Innholdsfortegnelse for 17-Feb-2022 i Horse & Hound

I’LL admit to being one who was happy to hear trailer tests were being scrapped by the Government in 2021. I passed my driving test after 1997 – and despite doing so the first time with two minor notes, the thought of taking another driving test to be able to pull a trailer has brought me out in a cold sweat ever since. I’ve gratefully relied on lifts from friends and family for decades, unless taking my own horses out in a little lorry I was legally allowed to drive. But that’s not to say I’ve since rushed out to buy a trailer and hit the roads without doing any sort of training. Why not? Our parents all did it after all. But in my role I see all the…

ENABLE The superstar mare gave birth to her first foal, a colt, by Kingman on 11 February. Juddmonte’s eight-year-old dual Arc heroine, trained by John Gosden, retired in 2020 after 15 wins, including 11 Group One victories. CUTE GIRL The 2021 seven-year-old eventing world champion, formerly partnered by Australian Olympian Kevin McNab for Scuderia 1918, has been sold to the US. Hallie Coon, 26, takes on the Coventry x Clearway mare. NEWTON VAMOUCHE The four-year-old mare by Valverde, out of young horse world champion Woodlander Farouche, bred by Alison Walton, has been sold by Elite Dressage to join young British rider Alexander Harrison’s string.…

1) What year was the first traceable use of “point-to- point” used in reference to a horse race? 2) Barry Geraghty steered Moscow Flyer to all bar one of his 26 victories; which other jockey won on him? 3) Name the first male showjumper to win the Queen Elizabeth II Cup after it opened up to both sexes. 4) Name Justine ArmstrongSmall’s late working hunter who won the supreme at HOYS in 2003. 5) Name the horse – and year – on whom Jennie Loriston-Clarke won her first of eight national championship titles. Answers from 10 February 1) Björsells Briar 2) Noel Edmonds 3) Pat Taaffe (four wins) 4) Battleship 5) Purple.…

IN October 2018, mother and daughter Linda and Hannah Atkinson achieved the ambition so many breeders strive towards when they put their first mare in foal - to win at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) with a home-bred pony. Their victor was the Welsh section C gelding Danwood Llewellyn (Lewi) who, when ridden by Linda, stormed his breed class before clinching the overall reserve mountain and moorland (M&M) ridden pony of the year sash. It was a dream come true for the North Yorkshire-based family and the triumph cemented that knowledge, dedication to a breed and striving for quality over quantity is the recipe for success. This year marks 20 years since Danwood was founded, and since its humble beginning, the stud has produced Welsh ponies across the…

IF you are looking to buy a horse, where do you go? The back pages of H&H of course; perhaps searching “horses for sale” online, or through word of mouth? There is another way. Although it might seem old-fashioned, horse and pony sales still exist throughout the country and they attract horse lovers of all types – some there to buy, some simply looking for a day out with a difference. “I was 12 when I first went to a Welsh horse and pony auction, and the atmosphere is something that you never forget,” says Natalie Wilson, who runs a showing yard. “There is usually something for everyone, from foals right through to top HOYS [Horse of the Year Show] standard ridden.” Some might question why you would go to…

PIPPA FUNNELL and Supreme Rock need no introduction – their Rolex Grand Slam alone speaks for itself – but perhaps less well known is the fact that Supreme Rock enjoyed regular acupuncture treatments. “He never had any kind of veterinary interventions like joint injections,” says his owner Emma Pitt. “In fact, the only complementary therapy he had throughout his career was acupuncture. He loved his treatments, and I think they helped keep him supple through his back.” Indeed, Supreme Rock’s winnings from Chatsworth in 2000 were used to fly his acupuncturist, Dietrich von Schweinitz, out to the Sydney Olympics to treat him. Dietrich has called for acupuncture to become a standard part of an integrated medical – and veterinary medical – care system.…

WHEN the good words were being said by the vicar who had come to bless the hounds, I pinched myself a bit. A parson in the pack reminds us how dotty the ban on hunting really is: it physically shows where the parish hounds sit in the rural community gathered around them; it illustrates how the bowed head of the hunt supporters’ club treasurer is also the bowed head of the church warden; it reminds us of the social interaction woven only around hunting – from hunt skittles leagues to whist drives to farmers’ suppers and new country opened after communion. It brings to life what might now be termed a massive national “support network”, one that is delivered in twice-weekly chats and cups of tea, as country is cleared…

