Innholdsfortegnelse for 20-Aug-2020 i Horse & Hound

LAST week we learned that Blenheim would no longer run in its current guise as a British Eventing event (news, p6). We also learned that Dressage at Hickstead would cease to exist as we knew it (news, p6). The impact of coronavirus is not being cited as a cause in either case, and there is hope in both instances that this will not be the end of the road completely for these events, but we wait to hear how they may morph. At the same time, we read in Mary King’s column (p16) that less famous events in her area are coming into their own – seeing greater interest from riders than they might have done in another year, rising to the challenge and gaining kudos for it. While 2020…

HEARTS DESTINY Holly Smith’s European team bronze medallist and Tokyo Olympics contender has been put down aged 11, after being diagnosed with PPID and developing laminitis. “Ted” and Holly were also in the 2018 WEG team. ABIRA The triple European para gold medallist and British young rider team dressage horse has died, aged 20. The Huttons’ gelding was competed by Charlie and Pippa, before winning para medals with Suzanna Hext. HE KNOWS NO FEAR Luke Comer’s three-year-old son of Sydney Cup-victor Mourayan became the biggest-priced winner since records began in 1990, taking the mile maiden on 13 August at Leopardstown with Chris Hayes at 300/1.…

PREMIER venue Dressage at Hickstead has ceased activity in its current form after 27 years. Founded by international rider and trainer Dane Rawlins in 1993, the venue, which operated independently from the All England showground at Hickstead, has hosted regional championships, Premier Leagues, the 2003 European Dressage Championships, and an annual CDI incorporating the final leg of the FEI Nations Cup series. Dane told H&H “lack of finances” had been the driver that had led to the cessation of Dressage at Hickstead in its current form. “Covid-19 highlighted the problems, and meant that the remainder of this year’s activities had to be cancelled, but it wasn’t the cause,” he said. “But I’m feeling positive; the past 27 years have been fantastic, and the situation right now is still fluid –…

EVERYONE loves a new equine arrival. And when the foal in question is one of the world’s rarest species, it’s even better. Marwell Zoo, Hampshire, welcomed the African wild ass, of which it is estimated fewer than 600 remain in the wild. The zoo’s Ian Goodwin said: “This foal is an extremely important addition to the zoo. We’re all very proud that mother and foal are doing so well.” The zoo is also celebrating the birth of two Hartmann’s mountain zebra foals.…

I’VE now been to six events and it’s been a strange time: very enjoyable in many aspects, but always with the underlying worry that this cannot be sustainable long term. What has been great are the sensible practices – such as printing your own number sheets and paying start fees online (and getting them refunded if you don’t compete), all of which I hope will stay and reduce organisers’ workload and riders’ time at events in future. Being able just to turn up, compete and go home has been refreshing and relaxing. The warm-ups are quieter and, as Andrew Nicholson mentioned (column, 30 July), the lack of commentary was blissful – Tweseldown, the first competition I went to, was so peaceful. Of course, riders are rarely aware of commentary while…

I’VE decided that 2020 is the year of confusion and consolidation. The confusion comes because none of us know what is going to happen, in both the big wide world and in our small but – to us – still important world of showing. As riders and producers, we can consolidate our horses’ education and our riding skills so that when we are back competing in confidence, we can feel that we have made the most of our time away from the show ring. Government rules and guidelines change so frequently, and at times bewilderingly. We all want to behave responsibly, and we also have to consider our individual circumstances. The Showing Council has produced a blueprint for the resumption of safe showing which has been well received and is…

“The views are breathtaking – people will come here and think ‘wow’” Although my sister Miranda rode when we were children, I was more interested in motorbikes. But my daughters loved riding – Miranda found them their first ponies – and I took it up when I was 50. My eldest daughter, Talitha, 21, rides but isn’t as mad about it as Jemima, 16, and Kitty, 13 – they both event, and I started hunting because of them. My horse Roman used to belong to a great friend, Toby, who told me I had to start hunting, that it was far more exciting than shooting or anything like that. He tragically died of cancer a few years ago, and now I have Roman and I always hunt with Toby’s flask…

