Innholdsfortegnelse for 22-Sep-2022 i Horse & Hound

NEW virtual reality headset technology is to be trialled in British racing as a tool for managing concussion. The technology, NeuroFlex, measures a person’s eye and head movements as they carry out simple tasks. It is the result of 30 years of research by Mimi Galiana, NeuroFlex’s chief medical officer, and is being used in the South Australian Football League and Australian Super League. It will also be used at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The hope is that it can be used as an objective way of measuring jockeys’ brain health over time, which could help with decisions on returning to riding, and have benefits long after a jockey retires. “I’ve been extremely impressed and delighted with how seriously this is being taken within the horseracing community,”…

Part of the job of being a racing manager is being a politician. At the height of the late Sheikh Hamdan’s racing operation, I was dealing with 16 or 17 trainers and each one has their own ideas and way of doing things. I worked for Sheikh Hamdan, who bought the Shadwell Estate in Norfolk in 1984, for 35 years as a liaison between him and his trainers. He was the minister of finance in Dubai and was flat out with his job, so he didn’t have time to keep in touch with lots of different people. He loved to keep up to date with what was happening with his horses and we had an awful lot in training – at one time, we’d have had 450. Since he died…

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BILL LEVETT caught the eye with the white-faced Sligo Candy Cane, who moved up from 13th after dressage to finish seventh. The horse was long-listed for the World Championships, but Australia’s selectors decided that as a nine-year-old he needed more time. “He was bought with Paris in mind,” said Bill, 59, who has represented Australia several times. “He has a 20s dressage in him, he’s one of the best showjumping event horses I’ve ridden, and he’s flashy, the sort you want in a championship. So I hope I can get some good form over the next 18 months and give myself a chance of going to my first Olympics.” ONE TO WATCH…

IT was a true feel-good story when Di Green rode Jo Alderton’s 22-year-old The Scout to win the Equissage Pulse grade I title. Two years ago, just before the nationals, Di – who has trauma- induced MS – smashed her pelvis in a fall and then last year went through gallbladder surgery. “Jo very kindly let me ride Scout for therapy and to get me back into gear and here we are,” said Di. “He has just been amazing. He has big movement for a smaller horse, but he feels so safe.” The horse originally came from the travelling community and is in fact a pacer. Jo, who runs the Hereford-based Ride2Achieve, bought him after he came to her for reschooling with the aim of selling him on. “He’s always…

NATIVE ponies vied for a place in the BSPS Heritage mountain and moorland (M&M) ridden supreme final to be held at London International in December, and scoring the ticket for the first time in his career was seven-year-old Dales Nipna Mighty Oak (pictured), ridden by his producer Sarah Parker. The pair made light of torrential downpour which struck intermittently throughout Thursday, to reign ahead of Vikki Smith and Penny Sutton’s New Forest stallion Lovelyhill Folklore. Big-moving gelding Oak is a new charge for Amanda Jones and her daughter, Leah May, who bought him from Katie Common three months ago. Oak, who stood champion at both Ayr County and Blair Castle with Katie in 2021, has already made an impact in his new home, winning the Heritage supreme title at the…

A PROMISING Fell stallion trotted to his first HOYS place and the large breeds championship at Stoneleigh Horse Show on his third crack at a qualifier. This was Victoria Taylor’s own six-year-old Birkett Bank Master John (Jay; pictured), a former Fell pony stallion show youngstock champion. This victory was followed up by a win in the ridden Fells at Westmorland County. “I had intended to keep him as a novice this year, but my open pony suffered an injury so we entered him for a few of the later qualifiers last minute,” said Victoria, who runs her own business. Victoria’s mother, Jane Sonnex, bought Jay from his breeder, Rob Briggs, in 2020 as a surprise for Victoria. “He went to Sam Roberts to be broken in before coming home to…

