he has obtained more than 100,000 signatures, ensuring the issue will be considered for debate by government (a good thing too). Quite why they have singled out grouse shooting is not clear to me but what is clear is that these people, and the League Against Cruel Sports, wish to nibble away at the shooting fraternity — as was always going to happen. The saying goes…

‘Never say never’ AFTER losing her star horse Dane last autumn, and with Luke Morgan’s Jacko’s Boy out injured, Relentless team boss Belinda Walkinshaw considered giving up team chasing. “Never say never,” said regular rider Rowan Cope, and with some new horse power and those three words as their team alter ego, they started this season quietly. Old faithful Mani still gives a great lead under Dickie Barrett, Jacko’s Boy looks back to his best and Gina Andrews adds some much-needed glamour to the squad.…

‘Waterford Crystal’s favourite things were eating wine gums and jumping — he’d squeal with delight and buck after a fence’ I first saw Waterford Crystal in 1999 when he was eight and I was 20. In January 2000, I put together a syndicate and we bought him with the aim of jumping him at the highest level. I quickly got on well with him and, just a few months later, we were selected to compete at Hickstead where we not only ended up on the Irish team, but also won the Nations Cup. Waterford Crystal was brave, had huge scope and was adjustable. He could come in backwards at a fence and still get to the far side easily. He had pretty poor feet and went in glue-on shoes, which…

EVENT riders and owners are being urged to complete a survey to help research into eventing safety. The international cross-country safety study, on which Dr Suzanne Weaver Smith of the University of Kentucky started work in 2009, researches rotational falls and collapsible fences. Dr Weaver Smith has collaborated with UK researchers as well as Mats Bjorneton, the developer of the MIM clip system. To understand the variability of the conditions and situations that lead to rotational falls, the researchers will use a “Monte Carlo” simulation, similar to those used in weather forecasting. Computer models will enable the team to consider thousands of different situations quickly. “Our goal is to understand this complex motion thoroughly, and thus how best to prevent the conversion of forward momentum into a rotational fall for…

ZENITH NOP The world and European championship-winner was bought back by the Showjumping Fund of the Netherlands (SFN) to sell privately as his price was not high enough at auction. SFN bid € 850,000 for the 12-year-old, one of six auctioned by the SFN. SIMON PORLOE Padraig McCarthy’s Rio ride will in future be seen under 16-year-old British rider Bird Wood. The 16-year-old gelding had been competed by Padraig’s wife Lucy (née Wiegersma), who rode him at the European Championships for Britain in 2013. AMARETTO D’ARCO Katie Dinan’s ride has died following complications after colic surgery. The American said it was a “real privilege” to ride the 16-year-old stallion, having taken over the reins from Shane Sweetnam in 2013. FENYAS ELEGANCE Oliver Townend’s ride is to be retired to stud.…

A proposal to cut squad numbers from five to four at future Paralympic Games is a “major concern”, according to British Dressage (BD), writes Lucy Elder. The issue, which was raised at the BD AGM on 15 September, had been discussed at the FEI sports forum in April. “We have been broadly supportive of everything that has been proposed — we have given our views on the positives and the negatives,” BD chief executive Jason Brautigam told H&H. “This is the one issue we have highlighted and written to the FEI specifically about because we do think it is a major concern.” The FEI is looking into changes to all equestrian Olympic and Paralympic sports in line with the International Olympic Committee’s “Agenda 2020” to make them more spectator-friendly, increase…

The chance to ride on the Grand National course with top amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen is on offer at a charity auction. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/  ride-grand-national • An eventer who freed her stallion from a burning lorry has warned others of possible risk factors. www.horseandhound.co.uk/ horsebox-fireball • The FEI is to investigate allegations that the body of the mare who broke a leg at the world endurance championships was diverted to a livestock crematorium prior to her compulsory autopsy. www.horseandhound.co.uk/ ajayeb-allegations • Showjumper Kent Farrington (pictured) fell off after he finished his American Gold Cup jump-off round, and bowed to the crowd, but still won the class. www.horseandhound.co.uk/ kent-farrington-fall • The owners of a pony who suffered a fatal injury in a collision with a vehicle on Exmoor want…