Aston-le-Walls (X) and (4), Northants KITTY KING continued her blistering form with two advanced wins – topping one section by a close-to 20-penalty margin. Kitty, who jumped double clears on all her six rides from BE100 to advanced, repeated her double success from Aston’s July fixture, where she took top honours in a brace of open intermediate (OI) sections (report, 23 July). Her Rio Olympic ride Ceylor LAN, owned by Diana Bown, Jacqueline Owen and Samantha Wilson, achieved the best dressage across all advanced sections with a score of 20.2. The pair added 6.8 cross-country time-penalties to their first-phase total, leaving them 19.3 penalties clear of Piggy March and Brookfield Quality. “To have him back and feeling on top form was lovely,” said Kitty, who is campaigning the 13-year-old on…

VICKY TUFFS’ reward for spending 13 hours on the road on the hottest weekend of the year was three wins and a second from her five rides at Moreton (2). Tara Anderson’s Mister Bond II won a novice, while King and Kogola, both five-year-olds making their eventing debuts, headed a BE90 apiece. KMR Cascanessi took second in BE90 section I. “Each journey took between three and four hours both ways,” said Vicky, who twice made the trip from her yard in Monmouthshire to the Dorset event. Vicky is riding Mister Bond II for his owner while she goes travelling. “He’s a lovely horse and did an amazing dressage test here [he scored 14],” she said. “The plan is to do a couple of two-stars and sell him for her.” Of…

UK National Championships, Arena UK, Lincs A SERIES of sparkling, foot-perfect performances at the very end of this new and groundbreaking show brought supreme success for locally based producer Lucy Glover with Charlotte Read’s new intermediate hunter Carnsdale Wise Guy. The show, the brainchild of Scott Dixon, drew the great and the good from across the country and although the weather gods frowned on the grand finale, delivering a torrential downpour accompanied by thunder and lightning, an exceptionally high-class field of 16 – comprising both ponies and horses – competed for £500 and the magnificent Rory Gilsenan memorial trophy. After an initial go-round in small groups, each champion performed an individual show, with three judges marking skating-style. Only two sets of marks were publicly displayed, though, while the third judge’s…

DESPITE just celebrating her 11th birthday, plucky young rider Gracie Aungier jumped a mega round in the open 14hh workers to win and stand section reserve. Her ride was the coloured Allandy Gold Spark (Andy). Andy has a real rags to riches story. “We bought Andy back in 2013,” explained Gracie’s sister Georgia, who produces the pony from home and also rode him to win at Hickstead in 2015. “He had been run as a showjumping pony but was advertised as dangerous so I pretty much had to restart him.” Andy has been on loan to Maddie Plumb for the past two seasons, the pair landing second at HOYS as well as two consecutive wins and a championship at Burghley. “He came home after HOYS last year and we have…

JAYNE TURNEY headed four classes with four personal bests, stepping between 17.3hh Fred Astaire WD and 14.1hh sport pony Cruz III. “Fred is lovely but I’ve felt in the past that he was holding his breath and a little unsure,” she said of Lindsey Roberts’ six-year-old Fiderbach gelding, a winner in the elementary freestyle and medium 61. “With more outings under his belt, he’s feeling really relaxed, onside and rideable. “His music is from the Fred Astaire era, with Singin’ in the rain for the trot,” added Jayne, who was happy with an 81.34% freestyle score. “It was put together in January, by Equivisions; after such a wet winter, it made me laugh.” Cruz III, known as “Tom”, was previously owned by Jayne’s trainer, Charlotte Dujardin. Jayne backed him as…

AMONG riders gearing up for the Area Festival Championships at Hartpury was Samantha Rees, who secured three high-scoring novice wins with Holme Grove Lotus at Checkendon EC and East Soley EC, both in Berkshire. “We’ ve had a great week in preparation”SAMANTHA REES “We’ve gone back to novice to regroup,” said Samantha, who is making progress at elementary with the mare. “There are a few things to iron out, but we’ve had a great week in preparation for the championships.”…

HUGE entries were the order of the day at the academy finals that finished off this year’s NAF Five Star British Showjumping Championships. There were individual classes from 60cm to 1.10m, while five team championships gave many a first taste of the pressures of riding on a team. Judi Piper-Dadswell’s Sussex academy squad captured the mini and maxi pony team titles. The new midi team champions are Norfolk, while Area 36 and Scotland took the intermediate and advanced horse team honours. Win or lose, a great time was had by all, not least the youngest rider of all, six-year-old Bella Dunseath, who rode a double clear for the fourth-placed Berkshire and Oxfordshire mini team on her fabulous pony, Zoom To The Moon.…

