Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-May-2020 i Horse & Hound

IN lockdown, many have taken to the attic to go through treasured possessions for the memories these evoke, recalling happy days riding for hours with a hoofpick on the D-ring and a picnic in the saddlebag. Jute rugs thatched with straw, those sweat blankets that were just holes and New Zealand rugs of the stiffest canvas that you could barely even lift. Watching Harvey Smith flick that V, showjumping with wooden poles, old-format eventing, and on it goes. We’re asking you to help us relive those days, and all those further back than my living memory, by sending pre-1980 stories for our reader-driven nostalgia special (news, p6). We look forward to sharing them with so many who are missing the “good old days”. One sport certainly yearning for those is…

PAULANK BROCKAGH The 2014 Badminton winner, ridden by Australia’s Sam Griffiths, has retired to breeders Paula and Frank Cullen in Ireland. The 17-year-old completed 11 five-stars and won Olympic team bronze in Rio. UNIQUE Laura Tomlinson’s former grand prix dressage mare has had a foal by Total Hope. The pair scored multiple small and big tour wins across the world, as well as multiple top-10 placings at international grands prix. OZ DE BREVE The 18-year-old, who scored grands prix titles and major international wins with Laura Renwick, has retired. The Selle Français showjumper was most recently partnered to much success by Sweden’s Evelina Tovek.…

EQUINE weight is a major concern of owners during lockdown, a survey indicates. The online study run by feed company Spillers found “fizzy” behaviour, obesity and weight-related health issues were among the 372 respondents’ big worries. More than half (54%) said weight gain was their biggest feed-related concern, while 41% were worried about laminitis. While 65% of respondents had not changed their routines, 12% said their horses were on 24/7 turnout and 9% were using strip-grazing or a muzzle. Of those who had been riding, 25% had stopped during lockdown. “We organised the survey to see where and how people might need support and guidance for their horses during this very difficult time,” said Clare Barfoot, Spillers’ marketing and research and development director. “Obesity and laminitis are serious issues, especially…

AN operating department practitioner working in intensive care during the coronavirus pandemic has credited her horse – as well as the “fantastic” NHS – for getting her through. Gemma Sly felt scared and overwhelmed when she was told she would move to an ICU. “I was thinking that I’ve only been a nurse four years, can I do this?” she told H&H. “I’ve been scared, upset, vulnerable, and felt overwhelmed. “But the NHS has been fantastic. There’s no end of support and it’s amazing what’s been done in a short time.” After 13-hour shifts, Gemma appreciates time with her “horse of a lifetime”, George, 26. “He’s my best friend, my goto, my therapist, my everything,” she said. “I don’t know how I would have got through this without George.” EJ…

IT’s an interesting aspect of horse sport that a lot of us appear to do the same thing, but the business model underpinning each professional rider is different. As such, each will be hit to varying degrees financially by the shutdown. Some rely heavily on buying and selling horses, others on teaching. These activities have been severely affected, although the recent loosening of the lockdown will help. Others rely on riding for owners, some of whom are now unable to afford to keep horses in training. On the sponsorship side, some companies have been hit very hard while others are only minimally affected. When the pressure is on, years of building up goodwill through hard work and relationships are repaid in loyalty. I’m enjoying having time for in-depth training of…

WHEN Arab racing mare Johara Bint Shuwaiman (pictured) arrived at the training yard run by Nikki Malcolm and her partner Nathan Sweeney, she came with a history of being “difficult” and had displayed major behavioural problems. “From the start, it was clear that Johara was a worrier,” says Nikki. “She was very stressy, she travelled badly and would stand in the yard with her eyes staring and her ears pricked.” Once veterinary issues, including gastric ulcers, had been ruled out, it was decided that the yard training regime would have to be adapted to Johara’s personality. “We did a huge amount of trotting and slow canter work to settle her before doing any fast work,” says Nikki, adding that Johara preferred to be worked alone. “She was turned out with…

WHEN I came to the UK, I had to relearn horse management in terms of understanding that horses often can’t be turned out in winter, whereas in Australia they live out all the time. In Britain, horses nap with far more vigour because they come out fresh and spooky. Sometimes it’s easy to forget horses are herd animals, who are designed to graze and move all the time. In the spring I try to turn my horses out as much as possible because they love it. I’m lucky to have a horse walker; in winter, I use it a lot. We put the stabled horses where they can see each other; it makes them happier in the long run. My parents were always really supportive of me and said to…