FOLLOWING a slight drop in the estimated numbers of fly-grazed horses (news, 11 August), organisations have made further calls to landowners and local authorities to use their power to tackle the practice. Over a year since the Control of Horses Act came into force, the latest figures show a reduction in the numbers of horses fly-grazed across England and Wales. The coalition of welfare and rural organisations that campaigned for the Act want to highlight the important role awareness plays in ensuring it is used to its full potential. •  For more information visit: www.tinyurl.com/controlofhorsesact…

SOCIETIES are working hard to promote Britain’s struggling native breeds, writes Rachael Turner . Earlier this month, Cleveland bay horse organisations across the world promoted an awareness weekend for the breed (10-11 September). More than 100 Cleveland bays took part in events to mark the occasion, from showjumping and dressage to hunting and hacking. Owners were urged to post photos of their horses online in support. The breed, listed as critical, has fewer than 25 pure-bred foals registered each year in the UK. This year, only six filly foals have been recorded, and the breed is rarer overseas. In the United States, only 12 Cleveland bay fillies have been registered since 2011. “The numbers have been fluctuating but low, which is worrying,” a spokesman for the UK-based Cleveland Bay Horse…

ELVIS Show cob Elvis was stung more than 100 times by a swarm of wasps in a freak incident. A vet gave Elvis steroids and antihistamines, and he is now on the mend. ESCAPEES Seventeen ponies were found loose in Runcorn on 18 September. Cheshire Constabulary officers were able to herd the animals into a field within 90 minutes of being notified of their escape. The ponies’ owners have not been traced. A BEACH RIDE Two horses stuck in sinking sand surrounded by a rapidly rising tide had a lucky escape on 18 September. The horses made it back to dry land thanks to a team of rescuers. AN UNFORTUNATE EQUINE Mercy, 24, fell into a septic tank in central Florida on 20 September. It took three and a half…

EVENTING Young horse championships as well as CCI* and CCI2* classes will be held at Osberton International Horse Trials, Notts, on 28 September—2 October. www.bedeltd.co.uk EXHIBITION A selection of equestrian painter Terence Gilbert’s work will be on display at the Osborne Studio Gallery in Belgravia on 5-21 October. www.osg.uk.com TEAM CHASING Watch the Berkeley Hunt Team Chase at New Park Farm in Hystfield, Glos, on 2 October. www.teamchasing.co.uk HARVEST RIDE Ride along the beach on the British Horse Society Wirral committee’s harvest fun ride on 2 October. The 14-mile route starts at Thurstaston Wirral Country car park. lesley.broadhurst@talktalk.net WORKING HORSES See historic farm machinery in action at British Horse Society Scotland’s working horse day on 1 October at Meadowells Farm in Fife. tricia.halley@bhs.org.uk RACING Enjoy racing at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile…

I was most interested in your brief article on Shetland ponies (Horses in the news, 1 September). I have observed Shetland ponies and their antics for more than 50 years; I drove mine for many years and won three national championships in the 1970s. They can be very intelligent. For instance, one of mine started making holes in feed bowls by standing on them so she could see over the stable door. So I gave her a wooden box to stand on, but she could still not see over the door. Then I added a piece of tree with steps in it: just the answer. It became a major prop in her life so she could talk to you face to face. Another pony, Belle, lived down the road but…

‘They bond very quickly with their rider’ Colin Thomas Breeder of Welsh section A ponies FOR a small country, Britain is blessed with an impressive array of native pony breeds — 14 in total — each of them with plenty of passionate supporters. Many of us have fond — or hair-raising — memories of learning to ride on a native pony. And reminiscing on your horsey childhood can sometimes feel like flicking through a book of breeds. But which ones came out on top in our vote for the perfect first-pony material? CONNEMARA STRAIGHT in at number one, the Irish export’s forgiving, have-a-go attitude and incredible zest for life makes it ideally suited to the job of first pony Ashley Harrison has watched her 11-year-old daughter Kitty Marlow go from…

