Innholdsfortegnelse for 28-Oct-2021 i Horse & Hound

NEW strangles data has provided a “stepping stone” to better disease surveillance in the UK. Last month, researchers published Surveillance of strangles in UKhorses between 2015 and 2019 based on laboratory detection of Streptococcus equi, which aimed to provide “important insights” into the diagnosis and clinical features of strangles in horses. During the study period, 1,617 laboratory-confirmed diagnoses occurred from samples submitted by 315 vet practices across the UK. Reasons for sampling horses included strangles being specifically suspected, horses presenting as clinically ill, respiratory infection screening and post-infection screening. The most frequently reported clinical sign was nasal discharge, followed by a raised temperature. “It’s a step towards something that could be outstanding’”JEANETTE ALLEN Regions with the highest number of diagnoses included North Yorkshire, Staffordshire and West Sussex, but the researchers…

RISK of hospitalisation from equestrian-related injuries has been “severely underappreciated”, data suggests. A study by researchers in Texas analysed data from the US National Trauma Data Bank from 2007 to 2016, on injuries recorded as horse-related, with the aim of allowing the development of “targeted prevention strategies”. Researchers compared the data against studies on motorcycle racing, skiing and football and said this research mirrors previous findings, that the proportion of trauma centre admissions from equestrian injuries was higher, and taken together the data suggests the dangers of equestrian activities have been “severely underappreciated”. Of 24,791 injuries analysed, 37.07% were in the chest region and 22.95% head injuries. Riders aged between 50 and 59 were most likely to visit trauma centres. One of the researchers, trauma surgeon Jeffrey Skubic, told H&H…

WINNERS AGAIN! I THOUGHT your readers might like to see the winning entry of the Maids Moreton scarecrow competition. This masterpiece was created by my parents and their friends at Maids Moreton Allotments for the village competition, for which the theme this year was sport. The aptly named “Charlotte do garden” and her horse Gio (Pumpkin) were made from scratch. I am so impressed with everything from the exquisite jacket and stock, handmade by my mum, to the baler-twine mane plaits and the conker eyes. Clare Jensen Maids Moreton, Bucks THOROUGHBREDS RULE YOUR “Ex-racehorse special” (7 October) was wonderful. I’m a lover of the thoroughbred – it’s admired worldwide as a pure-bred or to improve other breeds. I’ve had so much pleasure from my horses and keep going back to…

“ I DON’T think we credit horses enough for their intelligence, I think they know an awful lot more than we realise,” says Sarah Bulllimore. She’s talking about the fact that Corouet, her home-bred partner in securing individual bronze at the recent eventing European Championships, seemed to know he would be selected for the event long before it was confirmed. “It sounds stupid but ‘Elfie’ knew he was going from the end of July,” says Sarah. “He’s been watching his figure. We’ve been trying to keep weight on him, telling him, ‘You can stay round, you don’t need to be slim yet even if you are going,’ and he’s been like, ‘No, my body is a temple.’ He is far too wise.” Elfie – a petite chestnut model with an…

Horse & Hound Awards 2021: celebrating the stars of equestrianism in partnership with Welcome to the sixth Horse & Hound awards. In the wake of 2020, when everything went virtual, this year’s awards ceremony will be back with a bang and, as ever, we have some very worthy shortlisted candidates. There have been competitions and shows galore to highlight our champions, as well as emotional stories to pull at the heartstrings. Nominated and voted for by you, our heroes of 2021 will be revealed at a glittering, star-studded ceremony on Wednesday, 1 December at Cheltenham Racecourse – so get your votes in now! HOW TO VOTE Having read the stories of our nominees in the following pages, don’t miss your chance to vote now for the one you feel most deserves…

LAUREN INNES LAUREN is an accountant and a four-star event rider, who has qualified for Badminton CCI5* nextyear with her 11-year-old gelding Global Fision M. The pair came 11th at the Bicton CCI4*-L and third in the Blair CCI4*-L this summer. “I’m just keeping my fingers crossed we get to next spring in one piece!” she said, adding that she bought “Flipper” as a five-year-old from Ireland. “He can be quite sharp in the dressage but he’s the most incredible jumper, so brave and careful, and we have a great partnership.” Lauren tries to ride in the mornings as much as possible, in case work runs late, and benefited from Covid in that she now works at home much more, so saves commuting time. Her proudest moment was being on…

