Innholdsfortegnelse for 17-Jun-2021 i Horse & Hound

HATS off to Nicola Wilson and Tom McEwen, both winners at Bicton (p36), which ran a four-star long replacement event for Bramham last week, as well as the short format class that acted as a final selection trial for those on the Olympic nominations list, with Tom on flying form in that section. It’s a lovely story that Nicola won the equivalent of her local event, which Bramham would have been, in the year it moved from Yorkshire to Devon. According to Andrew Nicholson (comment, p14), Helen West’s impressive track got everyone talking and asked plenty of questions. Having focused a little in recent weeks on the opportunities available to those wanting to start riding, it’s positive to see the British Horse Society’s (BHS) new initiative that will encourage children…

THE TIN MAN The three-time Group One winner has been retired, aged nine, after sustaining a career-ending injury on the gallops. The Equiano gelding, who won more than £1.27m, will remain at trainer James Fanshawe’s Pegasus base. TOVEKS MARY LOU The jumping mare, who helped Sweden to team silver at the 2017 Europeans and 2018 Worlds with Henrik von Eckermann, has retired aged 15 owing to injury. The pair’s major grands prix wins included Royal Windsor 2019. ALBFUEHREN’S BIANCA The ride of Swiss jumper Steve Guerdat has died, having been diagnosed with a brain tumour. The 15-year-old mare and Steve took individual bronze at the 2018 World Equestrian Games and went to Nations Cup finals. LOT 136 Trainer Lucinda Russell secured the three-year-old half-sister of her 2017 Grand National winner,…

Eventer Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser took victory in the CCI4*-S at Bicton Horse Trials. Tom and Toledo are one of the nine British combinations longlisted for Tokyo. Report p44. German showjumper Christian Ahlmann will not compete at the Tokyo Olympics as his stallion Dominator 2000 Z needs “a few easier weeks” following clinical examinations. Jockey William Buick had a double at Doncaster on 13 June, sending him to the top of the Flat jockeys’ championship standings, three points ahead of Oisin Murphy. British showjumper Holly Smith and 11-year-old Fruselli soared to victory in the Derby of the Loire Region class at La Baule, France (10–13 June) with the only clear round. Report p56. Racecourse Association chair Maggie Carver is standing down following six years in the role, once…

I RECENTLY took my children to their first rally with the Essex Farmers branch of the Pony Club. My ponies were behaving as typical ponies sometimes do, much to my distress. It resulted in my girls getting upset and wanting to finish riding a little earlier. But I’d like to say that the other mums at the rally could not have been more supportive and the instructor was fantastic, offering her advice. They all recounted similar tales of their first rallies and let my girls have a ride on their ponies. The girls continued with their day and were awarded two of their first badges, so the day finished on a positive note. The support the mums offered was lovely and I’d like to thank them for helping me through…

alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ AT the past few shows I have attended as both a judge and a competitor, I was pleased to see that class numbers are on the rise. I must admit that after the pandemic I was fearful for a while that showing may have lost its appeal. Class numbers have been worryingly low as of late, something which fellow H&H columnist Rebecca Penny picked up on in her last column (3 June). It begs the question, where have all the competitors been hiding? Let’s hope the buzz is back and we see this surge continue for the rest of the show season. At the recent Midland Counties show (5-6 June), class numbers were in the 20s and 30s in some sections. It was particularly wonderful to see the…

Describe your first pony A grey Shetland pony called Bo Bo. My older sister Louise always used to gallop past me and make Bo Bo canter but I didn’t like that - trotting was enough for me. If you weren’t a rider, what would you be? I never wanted to do anything else! I always liked sport at school but I was never good enough at one particular sport. What’s your most annoying habit? I spend way too much time on my phone. What superstitions or pre-show rituals do you have? I’m really not that superstitious, although I sometimes wear the same tie if I’ve been winning with it on. I also have a habit of rubbing my hands together; it’s something to do with adrenaline. What do you eat…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Bicton, supported by Chedington, Devon THERE was a certain wild irony in the fact that Nicola Wilson has striven for so many years to take the showcase CCI4*-L at her local event at Bramham – and she finally won it when the Bramham classes were relocated to Bicton due to Covid putting paid to the Yorkshire event. “An owner messaged me to say, ‘You can take the event out of Yorkshire, but you can’t take Yorkshire out of the event,” grinned Nicola after her victory in the Chedington CCI4*-L on 10-year-old JL Dublin. “The Bicton team have done a wonderful job; the cross-country rode beautifully”CCI4*-L WINNER NICOLA WILSON But it was a mark of the success of this fixture, arranged at seven weeks’ notice, that stalwart Bramham fan…