OLIVIA SPONER’S first chance to ride on a British team came courtesy of her mare Crazy Girl II, who won all three children-on-horses viewing trials they contested. Olivia got her first horse a year ago, but Crazy Girl, a German-bred 11-year-old, was a step up. “She’s only little but has a big stride. Her name doesn’t suit her at all,” said Olivia, who celebrated her 14th birthday on the way to Wierden. The Sponers have homes in London and Ascot, but are based in Ascot full time. “It’s fantastic. I can look out of my window and see the horses,” said Olivia, who also competes her pony stallion Top Silvio Hastak. “It’s my last 138cm season, so he’ll be sold after Liverpool. Then I’ll ride 148cm ponies as well as…

ANN MOORE’S showjumping career is in some ways an enigma. Marked in history as the petite young woman who won Olympic silver over huge fences at the 1972 Munich Olympics on her diminutive horse Psalm, her name and fame blossomed in a golden era for the sport. It led to invitations to movie premiers, meetings with royalty, TV appearances and even an Ann Moore doll. Yet in contrast to the extended careers enjoyed by top riders today, Ann retired from competition aged just 23. Bizarrely, she held the record as Britain’s most recent individual Olympic showjumping medallist for 44 years, until finally Nick Skelton “got her off the hook”, as he put it, with his unforgettable Rio triumph on Big Star. So who is the enigmatic and eloquent Ann, who…

RASCAL was Ann’s first pony, and a Dartmoor. “I spent all my childhood on my own with him – he was just that lovely pony that every child needs.” He became a good jumping pony for her, too. David was a more experienced 12.2hh jumping pony. “He turned out to be the biggest character we’d ever met,” says Ann. “He would tackle anything, but if he saw a gap in a fence he’d try going under instead of over it.” Witty was a 13.2hh New Forest who came from the Simpson family, who later sold the Moores Psalm as a youngster. “She was fabulous hunting, eventing and showjumping but very careful. If she wasn’t right to a fence, she’d stop, so taught me a great deal.” With 14.2hh Kangaroo (pictured),…

THE grey April Love (pictured) had competed in the Mexico Olympics with her previous rider, Australian Sam Campbell. Ann liked her from the outset, though admits today she was “a complete spanner”. At home she would be schooled for only two to three minutes before “going berserk and flying off in all directions”, and they would minimise time in the collecting ring to help keep her calm. Although only around 15hh, she was fearless and was consequently Ann’s first choice for Munich. Ann took longer to learn to love Psalm, who was a pure thoroughbred by Sermon. He was bought aged four and produced by Ann. An intelligent horse, he became easily bored, but loved to jump, and at their best they were formidable. Psalm was quite greedy and once…

I WAS going through some old books when I was back at my parents’. All those wonderful Ruby Ferguson and Pullein-Thompson stories in which children and ponies went from one end of the day to another without setting eyes on an adult. Someone packed them up a picnic for lunch – something that didn’t involve Cheestrings or Monster Munch – and away they went until supper time. It seems a far cry from the summer holidays that we know now. We are in danger of rearing a generation of children who cannot function unless they have an adult circling like a demented helicopter, documenting their every move or curating an itinerary that would frighten The Queen. Either that or they are on TikTok. It is full-on on the home front…

ELITE riders returning from competing abroad in countries not on the list of UK “travel corridors” are strongly urged to test clear for coronavirus twice before returning to competition, but they can apply for an exemption to allow them to continue to compete rather than completely self-isolate. British and British-based eventers and showjumpers were competing in France last week when it was announced that the country was to be removed from the UK’s quarantine-exempt list. The announcement at 11pm French time on 13 August said those returning to the UK after 4am UK time on 15 August would have to self-isolate for 14 days. There are exemptions for elite athletes and their support personnel. But the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) guidance is not clear-cut, as sports have…

