Innholdsfortegnelse for 19-May-2022 i Horse & Hound

THE country is already gripped by Platinum Jubilee fever, with horse sport featuring at the centre of Her Majesty’s celebrations with last week’s “A Gallop Through History” taking place at Royal Windsor Horse Show. The public were as delighted to see The Queen enjoying watching her horses at Windsor on the Friday as Her Majesty appeared delighted to be there watching her beautiful home-bred mare Balmoral Leia win the Horse & Hound mountain and moorland supreme in-hand championship. The mare was described by judge David Puttock as “a lovely native pony with every characteristic she should have”, and at just five years old took the occasion in her stride. She didn’t bat an eyelid at the crowd’s great applause at The Queen’s arrival, was foot-perfect in front of the judges…

SAP HALE BOB OLD Ingrid Klimke’s five-star and gold medal-winning eventer injured a tendon at the World Championship test event in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy. Ingrid said he was injured between obstacles and she pulled up immediately. SHILSTONE ROCKS NORTH WESTERLY Lynda Calcutt’s 15-year-old Dartmoor stallion bowed out at Royal Windsor after winning the Dartmoor inhand championship. “Windy” was shown by Chloe Chubb, who rode him to HOYS wins. SOLADOUN Elizabeth Power’s ride, who she owned with Richard Ames, has retired aged 15. The former racehorse won at four-star, came ninth at Burghley and was withdrawn after a cross-country clear at Badminton 2022.…

A HORSE and rider whose lives were changed by brain tumours are taking on a marathon to help find a cure. Jenny Jones and four-year-old Bertie are to complete the Brain Tumour Research challenge of “jogging” 26.2 miles in May, long-reining or leading. Jenny’s son Calum was 19 when he was diagnosed in 2013. Jenny had decided to take on the challenge when she found out Bertie’s previous owner had died owing to a brain tumour. Calum was diagnosed with a grade one glioma and has since undergone surgery. “He’s just finishing his first year of an engineering degree and I’m so proud of him, ” Jenny said. “But I want this thing gone. I’m doing this for research and maybe one day there will be a machine that can…

1) What was the maiden name of the 2019 Burghley winner? 2) Round, pin and thread are all types of what nuisance that can affect horses? 3) What was the name of the pony who gave dressage star Charlotte Dujardin her championship win in the show ponies at the RIHS in 1996? 4) Name the only mare to win the Champion Chase. 5) This year, Noble Yeats became the first seven-year-old to win the Grand National since when? Answers from 12 May 1) An old oak tree in Badminton Park 2) They have two sets of teeth in their lifetime 3) Marengo 4) Red Panda 5) Vendredi Biats.…

alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ I WAS incredibly honoured to be invited to come over from South Africa to judge at the 2022 Royal Windsor Horse Show for the second time in my career, especially in the jubilee year where there was an added touch of prestige and excitement. I arrived in London at the beginning of the week and, after a day of spectating on Friday, I took to the ring to judge Saturday’s mini show ponies with co-judge Pat Pattinson. These ponies were spectacular, and the lead-reins (Brideswood Prince Regent and Barkway Take That) at the top of the championship were magnificent; easily the best two lead-reins I’ve ever seen. Both ponies shone and Pat and I agreed on our decision immediately. The turnout of combinations in each class was immaculate,…

