Innholdsfortegnelse for 5-May-2022 i Horse & Hound

WELL done to 24-year-old Brit Yasmin Ingham, the youngest in the field at last week’s Kentucky Three-Day Event, who was second with Banzai Du Loir. The horse has impressed many, not least March’s H&H guest editor William Fox-Pitt, who picked the pair as his ones to watch in 2022. Yasmin has wonderful, loyal owners in Sue Davies and Janette Chinn, and there will be many of us looking forward to following this fabulous combination’s progress. Yasmin is just as impressive and “made” for the level as Banzai – the coolest of customers under pressure, even if she admits to not being able to eat for nerves at Kentucky. She’s a journalist’s dream, too – professional and charismatic in all aspects of her role. Here’s to many more five-star placings for…

THE FEI para dressage tests could be renamed, to avoid confusion and bring the discipline into line with others. Amanda Bond, chair of the para equestrian technical committee, led the para dressage rules revision session. She explained how much para dressage has progressed but issued a “call to action” to national federations that do not participate, citing the US, which has “gone from very low levels to success in a fairly short time”. Many of the proposed changes are aimed at growing the sport and ensuring its sustainability. These include a “more progressive structure of events”, to encourage shows at every level. Each level would have different tests with progressive difficulty and a qualification system. FEI dressage, para dressage and vaulting director Bettina de Rham added that a review of…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. @ horseandhound instagram.com/horseandhound facebook.com/horseandhound OPERATING ILLEGALLY FURTHER to Pammy Hutton’s comment (opinion, 14 April) about some coaches using their own horses for teaching, this practice is increasing in the UK. When an unlicensed, privately owned horse is used for tuition – delivered by the horse’s owner to a paying client, at any level – not only is it an illegal practice that can carry a prison sentence of up to six months and unlimited fines, it also renders any perceived insurance null and void. Sadly, there are only limited establishments in the UK offering more advanced horses for training, but those of us who do exist spend large amounts of money in order to comply with licensing…

polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 I HAVE just returned from Hagen CDI4* with my hot ginger gelding Fallatijn (Finn), and it struck me that it was the first time I have had the opportunity to compete him in front of a proper crowd in a big atmosphere since he’s been at grand prix level. As much as I love competing at our local national shows as preparation, there is no substitute for that feeling when there is a buzz of a crowd, and the movement and noise that goes with that. I have struggled with Finn in the past when it comes to maintaining relaxation in a way that allows me to show his true potential, and although I was still far from my end goal in Hagen, from a “rideability” point of…

WYATT MEN’S COMPETITION JACKET BY EQUETECH A low-maintenance, machine-washable jacket designed to feel more like a blazer. The Wyatt is made from durable yet technical fabric that includes 6% spandex for stretch and shape retention. Underarm ventilation eyelets ensure airflow, and the jacket also boasts a mesh-lined torso, unlined sleeves and a double-vented back. Available to pre-order. Sizes: 34-46 From £130.50 equetech.com LONG-SLEEVE CREW NECK T-SHIRT BY GINGER & JARDINE Made from lightweight and breathable sustainably sourced bamboo fabric, this practical ye stylish T-shirt will keep you comfortable on the yard or while out hacking. It has been designed with comfort in mind, with a slightly longer length in the body and arms. The bamboo fabric also washes well, without pilling, so you can wear this T-shirt again and again.…

ROYAL WINDSOR is undoubtedly the first show in the diary where showing competition is at its peak. The calibre of animals, both seasoned and novice, is exceptional, with riders using the fixture to gauge if their hopeful stars will in fact reach the heights. In 2013 Allister Hood debuted a four-year-old riding horse who would go on to be one of the most successful show horses of modern times. The horse in question was Annabel Jenks’ bay gelding Diamonds Are Forever (Freddie) who certainly made Windsor “his” show, by scoring the novice class and the section accolade on his first appearance, and winning the overall riding horse championship three more times during his extensive career. “His first win and championship as a four-year-old was the most significant achievement, simply due…

