Innholdsfortegnelse for 03-Sep-2020 i Horse & Hound

HEARING about last week’s winter dressage championships, and talking to Richard Davison for this week’s H&H interview (p20) made me think again about the pros and cons of how our Olympic disciplines are structured and run. We are unique in that we can turn up to an event as amateurs and find ourselves competing against Olympians – albeit on younger horses. That is an enormous thrill, and it is something that fuels ambitions. Amateur eventers often tell me that it is their motivation – to participate and complete in a field with their heroes. For dressage amateurs it can be more about breaking the 70% barrier for a win. The sections have been designed to help keep amateurs separate from pros, allowing them to contest the same level but still…

JOCKEY CLUB chief executive Delia Bushell has resigned amid claims of gross misconduct and a “deeply unpleasant ‘stitch-up’”. The Jockey Club said this came after an independent review into a “wide range of allegations about her conduct, which the board concluded made it untenable for her to continue”. The club said a barrister concluded there was “evidence to support a number of the allegations of misconduct, including bullying behaviour towards colleagues, inappropriate racist comments and sharing offensive materials”. In a letter, Ms Bushell said she was told to implement change, and that the allegations came from an employee whose role was affected by a proposed restructure. She said the grievance process and resulting situation were “fundamentally mishandled”, with “evidence of collusion by a number of male witnesses, all senior executives”…

Eventer Paul Tapner has been discharged from hospital after sustaining bleeds on the brain and a mini stroke on 5 August. Paul’s wife Georgina said he is “generally well” and in good spirits. Jockey Hollie Doyle became the first woman to ride five winners at a meeting, on 29 August. She won on Indian Creak, Sur Mer, Le Don De Vie, Mistress Nellie and Extra Elusive at Windsor. Eventer William Fox-Pitt is hosting a masterclass clinic in the Hickstead main arena on 8 September. Riders will have their rounds photographed and filmed, and be given goody bags. Jockey Jim Crowley had his 2,000th winner on 30 August, riding the Marcus Tregoning-trained Modmin to victory at Goodwood. It was the 42-year-old’s 1,747th Flat win; the others were over jumps. Founder of…

THIEVES A rider whose yard gates were stolen had a cunning plan to protect the replacements. She had engraved her postcode but also, in Spanish: “Keep your filthy hands off my property, you thieving...” (End of sentence deleted, Ed). That should do it. WILD DRESSAGE A deer clearly practising its medium trot in a field early one morning surely didn’t count on meeting a top dressage judge out hacking. “He needs to work on a more uphill tendency, I felt seven,” she said. Oh, deer. NUMBERS A spy tells me there has been confusion among eventers, who have rung event secretaries to ask why the numbers they have to print at home always come up as 999, the answer being that this is the template. Not an ideal number for…

ANN: A TRUE LEGEND THANK you so much for featuring Ann Moore in your “Legends of the sport” series (20 August). Psalm and April Love were the most wonderful horses to watch – they were so exciting against the clock. Ann was always immaculate and I still remember the way Psalm had his ears pricked and resembled a coiled spring before the bell rang in a jump-off. Ann and her young horses came to our local show at Penkridge in 1973 and I still have a newspaper cutting of her signing autographs from the back of her horse surrounded by fans. And I painted two pictures of Psalm and April Love and sent them to Ann – she was very complimentary about them and wrote back to me each time,…

IT’S been really nice to have a cluster of shows to attend this past month. One thing I’ve noticed is how on form all the young horses are, both my own and those of my fellow competitors. I don’t know if it’s just that all of my current string have better brains or if they’ve benefited from the increased work at home. We’ve been as full on with their work as if they were out showing. While at the UK Nationals (15–16 August), I noticed horses were a lot fresher. In many ways, the criteria for a show horse had become similar to that of a police horse. So people were working them for hours before the class in fear any exuberance would put them down the line. And horses…

My first lead-rein pony, when I was four, was a little grey Welsh-type called Yogi Bear. He would probably have been a show hunter pony in modern times. We bought him from the late David and Shirley Booth who had him for their daughter, Phillipa. When we went to view him, Phillipa and I went off to play on her bicycles and I fell off into a puddle, breaking said bike in the process. I had to borrow some of her clothes to come home in. She’s not forgiven me to this day.…