INDIA WISHART is managing to carve a career out of horses, despite neither of her parents being horsey. The 24-year-old is based at the Billy Stud, training under the expert eye of Pippa Funnell. “I remember when I was 11 or 12, I had just read Pippa’s autobiography and I was in the car with Mum, talking her ear off about how amazing Pippa was,” explains India. “I then said, ‘I want to be like Pippa Funnell one day,’ to which my mum replied, ‘Darling, it’s highly unlikely you will ever become Pippa Funnell.’ “I cried and cried and it’s a bit of an embarrassing story to admit to now. The following week, I was having dinner with Dad and I said the same thing to him and he replied,…

CHICAGO BERTIE HILL’S classy grey (pictured) partnered Mark to his first and only World Championship team title in 1970. Hopes of doing more with him were thwarted when the horse was eventually sold to Germany. “He had a big head, but a lot of quality and a better temperament than Columbus, a more pushbutton ride,” says Mark. ROCK ON “ROCK ON was amazing. He made me, to be honest,” says Mark. “Up until then I’d just ridden family hunters and my first real thoroughbred ended up being a superstar.” Under Bertie Hill’s guidance, this raw, zany and brilliant jumper went from novice to fourth at Burghley in one season. “We were 38th out of 40 after dressage,” points out Mark. “I didn’t know what I was doing. Because of him,…

ENGLISH show centres have been reopening, lessons resuming and racing is due to start within a fortnight, as the industry moves back towards where it wants to be. Since prime minster Boris Johnson’s easing of lockdown measures in England on 10 May, riding schools, livery yards and competition centres have been advised that they may reopen, with mitigating measures in place. Coaches have been advised they may teach, and riders that they may travel their horses for lessons or facility hire, although guidance for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is unchanged. A huge amount of work is also ongoing towards a return to competition. A British Equestrian spokesman told H&H British Dressage (BD) and British Showjumping (BS) are looking at resuming formal training in early June, in line with government…

▲STARTING DEBATE Nick Skelton ruffled a few feathers when his latest H&H opinion piece was published online. Some people were angry, some supportive, some unsure, but it got people talking, which is what it’s all about. Not entirely sure we want to pay £500 a year though... ▲EXPERTS Our second-favourite thing about the comment furore was, as one rider pointed out, the fact Nick’s opinion had cleared social media of all the health, economics and politics “experts”, who had all clearly turned into FEI or British Showjumping managers instead… ▲LOADING Ever had issues with a horse who’s reluctant to load? We have the perfect solution. Simply leave your horse at home and don’t compete it for two months, and it’ll spring in like a lamb. Not sure how helpful this…

JUST over a month ago, I lost my father to a rare type of blood cancer, and the past few weeks have been most surreal. Lockdown had put our lives on hold, yet such a monumental event still happened during this period and time has not slowed down. My dad was the most generous man, both with his resources and with his time. He had a vast amount of knowledge on a vast number of subjects and he never stopped educating himself. He also had a wicked sense of humour and he loved in a way that few people do – with his whole heart. My mother and father had been together since their teens, and anyone who has had the privilege of being near them as a couple will…

What’s the last book you read? I actually have two books on the go at the moment, one called Save The Cat, which is all about how to write a screenplay. I wrote a children’s book a few years ago, it was a bit rubbish and never got published, but writing interests me. I thought during this lockdown I would do some research into writing screenplays and use the time wisely. I am also reading Notes On A Nervous Planet, which is all about surviving in the 21st century, and tells us not to use technology or our phones as much as we all do. It’s definitely the most reading I’ve done in about 15 years. What are your favourite tunes for a road-trip? I have quite a varied taste…

“NEVILLE is both the love of my life and the bane of my life, and I’ve never met a horse like him. He loves routine – I could set my watch by him – and anything out of his routine makes him unhappy. He’s such a big personality on the yard and has lots of little quirks. He loves a mid-morning nap – sometimes Spencer arrives to ride at midday and I have to tell him that Neville is still asleep. “He is quite a polite horse to handle, but he can get grumpy in his stable. He prefers to be left to himself most of the time – he likes cuddles but they have to be on his terms. But there’s no nasty bone in his body. “He also…

“Some 25,000 people and 4,000 horses and ponies are relying on us” THE Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) is not a charity delivering front-line support during the lockdown. Like thousands of community groups, we have, quite rightly, closed our doors until the crisis is over. This closure will be just a small fraction of our 50-year history, yet its impact may be devastating and, without financial support, many groups may never reopen. All RDA groups are individual charities. At the moment, they can’t generate income from lessons and they can’t carry out their usual fundraising activities – and yet everyday expenses, such as horse care, must continue. This has left many groups extremely vulnerable – in what was already a difficult time. RDA groups serve local communities all over…