ARALYN BLUE “A grumpy character, who likes her independence but has such a big heart” 11YO SLOVENIAN-BRED MARE BY CHACCO-BLUE OUT OF APIENNE (LUDWIG AS) RIDER: Harry Charles OWNER: Ann Thompson STABLE NAME: Lynny (or Dragon…) ABOUT ARALYN BLUE: a low-mileage former ride of Cian O’Connor, Aralyn Blue (pictured, above) jumped in the world young horse championships as a six-year-old. Harry took the reins in 2020 and the pair stepped up to five-star level at the end of last year. GROOM GEORGIA ELWOOD SAYS: “She’s a unique character. She’s very grumpy, but she’s affectionate towards me, probably because I’m with her the most. I try to leave her alone as much as possible just because when you’re around her too much, that’s when she gets grumpy. She’s just an independent…

ALEX MACLEOD ran out best of the home side’s five first-timers at the level in 17th position, riding her own and her mother Carla’s Newmarket Jack, who they bought in Ireland as a “feral” five-year-old. “If I hadn’t been in Phillip Dutton’s programme at the time, I don’t think we would have turned him around, ” said Alex. Alex graduated from vet school in 2020 and is now doing a diagnostic imaging internship in Los Angeles, to become a veterinary radiologist. Her chief concern in the lead-up to Kentucky was whether she could take the time off work, as she had used up all her leave. Alex jumped clear across country with 11.2 timefaults, saying: “It was scrappy – he’s a scrappy little horse – but he fought the whole…

EMMA THOMAS’S runner-up spot in advanced section F on Rebecca Velarde’s The Buzz Factor was the 22-year-old’s best result to date. “I got him as a five-year-old to aim at the Pony Club Championships, and we won the open eventing finals there [for the Warwickshire Hunt branch] when he was seven,” said Emma. “He was my first proper horse, and he’s been to the novice, intermediate and open national championships. He’s so kind, and forgives me a lot! He’s a real family pet, and loves small children – he’s so gentle with them – but is so scopey and brave. “We’ve made real progress over the winter with our dressage, which hasn’t been our strongest phase. He’s a proper pro now, and if Bramham goes well, I’d like to aim…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald Winter Pony Finals, South View, Cheshire AN on-form Tabitha Kyle secured three titles across the weekend, concluding with an impressive victory on Nightgirl Van Het Sonnishof Z in the Charles Britton winter JA classic final. The majority of competitors jumped clear round Gillian Millner’s 1.25m opening track in this end-of-season showdown, but were faced with a tougher challenge in the deciding phase. Just three of 11 starters produced double clears, with victory going to Tabitha and the 10-year-old Numero Uno mare, as they beat 2021 champion Henry Squibb (Lislan Picola) into second place with a 3.68sec advantage. Tabitha had her top three rides qualified for this final, but jumped just the one pony. Both Gangnam Style II and Atomic Du Bary competed on the first day of the…

DESPITE taking a 23-year hiatus from top-level showing, nurse Rachel Morgans accomplished a dream win, and an RIHS ticket, at BSPS Area 5 in riding horse ranks aboard Melanie Firth and Kathryn Pitts’s eight-year-old mare Rommano Anais Anais (Noo Noo). Team Moore-produced Noo Noo – a multi-champion in-hand and seventh at HOYS as a large riding horse last year – who was providing Rachel with her first ride in horse classes. Rachel enjoyed a career on ponies, but hung up her boots aged 17 to pursue her nursing career. “When the opportunity arose to lease Noo Noo, I jumped at it, ” said Rachel. Rachel has suffered her fair share of personal trauma; in 2017, she fell through a roof, shattering her ankle and left heel. “I couldn’t walk for…

ALLAHO (pictured) was the other stand-out horse of the week. Until the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup, his sole victory over three miles had come in a novice hurdle in February 2019. But with the exception of Cheltenham’s Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard, who was on his summer holidays, he destroyed the best staying chasers around in Britain and Ireland, making all and coming home 14 lengths clear of Clan Des Obeaux and Al Boum Photo. “He didn’t take any prisoners, ” said Mullins. “Paul Townend told me he was going to jump out and I looked at him and he said, ‘Sure he’ll stay, won’t he?’ and I said, ‘Of course he will!’ As it turned out, Clan Des Obeaux was the only one able to stay with him.…

catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 Worcestershire, Upton Warren TEAM Ride Away I played to their strengths with a confident round over a galloping track to win the open at the Worcestershire team chase. Taking advantage of a last draw, they got a great lead from Charlotte Alexander and Saphir Du Rheu, who ran with his ears pricked, eating up the ground. Joe Stevenson had a glance-off at the rails before the water with San Cassiano, but soon caught up with Susannah Stanning (Grouse Lodge) and Luke Bacon (Belmount; see box, right) as they took the tightest of turns around a bale marker at the top of the course. Running back to the big questions in the middle of the course, they made nothing of substantial hedges with ditches first on landing and then…