ARTHUR US eventer Allison Springer’s former four-star (now five-star) ride has died aged 21. The Arthur Syndicate’s gelding came second at Kentucky and sixth at Burghley 2012 during his successful career. COOLODGE SOX The grassroots eventing star is retiring aged 17. Laura Ridout’s Irish-bred gelding had 25 wins and 61 top three finishes at BE90 and BE100, also winning the 2017 BE grassroots foundation points rider league. CARNSDALE WISE GUY The six-year-old intermediate was crowned supreme of show at the first ever UK National Championships held at Arena UK (15–16 August). He was ridden by producer Lucy Glover. Report, p48.…

SEDATION Spotted online, a rider asking for recommendations for “sedation for the farrier”. We find a cup of tea, and perhaps a biscuit, is all you need. If he’s too sleepy, he might struggle to get the shoes on… VISION Overheard in a jump lesson, a rider asking for a break to see whether she could stop her hat lining obscuring her vision. “I can’t see where I’m going,” she said. “That might not necessarily be a bad thing,” the trainer quipped back. COOLING DOWN A welfare charity press release told of two ponies who, having been found straying and put in a field, had to be rescued again after they escaped from said field and fell into a garden pond. Given how hot it was last week, are we…

AMONG the events back underway are two exciting young horse competitions: the revived British Dressage (BD) Shearwater young horse series, as well as the new Nexgen young horse series, which is an interesting addition to the calendar. It has a multi-discipline format and a big prize fund, and is being promoted really positively. There are interviews with the winners on social media, regular videos from the qualifiers on Instagram and Facebook, and the series will culminate in a grand final at Hickstead that will be livestreamed. It’s the brainchild of Rachel Wakefield from Uptown Eventing and Victoria Wright from Caunton Manor Stud, and the idea is to provide a Bundeschampionate feel as well as an auction in the future. With all these stunning young horses being showcased, it begs the…

“I always make an effort to make newcomers feel welcome” I’VE ridden ponies since I was two years old, and while I always thought I’d have a career in horses, my parents told me to go to university, get a job and then if I wanted to come back to it later on I could. I’m so grateful they said that. I’ve now always got something to fall back on; I could fall off one day and not be able to ride or lead again. I’m a schoolteacher, so when things aren’t as busy on the show team I will go back to the classroom, and when it picks back up again I’ll go back to the yard full time. Showing can be hard; going to bed at 7pm to…

MANY horse owners understand the risks of general anaesthesia, but with standing surgery it is not unusual to be asked: “Could my horse come around from the sedation during the procedure?” or, “Will he feel anything?” These are understandable concerns, but the answer to both questions is no. Recovery from sedation and local anaesthesia is gradual and, because the horse is carefully monitored throughout, any changes noticed by the anaesthetist that might suggest that the effects are reducing can be corrected quickly. The appearance of the majority of horses during these operations suggests that they are almost totally unaware of their surroundings, and most will not react to stimulus. Humans undergoing these types of procedures often have difficulty recalling what happened; there is no reason to suspect this is not…

78.13% the British team’s average score – a new Paralympic record 6 NUMBER OF 10S THAT BELGIAN JUDGE FREDDY LEYMAN GAVE SOPHIE CHRISTIANSEN IN THE TEAM TEST 11 medals won by the Brits – team gold, plus all five riders took podium places in both the individual and the freestyle 3 Sophie Christiansen became the first British athlete to claim three golds at this Paralympics 4 of the five British riders topped their grade’s team test 18hh height of Sophie Wells’ ride Pinocchio; she is just 5ft 2in 30 Grade III rider Hannelore Brenner’s medal tally with Women Of The World after London…

THE mood in the British para dressage camp is buoyant. While the postponement of Tokyo 2020 certainly rained on our parade, para athletes, perhaps more than any other, tend to see a silver lining. Once the disappointment had subsided, Team GBR regrouped and refocused – with sights firmly set on gold. “Obviously when it was announced I was upset; the postponement of an Olympics is unprecedented,” says Sophie Christiansen, who has eight gold medals to her name. “You think the Games will happen and that on that date you will be going down that centre line. Once I got my head around it though, I realised I was definitely in a position to gain from it.” Like many of our top para riders, Sophie is building partnerships with relatively new…