RUBY HUGHES AGE: 13 BEST HORSE AND PROUDEST MOMENT: “I’m very lucky to have three rides who have allowed me to achieve big goals this year – Hilkens Showgirl, whom I rode at the pony European Championships; Classic Bee Gee [pictured], on whom I was 2020 under-21 national champion and this year won two national winter championship titles; and Extra Time, whom I’ve competed at junior international level and prix st georges with plus-70% scores. I also compete internationally as part of the English vaulting squad and we came fourth in the Nations Cup at Aachen. It’s incredible being able to do both sports at a high level.” EQUESTRIAN INSPIRATION: “It was lovely to spend time with Lottie Fry at the European Championships. She is such a nice person and…

BETH BROMLEY SEVERN EDGE VETS WHAT MADE YOU BECOME A VET? “It’s a cliché, but I wanted to be a vet from a young age after growing up riding. I wanted a job with variety and that’s certainly the case as a vet - no two days are ever the same. I love being able to help people and their horses in varied and sometimes difficult emotional situations.” A HIGHLIGHT FROM 2021: “Working with remedial farrier Marc Jerram to bring a laminitic horse who was in chronic pain back from spending most of his day lying down in his stable to being pain-free out in his paddock and enjoying ridden work again. The journey involved repeat X-rays, diagnosing and treating the underlying causes, remedial shoes and lots of hard work…

Grafton, Sulgrave, Northants TEAM RIDE AWAY I stole the Grafton open from Fox Grant Dot Com after a seemingly unbeatable round by the latter. This popular event drew many spectators to the course which offers panoramic views of the action, with the newer hedges getting decidedly meaty. Charlotte Alexander led Team Ride Away I through some neat lines on the early part of the course with former chaser Saphir Du Rheu. Susannah Stanning was close on her heels until Grouse slipped at a twisty line from an island palisade and Sophie Seymour (Parker) and Joe Stevenson (San Cassiano) came through ahead of her, running fast through the middle section. The leading trio got fabulous leaps over a switchback lane crossing behind the farmhouse and thundered on to what has become…

MEET a multitalented 14-year-old British rider. Great Britain’s Isabella Beecroft-Luckett, 14, daughter of international riders Geoff Luckett and Claire Beecroft, flew to a hat-trick of two-star victories over the fortnight and never finished out of the top eight with her two mares, the 13-year-old Dutch-bred Dahar (pictured) and Zandara. These successes came only a week after she finished second in the Prince Philip Cup mounted games at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), representing the North Warwickshire branch of the Pony Club. “I’m really thrilled – I was a bit nervous because there were a lot of people watching, but I felt very proud going into the prize-giving,” she said. ONE TO WATCH…

Pony Blue Chip qualifier show, Bury Farm, Bucks IZZY RUSSELL hit the ground running as she made the transition to 148cm, taking a one-two in the Blue Chip Pro Sparkle JC/JA handicap. She headed the line-up with the quickest of five double clears on the JC pony Carravilla Boy (Finn), whom she has been riding for six weeks. “She’s only jumped at a couple of shows”SARAH RUSSELL Izzy, who turned 14 a few days after the show, then also slotted into second place on the 14-year-old JA mare, Sparkling Castlewarren Gold, who was bought from Ireland between lockdowns last year. “It was her first JC class with Finn and their first 1.15m. She’s only jumped at a couple of local shows and BS [British Showjumping] shows, so we were really…

Broadway (2), Worcestershire HARRIET DICKIN’S Pull Ya Socks Up lived up to his name to head a BE100 section on a score of 33. “To say he’s been quirky is a bit of an understatement,” said Harriet of the Sligo Candy Boy seven-year-old with whom she teamed up the summer before last. “He looks at the world in a different way to any other horse I know, but with the help of my partner, Dominic Ruane, I’m learning how he needs to be ridden.” So named because of his three long white socks and one shorter one, the 17.2hh gelding is owned by Harriet and the Sockccessful Syndicate. “I have to ride him in a snaffle even though he’s strong as he has to think he’s in control,” continued Harriet.…

FIVE or six years ago the Irish never bothered with Cheltenham’s Showcase Meeting but they returned with three winners from a handful of runners. After the 23-5 drubbing at last season’s Festival, there looks no let up, particularly as Gordon Elliott’s Saturday winner, Definite Plan (pictured, blue silks), cannot win a race in Ireland. It is one thing to bring to England and win at Sedgefield, but it took the big chase, the 888Sport What’s Your Thinking Handicap Chase from The Hollow Ginge who had led over the last looking like the winner. It was not even the race he had wanted to run the horse in either. “I was hoping to run him in the amateur race yesterday,” said Elliott, who was serving his six-month suspension at the Festival…