Share your news story Call 01252 555021 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @jones_eleanor_ “You have to care about horse welfare and quality sport” KEVIN STAUT QUESTIONS hover over key details of how equestrian sports will function at the Paris 2024 Games as the organising committee is not yet in place. Strengthened minimum eligibility requirements (MERs) across all Olympic and Paralympic disciplines and proposed format changes were debated at the FEI sports forum on 25 April. But until an organising team is in place for the FEI to liaise with, information remains scarce regarding accreditations, if and when a test event will run and whether site logistics fit with the proposed timetable. FEI Olympic and eventing director Catrin Norinder told the forum organisers are expected to be finalised by the end of May. Equestrian…

HONEYSUCKLE The eight-year-old retained her unbeaten record with her 16th win, the Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on 29 April, with Rachael Blackmore. The Henry De Bromhead-trained mare has won 12 Grade Ones. VANDIVER US eventer Doug Payne’s Olympic ride has retired from top-level competition, having come fourth in the Kentucky Three-Day Event. The 18-year-old will event at lower levels with Doug’s groom Courtney Carson. MAGIC OF LIGHT The runner-up in the 2019 Grand National has died from a haemorrhage after having her first foal, aged 11. The mare, trained by Jessica Harrington, had nine wins before she retired in 2021. Her filly is with a foster mare.…

MORE riders are having to choose between competing or training – while some events are having to cancel, as the cost of living rise is felt in equestrianiam. H&H has spoken to people across the industry. Verity Daughtrey, who events and showjumps, told H&H fuel costs mean she is competing less. “Recently I went cross-country training, and the 120-mile round trip cost me more than £80 in fuel, ” she said. “When I compete, I want to do well so I pay for training, so it’s a case of spending on lessons and maybe one trip a month. I’m trying to stick fairly local to keep fuel costs down.” The Institute for Government said the “cost of living crisis” refers to the fall in “real income” the UK has experienced…

THE Surrey Hills hosted a celebration of equestrianism as Horseman’s Sunday returned for the first time since 2019. Horses and riders gathered at St Martha-on-the-Hill, along with an on-foot congregation, for a service led by David Oakden. He blessed the horses and presented each with a commemorative rosette. Rev Oakden said: “It was a joy to once again welcome horses and riders to the service. This is an historic annual event that acknowledges the work of the horse from long before cars took over the roads. “It is a rural service and helps bring the community together, so what better way than to celebrate the horse and welcome so many people, their dogs and of course horses and ponies, who all stood so patiently to receive their blessing?…

1) Where are the former winners’ names located in the new Badminton trophy? 2) Who would receive the Laurence Rook Trophy? 3) In what year did Andrew Nicholson make his Badminton debut? 4) One year, “Badminton” was held at a different venue for the European Championships. Where and when was it? 5) Which four riders have won Badminton exactly three times? Answers from 28 April 1) Israel 2) Princess Fair 3) Enable 4) Term used by the bloodstock industry to denote a horse that has won or been placed in a Pattern/ Listed race 5) Arabs typically have fewer ribs, lumbar and tail vertebrae than other breeds.…

Which famous person would you invite to dinner? I reckon Rod Stewart would be right ol’ craic. If you weren’t a rider, what would you be? I seriously considered being an equine vet. How do you handle competition nerves? I count myself really lucky that I don’t tend to get them. Sure I have adrenaline, but nerves don’t affect me too much. What got you into the most trouble as a child? Bunking off school to ride ponies, or to watch the racing with my dad. What’s your favourite place to visit? Ireland (predictable, I know) and I love the South of France. What do you eat for breakfast? I do tend to watch what I eat – I think any sports person does when travelling, otherwise you would just…