OWNER SUE BENSON “FALCO came to me in part exchange from dealer Gavin Reilly. I wanted a horse to hack and do a bit of dressage. He said if I knew of anyone with more money, he had a nice horse round the back and showed me Falco. It was a love affair – I took one look and he was mine. “We had a happy six months, winning everything at novice dressage, then he became very sharp and frightened me. I was in my sixties and it was time for him to go somewhere more professional. He did three BE100s with Jesse Campbell and then Tim Price took him on as a seven-year-old. “Out of any five-star winner I’ve known, he’s had the most difficult journey. You could never…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald RESULTS ROLEX GRAND PRIX 1st Gregory Wathelet (BEL) on Nevados S 2nd Max KÜhner (AUT) on Elektric Blue P 3rd Daniel Bluman (ISR) on Ladriano Z Winning owner: Nevados Group Groom: Sylvain Benoît Breeder: Stanislaw Szurik (Poland) Royal Windsor, Windsor Castle, Berkshire BELGIAN rider Gregory Wathelet’s decision to aim his top ride at this CSI5* Rolex grand prix paid off, as his grey stallion Nevados S rose to a particularly challenging track to claim the €125,000 (£106,640) jackpot. “Last week, the horse jumped amazingly in La Baule,” said Gregory, referring to the Belgians’ Nations Cup win there. “I was thinking I would maybe leave him at home and bring another horse here, but he is on super form. “It is a great show and when your horse is…

GEMMA TATTERSALL’S seventh-placed Johan-Some (YoYo, pictured) produced one of the few clears showjumping in the CCI4*-S – unsurprising given that he’s been campaigned in 1.40m international showjumping classes. But Linda Allan’s smart eight-year-old bay, who was making his debut at four-star, is good across all phases and is being produced carefully as a potential championship horse so Gemma didn’t chase him cross-country. She said: “We found him in Ireland as a five-year-old. He was the first we tried and we kept coming back to him. He’s a complete comedian and loves people and being snogged, but he’s also a professional horse who we don’t want to over-run.” The eight-year-old, by KWPN stallion Lexicon, will contest the Hickstead speed derby as part of this season’s campaign, which may conclude with a…

THIS was just Charlotte Dujardin’s third show on the eight-year-old mare Alive And Kicking (Audrey, pictured) since she bought her as a four-year-old. The eye-catching All At Once mare has been campaigned by her employee Charlotte McDowell up to PSG level. “Charlotte’s done a super job,” said Charlotte Dujardin. “Audrey’s quite a hot mare and I thought I needed to have a go and see what she felt like. I’ve ridden her at home, but in the arena she’s so brave and bold, and not fazed by anything. She’s so talented and has so many gears at the moment I have to settle for first or have legs everywhere, but she’s very capable of high marks.” ONE TO WATCH…

Share your news story Call 01252 555021 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com jones_eleanor_ THE return of teams of four, restricting whip use and strict controls on noseband tightness are among the recommendations made by the French government for the Paris 2024 Olympics. A French parliament group has made 46 recommendations for making Paris “a model in terms of equine welfare”. In its introduction, the report refers to incidents at the Tokyo Games, which “triggered some very strong reactions from the media and spectators, with a section of the population asking for a ban of all equestrian competitions from the Olympic Games, considering them to be practices harmful to the wellbeing of horses”. The incidents to which it refers are the euthanasia of Jet Set, who suffered an irreparable injury on the cross-country under…

Former Burghley course-designer Captain Mark Phillips will judge the Burghley Young Event Horse final on 2 September, which takes place during the main five-star event (1-4 September). Dressage rider Annabella Pidgley, 17, won the Hickstead Premier League (12-15 May) inter II and the under-25 grand prix with Gio, the former Olympic ride of Charlotte Dujardin. Report, p62 Eventer Oliver Townend won three FEI classes in two days: Floors Castle CCI2*-S on Finley Du Loir and CCI3*-S on Crazy Du Loir, and the Chatsworth CCI4*-S on Dreamliner. Report, p52. Showjumper Jack Whitaker, 20, is recovering from a spleen injury sustained when he was kicked at a show. Jack hopes to be back in the saddle for the St Gallen Nations Cup (3-6 June). Showman Robert Walker became the fourth rider in…