Northcote Stud Summer Finale, Lancashire LAURA STEPHENSON’S 20-year-old veteran Catherston Connor belied his years to take an emphatic victory in the gold grand prix, winning the class with 3.76sec in hand. There were five double clears in this jump-off, with Allan Birch and K Fiore Hop holding the lead over Robert Murphy and Lightning TW at the point Laura entered the ring. “I saw Allan go into the lead and thought he went quick. I did the turns to try to get the win but I didn’t think I was as fast as I was,” Laura said. “His mini break did him good”LAURA STEPHENSON ON CATHERSTON CONNOR The victory was a return to form for Catherston Connor, whom Laura has partnered since a seven-year-old. “He started kicking out a few…

THE former district commissioner of the Wylye Valley branch of the Pony Club, who also competed up to prix st georges (PSG) level in dressage, died on 20 August after a short illness, aged 78. Born in Kingswood, Julia (née May) grew up in the nearby Bristol suburb of Hanham. Although her parents, Jo and Arnold, weren’t remotely horsey, she discovered a love of riding through her sister, Teala, who asked the local farmer if she could exercise his ponies. All things equine became Julia’s passion for the rest of her life, whether ownership – she owned six horses in all – through supporting up-and-coming riders, judging, or watching racing, with her penchant for National Hunt. She married Philip Down and had two daughters, Liz and Charlotte, who took up…

LIGHT amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (LASER) sounds like something an extra in Star Trek or Doctor Who might say, but in reality it is a technology which has revolutionised surgery in both humans and animals. Of the veterinary species, the horse is particularly well suited to laser surgery, with the technology lending itself to so-called minimally invasive surgery (such as keyhole surgery), which is often performed inside the animal. A laser generates an intense beam of light, created when electrons in the atoms in optical materials like glass, crystal, or gas absorb the energy from an electrical current. All atoms have electrons surrounding their centre, and these electrons are in different orbits, a little like moons around a planet. The electrical energy “excites” the electrons enough to move…

RECENTLY, a different type of laser has been described in a technique known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), in which lasers of a different energy level, and wavelength of light, are used in the treatment of injuries to soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments and in wound healing. While there is still much research to do on these so-called “cold lasers” and their effects, there is some evidence that these laser and LED light beams can stimulate the cells in the body that repair tissue and reduce inflammation, and may have an analgesic (pain-killing) effect. The mechanism of action is not well understood, however, is believed to be due to the effect on the cellular pathways which result in the production of a chemical called nitric oxide. This in…

THE standard was high overall – the top 40 were all performing good dressage, with some mistakes, and the results were so close. One after another, riders I had never seen before impressed me, which was exciting and good for spectators and our sport. We saw a lot of horses with plenty of thoroughbred blood and good movement. The hills in Pratoni meant riders needed a high-blooded horse for cross-country, and even in the showjumping it’s useful because the speed required means riders have to move on. But it puts the pressure on riders in the dressage because such horses can be more reactive. The quality of riding in the top tests and the way the horses had been educated through the scales of training was impressive. Competitors rode positively,…

ALINA DIBOWSKI was the youngest rider at 21, making her senior championship debut with Barbados 26. “It’s been great,” she said after her dressage test. “Now it’s a little bit overwhelming, entering the arena in the German squad for the first time, but it’s very exciting.” Alina’s father Andreas Dibowski is a veteran of the German team – he has ridden at three Olympics, four World Championships and eight European Championships, with four European team medals (three golds and one silver) and an Olympic gold to his name. “He’s my groom this week, on paper!” said Alina. Asked what advice Andreas gave her before her test, Alina replied: “That I should ride as always, and do my best as always.” Alina has been riding the 13-year-old Polish sport horse Barbados…

DECLAN CULLEN’S distinctive campaigner Seavaghan Ash caught the eye. Injury setbacks have prevented the 13-year-old gelding from fulfilling his huge promise so far, but he is back – and completed with just one rolled pole on Sunday to finish 28th. “He’s a very precious horse of ours,” said Declan. The Irish rider previously competed the horse’s sire, Glenhill Gold, who covered two of The Queen’s mares, and bought Seavaghan Ash as a foal. “He brought me on an amazing journey and now his son has brought me on an amazing journey,” Declan said. ONE TO WATCH…