Childéric Saddles Little Downham (1), Cambridgeshire FELICITY COLLINS and RSH Contend Or (Mickey) posted an emphatic win in the sole advanced section, finishing more than 10 penalties ahead of their nearest rivals, J-P Sheffield and Kiltar Obos. It was just the pick-me-up the 23-year-old former under-21 national champion needed after receiving the “gutting” news that she would not be going to Luhmühlen a fortnight later, due to the new travel restrictions imposed on British-based riders. “When I arrived at Little Downham I was still feeling really down about it all,” admitted Felicity, who had planned to make her Badminton debut with Mickey, owned by her mother Vicky Collins and Avrina Milton, last year – and was set to do so again this spring before it was cancelled. “It’s been a…

“IT was one of the best I’ve ever judged,” said Jennie Loriston-Clarke of the 22-strong PSG, praising the calibre of the horses and the high standard of riding. “Many of the horses I’d never judged before, but the quality was amazing. The class would have looked good in any arena in the world.” With the top third of the field achieving plus-70%, competitors valued positive feedback from Jennie and fellow judges Carolyn Gardiner and Kirsty Mepham. “I was thrilled [amid such strong competition] to receive a nine for my riding and both lines of changes – as well as the final halt,” said Sara-Jane Lanning. JUDGE’S VIEW…

Field House EC, Staffordshire BRIDGET TATE made a successful debut with Michael Eilberg’s 11-year-old gelding Daltrey, heading both advanced mediums with plus-70%. Bridget, who trains with Michael, is riding “Rodger” until September. “Michael wanted to get Rodger fitter in a different environment, so we’ve been practising our piaffe and passage around our river meadow,” said Bridget, who has access to extensive hacking at home at The Isle Stud in Shropshire. “Rodger has so much expression and massive changes. He was one of my favourites when I worked for the Eilbergs, but I never dreamed I’d be trusted with him. He’s slumming it here, though – a peacock lives above his stable and keeps pooing on his back.”…

Keysoe summer pony premier 5-6 June IZABELLA ROGERS has rebounded from five months spent in plaster to win two pony Foxhunter second rounds on the bounce with Neil 55, also picking up an additional ticket from third place here with the novice Queen Star. Thirteen-year-old Izabella suffered a spiral fracture when “sharp” nine-year-old gelding Neil span at home, causing her to land on her feet in June last year. “We opted not to operate but it meant the healing was slower, and she was in plaster all the way up her thigh. She was then switched to a smaller cast, but didn’t get out of plaster until December,” her mother Nicola said. “She didn’t get back on Neil until March and was only happy to sit on him on the…

THE decision to re-open online entries until two days before the show paid off, as the huge numbers forward clearly showed. “I do think this is the way forward – particularly for the big county shows,” said cosecretary Sharon Thomas. “Showing is so expensive now that people aren’t prepared to make multiple entries weeks in advance – particularly in youngstock classes – on the off-chance the animals might be ready. “Showing has to change in order to keep up with the times.” TALKING POINT…

WHEN she retired her prolific middleweight Master Bandsman (Perky) from the show ring, Cerys Ford thought it might be some time before she found a replacement of the same standard. But she may have found the right man for the job in Rebecca James’s sevenyear-old Irish Draught Ali’s Real Bright Spark (Sparky), who stood reserve hunter champion at National Pony Society (NPS) Area 14. “Rebecca phoned me early in April and asked if I would be interested in competing Sparky,” explained Cerys. Sparky, who is by King Of Mourne out of a Cappa Cochise mare, is home-produced from Rebecca’s yard in Cambridge and Cerys rides him weekly. “Perky had an amazing reputation on the circuit for his manners and temperament, and I was always asked how I’d ever find another…