IF one were to try to pinpoint the moment at which the modern system of hunting, providing an enjoyable and exciting ride for those following the hounds, evolved, it would probably be 1753, in Leicestershire. It was then that a Derbyshire squire called Hugo Meynell, only 18 years old, moved his hounds and household to Quorndon Hall to hunt that ideal hunting country between Nottingham and Market Harborough, attracting followers who relished the challenge of crossing the country behind his hounds. However, it was not until Victorian and Edwardian times that foxhunting changed from being a semi-private recreation to a national sport. Of course, hunting had existed in the British Isles even before William the Conqueror brought his formalised hunting with hounds to these shores. However, for many years it…

ZARA “FUNNILY enough, I’m quite relaxed when Zara [pictured] goes cross-country because she has good instincts. Dressage, I’m nervous, but showjumping I’ll sweat buckets because she doesn’t have that same natural instinct for it.” LUCK “I’M a great believer that you make your own luck. Most times ‘bad luck’ is because you made a bad move. People used to say to me: ‘What do you do for the Americans?’ and I’d say ‘Mostly, I keep them honest… No, you weren’t unlucky there, you rode a crappy turn.’” RIDING POSITION “[FORMER showjumping trainer] George Morris says he’s a position freak; well, I am too. Whatever you have in life you have to work on, and I used to analyse my photographs and check the angles were as they should be.”…

“I just walked around outside, sweated a bit and hoped the others would go slow”KENT FARRINGTON CSI5* Royal Windsor, Berkshire “WHO dares wins,” said Billy Twomey during a pre-jump-off course-walk for the Rolex grand prix at the first five-star international show held at Royal Windsor. The Irishman could not have spoken truer words, as 12 of the world’s best were about to chase a €75,000 (£63,500) first prize over a brilliant track set by senior designer Bob Ellis. The course had everything: tempting turns, long runs and a gallop to an almighty vertical standing over 1.65m. There was neither a seat nor standing space to be had from start to finish of the class, and with three Brits among the dozen who were clear, there was plenty to cheer about.…

THE WAY TO WINTER WEIGHT LOSS? REPLACING some hay with straw could help with winter weight loss, a study indicates. For the project, published in Veterinary Record, Redwings Horse Sanctuary and researchers at the University of Edinburgh looked at two groups of native ponies, living out. One was fed hay, the other 50% hay and 50% straw. Between December and March, the second group had lost an average of 27kg, while only three of the first group lost weight, the rest putting on an average of 6kg. There was no colic recorded during the study and the authors hope the results will help owners manage horses’ weight in winter, and so reduce the risk of related welfare issues. BE PART OF “GOOD OLD DAYS” SPECIAL H&H is running a nostalgia…

Horse trainer Monty Roberts celebrated his 85th birthday on 14 May. California-based Monty participated in an online session on the day to answer questions from his fans. Racing agent and former jockey Ray Cochrane, 62, has retired after nearly 20 years representing Frankie Dettori. Ray said he and Frankie had a “good run” together. The Racehorse Owners Association has elected Charlie Parker as its new president. Charlie, who succeeds Nicholas Cooper, will begin a three-year term on 30 June. Equestrian Australia’s chair of the board Ricky MacMillan has resigned after six months. A replacement for Ricky, the third chair in 18 months, is still to be announced. Danish dressage rider Daniel Bachmann Andersen has resigned from Blue Hors Stud, Denmark. Daniel, who joined the stud in 2014, plans to start…

MENAI RADIUM Heather Seaman’s Welsh gelding has died aged 11. The big-moving dun was a Horse of the Year Show and Royal International finalist and was also ridden champion at the Royal Welsh. MCFLY Nicola Robertson’s Burghley and Badminton ride has died aged 22. The pair went from grassroots to four-star (now five-star), representing Britain at the 2007 young rider Europeans and completing Blair and Bramham, among others. BORICE The Gordon Elliott-trained 2019 Galway Plate winner has died from colic aged nine. Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, he also notched up 34- and 33-length wins in the run-up to his career-defining win.…

TEETH Overheard at the yard, a rider bemoaning her mare’s increased moodiness owing to the competition desert. “She keeps trying to bite me!” she hmmphed. Biting sounds a fair enough response to the current situation though, tbh, we’re gnashing our teeth too... SUPPLENESS A hobby horse version of the legendary Valegro has sold at auction for £2,000, in aid of the NHS. “Valegro II”, apparently the superstar dressage medallist’s half-brother, may only have one leg but he’s obviously destined for the top. One has to say, his movement looks a bit wooden though… CRITICISM Lots of talk at the weekend over a newspaper article criticising Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for, er, buying a field and then putting some rescued donkeys in it. The utter, utter cad.…