Jims Pal MICHAEL OWEN finished off his season in great style, winning the sole intermediate section on his girlfriend Ashleigh Dean’s Jims Pal (pictured). It was a first win at the level for the Irish-bred gelding, whose entry here was a last-minute decision. “He went to Ballindenisk in Ireland for the CCI2*, but he struggled in the mud in the showjumping on the final day,” said Michael, who is based at Kelsall. “We decided it would do him good to do the dressage and jumping on decent ground to finish on a better note - we only added in the cross-country when we realised he was in with a chance!” The 15.3hh was 14th after the dressage, before jumping a superb double clear. He was the only one in the…

‘He fell, shredding his bandages and tearing my muscle’ SHARON LINDOP was walking Spielbanker (pictured) out down a lane a week before the show when he refused to go through a puddle. “Eventually he launched himself over it, slipped, went through a barbed wire fence and fell. Fortunately, he missed rolling on me, and although he shredded his bandages, he escaped injury,” she said. “I ripped my gluteus maximus muscle, and have spent the week with ice packs on it and huge amounts of help from my chiropractor Laura Pilbeam. For the first few days I needed help to get dressed.” “It was a priority to qualify Sandhaven, and Spielbanker only got put on the lorry at the last minute when I thought I could cope with riding two. I’ve…

NIGEL COUPE landed the richest national grand prix in an exciting jump-off with Sue Simmons’ power-jumping Golvers Hill. Thrills, spills, power, speed — the £20,000 to-the-winner class had it all. Course-designer Di Boddy tested riders with big, wide oxers and committed distances in her 13-fence track, and some surprising names dropped out at an early stage, including former world champion Dermott Lennon on Loughview Lou-Lou with eight faults and fellow Irishman Richard Howley, who survived a crashing fall from Chinook. Eleven from 45 eventually accessed the jump-off, with Billy Twomey setting the standard with a super-smooth round on Diaghilev. His lead was shortlived. Urged on by the crowd, Nigel found tighter lines in the latter half of the track and a gallop to the final tall vertical secured the lead.…

Entries for this year’s Futurity may have been down, but seemingly the quality of young horses continues to follow an upward trend. This year 39 of the 421 young horses forward achieved elite scores (a mark of 9.0 or above), a percentage of 9.2%, and almost a 30% rise on last year’s 37 elite scores (6.68%) from a total of 554 horses. However, the split between the disciplines remains remarkably similar and — as has proven the case since the inaugural Futurity in 2005 — dressage was again the most populated discipline and foals the largest age group. The numbers of entries initially dropped a couple of years ago when the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) organisers introduced a rule that stipulated only the offspring of graded sires could enter. “Yes,…

A plethora of native ponies will descend on Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) next month after qualifying at their respective breed shows. Proud breeders Laurie and Lucy Booth were delighted to clinch a ticket with their seven-year-old New Forest mare Hurtstock Cornish Amber at the breed’s annual performance show (Brockenhurst, 27 August). Her sire, their 27-year-old senior stud stallion Farriers New Flame, gave Lucy her first ride at HOYS in 1998 and this is their first home-bred to qualify. “We have had a dream season with Amber and it is so special to take a home-bred and home-produced pony to HOYS,” said Lucy, who was contesting only their third qualifier this year. Lucy has brought the mare on carefully, allowing her to mature mentally and physically. Her results are…

MALCOLM SALTER has watched his wife Nicola claim this championship on four occasions — but this time, the spotlight was all his own. The Nottinghamshire driver partnered Mike Clark’s Welsh section D Newydd Beau to a clean victory, scoring a 10 and two nines from the judging panel of John Marson, Gary Docking and Anna Jackson. The unanimous win saw them finish three marks ahead of Paul Atkinson and Black Boy, while pairs and multiples winner Bob Alexander was a close third with his Gelderlanders Bullet and Bandit. “I’ve seen Nicola win all those sashes, I’m not taking this one off now; I’ll wear it to bed!” said Malcolm. “It’s all come together for this horse this season.” A smooth freestyle floorplan ticked all the boxes, with pleasing extensions, a…