JUST two months after breaking her shoulder and her horse being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, Lucy Burton landed the Oriental owner-trainer conditions (level three) with 10-year-old Earlshill at Garthorpe. Lucy previously kept the horse with Tom and Gina Ellis where she “worked off his keep”. “I injured my shoulder before his first run of the season at Charing d my shoulder before his first run of the season at Charing but wasn’t aware that I’d broken it, so I carried on and rode,” said Lucy. “I then went to the fracture clinic and they told me it was quite badly broken. “It also turns out that during that race, Earl went into atrial fibrillation so I ended up pulling up. It was a disaster.” Lucy was told that Earl’s condition…

catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 A NYONE who has attended Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show will have memories of seeing the judges weighing-up hounds. Apart from the sense of occasion created by this greatest of all hound shows, there is the impression of the hounds themselves. The aristocrats of their breed, standing like statues, held in the thrall of their huntsman; then flying across the ring with effortless strides before racing back to stand foursquare again, neck outstretched, head slightly cocked, with eyes only for the man who is their friend and handler. Later, the ring is a sea of colour, with the hunt servants’ liveries and gleaming boots mingling with the tans, pyes and mottles of the hounds. Soon the judges have dismissed all but the prizewinners. Perhaps a final loosing-off of two…

“HE galloped the full length of the grandstand, his rider doffing his hat to the crowd, one hand on the rein and completely in control” Joanna MacInnes, judge of the 2011 Great Yorkshire Supreme “THIS was the strongest cob class I’ve judged. If it had been a race, the winner would have won by 30 lengths. He is the nicest cob I’ve ever ridden” Robert Bell, judge of the 2011 Derbyshire Festival Of Showing HOYS qualifier “WE were looking for good conformation, soundness and correct way of going. The champion had great self-carriage and was a naturally engaged horse in all his paces. He really lowered and stretched his neck out in gallop, and he showed great presence in the prelim and final. His paces were so smooth, there was…

LEARNING on the job means that you get paid while learning a skill, which is a great way to embark on a career. “Apprentices have all the rights of an employee, while also being allowed time to learn and train with their employer and their trainer coach,” says Haddon Training marketing executive Kate Arkinstall. “Many apprenticeships can be tailored to the specific area of the equine industry that the apprentice wishes to focus on. For example, our equine groom and senior equine groom apprenticeships can be focused around racing, breeding, riding, or non-riding. This allows the learner to hone their skills in the area they wish to progress into. Learners are in a real, working environment and learning practical skills on the job.” Emilia Bishop (pictured), an apprentice at Judy…

Share your news story Call 01252 555021 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor PANDEMIC challenges continue for top riders but there is hope as competitors find ways to make the 2021 season work. Two British riders and a few British-based international riders have found ways to comply with German travel restrictions and compete at Luhmühlen (17–20 June). Exceptions were announced for elite athletes last week but British Equestrian (BEF) eventing performance manager Dickie Waygood told H&H this only reached him on Saturday (12 June), by which time most Brits who might have taken advantage were already at Bicton. “If anyone had a problem at Bicton, it could have been an option but it was a step too far, unfortunately,” he said. Mollie Summerland is entered in the CCI5* on Charly Van Ter…

DAVE CROWDEN THE much-loved horseman, musician and grandfather died on 3 June from acute myeloid leukaemia, aged 75. In 1974, Mr Crowden met Lynne Johns, and the couple married in 1977. He supported Lynne as she founded Woodlander Stud in 1993 and he became well known and loved across the breeding industry. Mr Crowden had a love of hunting, team chasing and racing. He hunted with the Pytchley and later the Golden Valley, and competed in team chasing under the name the Woodlander Fairies. Mrs Crowden described her husband as an “all-round enthusiastic horseman”. “He was a big supporter of everything at Woodlander – but in his own right, whether it was stallion handling or foaling. He was passionate about the countryside, animal welfare and lots of red wine,” she…

▲ FOOTBALL Readers may remember Diwa, the Moroccan Donkey of Destiny who predicted winners in the 2018 football World Cup by choosing between buckets marked with flags. Sadly, Diwa is out of action during the Europeans, as is Morocco, and when we tried it with a Shetland, he just ate everything in sight and then pooed in the bucket. ▲ FITNESS A former Indian cricket captain has featured in videos online racing with a Shetland pony. The former wicket keeper apparently initially urged the pony on, but was left for dust when it picked up speed. Never, ever try to win against a Shetland, in anything. ▲ JUMPS Overheard at a show, riders looking askance at a rather hefty course. “It’ll look smaller once I’ve been in,” one rider said…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle HELEN WEST and her team did a good job at Bicton; the facilities were great, and it was lovely to have spectators. There seemed to be a big crowd - certainly when we’ve been used to no one for the past year and a half. As far as the cross-country course was concerned, I can see where Helen and her courseadviser Mark Phillips were coming from. The tracks all season at the lower levels have been strong; there appears to be a concerted effort to make the cross-country more dominant again and make us ride better in that phase. However, to me, Bicton’s four-star track was too much for the level. Yes, there were a lot of CCI5* horses there, and it was effectively a final trial for…

