Innholdsfortegnelse for 28-May-2020 i Horse & Hound

IT’S much easier to find positives in lockdown if you’ve been isolated with your family, not alone, if you have outdoor space, if your income has been unaffected, if you’ve not seen anybody you love struggle as a key worker, and, vitally, if nobody you love has suffered or died with this virus. We’re seeing a bit of, “It’s all right for them, they still have their desk job,” never mind if they are imprisoned at that desk in a flat with no garden or company. We’re seeing a bit of, “It’s all right for them, they have their horses on their doorstep,” never mind how they’re going to pay for that now. But beyond that, we’re witnessing more kindness, greater perspective, a desire to help others, and incredible fundraising…

BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS (2–6 September) has been cancelled for the first time in its history, owing to the coronavirus. Organisers said they must act “responsibly” and their “absolute priority” is the health and safety of the event’s community. Richard Jewson, chairman of the event’s committee, said: “One of the joys of being involved with Burghley Horse Trials is to be continually reminded how much this iconic event is loved by the many who create, take part and attend. “We are so appreciative of the support and co-operation we have received at this difficult time. We wish everyone well in these uncertain times.” Sir Richard added that they will now focus their efforts on planning the 2021 event, which is due to be held on 1 to 5 September. Only two…

THE IDEAL GIFT FOR FATHER’S DAY LOOKING for something different and special for Father’s Day? Bespoke H&H magazine front covers using your photographs and chosen text would make an ideal gift. H&H editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins said: “Here is the chance to amuse and charm your long-suffering dad with a unique gift he’ll treasure forever. And he may well hang it in the downstairs loo, where he will be reminded of his funny, generous child each time he washes his hands. What could be better?” • Email: hhprintorders@ ti-media.com IRISH POINTING COULD START EARLY THE start of the Irish point-to-point season has been brought forward, with hopes it will be able to get under way in September. Stewards of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee (INHSC) have announced a proposed start…

The Queen enjoyed showing success at Virtual Windsor 2020 with two winners; Wyevale Harry ridden by Matthew Powers and Stardust ridden by Katie Jerram-Hunnable. Showing producer Robert Oliver celebrated his 80th birthday on 20 May. Robert’s many achievements include winning the HOYS cob championship on Super Ted six times. American showjumper Lauren Hough is recovering after she was hit by a car when cycling home from the stables. She dislocated her shoulder and suffered cuts and bruises. Mexican dressage rider Bernadette Pujals will ride for Spain. Spanish-born Bernadette switched nationality to Mexican and first represented the country in 1998, but is moving back to Spain. The British Horse Society has welcomed Dame Caroline Spelman as a specialist trustee. The former MP will play a “pivotal role” in the society’s lobbying…

GLENMORE GWENNIC Emma James’ Connemara was crowned supreme champion at virtual Royal Windsor. The dun gelding won two of the 24 classes, and the overall accolade under judges Nigel Hollings and John Peacock. SLOOPY US eventer John Williams’ top-level ride has died aged 28. The retrained racehorse, who won eight times, jumped clear across country at Burghley 2003 and 2004, and finished 10th at Kentucky 2006. MALLORY The part-bred Irish Draught, who served with Thames Valley Police for seven years, has been put down aged 18 owing to an old injury. He worked at events including leading the procession for PC Andrew Harper’s funeral.…

SOCIAL DISTANCING The rider of a horse snorting in fear at a Thing in the long grass on an off-road ride was surprised to see the Thing was two teenagers, er, enjoying themselves. The rider had to ask them to stand up so the horse could see what they were, at which point the red-faced pair rushed to get dressed. Not really keeping two metres apart, is it? DISTANCING Spotted in a piece on a news website: “Furlough used to be a word heard only in horseracing parlance”. Um. Surely furlong? SENSE Oops of the week goes to he who “drove aggressively” past a group of riders on the road, trying to scare the horses. Maybe he hadn’t realised they were mounted police. He realised when they seized his car…