Savills Chillington Hall Area Festival, Staffordshire LEGAL adviser Alison Unwin and her own and Debs Fay’s “giant” Castlelawn Hendricks Blue have been knocking on the door all season, and they finally stood top of the podium in the BE100 Area Festival championship. The 61-year-old grandmother and the six-year-old 17hh-plus gelding – “I don’t want to know what the plus bit is, so I’ve never measured him” – have notched up several good placings this season, but cross-country time-penalties have kept them off the top spot until now. “I train with Richard Long and Maddy Moffett and they both told me to get a move on,” smiled Alison, who finished on her dressage score of 29.8. The Cheshire-based rider works two weekdays and most Saturdays in a magistrates’ court to fund…

ANNABELLA PIDGLEY and Gio wowed in the Stubben inter II. Their winning score of 79.12% put them 4% ahead of the chasing group, with judge at C Peter Storr having the duo on 80% and judge at B Sandy Phillips awarding them a 10 for the passage on the final centre line. “It’s easy to forget Annabella is only 17,” said Peter. “She rides with such maturity, she did a super job and I was really impressed.” It was the highest mark Annabella has scored with the 11-year-old Apache gelding, who won four medals with Charlotte Dujardin in 2021. It was also Annabella and Gio’s first competition since May. “We’ve been working on the small details at home. I’ve been learning with him and he’s been teaching me,” she said.…

WITH only one horse at this year’s nationals, Sonnar Murray-Brown returned home with a 100% strike rate as he headed a high-scoring Equitop elementary class aboard Michelle Dawson’s lovely homebred mare, Stolen Secret. The Uthopia six-year-old, who was attending her first summer nationals, has been with Sonnar since she was a three-year-old. “She’s always so professional and intelligent and she’s a real girly girl,” said Sonnar, who finished with a score of 76.53%, putting Becky Moody and Magic Dream into second with 76.03%. “I sat back and let her cruise around. She was a joy”SONNAR MURRAY-BROWN ON STOLEN SECRET “I was delighted with how relaxed she was,” continued Sonnar. “The freestyle started [while we were in the arena] and it was getting louder and louder, but she was such a…

A CHANGE of Charlottes made no difference to Alive And Kicking, who was not only second with Charlotte Dujardin in the Fairfax Saddles’ prix st georges gold on day one, but returned with Charlotte (Charlie) McDowall (pictured) to lead the British Dressage under-21 young rider test on 72.35%. The All At Once eight-year- old has been competed by both riders for the past two years, with Charlie saying, “I’m the luckiest girl in the world.” Charlotte Dujardin added: “Charlie did a great job; it’s been a huge learning curve for her. I’ve nearly lost my hair trying to teach her pirouettes, zig-zags and changes; it’s taken me all year to do it, but she did me proud.” Annabella Pidgley enjoyed a commanding win in the junior team test with Espe,…

FEI WBFSH World Breeding Championship for Young Horses, Ermelo, the Netherlands BRITISH world champion Lottie Fry stole the international limelight once again, claiming the seven-year-old world title with Kjento and dominating the grand prix CDI3* classes with Everdale. Fast following in the footsteps of Lottie’s World Championships partner Glamourdale, who won the seven-year-old crown in 2018, Kjento is proving reliable on the big occasions. The Negro stallion, owned by the Van Olsts, was six- year-old champion last year. “There’s not too much to worry about with Kjento as I know what he’s capable of,” said Lottie. “He finds it all so easy, both the collection and extension. I was feeling confident as he has a great brain and loves going to shows.” Everdale, who had to wait in the wings…

IT was a great surprise for owner Karen Burrows to watch her own lightweight Redwood Surprise (pictured) win a first HOYS ticket. Ridden and produced by Sophie Curry, the gelding has been successfully enjoying his first open season qualifying, for the RIHS and now HOYS. “Initially he was pulled top, but we finished second, which was still fantastic,” said Sophie, who is based in Wales. “We didn’t have any expectations to get to HOYS this year, but he’s been pulled top a few times now so we know he’s good enough,” said Sophie. “His confidence has grown massively over the season; we just need to get him used to more riders. “I have relocated to a racing yard so I even asked a jockey to have a sit on so…