KATY: Covid’s been a funny one – I’ve tried to make the best of a bad situation. We were at the World Championships in March 2020, the last qualification event for the Olympics, as Covid kicked in. That was a really stressful period because it was a struggle for me to get qualified as a rider without a strong team, even though I was finishing in the top five. But thankfully we got qualified, because then we came home and went into lockdown. I was one of those people who said, “They’re never going to cancel the Olympic Games.” But actually, not travelling for a year and having 12 months’ stress-free training has been amazing and I’ve never felt better. What about you? ANDREW: My horse, Vassily De Lassos, is…

FOALS Faecal worm egg count (FEC): every three months to determine which type of worm (small redworms or roundworms) predominate. FEC reduction test (to determine resistance): annually Deworm: every three to four months, with appropriate anthelmintic based on FEC. ADULT HORSES FEC: every three months or as a minimum twice a year (spring and summer). FEC reduction test: at least every three years for each class of anthelmintic being used. Deworm: when worm egg count exceeds 200 to 300 eggs per gram (check with your vet). NEW ARRIVALS FEC: immediately on arrival. FEC reduction test: immediately on arrival. Deworm: when worm egg count exceeds 200 to 300 eggs per gram (check with your vet).…

HELEN WEST was designing at four-star for the second time. “It was a good result for the sport – it needed to be a proper track,” she said after Saturday’s long format classes had run across country. “The terrain played a big part. The prep for many has not been as good as it would be in a normal year, so some horses were not quite fit enough. “This is an MER [minimum eligibility result or qualification] for Badminton and Burghley, and from a safety perspective I would rather the riders know where they are and if they need to do more work before they step up to five-star. “I was pleased that the trouble was widespread; there was no one bogey. Those that rode it well made it look…

polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 Wellington Riding Premier League, Hampshire THIS was without doubt Charlotte Dujardin’s show. She achieved seven wins and no scores under 74%. In the grand prix, Gio (Pumpkin), the horse she owns with Renee Hart, delivered a creditable 79.47% to win. The 10-year-old Apache gelding appears so confident in the ring, it’s hard to believe this was only his 10th start at the level. A mistake in the rein-back and a slight stumble at the end of a good line of one-time changes produced the only fives on a scoresheet that was otherwise full of eights and nines. “He’s never done a show before in heat like this,” commented Charlotte. “It was another good schooling round for him.” Not too far behind Gio in second was Charlotte’s grand prix…

Tall Trees Arena, Cornwall PERFORMING to music from Mary Poppins and Moana, 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding Dark Knight III claimed high advanced medium and PSG freestyle scores with Clare Deithrick. “I’ve restructured my work to free up more time for my own horses,” said Clare, a coach and a British Dressage list two judge. “This is the nicest horse we’ve bred; he’s the kindest and easiest to work with and he tries hard. I’ve seen a lot of horses pushed through quickly, but I’ve taken my time with him as I wanted him to be confident.”…

PRAISE FOR COURSE-DESIGNER BEN TOWNLEY AND THE SHOW TEAM RIDERS heaped praise on course-designer Ben Townley, whose tracks over all three days proved “spot on”. “I think he’s a huge asset to the UK. He has a brain and you can see that in his course building,” reflected William Funnell. “He thinks so much about the colours he uses, he uses the whole ring and he thinks about the crowd as well as the riders, which sometimes we forget about until we go to county shows like this. His jump-offs were spot on. I think he’s going to be one of the best.” Mark Edwards added: “He built up the tracks over the three days and Sunday’s Stairway was a really stiff test, but he had six clears, which is…

BURSARY WINNER IN THE RIBBONS A RECIPIENT of the 2021 NPS Bursary was crowned show pony champion at the BSPS Scottish Spring Show, riding her 138cm campaigner Chanlee Delightful Dan. The bursary winners received funds that can be used for lessons and training to improve skills and abilities in the saddle across different disciplines. Zara Mailer, 14, and her mother, Victoria Taylor, bought Dan from Zara Brookes, who was also the former owner of Zara’s 122cm show hunter pony Milton Page Boy. “Zara is very keen,” said solicitor Victoria, who runs the ponies from the family’s farm in central Scotland. “She has lessons with Charlie Cousins in Edinburgh. It’s been a great opportunity for her.” The family will be aiming to compete at Hickstead in July. “We’ll have to do…