GOOD WEEK ▲ ACCURACY One was tickled by a photo of a statue in Sydney of a mare and foal. The foal is all prick-eared innocence, its dam is giving what equestrians everywhere will recognise as the Mare Stare, with ears flattened and nostrils flaring. That’s an artist who knows. ▲ WEATHER Anyone heading to the BS national champs in August, rejoice, for the weather is going to be superb. Or it is according to they who were calling for volunteers, who promise the chance to “watch high-level jumping in the sun”. Michael Fish, eat your heart out. ▲ TUCKING IN Saturday at Hickstead dressage was clearly a hungry day – one food van had to shut before the end as all the food had been eaten. “That’s 70 to…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle THE way that some of the younger and less experienced riders dealt with Badminton’s cross-country course impressed me; they rolled up their sleeves and made it happen. In particular, 20-year-old Alice Casburn did a superb job. She can ride, she knows her horse and they are quite a team. She was very cool, very positive and yet still connected in her riding, which was mature – she was doing everything at the right speed for each different fence. The winner, Laura Collett, sat on her bottom and made it happen through the hard parts of the course; perhaps she benefited from her hold on course, but she kept going at the correct pace. But I was quite surprised at the speed with which some riders approached the jumps…

LOTTIE FRY is the definition of high-achiever. At just 26, the British rider boasts an Olympic bronze, a European silver and additional senior European Championship cap, plus under-25 European gold and bronze, two World Breeding Championship titles and a World Cup Final appearance. It’s enough to make most people feel somewhat inadequate in comparison. However Lottie is, in a rather charming way, as awed by her own sparkling CV as everyone else. “It still all feels a bit like a dream, ” she tells me when we chat in early 2022, some six months after the whirlwind summer that saw her claim two championship medals and the second of her world breeding titles within the space of seven weeks. “It all went so fast and when I look back it…

“FALCO has been a really fun or really frustrating horse right through his career. He’s always scored well in the dressage and had a lot of ability in his jump, but he’s been quite an extreme cross-country horse. “He’s a great jumper and even at novice, he gave it everything. He’d make mistakes because he overtried and that put him in a tricky situation. He never stopped, but he would duck out in the middle of combinations. “Sue is a real horse lady and she took a lot of knock-backs. He’d lead the dressage and have a 20 or walk home, but he did really seem to enjoy the job. “At Barbury, we walked home after three run-outs at a skinny brush, but I went back on Monday and trained…

alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ Royal Windsor, Windsor Castle, Berkshire JILL DAY’S legendary lightweight View Point (Sean) truly walked with the giants of the hunter world, when he and pilot Robert Walker became only the fourth partnership in the 76-year history of the show to land a fourth consecutive Royal Windsor open hunter title. The late Robert Oliver was the last to achieve this feat, scoring with Kings Warrior in the early 1990s, and the only others were Mighty Atom and His Grand Excellency (both in the 1950s). In the buzzing atmosphere of the Castle Arena, Sean grew in stature with every step. His ground-covering paces were light, scopey and effortless, and the gallop was a masterclass in how it should be done as he lowered, lengthened and stretched while maintaining a perfect…

CORKS were certainly popping as Cheshire-based Vicky Smith had her “best Royal Windsor ever”. It began when her beloved coloured, plaited horse Bart (pictured) landed her a first working show horse win at only the pair’s second-ever attempt in the genre, and concluded in the coloured section when the three-time HOYS winner finally turned the tables on the 2020 and 2021 Windsor champion KBF Crescendo (Jayne Ross) to land the title. “He’s been second in his flat class here four years running, ” said Vicky. “It’s extra-special, though, because a close friend – who should have been with me here – was killed in a freak accident last week. These wins are for him.” ON FORM…

RING FORMATS, COSTS AND TOO MUCH MAKE-UP ALL agreed that the show had a truly special aura this year, and the new Adelaide ring layout – it is now closer to the Copper Horse ring – proved a success. “We feel far more part of the show now, ” said Adelaide steward Penny Clifford. “Certainly there were many more ringside spectators this time.” The increasing cost of living generally was blamed for the lower numbers forward, as the showing classes had record entries this year. “Since entering for the show and arranging stabling and so on, everyone’s costs have shot up, ” said senior steward Nigel Hollings. “Many people perhaps just can’t afford the cost of diesel on top of their soaring domestic bills now.” Saturday showgoers basked in hot…