DESPITE getting loose in the car park and only having five minutes to warm up, Dalcotes Ceaser Guerini scored a double prelim win for owner Kelly Raymont at Duchy College, Cornwall. The six-year-old Connemara/thoroughbred escaped while being tacked up, and it took 15 minutes to catch him. “This was his first time out since October and only having five minutes to warm up wasn’t ideal, but luckily he behaved in the test,” said Kelly, who bought the gelding as a yearling and produced him herself. “He’s going to Prestige for the regionals in a month and after that we’ll try and get the prelim points for the Area Festival summers. He also does riding club teams and has qualified for the intermediate championships in April.”…

Aintree International EC Area Festival, Liverpool SIXTH-FORM student Zennor Harvey landed her first nationals ticket when heading prelim 19 with 72.22% and novice 23 with 69.44% riding her seven-year-old Hanoverian gelding Goodfella Gio. “Gio also events to BE100 and I’d like to move up to novice, but he is dressage-bred and my dressage coach Samantha Morrison is trying to turn me into a dressage rider.” “I struggled with nerves last year, so I did some affiliated dressage and it took off from there,” said Zennor, who has owned the gelding since July. Despite a lack of show practice, and a 4am start, Jenny Ainscough and Showstar won the inter I with 65.29% to earn their festival ticket. Jenny bought the 12-year-old by Showmaker six years ago. “It wasn’t my best…

Exeter Racecourse, Devon ON our way to Cheltenham, thoughts turned to Aintree with the announcement on Tuesday at the Rum Warehouse in Liverpool of the weights for the Randox Health Grand National. While most trainers have been protecting the rating of their potential National runners while the handicapper has had his calculator out, Charlie Longsdon ran extraordinary grey mare Snow Leopardess in the Virgin Bet Mares’ Chase at Exeter on Sunday to try to ensure she makes the cut. She went into the race on 145, a rating that would have given connections sleepless nights about whether or not she’d get in the National – it is around the cut-off point. But she ensured she will get a run now by beating Momella 12 lengths as conditions – heavy ground…

IF the College Valley Field is dominated by retired men leading their best lives and hunting every day that they can, the Tynedale – down in the south of the county – teems with fearless hunting ladies of the old school. We’re talking a no-nonsense attitude, encyclopaedic sporting knowledge and immaculate horsemanship all wrapped up in a smart navy coat. Is it just me or were there more of this special breed on the hunting field years ago? Or was it simply that they loomed large in childhood? Heaven forbid if you galloped past a faller or cut someone up at a fence. A rollicking from one of those ladies was something you never forgot. My friend Sophie and I were down there for a day in the north of…

Edited by Eleanor Jones Share your news story Call 01252 555021 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @jones_eleanor_ WELFARE experts are “mystified” by Horse of the Year Show’s (HOYS) decision to remove qualifying classes from the Great Yorkshire Show (GYS) after the latter stood firm on rider size. The GYS (12-15 July) will not hold qualifiers for the show hunter pony, children’s riding pony, lead-rein pony of hunter type, plaited lead-rein or first ridden finals. The move is a result of a rule brought in by the GYS last year, which means animals can only be ridden by the riders entered to compete with them in certain classes. A substitute rider may only ride the animal outside the ring if he or she is eligible in age to compete in the same class. This…

NOMINATE YARD OF THE YEAR H&H and SEIB have joined forces to recognise the country’s top yards in the SEIB Insurance Brokers Yard of the Year Awards. There are categories for riding schools, livery yards and Riding for the Disabled Association centres plus, this year, competition centres. SEIB marketing manager Nicolina Mackenzie said: “SEIB has insured livery yards and riding schools for decades and is proud to support the industry with these awards. We are excited to have H&H on board.” H&H editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins added: “So many professionals and volunteers in the horse world work tirelessly and could not be more deserving of wider recognition.” • To nominate, visit seib.co.uk/yard-awards HERPES PROBE STILL ONGOING AN FEI investigation into the 2021 European EHV-1 outbreak is continuing. The outbreak began a year…