A CENTURY after the Royal British Legion was formed, its work is as important as ever, and horse owners can support it with a poppy-printed rug. The Mark Todd Collection has released the 250g turnout in time for Remembrance Sunday and all proceeds will go to the Poppy Appeal. At least £20,000 in total will be donated. CEO David Mitson said: “As a former Army officer, I am delighted to be able to support the Royal British Legion and I have seen first-hand the help that the charity provides to serving and ex-serving personnel. “Supporting our armed forces is something the equestrian community has a long history of, and I hope we will see many horses in their poppy rugs to celebrate the work of the charity in its centenary…

Jockeys to watch DANNY MCMENAMIN THERE has always been a great tradition of jump jockeys coming out of Northern Ireland; Richard Dunwoody, AP McCoy, Tony Dobbin and Brian Hughes to name but four. From Down Patrick and with no background in the sport, Danny McMenamin’s interest in horses was piqued by neighbours with pointers. One thing led to another, and in 2017 he rang Tony Dobbin, from the same area, asking if he had a job for him. He didn’t but he rang Nicky Richards and, having never ridden in a race, Danny arrived in Cumbria. Now 21, his ascent has been swift. He had a few rides as an amateur one season. One of his first winners as a 7lb-claimer was Nietzsche for Brian Ellison in the 2018 Greatwood…

BEN MAHER Tokyo Olympic showjumping champion EVERY stage of this exceptional horseman’s career has been a stepping stone to his crowning moment of glory in Tokyo when he became the new Olympic champion. The Hertfordshire rider revealed that one of the overwhelming emotions he experienced afterwards was relief; the weight of expectation that came with riding the freakishly talented world-beater Explosion W had become almost unbearable in the run-up to the Olympics. But to be able to produce the horse to peak at exactly the right time and to ride him to the best of his ability with the whole world watching was an outstanding achievement. The way Ben outsmarted his rivals in one of the most nerve-racking jump-offs we’ve ever endured made the gold medal a highly deserved accolade.…

REDWINGS PHOENIX THE piebald foal suffered extensive burns in an apparent arson attack in August when he was just five weeks old. Sadly, last week, following months of intensive care, Redwings announced that after a skin graft operation, Phoenix did not recover from the general anaesthetic. As we had already chosen Phoenix as a contender for this award, we have left him on the shortlist to honour his memory and to highlight his plight and the work done by rescue centres. Phoenix was initially treated at Lingfield Equine Vets, before going to Redwings Horse Hospital in Norfolk, supported by his foster mum Mildred. “Despite everything he’d been through, Phoenix was a bright and affectionate pony who adored cuddles,” says Redwings’ Stephanie Callen. “Although almost entirely covered in bandages, Phoenix loved…

BETH REVILL BETH, 25, is a freelance groom who escorted the British Paralympic horses on theirjourney to Belgium for their flight to the Tokyo Games. She became a groom while studying at university. Career highlight: Beth also escorted the Paralympic horses to Belgium for the Rio Paralympics, but says the Tokyo airport run trumped that. “Tokyo was so special because with Covid nobody really knew if it was going to happen,” she says. Her top tip: “Being super-organised. If we’re at a competition, I have a whiteboard where I set everything out in a special order.” A horse special to Beth? “Sophie Wells’ Tokyo ride Don Cara M. He’s just such a nice person.” TILLY HUGHES TILLY, 22, works for eventer Laura Collett and was her travelling groom for the…

LOWRI ANGHARAD LOWRI, 35, started riding aged four at her local riding school, helping out as much as she could, before owning horses herself. Seven years ago she sustained a serious ankle injury in a fall, and was advised not to ride again. Her involvement with horses is now through her daughter and as training officer for the Dyffryn Paith Riding Group in Wales. She is nominated as a “selfless person who stands in sunshine or sideways rain and always has a smile and an encouraging word”. WHY DID YOU BECOME A VOLUNTEER? “There were 12 members when I became involved,” says Lowri. “At the AGM four years ago I was offered the training officer job and I took it on as a short-term thing. We now have 84 members,…