THE decision to allow reining horses to compete on a sedative is “as outrageous as it is wrong”. The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) in the US has approved changes to its welfare and medications policy to allow romifidine to be given to horses 30 minutes before competing. The drug is intended to be a “sedative to facilitate handling, examination and treatment, and as a premedication agent prior to general anaesthesia”. The NRHA told H&H that “respect the horse, respect the sport” has been identified as its “leading agenda” since 2017. But World Horse Welfare CEO Roly Owers told H&H: “The NRHA decision to allow the sedative to be used in competition is as outrageous as it is wrong. “To justify the change by allowing sedatives is extraordinary”ROLY OWERS “The…

“A SUPPLY and demand predicament”, licensing and rising costs are among the issues faced by riding schools, as action is planned to protect their future. British Equestrian (BEF) worked with the British Horse Society (BHS), the Association of British Riding Schools, the Pony Club and Riding for the Disabled Association on the research. “The standout message was they are in the midst of a supply and demand predicament, which is both a positive and negative,” a BEF spokesman said. “Interest in riding remains buoyant, but over two thirds of centres are struggling to keep up with enquiries and take on new clients. “Conversely, on average, centres are running at 75% capacity due to issues around workforce, suitable and affordable horsepower, and rocketing costs.” Licensing is also having an impact; the…

A MAST YEAR FOR ACORNS? WE are blessed with a number of large ancient oaks on our smallholding, which provide invaluable habitat for nature from moths to owls, and shelter from the summer sun and flies for our horses. However, this year the sheer volume and individual size of the acorns on the trees is exceptional. This must be another “mast” year? Once we move our horses on to their autumn grazing we will be erecting temporary electric fencing around the spread of the oaks which will stay in place until all the acorns have fallen, and will be out with buckets and a wheelbarrow collecting the acorns. It is years like this that we wish we had a couple of pigs! Diana Reader Alltwalis, Carmarthen “We will be out…

“IF I’d been asked to run a logistics hub, with £100,000 of equipment coming in, a visa centre for refugees and a yard for 60 horses, I’d have said, ‘No, I can’t do any of that,’” says Charlie Thornycroft, who has done all of that and more since she set off in March on a mission to the Polish border with Ukraine. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) estimates that over six million people have become refugees and nearly three times that number have been displaced since the conflict began in Ukraine on 24 February. Like plenty of others, Charlie saw the desperate images and news reports and wanted to help. She responded to a press release from World Horse Welfare and British Equestrian (BEF), which detailed their…

FIVE riders competed at this event who also contested the 1998 World Championships here – Australia’s Shane Rose, Belgium’s Karin Donckers and all three members of the Brazilian team, Carlos Parro, Marcelo Tosi and Marcio Carvalho Jorge (Brazil’s fourth rider, Ruy Fonseca, withdrew after Ballypatrick SRS was held at the first trot-up, though he passed on re-inspection). All three Brazilians finished in 1998, but neither Shane nor Karin did, while this time Shane was the best placed in 13th, Karin landed 26th, Marcio 53rd, Carlos 65th and Marcelo 66th. Karin also rode at the 1995 and 2007 Europeans here. “Pratoni has changed quite a lot, but the terrain is as beautiful as always,” said Karin, adding it is “really nice” to have so much experience with Fletcha Van’t Verahof (pictured),…

THE Slide – a precipitous slope on the course – is part of the history of Pratoni, a venue which was first used for the 1960 Olympic Games. The KEP Italy challenge this time on the direct route consisted of a log at the top of the slope, then a run down to two skinnies on a short three strides. Will Coleman is pictured right. “I designed something similar here for the 2007 Europeans, but after 15 years of skinnies, horses seemed more or less to jump them much easier this time.”Course-designer Giuseppe della Chiesa “The Slide rode better than I expected – obviously I’d never done anything like that. I only got to watch the video from like 1853 where they all were trying to kill themselves and I…