OWNER MICHELLE CUERDEN “THE way I came to get ‘Derek’ was rather bizarre. I wanted to send a horse to Susie Shuttleworth’s yard for breaking in, but she didn’t have any space so suggested I took Derek – her 2010 Horse of the Year Show [HOYS] winner – for a while. At the time I said I couldn’t possibly take him, but he ended up coming to my yard and I fell in love. On my birthday my husband, Mark, presented me with Derek’s passport. “It wasn’t his achievements that drew me to him, it was how gentle and calm he was. You can be in a bad mood and Derek will put his chin on you and all the stress is just gone; he’s my headspace. “Initially I was…

FURTHER factors can affect a horse’s ability to effectively manage his core temperature: AGE A YOUNG horse may not yet have insulating body fat reserves and could therefore be prone to heat loss. Bear in mind that youngsters and foals have much higher LCTs than adult horses, so may struggle in colder temperatures. At the other end of the spectrum, studies have found that older horses (26 years plus) have increased susceptibility to overheating, especially during exercise. This is due to age-related changes in the physiological mechanisms important for thermoregulation (the body’s ability to return to an optimum temperature range). In addition, changes to hair coat quality and distribution of adipose tissue will affect insulating properties in colder temperatures. BODY CONDITION WHILE an undernourished horse will have decreased muscle and…

CHILLI retired from competition after Rio and spent his final years at Chris Stone’s yard, Tattleton, where Gemma Tattersall is based and the Stones have a breeding programme. He collapsed in his paddock and died instantly last Tuesday (25 August), aged 20. “He’d had his breakfast and one minute he was mooching around, the next minute he was gone. It was shocking for us, but the best way to go,” says Gemma. “The day before, our apprentice Leah Clarke took him for a hack, trimmed his mane, washed his socks and tail and groomed him so he looked beautiful. Ten days ago, he had a jump, never bigger than 1m, but he was shaking his head and doing little bucks. He was so healthy and happy right to the end.”…

SOPHIE WELLS is back on track after recovering from an accident two months ago, when she parted company with her top horse C Fatal Attraction. “He has never been cold-backed, but when I got on him he bronced across the school,” explained the Paralympian, whose pelvic muscle tear has improved with rest and rehab. “It was out of character for him, but they are horses and not machines.” Riding in the grade V para classes at Hill House EC, Lincs, Sophie was pleased with Don Cara M’s improved self-carriage, having worked on this during lockdown. After an “amazing” individual test with six-year-old Classic Jillz Geuzenhof, however, scores for the pair’s team test ranged from one to nine. “He rather lost concentration,” said Sophie, explaining that “JZ” was busy calling to…

SALLY BUTLER almost hung up her eventing boots last year after the up-and-coming horse she owned at the time suffered a serious injury, but a talented six-year-old mare called Diamonds Eclipse (pictured) restored her mojo. The pair clocked up their first win together at Solihull (2) in a novice section. “I had produced my previous horse to the same level when she broke her pedal bone,” said Sally. “I bought ‘Daisy’ last summer with help from my mum, my sister and co-owner, Hilary Marshall.” Sally, 25, has help from Ian Woodhead and Ginny Turnbull, and rides and teaches from her family’s yard near Loughborough. Sally currently works mornings for a local hunting yard, but would like to build up her own team of horses and owners and event full time.…

Rectory Farm, Glos EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Izzi Ryder had a spectacular show at Rectory Farm, where she won three classes against very strong opposition. “I think it’s my best result yet,” said Izzi, who rode In The Mood VHK to victory in the major class, a 1.30m open, over a field packed with international riders. “I don’t think I’ve ever known a local 1.30m class to be so competitive, but my horse is an absolute legend,” said Izzi, who acquired the son of Winningmood by chance in 2018 through her trainer Poppy Stronge, on whose yard she has been based since she was 10 years old. “It was my last year on ponies and we weren’t looking for a horse, but as soon as I saw him, I had to have him,”…

AS far as inspirational gift ideas go, not only as retirement presents for masters or hunt staff, but for a significant birthday or perhaps even as a christening present from a godparent, a hunting horn can rarely be beaten. Whether it’s brand new or it has been used by a huntsman before, a hunting horn is something to be treasured. “If my house was on fire it would be one of the first things I would grab on the way out,” exclaims Daniel Cherriman, huntsman of the Pytchley with Woodland, in a sentiment echoed by many. “While in monetary terms it is of little value, it holds so many memories and every dink and dent tells a different story.” Hours of endless pleasure for the recipient of a horn can…