YEARS ago, I was working in TV production with a flinty Kiwi as a boss. Kate was kind with an excellent sense of humour, but she didn’t suffer fools gladly. It was her remit to manage the young staff – mostly in their twenties and thirties – while keeping a firm hold on the company purse strings. TV production can be a tricky business and money was a touchy subject for Kate, who spent her days and nights squinting over the accounts in one of those special chairs people kneel on when they suffer from bad backs. Asking for a pay rise was guaranteed to get her hackles up, as it did one day when I dared to make the suggestion. There was a terrifying pause before she announced to…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. @ horseandhound instagram.com/horseandhound facebook.com/horseandhound THE CORRECT OUTLINE I WAS delighted to read Richard Davison’s assessment of Gigolo in “Legends of the sport” (27 May). He admired his frame being uphill, nose in front, taking the bit and the poll the highest point. Today, it’s all too rare to see a horse in such a correct outline. It appears to be the norm to ride a horse overbent. I was taught that to collect properly and for good health, the poll must be the highest point of the horse. Is this thinking old-fashioned? Rhona Watson Frome, Somerset STOP FEEDING THEM! ALTHOUGH the issue of people feeding our animals has been exacerbated due to the pandemic and resulting lockdowns,…

polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 “I compete under FEI rules to be judged by highly trained, skilled and talented people” THE approaching Olympic Games are certainly throwing up some strange situations. Over the past week or so, a number of competitors from a variety of nations have decided that it’s better for them not to go to Tokyo, and have withdrawn from selection or opted not to compete as individuals. Who can blame them, with such a lack of opportunity to prepare? Covid and EHV risks have placed significant obstacles in the way of Olympic preparation, that’s a fact, and it’s right that these riders are putting their horses’ welfare first. There have been several important shows and national championships held in some countries recently and I have noticed some sensationalised headlines and…

What I really like about SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) is that we don’t tell people to treat their animals better; we show them that by treating them better, they will live longer. It’s an economic argument. In the West we don’t have working animals in the way people still do in Africa. In Morocco, seeing the long line of horse-drawn calèches - the vehicles people get around in - queueing for the SPANA water trough in Marrakesh makes me think that we’re doing some good. I’ve seen some harrowing things. In Mali, you see tiny donkeys with huge weights on their backs. When I visited five years ago, their life expectancy was six to nine months. With our involvement, particularly through our provision of tetanus vaccinations,…

“I BOUGHT Ritchie specifically with his former owner, Bella Malim, in mind. His temperament makes him the most ideal amateur mount, but shortly after he arrived with me, Bella fell pregnant and I was lucky enough to keep the ride on him. “He’s an uphill horse that you can really ride forward. You’re sitting behind a lovely head and neck, and you can really put your leg around him and push on. “He loves to perform, but has always been an old head on young shoulders. At HOYS in 2017, he was just a five-year-old but he sat up and pinged away, giving me an incredible ride. Typewise, he’s an upstanding, four-square horse with movement, short cannons and limb. I’m old- fashioned and I like my hunters to be true…

WHILE the Olympics is the pinnacle of any athlete’s career, for those in the media, too, little can surpass receiving the callup to report from the greatest show on earth. Every four years (or five this time round), a herd of excited equestrian hacks armed with notepads, electronic gadgetry and twice as many chargers, and the coveted accreditation swoops in to the media centre, ready to unleash their creativity through every thrill and spill until the final medal ceremony. So what’s life really like on the Olympic frontline? Writer Kate Green has worked at five Games, but puts her trip down under in 2000 top of her list. “Sydney was a fantastic experience and deeply satisfying because, as the sole reporter for H&H and [former sister title] Eventing, I was…

• Tom McEwen: “I like the added pressure. I like being at a big show and among good horses. It’s nice to have a bit of competition, so even though we’re still sort of training, it’s towards hopefully bigger goals and a stepping stone in the right direction.” • Kitty King (pictured above with Vendredi Biats): “I’ve not overly enjoyed the pressure this week, although it’s fine – I always seem to manage to do a little bit better than I expect when I’m under pressure, such as at the Europeans in 2019, so maybe I should learn to enjoy it more.” • Ros Canter: “I feel less pressure than I have all year – being put on the longlist has given me clarity. The rest of the year has…