AS torrential rain refused to relent during the pageant at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2002 to mark The Queen’s Golden Jubilee, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex were blissfully unaware that the canopy over the royal box was filling with water. “It was like a swimming pool – and it was just about to crash down on them,” recounts show director Simon Brooks-Ward, still horrified at the prospect 20 years on, as he prepares to share his Platinum Jubilee celebration with the world this month. “The only thing we could do was get the disgusting-smelling poo sucker to suck it all out – all while the show was going on – which was brilliant apart from then it started trying to suck up the canopy. It was…

THE QUEEN’S own animals have prevailed at Windsor several times. Her riding pony gelding Whalton Highwayman (Fred, pictured), now 16 and retired from the show ring, and his pilot Kinvara Garner, lifted the part-bred honour on visits to Windsor in 2018 and 2021. “He loved it there because it was so busy, ” explains Kinvara, who has attended Windsor every year since she was born and has ridden to many victories there, including the 2013 show hunter pony championship on Woodview Kadenza. “Fred was a showman and sometimes struggled to concentrate if the atmosphere wasn’t big enough.” The Queen originally approached Kinvara about riding Fred after she witnessed her playing the part of a young Princess Elizabeth in a live performance celebrating The Queen’s 90th birthday aboard Fell stallion Townend…

Essential info WEBSITE • Horse & Hound will be creating extensive online coverage of Badminton in addition to what will be included in the magazine. Coverage will include course photos of the five-star and Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships’ tracks, times for the next day’s competition, breaking news, numerous reports on the action, interviews with grooms and video packages supported by NAF. • To read beyond the paywall after five articles, readers will need to buy a subscription. Visit magazinesdirect.com/XHH-brandsite to buy a Horse & Hound website subscription or, for great value, a combined magazine and website subscription. If you are already a magazine subscriber, the cost to upgrade your subscription to include full website access is minimal – call 0330 333 1113 to find out more. MAGAZINE • 2 May…

JCL Insurance Brokers Kelsall Hill (1), Cheshire TEENAGER Phoebe Hughes and Top Biats scored a pillar-to-post victory in the CCI3*-S. Eighteen-year-old Phoebe, the reigning national under-18 champion, added nothing to her dressage score of 23.6 with George Brooks’ 15-year-old Top Biats. “My sole aim was to get our qualification for Houghton CCI3*-L, so to win was a big surprise,” admitted Phoebe, who will aim to add the under-21 national title to her tally at Norfolk’s flagship three-day later this month. The pair had already finished second in the under-21 open intermediate (OI) at Circencester Park (1) and sixth in the CCI3*-S at Burnham Market (1) prior to Kelsall. “She’s a typical mare but she knows her job”RIO HALL ON GEORGIE GIRL “I’ve spent the winter working on control and trying…

polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 Keysoe Premier League, Beds LARA EDWARDS and the Milner family’s home-bred Jazzed Up (Jazz x Ferro) won their grand prix freestyle debut – on only the horse’s third test at grand prix. “I’ve adored ‘Felix’ from the day I first sat on him as a six-year-old. He’s sharp but super-trainable and always looks to me for confidence, and I feel like I look to him for mine, ” said Lara. “I can’t explain what this win means to me. I’ve wanted to bring him out at grand prix for about eight months but I’m a bit of a perfectionist so I kept finding a reason not to do it. But this weekend has just proved it’s so worth it.” “I can’t explain what this win means to me”LARA…

MORE often known for riding traditional cobs, Sam Wood is now making a splash with former show hunter Little Man AB. The eight-year-old gelding, known as “George”, scored his sixth consecutive plus-70% score and took both novice freestyle and elementary classes – on his first attempt at the level – at Hargate Arena, Derbyshire. “I’m quite a nervous rider and wanted something sensible, ” said Sam, who has been getting to know George since buying him 18 months ago. “He has an incredible brain and an active hindleg. When we go in the ring he doesn’t anticipate – he doesn’t put a foot wrong. “George is going from strength to strength and already showing the talent for grand prix, ” added Sam, a former junior European team reserve rider, who…

alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @aIexrob_journo_ National Pony Society (NPS) Spring Festival, Three Counties Showground, Worcestershire HELEN and Georgia Hanson’s typey Fell gelding Townend Chieftain (Keith) took the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) junior tricolour here, ridden by 14-year-old Harriet Glenn, after coming second in the large breeds class. “Harriet rode her socks off, ” commented Harriet’s mother Nicki Glenn, who has Keith on lease. “Helen approached me at the RIHS [Royal International] last July, but I said we didn’t have room for him, ” continued Nicki. “However, when I saw him trot across the diagonal, I decided to have a rethink. “Over winter, Harriet and Keith have been hunting with the Cranwell Bloodhounds. Harriet has come off a Welsh section A, so Keith is a very different ride. Before the championship [at…