Olympic showjumper Holly Smith was third on her hunt-race debut in the Golden Button, on Gold De Riverland, a six-year-old bought to showjump. Report p42. Former advanced rider and event horse owner Mark Sartori is British Eventing’s (BE) new chairman. Mark said BE must “improve”, “become more affordable” and grow membership. Australian Olympic eventer Sam Griffiths is now head coach for the New Zealand team, as he steps back from competing at the highest level. Sam said he is “really looking forward to it”. Dressage rider Lara Butler enjoyed a good start to 2022, finishing second in the Le Mans CDI3* grand prix special. She scored 70.17% on the Bechtolsheimers’ gelding Kristjan. New farrier Pip Rowland received two Worshipful Company of Farrier awards; the David Llewellyn prize for best theory…

GOOD WEEK ▲ TREES A rider whose horse took a diversion to avoid a wet bit of ground ended up pretty much in a tree, then on the ground thanks to a rather large branch. Could she have made a trunk call for help, one wonders? Or just taken a bough… ▲ LABELS A rider wearing a new pair of oh-so-soft trousers found when she got home that a label had proved its stickiness by still being stuck to them. Luckily, said label had got stuck to the inside rather than the outside of the trews as it declared: “Touch me”. Eek. ▲ GROWTH Scammer of the week award goes to he who is selling a donkey that’s apparently 29in tall at the moment but is expected, says he, to…

IT seems unfair that countries with few or no participants in any international horse sport should have a vote on the rules of such events (news, 27 January). Whether weighted voting is the answer is debatable. The FEI General Assembly has done horse sport a great disservice by admitting – as full voting members – those countries who don’t have much of a national equestrian sport ecosystem. But one alternative would be to classify such countries as candidate non-voting members of the FEI. And only after those countries had met the national standards could they be considered as full voting members of the FEI General Assembly. The candidate members could have their own assembly, which would meet with the General Assembly to vote on issues peculiar to candidates. There they’d…

• Katie Jerram-Hunnable suggests starting out by working horses on the lunge over poles, so they learn to lengthen and shorten their stride without a rider on board. “Encourage length to begin with,” she advises. • Damian Hallam’s favourite exercises sound simple, but actually take quite a lot of skill and effort to perform well: “Riding 10m circles makes the horse self-regulate his balance, and shoulder-in is a great engagement exercise. They have stood the test of time.” • Katie likes to practise changing paces within the trot and alternating sitting and rising trot to help with this: “You want the horse to learn to switch between paces within the trot and to learn the difference in feel with your riding position. Make sure you remain relaxed in your seat…

catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 The Equestrian Notice Board Golden Button, Town Street Farm, Glos ROWAN COPE and Arthur triumphed in an eventful edition of the Ledbury’s Golden Button hunt race, meaning the valiant ex-racehorse has won the “triple crown” of the Melton Hunt Club Ride, the Harborough and the Golden Button. The 13-year-old son of Old Vic has now been retired with eight hunt ride wins. “I cannot tell you what he means to our family. Last weekend he was hunting at the Maidwell School with our daughter Edie on the leading-rein,” said Quorn joint-master Rowan, for whom this was a long-awaited victory. The pair were second past the post, however. Becky Smith and Important Moment, winners of the Bicester with Whaddon Chase’s Silver Spur race last spring, finished six lengths in…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald CSI2* Keysoe, Beds JOE WHITAKER fired a warning shot across the bows with victory in the 1.40m on Kathleen Tansey and Linda Montgomery’s Icaterina. Less than 24 hours later, the pair claimed the feature grand prix by the tiniest of fractions in an exciting jump-off. “It’s tough to win the speed class and come back to win the grand prix the next day, it just shows the quality of Icaterina’s brain,” said Joe. “The speed was her focus class; I had had Hulahupe JR lined up for the grand prix but as less than 50 were entered, you were allowed to ride two and we wanted to jump a solid round for experience. We’re delighted, and she’s ready to step up again now.” Thirty-eight competitors faced the technical…