DEBATE over why there is classification for athletes with learning disabilities in some Paralympic sports and not others has surfaced following this year’s Games. Some sports, such as swimming, have provision for grading athletes with an intellectual impairment. But para dressage is among the sports that do not. Classification for international competition is led by the International Paralympic Committee — which was unavailable for comment as H&H went to press. Jonathan Kemp, a winner at the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) championships who has Asperger’s and a learning disability, and his mother Anne raised the topic on local radio. An FEI spokesman said: “Intellectual disability is being considered as part of the classification research strategy, but until we have an evidence-based approach for classifying athletes for para equestrian dressage,…

BORROWING a friend’s horsebox for a competition may seem an ideal option if you haven’t got your own transport — but what should you bear in mind if you do? Ask Jon Phillips of the Organisation of Horsebox & Trailer Owners whether lorries should be loaned as a friendly arrangement and he would say no. But the horse world is usually a helpful one and borrowing is frequent, so what could possibly go wrong? Plenty, according to Mr Phillips. The lorry could break down, get bogged down at a muddy venue (beware, as problems off a public highway may not be included in breakdown cover and could cost the borrower around £700). The horse could damage the interior, there could be an accident, the borrower might put petrol in a…

ALL human and equine samples taken during the Rio Paralympics were negative, meaning back-to-back clean Games, the FEI has announced. The news follows that of no failed drug tests in equestrian competition at last month’s Olympics. “We are very proud of our efforts on clean sport, working closely with our national federations and athletes, and everyone involved should be proud of our clean Games record in 2016 and 2012,” said FEI president Ingmar De Vos. “We educated athletes about the importance of clean sport before both Games in Rio and this is proof the campaign is working. It’s the icing on the cake following such successful Paralympic Games.”…

JENNIFER CLAPHAM MRS CLAPHAM died peacefully in her sleep on 16 September, aged 85. She was heavily involved in the running of Mattingley Horse Trials, held near Hook in Hampshire, and also owned a number of event horses over the course of her lifetime. Mrs Clapham was the mother of Olympic eventer Tiny Clapham and British Eventing organiser Richard Clapham. Her funeral took place on 23 September at Mattingley Church. ROGER LEWIS A stalwart of the racing and point-to-point worlds, Mr Lewis died on 6 September aged 72. For the past two decades, Mr Lewis (pictured, above) was the tour official and winning connections host at Chepstow and Bath racecourses. Born into a family who lived for horses and farming, he rode in his first point-to-point at 14. He was…

CALLS have been made for Defra to “pull its socks up” and take more action to ensure horses are transported correctly, writes Eleanor Jones . World Horse Welfare and reputable transporters say it is essential animals being taken into and out of Britain are regularly checked, but also want to see “effective” welfare and paperwork checks at UK borders. Julie Magnus, of UK-based Julie Magnus Racehorse Transport, which regularly travels horses across Europe, says she has been “arguing” with Defra over rules and their policing. “I could point out the lorries that go regularly from here to Italy with no stops en route,” she told H&H . “It costs € 25 (£21) to stable a horse for the night but if you’re taking 10, that’s € 250. It gets expensive,…

WEARING socks on your feet is SO last season — so the H&H team is starting a trend of getting more creative with your footwear. The idea is to get behind Jocks in Socks, a collaboration between H&H and our charity of the year, the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF). Place socks on your head/horse/dog/other, share a picture on social media, donate to the IJF and nominate your friends. On Twitter, write: “I have supported #jocksinsocks @ijf_official with £5 by texting IJF to 70800. I nominate @...” On Facebook, it’s: “I have supported #jocksinsocks for the Injured Jockeys Fund with £5 by texting IJF to 70800. I nominate…” You can buy the official IJF socks at the H&H stand at Horse of the Year Show (5-9 October).…

IT’S wonderful to read in Mark Todd’s column (p65) about his annual volunteering stint at Dauntsey Horse Trials. What better PR could there be both for volunteering and eventing as a whole, when a rider finds one of their heroes enjoying getting dictatorial in the collecting ring? Many of us are so busy with work, horses and family that it seems impossible to find the time to give back to our sports, but with much of our industry relying on unpaid volunteers — from dressage writers to fence judges — we’re well reminded we would not be able to enjoy it without them, and certainly not at the present cost. Plus, if it’s good enough for Mark Todd, well… Of the inaugural H&H awards, the www.equoevents.co.uk Volunteer of the Year…