SIENNA CHARLES had a challenging 2021, missing a chunk of the season after undergoing heart surgery and then being laid off again in September following a serious fall, which led to her developing post-concussion syndrome. “I fell on my head and carried on for a bit. I went to a show a week later but then the pain started and my body began to shut down,” she said. “I was just lying in bed a lot of the time, I struggled to talk to people and I couldn’t even walk.” Sienna went to Hobbs neurological rehabilitation centre in Liss, Hampshire, which treats a lot of riders. “If you don’t have treatment for it, it just gets worse,” she said. “We did a lot of eye exercises, which have helped. I…

Richmond (1), North Yorkshire HARRY MUTCH and HD The One (Casper) occupied pole position in intermediate section B, and in doing so put the finishing touches to their preparation for Bramham CCI4*-L. The 10-year-old gelding, who is owned by Harry’s mother Carole, carries the same HD prefix – a nod to the family business – as Harry’s top ride HD Bronze, and is named after a best-selling whisky, The One, which is manufactured by Harry’s sponsor The Lakes Distillery. “I’ve had Casper since he was three and have done everything with him myself,” said Harry, 24, who credits local showjumper Shirley Ash for improving their performance in this phase. “Although Casper is a very bold cross-country horse he hates touching coloured poles and gets quite worried,” continued Harry. “Last year…

Sheepgate Equestrian, Lincs ANNA BATES was celebrating her first 70% medium win with Gitina, and the emergence of a happier, more confident mare since the diagnosis and treatment of stomach ulcers over the past year. “I’ve had her for four years and the first three were really rocky,” explained Anna of her Johnson 11-year-old. “She’s a very active mare and previously would fly-kick and buck, but the ulcer treatment has helped massively.” Alongside a personal best at medium, Gitina headed the advanced medium 92 qualifier silver section. “She has just stepped up to the level, so this was a real achievement – given her journey and everything we’ve gone through,” added Anna, a receptionist at a small animal veterinary practice. “She has the biggest heart, if you can get her…

catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 WALKING hound puppies is an emotional rollercoaster. Frayed nerves, spluttered apologies and pathological swearing are all common symptoms of puppy walkers well on their way to reaching for the phone and demanding the little brute be picked up immediately and returned to kennels. And then the gawky culprit slithers around the corner, stern rammed between its back legs, pleading for forgiveness with eyes that can melt the coldest heart. Hound puppies can epitomise the split personality of Dr Jekyll/ Mr Hyde. Patsy Harris has walked puppies since 1957. One couple was very friendly with the pet turkey. In fact, the outfit spent hours sunning themselves up on the muck heap; a favoured lookout. Then one day – horror of horrors – a huge pile of feathers on the…

JOIN THE NEW H&H TRAINING COURSE HORSE & HOUND is proud to launch a new online learning course, on how to be a confident, positive rider. The course provides advice from top riders and expert coaches to help you enjoy riding more, and enhance performance, confidence and positivity. It comprises four modules, for £16.99. Each one can be bought for £4.99. H&H editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins said: “Not all of us want to be world-beaters, we just want to have the confidence and skill to enjoy our horses and riding. I’ve witnessed so many riders unable to make the most of their hobby through lack of confidence, and I hope this course can change that.” • Visit: horseandhound.co.uk/confidentrider TOP AWARDS FOR GRASSROOT RIDERS BRITISH EVENTING has launched new leagues, giving grassroots…

polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 IT was fantastic to see our young rider team win the Nations Cup in Le Mans recently, beating the German squad. Further inroads into the seemingly invincible were made at pony level, with Mette Dahl splitting the Germans in the pony tests, and what fun we are having watching Lottie Fry’s incredible performances in Europe, including 80% recently with Glamourdale. A couple of weeks ago, five-star international judge Peter Storr and I provided dressage commentary at Badminton Horse Trials. The standard there was the best I’ve seen. I picked up several useful gems from Peter – it was illuminating to hear from one of the world’s leading judges that the horse must not use the reins “as a Zimmer frame”, and I was able to help him identify…