“THE light-bulb moment for me was when we explained the hunting ban to the minister, over heavily paprika-ed goulash,” said Rob Williams, chairman of the multifaceted Surtees Society after our meeting with the Hungarian secretary of state, Dr Zoltán Kovács. “Dr Kovács shook his head in utter bewilderment that Britain, whose hunting tradition the Hungarians have always admired, should be destroying its own cultural heritage. “I saw then that explaining our sport – educating people, openly making the case like this nation was doing – was what we needed to do to turn the tide. When he said, ‘It’s a vote-winner,’ my jaw dropped, because of course it is.” The Hungarian ambassador, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, had been a guest speaker at the Surtees Society annual dinner at the Carlton Club in…

PIETER DEVOS put in a tremendous performance with new ride, the 14-year-old mare Mom’s Toupie De La Roque (pictured) at their first show together. This Kannan daughter performs without shoes or front boots and the Belgian rider only stepped her up to Saturday’s 1.60m grand prix after his top mare Claire Z was sidelined. “She’s just an amazing horse – I’ve known her for only two weeks but she has an unbelievable mentality,” he said of the mare, a previous winner for Julien Epaillard, including the World Cup qualifier at Olympia in 2017. “She’s very sweet and so nice, it’s unbelievable. She really tries in the ring and her performance was great, but the feeling I had in such a short time was even more satisfying-we clicked straight away, but…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Bicton Arena (3), Devon BARNIE BROTHERTON and the aptly named Cash Casino found themselves in the money when they scooped the £800 first prize from Bicton’s Rathbones CCI3*-S, plus they led a charge of other under-20s who additionally nabbed the cash in two of the three two-star sections. Beating runners-up Dani Evans and Velma by a country mile, a nonplussed Barnie commented: “I hoped we’d do well, but I never expected to win. My horse has a splint that keeps flaring up and he had several months off, only doing three events before Bicton.” The 18-year-old joined Harry Meade’s team at the beginning of 2020 as part of the Haddon Training Advance Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence, and Barnie credited Harry as being instrumental in his recent run of…

CHARLOTTE ROWE scored a treble at Bovington (2) with Langaller Star Maker (pictured) in the open novice, Harthill Samba in BE100 section A and Irish Quinn in the BE90open. “I was particularly pleased for Harthill Samba and his owners, Peter Appleford and John Bevan, because he had been a runner-up three times this season,” said Charlotte of the five-year-old gelding. The striking coloured stallion Llangaller Star Maker, who is owned by Charles Upham, has similarly been bridesmaid on two recent occasions. He was enjoying a confidence-boosting spin around Bovington’s hills before heading to Bicton for the CCI2*-L the following week. Charlotte’s third winner, Irish Quinn, was bought by his owner Rosemary Penn on the strength of an internet advert. “He was definitely worth the punt, though,” said Charlotte. “He’s big…

“I FELL in love with him as soon as I saw him, and I said, ‘We’re buying him, whatever happens, ’” National Hunt champion trainer Nicky Henderson says, recalling the moment that he and “Minty” (bloodstock agent David Minton) glimpsed the bay with the perfect diamond star and one white sock at the Goffs Land Rover Sales in 2013. “He was – and is – a good-looking horse, very athletic, with a good walk and a lot of presence.” For €60,000 (“not cheap, but not stratospheric and in hindsight a bargain!”) the three-year-old that would become the recordbreaking Altior was theirs. On 13 September this year, Nicky announced the retirement of this “very, very special horse”. And what a ride it was in those intervening eight years. There was logic…

EXPERTS should decide on priorities and the right approach for education of owners, and ensure consistent messages are given out to increase the likelihood of better horse welfare. Speaking as part of the 2021 International Society for Equine Science (ISES) conference (20-22 October), David Marlin considered the challenges in “preaching further than the choir and congregation to improve horse welfare”. Dr Marlin, who has published more than 200 scientific papers on a range of equine topics, set out different causes for compromised welfare: poverty, ignorance, accidental, unavoidable and deliberate. He explained that poverty can be in terms of finances or facilities, and arrogance can be, for example, a rider saying he does not believe a certain practice is harmful despite evidence. He separated accidental and unavoidable, as the first could…