EVERYONE knows me for cobs but I have a lot of racehorses to retrain. A cob is poor and green; a racehorse is green, sharp and thin. You have to take a completely different approach — what I can do with a cob quickly would take me two years to do with a racehorse. It’s easier to train a horse than retrain one. I buy my cobs in Ireland and I buy them poor so I can have a good look at the framework. Then you know where you’re going to build and where you’re not going to build. The first thing I do is put them out in the field so I can get feed into them without putting myself in any danger. It’s also better for their limbs…

Connemara Pedigree females registered in 2005: 158* Pedigree females registered in 2014: 103* Welsh section A Pedigree females registered in 2005: 3,792 Pedigree females registered in 2014: 1,714 Dartmoor Pedigree females registered in 2005: 138 Pedigree females registered in 2014: 58 New Forest Pedigree females registered in 2005: 792 Pedigree females registered in 2014: 200 Shetland Pedigree females registered in 2005: 2,439 Pedigree females registered in 2014: 952 Data supplied by the Rare Breed Survival Trust *These figures are for the UK only and do not include the Republic of Ireland…

Sarah Parker The natives producer first competed at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) on a 133cm show hunter pony and has qualified every year since. Sarah will bid to defend the supreme pony title she won last season. Best HOYS moment: “Taking last year’s supreme pony title on Sarum Rembrandt. It’s something I dreamt of doing from a young age but never thought it would happen.” Worst HOYS moment: “Falling off Pumphill Buckthorn in the mountain and moorland [M&M] workers. It was the first year he qualified and he stopped at a fence near the gate, so I didn’t have to do the walk of shame too far.” Best HOYS pony: “Pumphill Buckthorn. He’s won there numerous times, not only on the flat but in the workers too…

IT’S the time of year when everyone is winding down and looking forward to having a break — especially when it’s been an Olympic year, which is always particularly full-on. It’s a time when people start thinking about their horse power for next year, and beyond that, for the World Equestrian Games in 2018 and the 2020 Olympics. The Event Rider Masters series seems to have had a positive effect — riders only need to look at the amount of money series leader Oliver Townend has won over the past few weeks to realise that it is worth having a good horse to aim at the series in the future. People with Tokyo 2020 aspirations will be looking at smart six-, seven- and eight-year-olds — but then, a horse like…

THIS summer has been a whirlwind of showjumping weddings and we have three to catch up on this month. Bells rang out for William Whitaker and new wife Elisabeth (née Fredlund) as they tied the knot near Huddersfield surrounded by various members of the Whitaker dynasty and the couple’s children, Isabella and Oliver. Meanwhile, in West Sussex, Lucy Bunn married Ben Townley on 27 August at St Peter’s Church in Twineham, followed by a reception at the famous Hickstead Showground in blazing sunshine. We understand there was plenty of Irish dancing and singing into the night. And Kent showjumper Joao Charlesworth and fiancée Maxine became husband and wife in a beautiful ceremony in their home county last month. Olympic riders head to HOYS THE Horse of the Year Show (HOYS)…

CONGRATULATIONS to the British Show Horse Association on their national championships show (report, 22 September). The atmosphere, as always, was incredible. Classes ran smoothly and it’s so much easier to have a scheduled time for each class. The evening performances catered for everyone and the scorecards for the supremes provided great viewing for spectators. This show allows you to showcase your animals before the finale of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the array of young and novice classes is great. It’s lovely to present your novices at championship level and I always think that this show is their HOYS, if you like. One of the best new additions was a first-season show horse class. A great idea and a real chance to get a horse out whom you…

RELENTLESS bounced back into winning form at the Meynell Team Chase with an exciting round in the Skinner’s Pet Foods National Championship qualifier. With Dickie Barrett back at the helm on Mani they set off at great speed up the hill. Gina Andrews had to take a turn on the inexperienced Ted at the hedges that snake around the lorry park but then galloped on behind Luke Morgan, Matt Mackley and Dickie. They all took the quick route at the third of the water obstacles, an eventing-style skinny ahead of a yawning ditch, but Matt’s mount Piggy ducked out, forcing him to retrace his steps. Gina now needed to make up even more ground to give them their finishing time and she urged her former event horse on. Matt kept…