YOUR excellent article on David Tatlow (30 April) took me back to my childhood. I rode as soon as I could sit up and David was my idol. I knew little of his showing career, but his point-to-point achievements filled me with awe, especially when he won on Barley Bree (Sam) in an exhilarating finish. In an article in H&H from 1995, Sam proved to be the gutsiest horse his jockey was ever to meet, with David reminiscing that the pair “could not have gone faster if they had taken the fences away”. He summed up his relationship with Sam by saying, “I loved him because he would have died for me.” These are great memories of a time when a four-year-old girl could hack on the road safely and…

HOPEFULLY on Monday, 1 June, racing will restart on the Flat at Newcastle Racecourse. But, at the time of writing, there has still been no official confirmation either way about it from the government. Until the stalls open for the first race at Newcastle, do not count on it. So far, the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has affected Flat racing and jump racing in different ways but – unlike many other sports, most notably football – I don’t know one person in racing who does not want to restart. Everyone is champing at the bit and wants to get back to making a living. Flat racing is probably feeling the frustration the most, especially as Germany and France, with the little hiccup of having to move its racing…

“When the horses are back in work, it makes it all so worth it” I grew up in Ireland and trained with the late showjumper and trainer Iris Kellett. I have 40 years’ experience with horses, having worked in Switzerland with top dressage horses and in the UK with eventers. When Moorcroft needed a manager, I was pleased to step in and help these very deserving horses. I was only meant to be at the charity for a year, but have been with them for 12. I really love the rehabilitation side of my job, as so many horses need another chance in life. Not enough is known about how to rehabilitate after lameness and surgery or when things go wrong. Ex-racehorses, in particular, need time and understanding, plus lots…

BEING outdoors at this time of year can mean battling an army of bugs and bacteria, seemingly intent on targeting the hacking or grazing horse. Whether lurking in the long grass or flying above it, these pasture-borne pests can be more than just a nuisance – causing anything from mild discomfort to more serious ill health and even spreading disease. It pays to know the enemy and take preventative measures where possible. The British summer produces the perfect conditions for flies, which generally benefit from a mild, wet winter, flourish around damp, woodland areas and fly in warm weather. They tend to breed in muddy, wet and unhygienic conditions, such as marshes, ditches and unkempt muck heaps. Midges will only fly if the wind is less than four miles per…

Rebecca Hughes , wife of Team GBR dressage rider Gareth A FEW years ago, I bought Gareth a guitar for his birthday, but he’s never had time to touch it – until now. Every afternoon he takes himself off into a different room to learn to play. Initially our young cat would run away from him when he picked it up and gave it a strum, but she’s stopped doing that now, so he must be improving! He’s also been mowing the lawn as often as he can – Gareth is a homebody generally, so while it has been disappointing not to be working towards the Tokyo Olympics, he has been able to enjoy this rather strange break. He tends to be grumpy when it’s cold and happy…

AS a former top-level event rider and British eventing team selector, as well as a highly successful National Hunt trainer, Henrietta Knight is very well placed to compare eventing and racing. She says: “I have always taught young racehorses to carry themselves properly and to go in a balanced way. Topline is very important; all the power comes from behind and they need muscle on either side of their spines. “Trainer Aidan O’Brien does a tremendous amount of work in the early part of the year using bungees and running reins to make his [Flat] horses use themselves and develop topline. “But there’s no point making it too complicated. If a horse is comfortable and going in a nice outline, you’re halfway there. Racehorses don’t need to be able to…

I’VE been going to Hickstead since it started. I went to the first ever show in 1960 as a groom for my brother and was back there last year to watch as a guest of the Bunns. I competed at the same time as Douglas Bunn (pictured) and his second wife Sue became a great friend. She’s now my son’s godmother. One time, I was among a convoy of British riders – in five horseboxes and with Douglas in a Rolls-Royce – who drove to Poland for a show. It took forever. We must have been mad!…