DIANE JORDAN THE breeder, showing producer and judge died on 2 October, aged 69, following a long illness. Mrs Jordan’s (pictured, above) showing career started from Woodlands Farm, Sweetshouse, in Cornwall. She and older brother David Kellow swept the board locally and nationally with show ponies produced under the expert eye of their parents, Loveday and Douglas. Mrs Jordan was awarded a hunting whip, aged nine, as best rider at the Royal Richmond Horse Show, but Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) remained her favourite time of year. She first stamped her mark with Shalbourne Lindy Lou when they stood second in the 13.2hh riding pony class. In 1974, she married John Jordan and moved to Moortown Farm on Dartmoor. From here she continued helping her father produce and show…

TECH to “dispel controversies” and protect volunteer judges will be introduced for all point-topoint finishes this season. Judges will have access to slowmotion footage of horses crossing the finish at all courses. It is hoped this will help with close results. “These [pictures] will be provided by the iPad Pro with slo-mo at 240 frames per second, the equivalent of less than 10cms forward movement a frame,” said Point-to-Point Authority (PPA) chief executive Peter Wright. “It will be easy to check quickly and for stewards to look at. Footage will be sent to the PPA and BHA [British Horseracing Authority] with the latter having the right to change the result if required, as under Rules.” Mr Wright said participants will have the right to object to race results, but “it…

EXPLOSION W, SHOWJUMPER 12yo Dutch-bred gelding, Chacco-Blue x Baloubet Du Rouet RIDER: Ben Maher OWNERS: Charlotte Rossetter, Pamela Wright and rider BREEDER: W Wijnen ONCE in a while, a horse comes to the fore with a talent so breathtaking, scope that is seemingly unlimited and an overriding instinct to win, but uber-horse Explosion W has taken these attributes to a whole new level. This phenomenal gelding’s rider Ben Maher describes him as “not normal” – “the best I’ll ever ride”. Who will ever forget the manner in which The BFG, as he is known at home, seemingly sprouted wings with his Frankel-esque turn of speed to topple five world-class combinations and win Olympic gold in Tokyo? “I’ve had many good horses in my career, but I won’t ride another one…

BRITAIN’S TEAM PARA GOLD IN Tokyo, Britain’s Paralympic team were the underdogs for the very first time in the history of the sport. Since equestrianism’s inclusion in the summer Paralympic Games in 1996, Britain had won every single team gold. However, defeat to the Netherlands in the European Championships in 2019 coupled with the Brits fielding young and inexperienced horses meant that the pressure was off in Japan. But the team of Sir Lee Pearson, Sophie Wells and Natasha Baker pulled it out of the bag once again, delivering massive personal bests just when it mattered to beat the Dutch by just 0.656%. Sophie, who rode the championships debutant Don Cara M, said: “We had no idea or expectation because we genuinely didn’t think [gold was possible]. We just went…

SAM DRACOTT LOCATION: Surrey and Hampshire “I GOT into farriery as my mum used to do driving trials and that got me started in Pony Club and then eventing,” says Sam, who has 1.6m TikTok followers. “I knew I wanted a hands-on career involving horses, where every day is different. I really enjoy shoeing horses for polo and dressage, and I love a remedial shoeing challenge. “One horse that stands out for me had chronic laminitis with severe rotation of the pedal bone. I used hydroplastic imprint shoes and Equi-Pak pads to correct the bone alignment. It’s taken six months but it’s really satisfying to see the horse being ridden again after a long road of remedial shoeing.” A HAPPY CLIENT SAYS: “Sam is an all-round fantastic farrier in all…

STONELEIGH FOUNDED: 1968, originally set up for British Horse Society employees being relocated from their offices in Belgrave Square to the new base on the Royal Showground at Stoneleigh where the National Equestrian Centre was being constructed. NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 77 CLUB’S ETHOS: “We run an annual long-format two-day event, with 2021 being the 20th, incorporating roads and tracks and steeplechase, alongside the normal three phases. “We welcome members of all abilities and help to develop their skills and the enjoyment they get from their horse, whether that’s from our weekly training sessions, Area Five British Riding Clubs [BRC] competitions, or all the way to national championships. We also enjoy social and educational evenings, in which all members, friends and relations are welcomed. ONE HAPPY MEMBER: “This is a proper…

Berkeley, Hystfield, Glos FOX GRANT DOT COM took the first open qualifier for the national championship at the Berkeley team chase, the squad having scooped the season’s first three events at intermediate level. The Berkeley track makes use of the wonderful undulating ground at Hystfield, now home to event rider Daisy Berkeley, who competed in the hunter trial section with 10-year-old daughter Mary. It includes an impressive section of switchback hedges with drops followed by a dog-leg, and this proved influential. Yvonne Goss was back at the helm for Fox Grant Dot Com, riding for the first time in a number of years alongside son and racehorse pre-training specialist Jamie, as well as Phil Nichols and Anna Stone. They set off at a hot pace, Anna’s Boyce being carried past…