AFTER a lifetime of breeding dressage horses, rider and BD List One judge Andrea Smith feels she has come up trumps with an unlikely buy – skewbald gelding Lowfoldfarm Tapestry B. “I spent some time looking for a ‘last’ horse, which had to be something special to fit in with my lifestyle of judging, training and being a granny,” explained Andrea, who lost her mare Mother’s Ruin two seasons ago. “I dismissed the idea last year of a neighbour’s four-year-old home-bred, but my friend and trainer Hannah Moody told me he was just my type.” The pair have won three novices in a week – two outright at Epworth Equestrian, South Yorkshire, and a gold section at Birtle Riding Club, Manchester. “He has certainly given me back the competition bug,”…

HARRY HALL HAS HAILED ITS HEROES RETAILER Harry Hall has announced the winners of its Heroes campaign, which aimed to support equestrians during the pandemic while raising money for the NHS Covid-19 appeal. The public were asked to nominate their favourite yard, venue and club to win a 12-month care package, including £1,000 of personalised clothing, discounts, and a quarterly lesson with a sponsored rider. Of 3,243 entries, Worcestershire-based Lincomb Equestrian, Top Barn Horsemanship Centre in Gloucestershire, and Cornwall Trec Group were named winners after a public vote. VET CONGRESS POSTPONED TO 2021 THE British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress, Europe’s largest equine veterinary conference, has been postponed from January to September 2021. The decision was made owing to the ongoing unpredictable circumstances of the pandemic. BEVA president Tim Mair…

Former champion jockey Paul Hanagan will return to the saddle this month, six months after breaking his back in a fall. Paul said he was “chuffed to bits” to be back. Eventer Paul Tapner is “progressing well” after sustaining bleeds on the brain and a mild stroke in a fall. Paul’s wife Georgina said he is likely to remain in hospital for a “little longer”. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has appointed Julie Harrington as its new chief executive. Former BHA board member Julie takes over from Nick Rust at the beginning of 2021. Equine scientist David Marlin has been appointed president of the National Equine Welfare Council for three years, superseding Harry Greenway. Dr Marlin said he feels “honoured” to take up the position. National Stud chairman Nicholas Wrigley…

ORNAMENTS A holidaymaker was delighted with his find; a “gorgeous pinkish crystal type rock thing”, thought to be rose quartz, in a field, which now sits in his house. Possibly the tongue marks could have been a clue, but there are some cows or horses wondering where their salt lick went… COMPLAINING Lots of complaining about how equestrian sport had only started in some home nations; aimed at governing bodies. Not entirely sure what they’re supposed to do when the governments have said no… SIGHTS A saddler got a rather unappetising sight, as a mare she was about to check, tail to one side, bottom-scratched on the stable door with joyous abandon. “It’s like something you’d see in Soho,” the saddler said, adding quickly: “Or so I’ve heard!” Gosh.…

I REALLY enjoyed your features about London 2012 (6 August); I was there as one of the police mounted officers. We trained hard for months, acclimatising the horses to even more buzz and pomp than we would usually encounter at a football match. My mount, Harry Hoover (pictured in training for the Olympics), was less than a year in service, but he was great. The crowds and setting were amazing and I have so many lovely memories – such as the man coming up to me telling me he was the owner of the overnight leader, me conducting a Mexican wave from horseback and setting up a Polo checkpoint in front of the ticket stations. One of the crowd even wrote a letter about me, so I cut your letters…

WITH everything that has happened this year, we were very lucky to have a venue for the British Showjumping National Championships last week (3–11 August). We should all be grateful to Nina Barbour and her Bolesworth team for their hard work. Overall, the week seemed successful but I was sad to see the numbers were light on the opening days. I am sure this was caused by various factors but there did seem to be a lack of marketing prior to the event. Having the National Championships at this stunning venue was a fantastic opportunity for athletes of all levels and ages. My niece was competing her ponies and had been excited about the prospect since the new venue was announced. Although she left happy, I have to admit to…

What are your favourite tunes for a road-trip? All sorts actually – I will download everything from new songs to Disney on Spotify. Which famous person would you invite to dinner? Michael McIntyre – I’m a big fan and I reckon I’d spend the whole evening laughing, it would be great. If you weren’t a rider, you would be… When I was younger I wanted to be a stunt man, but I fear I’m too old to go down that avenue now. I’ve always been a bit of a daredevil and used to love watching the stunt riders at Olympia when I was younger – but then I saw John Whitaker ride and knew immediately I wanted to be a showjumper. I think it was a good decision! Do you…