HOYS tickets were on offer for open Connemaras and plaited working hunter ponies at the Northern Ireland Festival. Homeproducer David Wightman headed the former class with his partner Malachy Casement’s bay 13-year-old, Rockfield Blackthorne. “Malachy picked him out of a field of youngstock at Penny Campbell’s Pennans Stud when he was a two-year-old, ” explained David, who pursued hunting with “Conrad” before turning him away as a five-year-old to mature. “I’ve mainly done workers with him, and in the show ring he’s won a lot, but he’s either loathed or loved. “This will be our first visit to HOYS; I’ve never even been on foot before. Baileys Horse Feeds had a life-sized poster of Conrad on their stand last year so I’m pleased he’ll be there in person this time.”…

gemma.redrup@futurenet.com @gemmaredrup Quorn, Garthorpe, Leicestershire BALLINAGORE made it two wins on the bounce for trainer David Kemp and The Oak Partnership when landing the restricted under Alex Chadwick. “He won it well, ” said Alex of the seven-year-old son of Milan, who came home 3½ lengths clear from Outlaw Dream in second. “I’ve ridden him in a race once before now, a year ago, and we fell when we got in close to a ditch, so he’s obviously matured and strengthened up. “He’s quirky, and for a small horse you’d expect him just to pop away, but he’s the opposite and loves to go long. I think he’s learnt his lesson from his fall last year and he’s won this impressively and didn’t miss a beat on perfect ground.” Alex…

LUKE BACON was riding in his first open at the Worcestershire after moving up through the grades this season and got a great spin close behind Charlotte Alexander for the winning Team Ride Away I. He said: “Belmount is a 13-year-old former National Hunt horse who was trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and he’s taken really well to this. I knew it was a big track for a first open, but it makes it easier when your team-mates are flowing on so well.” Previously a Flat jockey, Luke runs a livery and training yard in Berkshire, and Ride Away team boss Sophie Candy has been impressed with his progress. “He was in our winning intermediate team at the Fernie and when I asked him if he’d like to move up to…

HORSEBALL RIDER SUFFERS FATAL FALL TRIBUTES have been paid to a young horseball rider who “adored her sport”. Victoria Percy died as a result of injuries she sustained on 10 April. She was competing at Onley EC when her horse tripped. She was treated on site and taken to hospital, but her condition deteriorated and she died on 13 April. British Equestrian chairman Malcolm Wharton said: “Everyone at British Equestrian joins together to offer our sincere condolences to Victoria’s family, friends and the horseball community. “I understand she was a determined young lady, a fierce competitor and adored her sport. Her loss will be felt by many, but they’ll be united by the memories she leaves.” HARRY HALL HUNTS FOR RDA HORSES HARRY HALL is asking customers and the community…

German Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH set a five-star record by finishing on their 20.1 dressage score in the Kentucky Three-Day Event, from Brit Yasmin Ingham. Report, p54. British eventer James Alliston has switched nationality to compete for the US. James was competing at the Kentucky Three-Day Event but withdrew Paper Jam before the cross-country. Jockey James Doyle won the 2000 Guineas on Coroebus on 30 April, and the 1000 Guineas on Cachet on 1 May. James is the first jockey since Ryan Moore in 2015 to land the double in the same year. Dutch dressage rider Edward Gal is taking a year out from competition. He said he had “enjoyed” riding in competitions for many years but after Tokyo felt that he wanted to take a break. Cheltenham Gold…