EVENT gelding Helvick HSH Hero smashed his first-ever affiliated show, taking both prelims at Radfords, EC, Powys, with Sophie Hall. “He was as green as grass when we bought him from Ireland, as a five-year-old,” said Sophie of the thoroughbred/Connemara cross, now eight. “He needed time to develop, mentally and physically, but we’re getting to a point now where we can start to push on. “He’s certainly a character,” added Sophie, who credits her trainers Vittoria Panizzon, Anna Brown and Dianne Breeze with progress so far.…

Kingston Maurward College Area Festival, Dorset “HE came with no manual,” laughed Vicky Gawler of Scirocco, who first crossed her path 10 months ago and won both novice silver and elementary bronze titles. “He’s a sensitive boy, but his movement is phenomenal and we’re forming a real partnership.” Previously campaigned by Lucy Cartwright, “Rocco” is finding his feet with Vicky, a former point-to-point rider and eventer. “Dressage wasn’t my thing, but I’m slowly understanding it,” she said. “We’re working at medium at home. It’s an exciting road ahead.” Anita Butler took the medium silver with The Limited Edition II, her first home-bred and a horse who proved “wild” as a youngster. “He liked waving at the judges and our test sheets often had comments like ‘well sat’, but he is…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald South of England Showground, Ardingly, West Sussex THE glorious sound of a round of applause has never been so welcome or, in the case of Will Fletcher, so richly deserved, as it was after his victories at South of England. When commentator Gareth Jenkins ushered the winning 22-year-old to canter round on a second circuit of the ring after his brilliant International Stairway success, he said, “Enjoy it, Will, you haven’t heard that noise for 18 months,” and the cheers intensified, adding to a buzzing atmosphere we all enjoyed immensely over three full days. “It was lovely to lead the lap of honour not once but twice, with a crowd. It makes such a difference,” said Will, who had partnered the great 16-year-old Persimmon to victory in both…

alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ Midland Counties, Arena UK, Lincs A STUNNING young stallion headed a quality-filled line of 13 to take the Price Family Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in-hand ticket under the eagle eyes of judge Tim Wiggett. Despite the plethora of choice, Tim had little hesitation in choosing Joanna Adams’ four-year-old hack Sandboro Sir Henry, superbly shown by Simon Charlesworth, to go to Birmingham. “This was one of the strongest in-hand qualifiers I’ve ever had the pleasure to judge,” said Tim. “The quality was fantastic and the animals were beautifully presented. The champion was fantastically well made, with an amazing ‘look-at-me’ presence, a great step and a good walk – it owned the ring from the moment it walked in.” Henry is certainly due for a change of luck…

THE American miniature horse Minstrels Mister Mystery clinched the overall supreme at Strathclyde Country Park’s showing fixture. Katrina Byrne’s yearling, who was shown by her partner Lewis Anderson (pictured), was purchased a few months ago from his Coventry-based breeder, Carol Alanda Cooper. His tally as a foal included middleweight foal and colt foal of the year titles at “mini” Horse of the Year Show 2020. “It was his first outing with us so it was a big ask,” said Katrina. “He excelled and held his own against the biggest horses. He’s quite a showman.” ONE TO WATCH…

gemma.redrup@futurenet.com @gemmaredrup Meynell & South Staffs, Garthorpe, Lincs TRAINER David Kemp ended his season on a high when scoring a hat-trick, which kicked off with seven-year-old How To Get Away winning the PPORA club members’ conditions (level three) under Alex Chadwick. “He won here the time before last, was second last time and then won again today,” said David of the gelding, who has had a stopstart season. “He didn’t make it to the racecourse until just before lockdown last year and he was racing against race-fit horses. “A year on, we got to the racecourse again but for the first half, he was just too keen and tried to do the whole race in one breath. Since then, he’s settled down and is racing really professionally.” Next up was…

WHILE a maxi cob class had been held at the RIHS for two years, 2011 was the first season the category was given a spot at the NEC, the same year Hallmark made his debut in these ranks. Measuring at just 158cm, Brandy was at the smaller end of the height scale. “When he moved up into the maxi cob category he had a point to prove,” reflects Simon. “He was only just over height by an inch and was always one of the smallest, although his enormous presence, performance, and movement more than made up for it. “Without the maxi class, pioneered by Sue Phillips, Brandy would have been a loss to showing. He had a significant impact in establishing the class with the same credibility of the other…