RIDER LOUISE BELL “WHEN I bought Into The Blue (Dynamo) from John Whitaker as a three-year-old, he was bright pink. I think that was why I was so fond of him – he was such a cool colour, and you rarely see a bad roan. His bum was about a foot higher than his withers and he was very narrow – you really had to have vision! When I first sat on him, he was very wiggly, but we just clicked and I knew I couldn’t go home without him. He is also a cousin to my great working hunter Man On Fire, so I thought he was destined to join the family. “The highlight of Dynamo’s showing career was taking the working hunter title at the Royal International Horse…

• Unlike in the able-bodied dressage, the big screen showed competitors while they were in the arena, worrying some horses. Australia’s Grace Bowman was out of the competition after her mare Kirby Park Joy spooked and was eliminated for resistance. But the screen remained despite pleas – apparently it was needed to co-ordinate television coverage as all other closed circuit monitors had been removed from the venue. • The crowd loved Belgian rider Barbara Minneci, who rode her gypsy cob Barilla side-saddle owing to weakness in her legs following cancer treatment – and said she used a hairdryer on the mare’s feathers. • Natasha Baker’s freestyle didn’t go to plan – she was 20m behind her music after the early canter, but improvised to post a Paralympic record and take…

Rob Howell – equestrian journalist for the FEI and International Paralympic Committee “NOT much has changed from my original predictions, but there are certainly some riders who will benefit from having an extra year with their new horses, such as Britain’s Sophie Christiansen and Denmark’s Stinna Kaastrup. “Overall, the team you wouldn’t want to bet against is the Netherlands – they will be wanting to do the triple having won gold at the World Equestrian Games [WEG] and the Europeans last year. However, I do think the USA could come very close – I wouldn’t be all that surprised if they tipped the Dutch. Under Michel Assouline they are providing a challenge that we wouldn’t have predicted four or five years ago. “Then there is Britain, who won’t want…

DEALING with disappointment is part and parcel of a life with horses, but what makes many para riders so pragmatic? “I’ve had to be adaptable all my life,” says Sir Lee Pearson, who was born with the rare genetic disorder arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. “When you’re disabled, things don’t always go the way you want – whether that’s changes in your personal health or arriving somewhere to discover that the building has no lift.’” Sanne Voets, who suffers from a joint disease that was exacerbated by a fall in 2001, adds: “When things go wrong, I give myself a little time to be sad and then try to find a way to deal with it. I believe that’s what we as Paralympians are great at – dealing with given circumstances in…

“WE finally faced our dressage demons,” said Karen Duran, who nailed a winning BD debut at prelim with Samazone, at Fairoak Grange EC, Berkshire. The pair had six months off after an eventing fall last year, in which Sam suffered a tear in a navicular bursa and Karen sustained her own injuries. But with a new trainer and at a new yard, they decided to give dressage a proper go. “Sam is 17hh and a very jolly chap, so at times we’ve struggled with our steering and brakes in the arena,” said Karen, who bought the Oldenburg gelding, a “fiery soul”, three years ago. “He’s not the bravest but we dipped our toe in. He put his faith in me and he couldn’t have tried harder.”…

THE increasing pressures on hunting in the modern countryside throw a spotlight on the seminal relationship between field master and huntsman: their bond and trust has never been more crucial. Respect for the land has always been a founding principle of hunting. As farm income is increasingly derived from non-food production and away from the marketplace, those whose privilege it is to use their land are bound to obey rules and conditions their forebears would have found unfathomable. And yet, tremendous sport is still produced up and down the country under challenging conditions. The best field masters have a natural ease of horsemanship and diplomacy. Authority stamped with charm is far preferable to clamour. Idle threats and rudeness do not gain respect either. Young field masters are essential and often…

Mike Saywell (pictured): “Ann’s style wasn’t one you’d copy but it was very successful. The partnership with Psalm worked fantastically.” Steve Hadley: “Ann was a very nice girl, never spoilt by her success, and her parents were too. She was very consistent and a good competitor – she had her own way of doing it but it worked for her.” Graham Fletcher: “She was a total winner... she’d always have a go [to win against the clock]. I remember jumping in Rome and the crowds loved this little blonde girl on her grey horse.”…