GOOD WEEK ▲ DISCIPLINE To the FEI sports forum, where rider Kevin Staut was talking about stable access; children have been seen trying to feed sweets to horses. “It’s complicated for us to manage, ” he said. “You don’t want to shoot them.” Probably not the best option, no… ▲ APPAREL A rider jolted by a friend’s birthday out of wellies and into suspiciously clean jeans bumped into her Muggle brother, who said he couldn’t tell what was different. “Ah, you’re in normal-person clothes, ” he said. Debatable. ▲ POLISH Piggy March shared a picture of her squeaky-clean long boots, ready for Badminton – all six pairs of them. We highly respect this commitment to bootage, and are considering which brands to add to our own collections. Go big or…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle THE talk on Thursday at Kentucky was all about the dressage marking. “I’m pleased with my horse, but gutted with the mark, ” said rider after rider as they fetched up in our mixed zone for post-test interviews. Data analytics company EquiRatings produce a figure called a 6RA, which averages a horse’s past six dressage marks and so gives a ballpark of what score is expected for each combination. Looking at the scores versus 6RAs, there is no doubt the marking was tough. Only three horses – the top three and one other – scored better than their 6RA. On average, horses were five penalties worse than their 6RA on Thursday and 3.2 penalties worse on Friday. The crucial part of judging is consistency, even if everyone is…

IS it possible to cram more into life than Bubby Upton does? When H&H visits her stables, in a flat, wooded area of Suffolk, it’s the week before her Badminton debut and her ride Cola III has just completed his final gallop. Bubby should have finished her university dissertation the previous day, but an extension means it’s now due the day after Badminton. Two major life goals to get right on one weekend. She redresses this apparent setback as a positive. “It will be a welcome distraction during Badminton to have that to work on, ” says Bubby of her thesis, The Opportunities and Challenges that Face the Commercialisation of Eventing in Britain. “It will just be the finishing touches like the cover and bibliography. Otherwise it would be weird…

PARSONAGE FARM Kirtling, Newmarket, Cambs For you: a modernised six-bed farmhouse with lawned gardens and a south-facing terrace, set in a peaceful private location with far-reaching views over its own land. There is a total of 330 acres available to enable an agricultural enterprise to run alongside the existing equine operation. For the horses: the 13-box flint and brick stable yard is set in 37 acres of paddocks on lime-rich soil. A traditional barn contains four foaling boxes, hay and straw storage plus a one-bed office/flat. There is a five-bay horse-walker and lunge ring, and ample space for an outdoor school. £6.225m as a whole, or divided into three lots Longstaff, 01778 420406, longstaff.com BUTTS FARM North Newnton, Pewsey, Wilts For you: a traditional red-brick, thatched Wiltshire farmhouse, dating back…

AS The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery (pictured) thunder into the arena on each night of the pageant, it is just one piece in the jigsaw of Platinum Jubilee celebrations in their calendar this summer. Last month, there was the Royal Salute for The Queen’s birthday in Hyde Park; less than three weeks after Royal Windsor is Trooping the Colour (The Queen’s Birthday Parade) on Horse Guard’s Parade on 2 June; and three days after that is the Jubilee Pageant down The Mall in London. “This really feels like the first big year post-Covid – and with the Jubilee on top,” says Parade Commander Captain Marc O’Dell, who will lead both the King’s Troop’s parade at the pageant and the Salute. “Royal Windsor is the hardest thing that we train…

HORSE & HOUND will be creating extensive online coverage of the 2022 Royal Windsor Horse Show, including reports on all the action, breaking news and expert insight, in addition to what will be included in the magazine report. To read beyond the paywall after five articles, readers will need to buy a subscription. Visit magazinesdirect.com/XHH-brandsite to buy a Horse & Hound website subscription or, for great value, a combined magazine and website subscription. If you are already a magazine subscriber, the cost to upgrade your subscription to include full website access is minimal – call 0330 333 1113 to find out more. • For more information on Royal Windsor Horse Show, visit rwhs.co.uk H&H’S WHAT TO WATCH Thursday – working hunter classes, Castle Arena, 9.30am start Friday – ridden hunter…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle KENTUCKY CCI5* 1st Michael Jung (GER) on FischerChipmunk FRH 2nd Yasmin Ingham (GBR) on Banzai Du Loir 3rd Doug Payne (USA) on Quantum Leap Land Rover Kentucky, presented by Mars Equestrian YASMIN INGHAM and Banzai Du Loir scored a huge result for Britain when, as the youngest rider and joint-youngest horse in the competition, they took second at Kentucky. Yasmin, 24, rode with the composure of a far more experienced rider, but said she was so nervous she’d barely eaten for three days. “Every time I look at something that I would usually like, such as a doughnut, I want to be sick so I’m glad I can finally eat something – I’ve been living on water and energy drinks,” said Yasmin after finishing just two seconds over…