TWENTY-YEAR-OLD Appaloosa gelding Beano proved age is just a number when winning elementary 43 with 72.93% and finishing runner-up with 71.03% in elementary 53 under owner Charlotte Baldwin at Aintree. Charlotte has owned the stunning gelding for five years. “He’s unreal,” said Charlotte. “He’s worth his weight in gold – I’d never done dressage before I got him so he’s taught me everything I know.” Charlotte says she keeps Beano’s training sessions to a minimum to try to maintain him. “I don’t want to keep riding him until he breaks – he’s very opinionated so will let me know when he’s had enough – but me and my trainer Lisa Marriott agree that he is getting better with age,” she said. “You can’t miss him at shows – he’s pure…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald Newbury Racecourse, Berks FORTUNE AND GLORY booked his place in next month’s Champion Hurdle when he carried a big weight to victory in the Betfair Hurdle, the most valuable handicap hurdle in Europe, on Saturday. Beyond the unbeaten reigning champion Honeysuckle, to whom Tom Lacey’s seven-year-old will have to concede the 7lb mares’ allowance, it looks an open Champion. Appreciate It will go straight there, not having raced this season, Sharjah is out and any number of horses, including Fortune And Glory, have each-way chances, especially as he stays further than two miles. Stan Sheppard, who rode him, is having a break-through season, having won the Welsh National on Iwilldoit and now the Betfair. His timing was perfect, sending on the seven-year-old two out when he was travelling…

Edited by Gemma Redrup gemma.redrup@futurenet.com @gemmaredrup Berwickshire, Friars Haugh, Borders THE Coward string were in commanding form to score a hat-trick at the sole point-to-point fixture left standing, after waterlogged ground forced the cancellation of Buckfastleigh and Howick. The yard kicked off with a double in the opening two maidens and closed the card with victory in the restricted. Tom Cody, named after the famous huntsman, set the ball rolling with a comfortable win under John Dawson in the 4,5&6yo maiden. “He’s a really lovely horse – he’s taken a long time to come into himself and the penny has just dropped,” said Jacqueline Coward. The six-year-old, by Morozov, recently underwent wind surgery for a “very strange” abscess in his throat, which has made a “massive difference”. “Owner Ian Wilson…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. @ horseandhound instagram.com/horseandhound facebook.com/horseandhound A MANNERLY HOUND CHECK out hound Mayday (below) at a meet of the Lauderdale Hunt. She’s sitting very politely, waiting to see if our host might spare a sausage roll. Heather Runciman Lauder, Berwicks LEGS, NOT SPURS LIKE a lot of people, I had time on my hands during the past couple of lockdown years, so I’d scroll down any equestrian topics on my computer. And I happened upon some showjumping involving tiny people on tiny ponies. I was absolutely appalled to see that the majority of them were using spurs. Most of the ponies were super-hot, possibly because of the spurs or just because they were keen, but they certainly did not…

polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 IT’S been interesting to follow the emergence of Dressage Circle over recent weeks on Facebook. Billed as “a new club for dressage enthusiasts”, it’s offering seven levels of competition and an inaugural annual championship at Onley Grounds in July. Dressage Circle Limited’s founding directors are former British Dressage (BD) judges’ director Jo Graham and IT expert Dominic Booth. As many wait with baited breath for its website to be unveiled, revealing exactly how they intend to revolutionise dressage competitions, riders from intro level to an ex-international have expressed their enthusiasm about it to me. “Many feel BD is more focused on the top end of the sport; I fear that the bottom may well jump ship” But to replicate the infrastructure that’s taken BD years to develop is…

Need to know WILLOWAY FREE SPIRIT Stable name: SpiritBreed: New ForestSex: stallionHeight: 143cmBreeding: by Peveril Peter Piper out of Mercury AmyAge: 20Owner-rider: Laura AveryBreeder: Maria LargeBest results: mountain and moorland (M&M) working hunter; two-time Royal Three Counties champion, Derbyshire festival champion, New Forest and Hampshire champion, Cheshire County reserve champion, Moreton-in-Marsh champion, Stoneleigh Horse Show champion, National Pony Society (NPS) novice final champion, NPS intermediate final champion, 2nd Royal International final (all 2018), 1st and reserve HOYS (2021). In-hand; New Forest and Hampshire supreme of show, NPS summer championships New Forest breed champion and overall M&M supreme. Flat; best of breed Olympia (2007), five-time HOYS ridden finalist. Eventing; Mitsubishi Motors Cup Badminton BE90 grassroots champion (2017). “He gave me the ride of my life that day and winning was a…