CHILLI MORNING The most successful event stallion ever has died aged 20. He won Badminton 2015 with William Fox-Pitt and the medal-winning combination were the highest-placed Brits on every senior team they were on. Feature, p38. KAYF TARA Overbury Stud’s recently retired sire won the Horse & Hound Cup (chase winners) for the six consecutive and eighth overall time at the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association virtual National Hunt awards on 26 August. TULLYORAN CRUISE JRA The 12-year-old mare won Strzegom’s CCI4*-L with Yoshiaki Oiwa. She competed to four-star with Izzy Taylor and Australia’s Sammi Birch, and was sold to the Japanese equestrian federation in December. MOHAATHER The Group One winner has been retired after sustaining “significant bone bruising” in a fetlock. Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s four-year-old was trained by Marcus Tregoning…

A NEW fellowship will “breathe fresh thinking” into equine grass sickness research, it is hoped. The Moredun Foundation and the Equine Grass Sickness Fund (EGSF) have announced a three-year fellowship post. The aim of the fellow, based at Moredun’s international research institute, will be to set up a national database and sample biobank, with vets and owners submitting samples. A project spokesman said the work will help future research, and be a “crucial resource”. “An important aspect of the fellowship will be to investigate novel strands of research using the latest technologies, with the assistance of a support network of senior researchers and fellows,” he said. Kate Thomson of EGSF said the fellowship marks a change in the charity’s approach: “We plan to engage the considerable expertise among owners and…

I trained as an agricultural engineer but I’ve been around horses all my life. My first memory is of sitting in my pram, aged two, and watching the last of the working cart-horses go past. I had vaguely heard about mare’s milk and Mongolians drinking it throughout history but I didn’t take much notice. I became interested because my daughter, who runs our business, had severe eczema in childhood and treatments hadn’t cleared it up. I’d read the milk might help. My first taste was at a Belgian farm more than 20 years ago. It was quite nutty, sweeter than I thought it’d be, very pure, with the consistency of semi-skimmed milk. I really enjoyed it and brought some home. My daughter tried it and her eczema got better. Then…

DEL BOY V Age: 16 Breeding: unknown Owner/rider: Michelle Cuerden Greatest achievements: 2010, first and reserve HOYS coloured horse and pony of the year championship; 2011, first native/traditional large ridden pony RIHS; 2018, first and champion ridden coloured Royal Windsor, first and champion ridden coloured Great Yorkshire Show, King of the Ring champion CHAPS championships, first £1,000 Vanguard coloured supreme North of England summer; 2019, first and champion HOYS coloured horse and pony of the year championship.…

Popadom OF all the Burghley winners, Lorna Clarke’s skewbald cob with the hogged mane was surely the most unlikely. His mother pulled a dray. “When it came to buying him as a youngster, his new owner, Jennifer Harrison, had to haggle with Chipperfield’s Circus, which was desperate to have him,” says Lorna. In the end, Jennifer purchased Popadom for £40 and the gelding soon found his niche eventing. At the time of his Burghley win in 1967, he was certainly not Lorna’s first string. But he was quickly promoted when he jumped one of only half a dozen penalty-free cross-country rounds over a tough course that wiped out more than half the field. Merely-A-Monarch THE first of the 12 horses who have won both Burghley and Badminton was Merely-A Monarch,…

DUMFRIES florist Marita Dobson credited the input of her coach Charlie Hutton after winning an elementary freestyle with Soraya III, at Myerscough College, Lancashire. “Soraya can hold a lot of tension, but Charlie soon realised that she was very sensitive and suggested plenty of suppleness and relaxation work,” said Marita, who started lessons with the Ayrshire-based trainer earlier this year. “There’s now no spookiness or sharpness, and she no longer needs to wear her ear veils.” The pair has had little chance to practise to a new Scottish-themed soundtrack, which includes The Skye Boat Song and Donald Where’s Your Troosers? “Our music was put together by Gaynor Colbourn at her first-ever Scottish clinic, back in February,” explained Marita, who travelled 100 miles home from the show before learning about her…