LUCY BUTCHER’S mission to qualify for the BE80(T) championships at Bramham came to fruition at Aspen Cooling Ltd Solihull (1) when she secured top spot with her partner of three years, Minerva Van De Kooldries (Darcy). “I’ve been trying to qualify [for Bramham] since the beginning of the season – we were second at Munstead (1) and fourth at Ascott-under-Wychwood (1) – so it was brilliant finally to win with a week to spare [the qualification cut-off date is the end of April], ” said Lucy, 20, who is currently on a gap year to concentrate on eventing. This was something of an impressive comeback for 10-year-old Darcy, who spent a year on the sidelines when she sustained a minor tendon injury at the end of 2020. “I rehabbed her…

YOUNG horses were out in force, with the international young horse classes particularly impressive. Matthew Burnett and his own, Sue Kirkpatrick and Lucy Jay’s Mackintosh I (Giovanni x Olivi) won in the five-year-old division with over 80%, including a nine for trot. “We bought ‘Apple’ from the Netherlands as an unbroken stallion, from a video. He’s a dream to train but can be sharp to ride. In the test he found enough relaxation to showcase his trot and canter: the difficult international test really gives him the chance to show off his ability to shorten and lengthen. Some tension crept into his walk, so there’s definitely scope for even higher marks, ” said the Herefordshire-based rider. Sarah Millis collected a brace of wins. In the six-year-old division, she posted 87.8%…

FRESCO X braved windy weather at Beaver Hall EC, Staffs, to win both prelims, improving on his first score by nearly 10% to take the second class with 77.88%. “It was his first outing since his first show last year, when he was terrified, ” said Holly Lucas of her mother Julie’s five-year-old gelding, bought as a six-month-old foal from Germany. “When he’s scared he freezes, but we’ve spent the winter hiring arenas and he’s now so much more confident. “He coped like a pro, ” added Holly, who trains with Janet Horswill and runs a small yard. “I think we’ll crack on now.” I OWE IT TO...…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald QIPCO Newmarket Guineas Festival, Cambridgeshire RACING has had a run of feelgood results this spring headlined by Sam Waley-Cohen’s Grand National and Rachael Blackmore’s Gold Cup. Then Newmarket picked up that baton, providing terrific stories to go with winners of both the QIPCO 2000 and 1000 Guineas at the weekend. The pool of people who have won a Classic is pretty small, but a few new names were added this weekend with an emotional James Doyle finally breaking his Classic duck on Godolphin’s Coroebus in the 2000. And while he might liken them to London buses after winning the 1000 a day later, his victory on Cachet provided 30-year-old trainer George Boughey and owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing with their domestic Classic breakthroughs. Coroebus, by Godolphin’s super-sire Dubawi, looked…

martha.terry@futurenet.com @marthaowenorterry British Riding Clubs (BRC) HorseHage and Mollichaff Intermediate Winter Championships, Bury Farm, Beds WARWICKSHIRE HUNT RC added two national titles to their portfolio. They finished first in the senior 90 team showjumping and Imi Long won the overall individual junior dressage title aboard My Clonhaston Coco. The trio of Julie Bateman aboard the 12-year-old Selle Français Arnacoeur Du Brumaus, Olivia Turner with the 10-year-old Connemara Dunmore Star and Suzanne Ross riding the 11-yearold ex-racehorse Toujours Libre came out on top in a jump-off against Penistone RC after both teams finished the two-round competition on 16 faults. “We’re thrilled and very surprised to have won, ” said Julie. “We were on a clean sheet after the first round but knocked several poles in the second so we dismissed it…

THIS area has seen a couple of sad departures in the past six months. First, our much-loved neighbour and former hunt chairman Tom Crosbie Dawson, and more recently Martin Letts, famed master of the hounds here. Both men were big characters in their way; one loud, the other taciturn, one prone to raucous outbursts of laughter, the other the master of the dry one-liner. Both were remembered expertly by their families and all the many friends who came to their memorial services: churches stacked with people, chatting and smiling at long unseen friends across the pews before the services began. I AM not being callous when I say that there is nothing like a good memorial. For me, they are often better than weddings, but maybe that is my age.…