I was adopted as a baby and grew up on a farm in Wantage, which was then part of Berkshire. My older sisters Tessa and Wendy were horsey, and so I knew nothing else. We lived on top of the Berkshire Downs and I used to ride before school, it was great fun. As a child I started competing in showing and met The Queen at Royal Windsor aged five. I moved on to showjumping, and was on the junior and young rider teams. The school headmistress used to let me off on a Friday to go jumping. The last show of the year would be the Horse of the Year Show and we didn’t used to jump in winter so I’d do a bit more studying then. I went…

PUISSANCE specialists Derek Morton and the 18hh KBIS High Quality, and newcomer to the class Chankar Mail (pictured), ridden by Trevor Breen, shared the £5,000 spoils when they were the sole combinations to jump clear in the fifth round of Thursday evening’s feature class. Trevor and the Old Lodge’s striking stallion Chankar Mail have been a partnership for just a few months. “The first round was a bit hairy as he didn’t know what was going on and he had never seen the green brush in front of the wall before – he ran hard right and I was just about to let him go when he gave in and jumped it,” said Trevor. “After that, every round became better and better. I was thinking, ‘Dude you don’t need to…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Chatsworth, Derbyshire OLIVER TOWNEND cruised to victory on Dreamliner, making it a brace of CCI4*-S wins for the tall grey this spring – as well as three international victories in a week for Oliver, as he also won the two flagship classes at Floors Castle. The pair stopped the clock with just two time-penalties, the fastest time of the day, on a cross-country track where only eight combinations have made the time since 2018 according to data analytics experts EquiRatings. Their fast round meant they moved up from 17th overnight. “He’ll have come on for the run”OLIVER TOWNEND At times, the Chamberlaynes’ Jumbo home-bred had to be chivvied through the combinations by Oliver to make the most of his big stride, but there was never any doubt that…

LEEDS-BASED rider Sarah Roberts has a threefold career. She runs a small eventing yard with her sister Amy, helps manage her family’s arable and livestock farm, and has recently set up her own catering business, operating from the back of a horse trailer. “I converted the trailer into a coffee and cake shop,” explained Sarah, who bakes her own produce and trades at various functions, including horse trials. “I studied sports therapy at university, so being a barista isn’t necessarily what I thought I’d end up doing, but I enjoy the variety.” Sarah won the BE100open at Richmond (1) on her sister’s Lionheart (Lenny). “I started eventing Lenny at the end of last season and he has given me a lot of confidence,” said Sarah, who trains with Chris Bartle…

polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 ICE Horseboxes All England Dressage Festival Premier League, Hickstead, West Sussex IT was a good week at the office for the Hughes family, as father Gareth took the grand prix and daughter Ruby scooped a brace of pony wins. Gareth won Saturday’s main class on KK Woodstock with 75.83%. It was the first time the 16-year-old Wolkentanz II gelding “Woody” has competed at this level since 2020 after he sustained a leg injury early last year. “We took his rehab very slowly – his owners, the Kroll family, were so supportive – so that’s the first time he’s been down the centre line in a grand prix for that long, and he felt probably the best he ever has,” said Gareth. “We had a couple of little mistakes…

THE last couple of weeks have been all about teats. Flabby ones, delicate shell-pink ones, low-hanging swingers and titchy ones buried deep in the wool. We are lambing and I spend my days crouching in the straw underneath ewes’ udders, squeezing teats in all their wide variety. I am relieved and happy when they release a jet of milk. Feel strangely cheated when they don’t. After that, it’s all about encouraging reluctant lambs to suck. There are similarities to the labour ward. Hay and water instead of tea and toast. Clean straw rather than sheets. Insouciant old-timers with an air of “been there, got the T-shirt”, flighty gimmers (first-time mums) in shock after a gory birth. Sheep are individuals with their own personalities, just like horses. In a flock you…