• 1965: women’s World Championship gold (Stroller) • 1965: winner of Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Stroller; pictured) • 1967: winner of Hickstead Derby (Stroller) • 1968: Olympic individual silver (Stroller) • 1970: winner of Hamburg Derby (Stroller) • 1970: women’s world Championship silver (Stroller) • 1970: winner of leading showjumper of the year (Stroller) • 1971: winner of Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Stroller) • 1976: winner of Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Elizabeth Ann) • 2006: inducted into BHS Hall of Fame…

THE horses are out on the hill for their annual summer holiday; their rugs are off, their summer coats are through and they are enjoying some downtime. Adam and I walked out to see them one evening enjoying the pleasant tableau they made; four geldings standing around like a group of old boys in a pub. It seemed idyllic. We can see a good portion of the hill from the kitchen window, but neither of us were alarmed when we couldn’t see the horses the following morning. Later that day, I was heading out with Mary and Alec on their ponies, when Alec spotted them – two bays and two greys – standing at the top of the hill some 200 feet above us. They looked wonderful silhouetted against the…

BRITISH EVENTING (BE) is working on a “worst case scenario” for future events, as riders and owners are waiting for news of refunds from lost fixtures. Many competitors are still waiting for their entry fees to be returned for events cancelled owing to the coronavirus pandemic. For some, this figure runs into hundreds and even thousands of pounds. BE shared a summary of how events might work while maintaining social distancing on 18 May (news, 21 May). This included no extra public or spectators, online payments, print-at-home numbers, riders encouraged or mandated to do volunteering shifts, and strict penalties (disqualification and rejection of future entries) if social distancing measures are not adhered to. But riders and owners, including those waiting for refunds from cancelled fixtures, have queried what will happen…

CEVIN Z The Billy Stud’s stallion has died aged 23. He had success in the ring with William Funnell, Steven Franks and Jake Saywell, but won global acclaim as a sire, including to Billy The Biz, Billy Balou and Billy Diamo. DABINETT MOON Christopher and Fran Marriott’s 12-year-old prolific point-to-pointer has had her first foal, a filly by Passing Glance. The home-bred mare, under Claire Hardwick, won 17 of 31 pointing starts, plus two hunter chases. OAKHURST IN THE SPOTLIGHT The 138cm showjumper has died aged 20. He came to prominence ridden by Ella Curley, won at the RIHS with Olivia Poole, and took the national 138cm title with Tahnia Jordan Jones.…

TWO people can apply for a joint training licence, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced. The move is one of the permanent rule changes to take effect on 1 June. The BHA confirmed to H&H last year it was working on training partnerships with the National Trainers Federation (news, 14 November 2019). Other changes include a tweak to the restrictions on professional jockeys wanting to switch back to amateur licences. Current rules mean anyone who has held a professional licence, other than as an apprentice or conditional (professional jockey under the age of 26, employed by a licenced trainer, who has not reached a certain number of winners), may not ride as an amateur – regardless of how many winners they have ridden. This condition has now been removed,…

SO here we are in a haze of disinfectant and hand sanitiser, clad in plastic gloves, face coverings at the ready, teaching people to ride. I’ve always been a proficient shouter, but social distancing has tested even my vocal volume. And as for touching anything, barge poles come to mind… Horsey people are habitually good about washing their hands the moment they come indoors. But the new requirements have taken personal hygiene to new levels that are time consuming, frustrating and tiring. Which item comes off first – and where does one put it? Working it out has filled me with admiration for those health professionals who’ve worked under much stronger precautions for weeks. “Unlocking is more stressful than the lockdown” From a practical point of view, unlocking was always…

LOCKDOWN may finally be easing, but there’s still no prospect of gyms being opened within the next few weeks, so we need to keep ourselves ticking over in our own homes. However, now that schooling venues and equestrian centres are beginning to restart their business, and our riding horizons are opening up, it’s essential that we keep our bodies in tip-top condition. Here’s a batch of exercises – stretching, cardio and dynamic power – to hone your muscles and target those areas riders typically need to work on. Simply keeping fit is a good baseline, but riders have very different requirements from other athletes, from hip and spine flexibility to enable you to absorb your horse’s stride, to working the key muscles that give you stability around the hips and…