Aintree International Equestrian Centre Winter Classic, Merseyside JESSICA HEWITT landed the AW Jenkinson grand prix with the talented Kann Be Lucky, a horse surprisingly still eligible for Foxhunter who ticks all the boxes. “He’s a superstar, honest, brave and careful,” said Jessica on the Kannan x Touchdown nine-year-old bought three years ago. Thirty-four competitors faced course-designer Raf Suarez’s 13-fence 1.40m track but only seven returned clear rounds. “It was well-built, tricky enough without being horrendous. The faults came all over the course but it’s quite tight in there after jumping outside all summer,” said Jessica, who contested both Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) Foxhunter and talent seekers finals. Paul Barker set the opening standard on the consistent Green Grass but Jessica wiped 1.31sec with tighter lines, and held onto…

TWO delightful home-produced ponies, ridden by 10-year-old twin sisters Evanthe and Tabitha Hughes, each had their spin in the limelight – and competed against each other in the second day’s final reckoning. Tabitha kicked off the family’s run on day one when partnering the charming palomino Welsh pony Towergate First Impression (Cracker; pictured, above left) – tiny tots worker champion here last year on the family’s Heritage debut – to win the 55cm training and novice cradle stakes classes before landing the novice mini worker title and overall mini supreme. “This is a very sweet pony – anyone would be happy to put their grandchildren on it,” was judge Pat Pattinson’s summing-up of Cracker who, now 11, has been with the family for five years. He comes from an illustrious…

THE pandemic scuppered Eneya Jenkins’ plans to return to her home in America, where she has lived since the age of three, last year so she rerouted to the UK and based herself at Chedington Equestrian. She then capitalised on a season of competitive outings to finish at the head of the 80-strong WH Bond CCI2*-L. Recording her first international win aboard Sankro (pictured), the 19-year-old daughter of British financier Roger Jenkins and his Bosnian-born former wife Diana, said: “I was in Croatia at the beginning of 2020 with my family and while Covid meant that we couldn’t get back to the US, I’d also lost a horse [Lawtown Boy] while I was away and, not wanting to return to an empty stall, I thought I’d give eventing a go…

AN Irish Sport Horse rescued as a youngster was crowned Coloured Horse and Pony Society novice silver champion and finished runner-up in the elementary bronze. “He was in such a bad way at the time that we weren’t sure he would survive the lorry journey home from Ireland,” said Rowena Mottershead, who owns and rides Spirit XIV. “With a lot of vet treatment and plenty of good grass, he was later ready to be backed and started.” Now 11, Spirit has been with Rowena through her GCSEs and onwards, as she completes her final year of accountancy qualifications. “He’s the first horse I’ve properly produced and we’ve grown together,” she said. “We’re now training at medium, with Nick Lawson.” AGAINST THE ODDS…

NIGEL TWISTON-DAVIES had a good start to his Cheltenham season with a winner each day thanks to Guard Your Dreams (pictured, red/black cap) on Friday and the potentially smart I Like To Move It, who sprinted up the hill in the Mastersons Holdings Hurdle to beat Tritonic 3¼ lengths. The trainer was quick to liken I Like To Move It to The New One, his best hurdler. The four-year-old by Trans Island was just below very top level in bumpers but finished in the top 10 at Cheltenham in March. He started off over hurdles at Worcester but this was quite a step up in class. Sam Twiston-Davies, his jockey, described him as “scary good because he’s done a lot wrong and still won”. His father added: “We always hoped…

THERE is nothing quite like riding your first winner at Cheltenham, as Jersey-born amateur Victoria Malzard discovered when Kansas City Chief won the Pertemps Qualifier (pictured, blue/yellow silks). “He is just such a dude,” said the jockey. “He takes everything out there in his stride. He was just a steering job. He loves his jumping. He’s taking on every single hurdle out there and the more he jumps the more he takes me along. “I grew up in Jersey and my mum [Alyson Malzard] is a 15-time champion trainer over there, so it’s quite a head-start I’ve got! I’ve ridden three winners on the Flat but I’ve been with Neil [Mulholland] for a while and it’s my third winter here so it’s great to get one on the board. “He…