AFTER recovering from a career-threatening injury, Kate Heap’s nine-year-old gelding San Francisco PR returned to competition with a double elementary win at Topthorn EC, Suffolk. The Swarovski son suffered a meniscal tear in his right stifle when he slipped while trotting on damp grass last autumn, just days after finishing second at the Codham Park Area Festival finals. “Cisco was treated at Newmarket Equine Hospital and given just a 20% chance of coming right,” said Kate. “Rehab was a slow process, with many a hiccup, so it was a bittersweet moment for him to go so well – and to win. “He might not be the sharpest tool in the box but he’s amenable and quite unflappable,” she added.”…

The Lands Freestep Novice Show Horse Championship, Dallas Burston Polo Club, Warks SHOW horse supremo Robert Walker fielded both supreme placings with Jill Day’s two promising young horses. His showstopper was the four-year-old middleweight Greenhall Treasure Island (Larry). Bred by Derrie Rothman and by Island Commander, the lovely bay gelding was shown by Dessie Gibson as a two-year-old and his tally that year included the young horse supreme at Royal Dublin. “He has so much limb and movement but the best thing about him is his brain,” said Robert, who rode Larry to win the novice championship at UK Nationals the week previous. “My wife, Sarah, thinks he could be the best one we’ve ever had.’ Taking reserve for the team was lightweight contender MHS Morning Master. “TJ” is another…

END FOR DRESSAGE SUPPORTERS CLUB THE British Dressage Supporters Club (BDSC) is to close. In a statement on 26 August, the club said as the sport is “on indefinite hold” regarding a return to what had been normality, it had “nowhere to go, no one to support, no one to meet at any social gatherings, no chance of our presence at major competitions”. “So your committee is agreed that BDSC has finally outlived its usefulness and we will, over the next few months, close down the club,” the statement said. MAJOR GRANT FOR PONY RACING A GRANT of £180,000 a year from 2021 to 2025 is aimed at helping bring more young people from all backgrounds into pony racing. The Racing Foundation grant, totalling £900,000, will be overseen by the…

▲ TOUGHNESS Jockey Alain Cawley might have felt a bit bruised after a recent fall. But he walked back to the weighing room, showered, popped to hospital on the way home – and found out he’d fractured his pelvis in three places. Makes that trodden-on toe hurt a bit less… ▲ HAIRCUTS A former champion apprentice jockey has swapped saddles for scissors to become a barber. Not mucking out or riding at first light must be appealing. Short hack and sides, Sir? ▲ FLIES News emerges that an ingredient of some equine fly repellents may kill the coronavirus. Happy days for riders, who may find themselves protected; anyone whose colleagues have ever moaned about great wafts of fly spray in the office now has the ultimate answer.…

A NOVICE rider who bought his first horse in his mid-40s after a handful of lessons is raising money for equestrian charities. Last year, Stewart Turner bought a pony for his daughters, was bitten by the bug, and bought 17.3hh Bilbo. “He bucked me off and I broke a rib; my wife said, ‘He might be too much for you,’ but I think long-term!” Stewart said. Stewart decided to combine his love of charities with his new love of horses, so appealed to his 13,700 Instagram followers, including Carl Hester and equestrian brands, for help. He is to cycle from dawn to dusk on 12 September, and anyone who donates £5 will have the chance to win a prize. Money will go to the Riding for the Disabled Association and…

I KNEW prior to the Rotterdam Hickstead Grand Prix Challenge that this online event was likely to be the swansong for Dressage at Hickstead. I’ve known Dane Rawlins since I was in young riders, and he’s a hands-on person. As an example, I once stayed with him before the national championships at Goodwood and he very kindly gave me some training – the payback was helping him build a barn. So it was no surprise that he was available to chat while in the process of removing a septic tank. What did surprise me was that, rather than being left with a nasty smell, his attitude to dismantling his and his team’s work, dreams and achievements at Hickstead, and what it brought to our sport, was more philosophical. Looking back…

ONE thing I ensure is that I know each of my horses well. I understand every inch of every horse who comes on to the yard, so I can treat them as individuals. If you pay attention to the small things, you are able to pick up on the slight changes in physical appearance and health or temperament, so you can adjust programmes or care accordingly. However, for a horse to perform at its best, there is no one thing that takes precedence. The whole management programme together is what makes it work; from the structured training plans, to having well-fitted tack that’s checked regularly, to individual feeding regimes and supplements, to regular teeth and physio checks. I’m so lucky to have a fantastic support team but if you want…