NEVER has a comment in H&H sparked such an impassioned response or inspired such feverish debate as Nick Skelton’s opinion piece (“It’s time to throw away the rulebook”, 14 May). Whether people were nodding sagely in agreement with his proposals for British showjumping or wished to tear up their copy of the magazine in disgust, as showjumper Jay Halim shrewdly observes, “How lucky are we to have so many people who care so passionately about our sport?” It’s impossible to please everyone in such a diverse sport where both leisure riders and Olympic medallists need to be catered for, so it’s no surprise that so many are calling out for change. To reflect just some of the many opinions, we spoke to a cross-section of people involved in the industry…

HERE’S a wager for you. Following either an exceptionally difficult day’s hunting or one in which the adrenaline still soars through the bloodstream long after hounds and horses are loaded, every huntsman will be thinking about one thing: breeding. This does not refer to their own potential. Some huntsmen’s wives might suggest more effort goes into researching a prospective husband for their best bitch than for the couple’s own daughter. Huntsmen who are consumed by hunting study hound pedigrees with fierce academic application. They travel miles to watch a potential stallion hound at work. It costs nothing to dream of breeding a future Peterborough champion. But that hound is no good if unsuited to its hunting country. Good conformation equates with longevity, but each country requires a different stamp of…

DEFINITE CONTENDERS • Never go home before hounds • Count hounds in their sleep • Know all the hound names • Shrug off the tellings off • Know exactly what’s going on at every moment of the day • Want to get involved at any cost NO HOPERS • Stay at home when the weather’s bad • Judge a good day by the number of fences • Go hunting to switch off • Find one hound looks very much like another • When asked, “What’s going on?” describe how their horse is going • Strike up a conversation when hounds are speaking…

I WAS lucky enough to have good sponsors, but in my day any support was usually through products. I got new kitchens at home and in the lorry when I was sponsored by Elizabeth Ann Kitchens. I actually won another kitchen in their class at HOYS, but I had to give that to one of my owners as I had nowhere to put it. My final sponsors were Lancôme. I did possess an awful lot of make-up!…

LAUNDRY A rider whose Muggle mother washes her saddlecloths was slightly perplexed by a change in fragrance. “Have you changed your fabric conditioner?” she asked. Mum grinned. “Well, you’re always talking about being pushed out of your Comfort zone…” SLEEPING Yard staff were confused by a call from a member of the public reporting that their cow was dead – and the horses were eating it. In fact, the piebald horse was enjoying a snooze, while his companions tucked into the hay he was lying on. Owners confirmed he is definitely equine rather than bovine… CLAPPING A rider who set out for a hack at 7.45pm on a Thursday, forgetting what was to come, was gratified to find herself apparently the recipient of clapping and cheering. Why thank you, my…

WHEN will competitions start again in the UK? That’s the question everyone’s asking, especially when a three-day show has run successfully in Germany. Organised by Holger Hetzel, it had all the correct measures in place, including one groom to two horses, and using American-style warming-up. This involves four practice jumps, each with four wings, in the collecting ring. Riders are called in with five horses to go. They can use the whole area to ride round but can only use one jump each – which becomes “their” jump. I’ve seen it work really well in the States; for Covid-19 purposes it avoids groups of people standing around a fence. Holgar said how much everybody had enjoyed his show, which was fully sanctioned, and that he’s encouraging other centres to do…

What are you enjoying watching? I do love a good series on Netflix. During the Sunshine Tour I watched Undercover, which is a series about undercover agents infiltrating a drug kingpin’s operation and is inspired by real events. What are your favourite tunes for a road-trip? I can listen to any music while driving for hours. It could range from Billie Eilish to ’80s hits to George Ezra. Which famous person would you invite to dinner? Sir David Attenborough – he is a living legend. If you could have any horse in the world, which would you want? I would love to have ridden Big Star (pictured, right) – he just looked the most amazing horse to ride and made it seem so effortless. If you weren’t a rider, you…