THE decision to cancel the European Eventing Championships in August 2021 is apparently based on the proximity of the Tokyo Olympic Games, which “would not allow a level playing field” among the nations. This argument would be valid in normal circumstances, but not in these difficult times. Most nations can provide a team for each event, so the championships could go ahead – imagine the disappointment if the Games were cancelled and the championships didn’t happen either. Not only that, but nations would have to select for the World Games in 2022 without a recent major championship. So I urge the FEI to reconsider with the support of the national federations. Alec van den Abeele Former Belgian chef d’equipe Tombeek, Belgium The writer of letter of the week wins a…

AS Nick Skelton outlined in his comment in H&H last week, this lockdown situation does present a great opportunity to reflect on how the sport has developed into what it is today. Whether you agree with his comments or not, the debate it has generated can only be good for the future of the sport. What British showjumping has is one of the best export economies in Europe. On most tours, British riders outnumber the host nation. We take multiple lorries, horses and grooms and spend a lot of money, year in and year out. That money is leaving the country and this is a chance to look at how and why that has come about. “THE GOOD OLD DAYS” WE do harp on about the “good old days” but…

“It takes about six hours to make a tail, before fitting it”by x xxxxxxxxxxx I’ve been around horses all my life. I used to showjump and I’ve worked on yards. My family were horsey; my grandmother was a stunt rider and doubled for Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet. My dad bought a livery yard and was planning to give it to me to run when I left school, but I wanted to train as a hairdresser – for humans. Horses make better clients than humans, but when I decided I wanted to move into horse hairdressing people laughed. My dad thought I’d lost my marbles: “Who’s going to pay to have their horse’s hair done?” But now when he phones me I might be driving halfway across the country to…

AT the start of the year, as part of our regular assessment of the possible risks to the charity, we placed infectious disease at the top. But little could we have predicted that it wouldn’t be a potential outbreak of equine flu or strangles that would have pitched us into one of the most challenging periods in our history, but a human pandemic. Being 100% funded by donations and with 1,500 horses and donkeys relying on us every day, keeping an up-to-date risk management register helps us remain financially prudent and make provisions. Although this forward planning leaves Redwings in the best position possible to weather the current storm, if predictions about the economic impact of coronavirus are even partly true, then we are likely to face a funding deficit.…

TO have represented your country by the age of 21 can symbolise one of two things. It is either the pinnacle – in ambition and achievement – of a sporting career, or a staging-post on the way to bigger things, and over the years plenty of riders in all three main disciplines have fallen into either category. Whatever the future holds, those who wear that British flag will have demonstrated ability, focus, dedication and a tremendous work ethic. They will also have been riding the right horse. But what is the right horse for an ultra-ambitious teenager, and does it differ between eventing, dressage and showjumping? Gill Watson trained the young rider eventing team for 30 years and has seen considerable changes in the type of horse required over that…

Stable name: Red Owners: Frank and Margaret Kinsella Breeder: Margaret Kinsella Rider: Cathal Daniels Best results: individual bronze medallist, 2019 European Championships; team silver medal, 2018 World Equestrian Games; won Bramham under-25 CCI4*-L 2019; won Chatsworth CIC3* (now CCI4*-S) 2018; seventh Luhmühlen CCI4* (now CCI5*) 2018; team bronze medal, 2015 young rider European Championships; team gold and individual silver medals, 2014 junior European Championships; team gold, 2013 junior European Championships…

COLUMBUS “THE best horse I ever rode,” says Mark of the 17.1hh grey (pictured) owned by The Queen. He came to Mark, before his engagement to Princess Anne, when it became clear in 1972 that he was too strong for her. Though it took a while for Mark to get to grips with the headstrong horse – they had two falls at their first Badminton in 1973 – the following year they won with a double clear. “He did everything – won Badminton, big jumping classes, even took me round the Grand National course [for a BBC challenge against former jockey Richard Pitman],” says Mark. “Obviously he needed a thousand half-halts before the dressage because he was thoroughbred and wanted to gallop and jump. But with him I had all…

MANY people have taken on hero status recently. NHS workers – obviously. Supermarket workers, delivery drivers, postmen. Teachers, too, must be feeling the collective love. As Jack and I squabble over schoolwork at the kitchen table, I am filled with a new respect for everything they do. “We’re going for a ride,” I told him recently one morning. We both needed a break and it occurred to me that there is someone on the farm who, when it comes to teaching, really knows his stuff. Josh, our veteran 13.3hh, is what is commonly known as a schoolmaster. He isn’t cuddly, he’ll batter you with his head if he gets half a chance, but he’s straightforward, genuine and endlessly patient. You could put a baby on him. And having taught so…