BOSTOCK HOUSE Stanthorne, Cheshire For you: an imposing six-bed country house dating from the 19th century with substantial gardens and grounds of around 6.5 acres. There is also a two-bed apartment. For the horses: there are six brick-built looseboxes, a timber foaling box and livestock pen. There is also a timber three-bay stable, outbuildings and a 20x40m sand and rubber manège with floodlights. The area has great equestrian links, situated close to Somerford Park, Kelsall Hill and racing at Chester and Bangor-on-Dee. Stable yard is available by separate negotiation. £995,000 or £1.1m (including equestrian facilities) Fisher German, 01565 757970, fishergerman.co.uk BARTON HILL HOUSE Shutford, Oxon For you: a stone-built house constructed in 1994, with four cottages and formal gardens. The main house has six bedrooms, and there is an indoor…

TO Herefordshire – in May, one of England’s most beautiful counties – for the farriery final exams. As a veterinary examiner, I will work with two senior farriery examiners. Successful candidates will receive the Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers and will then be legally qualified to work on their own. I nose my car between the cider orchards on each side, now weighed with an explosion of pale pink blossom, with the River Wye sweeping silently to my left. Herefordshire and Ludlow College’s farriery school is located in the village of Holme Lacy, a place with an almost Shakespearean feel. I pass small wooden-framed houses that lean outwards onto the main street, houses that have watched passers-by since the Middle Ages. “I am in awe of this small…

BEN TOWNLEY was building his first indoor CSI courses following his recent promotion to FEI level three, and was ably assisted by Mark McGowan. Subtle questions in the grand prix caught riders unawares. Several met problems with the penultimate combination of verticalvertical-oxer followed by a turn away from the gate to the final vertical which caught others. “The courses were good all three days but the grand prix was a clever course by a talented course-designer; the fences came down everywhere,” assessed Joe Whitaker. “The line of oxer to double before an oxer then combination opened the horses up and you needed a scopey horse to jump the combination at the end. It wasn’t a gutbuster – they were nice distances – but the fences were cleverly placed.” COURSE-DESIGNER’S CORNER…

polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 Vale View Winter Regional, Leics LAURA COOPER and Woodlander Roxanne danced their way to victory in the elementary silver music with 73.07% before earning runner-up spot in the elementary 59 silver to claim two tickets to the winter championships. Laura has owned the 14-year-old mare by Woodlander Rockstar for five years and trains with Kate Cowell and Rui Campeao. “She always surprises me,” said Laura, who is a regional manager and feed advisor at TopSpec. “She is just an amazing mare and my horse of a lifetime.” This will be the pair’s third trip to the championships. “We’ve been to the nationals before, but on wild cards, so to come and get two direct qualifications in one go was amazing,” added Laura. Emma Jablonski also enjoyed a double…

Prestige Equestrian Area Festival, Glos FORMER show horse Stanley Grange Heir Supreme (Harley) proved his worth between the white boards when landing the elementary silver title with 71.23% under owner Emma Dunkley. Emma has owned the 10-year-old since October 2019. “He hadn’t done dressage before I got him,” said Emma. “He’s very quirky and opinionated, but he’s also lovely with a nice personality.” The pair have been working on their square halts. “We managed to get all our halts today,” said Emma, who trains with Lorna George. “He came out fizzy in the warm-up, but then he settled and felt lovely. It’s rare I come out and feel pleased with our performance – I’m usually my own worst critic, but it just all came together.” A disruption to their show…

AT the start of the season, I am not sure too many people would have thought Edwardstone (pictured) – a decent handicap hurdler without quite setting the world on fire last season – would have gone to Cheltenham as favourite for the Arkle. However, Ireland’s two-mile novice division does not look its strongest, while Alan King’s son of Kayf Tara has become dependable and very solid. First time out, he was brought down, but he has not looked back since winning the Henry VIII by 16 lengths, the Wayward Lad by 10 and Saturday’s Virgin Bet Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick by more than four lengths from Third Time Lucki and Brave Seasca, smart novices in their own right. It was the perfect Cheltenham prep. “I’m delighted and relieved,” said…