DENVER Age: 12 Breeding: Albfuehren’s Memphis x Chico’s Boy Owner: Ian Dowie Rider: Holly Smith Breeder: MG & AA Woertman of the Netherlands Greatest achievements: winner of CSI3* grand prix in Vilamoura (October 2019); third in the CSI5* grand prix of Amsterdam (January 2020); winner of the La Vanguardia Trophy at the CSIO5* Barcelona (October 2019); three podium finishes at London Olympia CSI5*-W (December 2019); winner of a speed class at CSI4* Liverpool International (December 2019). Fifth in the CCI4*-S at Chatsworth (May 2019) with former rider Constance Copestake.…

“Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst” WILLIAM has won 20 Olympic, world and European senior championships medals, including six European team golds and five individual medals. He was triumphed at all the world’s five northern hemisphere five-stars with 14 wins at the level in total – more than any other rider – including two at Badminton and a record six at Burghley. A serious fall in 2015 left him in a coma for two weeks, but he came back to make the British team for Rio 2016. WE had Ballincoola as an eight-year-old and he was a real jumping machine. He was such a performer and a horse of a lifetime. I never got to grips with his flatwork, so his dressage was never team-worthy, but…

“It’s a big risk to take in uncertain times” “The horses remain in our ownership so if people have a change of circumstance, they always have a home with us,” says Rosanna Elliott Hart at Bransby Horses, with World Horse Welfare offering the same. And even at the Blue Cross, where ownership can be transferred after a successful loan period, the charity still offers to take horses back if needed. “I’ll be scrutinised by the charity” Like other charities, World Horse Welfare’s horses are checked on twice a year by a field officer, but deputy chief executive Tony Tyler is keen to emphasise that their role is a supportive one: “We are careful that we find the right sort of home that’s safe, but I really wouldn’t want to put…

“This horse thought he was human; he was certain he was the boss and not fond of taking instruction” MY great friend and supporter, one-time master of both the Co Limerick and Galway Blazers, Michael MacDonagh, called excitedly one evening to tell me that his 16-year-old son, Paddy, had jumped a boundary wall in Galway finding himself alone with the hounds in full cry, and had left others looking on in awe, unable to follow. He was rightly proud, and I recall sharing that pride. However, as is uniquely Irish, rather than celebrate the possession and retaining of his son’s mighty creature that had performed such a feat, he insisted that I should purchase this grey horse. I was a little surprised when I was first confronted with George’s spook,…

IT is a tale to rival National Velvet: a teenager begs her father to be allowed to keep her pony and they end up becoming world champions and winning an Olympic medal. This is the unlikely but true story of Marion Mould (née Coakes) and the incomparable Stroller. In 1960s Britain, it struck a chord with every pony-mad girl who had Stroller’s picture on their bedroom wall and dreamed that one day they too would hit the showjumping heights. The story began in Hampshire in 1950, when three-year-old Marion was taught to ride by her father, farmer Ralph Coakes. “There were always horses about at home. Dad bred Shires, did ploughing matches and showed them with a wagon at county shows,” remembers Marion. “He even had a stagecoach we used…

ACTOR, comedian and writer Jennifer Saunders has long been one of Marion’s greatest fans. “I was pony-mad and got my first pony when I was 11, when Marion was at her height. I kept my pony on my friend’s farm and we would trot around the field and jump tiny jumps, imagining we were competing at Hickstead or Wembley. The dream Marion lived was our dream. Your pony could get to Wembley and the Olympics because Stroller had. “There was something serene about Marion. She was out there with all those ruffians like Harvey Smith and we knew they probably resented her talent and her pony, but she never lost her cool. We also knew she loved her pony. There was that moment at the Olympics when she and Stroller…