CHILLI MORNING was bred by Rainer Schicketanz, by the thoroughbred Phantomic out of a Kolibre mare called Koralle. Nick Gauntlett found the Brandenberger stallion at German Olympian Peter Thomsen’s yard when searching for a horse for owner Chris Stone to target London 2012. At the end of his first eventing season with Nick in 2006, Chilli was second in the British six-year-old championships. He moved on up the grades successfully, with victories in the CIC2* (now CCI3*-S) at Longleat and the CCI2* (now CCI3*-L) at Weston Park in 2008 and the CIC3* (now CCI4*-S) at Houghton in 2010. In 2011, the chestnut stallion achieved his first four-star (now five-star) finish, but the London dream was obviously out of reach. In January 2012, Chris told H&H: “It is clear that none…

THE yawning ditch and hedge at the highest point of Burghley’s course is one of the most famous – and most photographed – cross-country fences in the world. “Until the late 1980s it was actually a sunken wall,” says Burghley’s clerk of the course, Philip Herbert. “The gully, which is six metres across, had a wall in the middle, which meant horses took off in the grassy ditch and landed on the face of the other bank.” It was then turned into its present incarnation and named the Centaur’s Leap, because event sponsor Rémy Martin had a centaur as its logo. Bill Henson adds: “When Pedigree Chum took over the sponsorship, the managing director Mr Dale wanted to change it. His wife hunted with the Cottesmore, so it became the…

LEANNE DUDHILL and her six-year-old Ampère gelding AM Dynamo (Joe) are on a roll after a challenging two years. The pair’s double at Epworth Equestrian, South Yorkshire, brings their prelim gold section wins to a total of eight in a row. “I backed Joe early last year, but I was then diagnosed with an illness and he suffered a rectal prolapse,” said Leanne, who trains with Gill Liggins and bought Joe as a two-year-old. “What with Covid-19 this year, we’ve had a number of false starts,” Leanne added, “but so far, so good. Joe has a great brain and is working beautifully at home – he now just needs some mileage.”…

PINCHING her husband’s jumping horse proved a wise move for Verity Corbett, who partnered the Kannan 10-year-old gelding Glasgow to a 75% prelim 19 win at Radfords EC, Powys. “I had nothing to ride during lockdown, so I gave him a try,” said Verity, who trains with Jane Critchley. “Once I’d sat on him, I couldn’t stop smiling. There’s a lot to work on, but he was amazing for his first-ever British Dressage outing. He’s on my team for the foreseeable future.”…

CHRIS WHINNETT lives within hacking distance of Bury Farm, and the rider who recently celebrated his 19th birthday returned home with wins in the newcomers and 1.30m open classes. His newcomers winner was a brand-new ride in MP Laser Light, an Irish-bred eight-year-old who arrived on his yard only a fortnight before. “He’s a lovely horse, but he’s with us to be sold, so I don’t know how long I’ll have the ride,” said Chris, who won the 1.30m class on Freak I (pictured), a Dutch-bred gelding he has had for a year. “We bought him from Glynn Slater so I could jump some bigger classes and he’s been really consistent. He’s exactly what anyone would want in a horse,” said Chris, who rides 10 horses at the family sales…

ALTHOUGH not technically a competitive activity, many of those who hunt have a competitive streak. During the weekly clap for carers during lockdown, those in rural areas developed the initiative to include holloaing and horn-blowing to ensure their appreciation could be clearly heard far and wide. With videos being posted on social media, it soon became a contest to demonstrate the finest horn-blowing abilities with the number of “likes” and “shares” being seen as an unofficial modern-day voting procedure. Reaching an audience of over 100,000 people on social media is quite an achievement, but it still doesn’t compare to the prestige of being crowned H&H’s national horn-blowing champion. “This competition is the pinnacle of what can be done with a hunting horn,” revealed Patrick Martin, three-time winner of the Dorian…

I NEVER love this time of year. Farewell to summer, however dodgy the weather has been, is a downer and the back-to-school vibes are double strength this time because the cherubs have been at home for six months. The cure, as usual, for any woes comes in the form of something four-legged. I’ve been taking Jim, big and fat from a summer at grass, on steady strolls around the farm. Starting to get him fit. Yesterday we completed my favourite circuit, up and around the hill nearest to our house, which rises 1,135ft above sea level. After a day of unrelenting rain and fog – while everyone south of Leicester was enjoying a heatwave – we made it out of the cloud at the top. A strange yellowish light was…