CCI4*-S RESULTS 1 Piggy March (GBR) on Halo 2 Sarah Bullimore (GBR) on Evita AP 3 Caroline Powell (NZL) on Greenacres Special Cavalier BURGHLEY winner Piggy March landed her second major title this month as she led throughout Blenheim’s CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-old horses. Riding Jayne McGivern’s delightful white-grey stallion Halo, Piggy set a record dressage score of 21.3 and, after showjumping clear, seemingly coasted to victory. “He’s a pleasure to ride, and such fun,” said Piggy, describing Halo as “16hh on his tiptoes”. “He’s got the gallop, the brain, the jump – and he’s angelic.” Halo finished 4.1 penalties clear of Sarah Bullimore and Evita AP, who climbed from fifth after the first phase. They held off the rise of Caroline Powell with another mare, Greenacres Special Cavalier,…

ONE week ago, even getting to Somerford was looking unlikely for Becky Moody, who suffered a second partial pneumothorax (collapsed lung) in less than a month. But make it she did and in fine style, too, being crowned Saracen Horse Feeds inter I supreme champion with her exceptional gelding Jagerbomb. “It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster the past few weeks,” Becky said. “I couldn’t ride for 10 days, but the home team have all pulled together. “The lung is holding up well, I’m just a little bit wiped out,” added Becky, who was one of the busiest riders of the championships, with four horses in action. “It hasn’t left me breathless, more with a bit of back and chest pain, but I can feel the impact of not riding…

TEAM HUGHES’ super-groom Angharad Harries captured the Bettalife novice title on 73.74% with Jack Brown, who has certainly defied the odds en route to becoming a national champion. The upstanding eight-year-old, who stands at 19hh, was not originally destined for a career between the white boards; he was purchased as a vaulting horse for Gareth Hughes’ daughter, Ruby, who vaulted for Britain before turning her focus to dressage. “We bought him knowing he was a shiverer, but it didn’t affect him when vaulting,” explained Gareth. “When Ruby stopped vaulting, he needed another job,” said Angharad, who has worked for Team Hughes for seven years and has ridden Jack Brown for two of them. “This is only his fourth show of the year. As he’s so big, we’ve taken things very,…

“OVER the moon,” was Tom Goode’s first thought on winning the KBIS British Dressage five-year-old final with Deborah Cunningham’s gorgeous Iceland Girl PS. The Ierland x Londonderry mare arrived in the UK just before the nationals last year and for Tom it was love at first ride. “She’s an absolute joy to work with every day,” he said. “She has the sensitivity to be brilliant, but the brain is just as good. “She’s the epitome of a supermodel – if she was human, she’d be Naomi Campbell: tall, beautiful and a good mover,” said Tom, who joked that luckily Iceland Girl is prepared to get out of bed for less than £10,000 a day. Tom was particularly pleased with how she coped with the atmosphere in the main arena. “It’s…

“I’M so excited about her,” said Sadie, who bought Swanmore Dantina (Dia) as a three-year-old from British breeder Ben St John- James. She considered selling the mare the following year, but, when Dia threw a splint, she turned her away for winter instead – later deciding to keep her when she came back “a different horse.” “She just gets better with age,” said Sadie. “She was a bit nervous at Ermelo in the main arena but she never lets you down. “We scored a nine for submission on the first day and had some lovely remarks throughout from the judges, who commented on how willing and beautifully trained she was. “She’s such a pro – a rare find.” ONE TO WATCH…

Westmorland County, Cumbria TWO days of showing action culminated in great sadness as the world heard about the death of The Queen. But the news did not break before two supreme champions were crowned on each day of this popular county fixture. Taking top honours on day one was local rider Alasdair Prickett and his mother Pam Prickett’s Redshaw Out The Balou. The Balou Du Rouet nine-year-old has appeared at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the Royal International (RIHS) over sticks, and here he scored both his working classes on home soil before scooping the supreme before judge John Gilliver. “This horse had good, flat bone and nice short cannons,” said John. “He was very well-mannered and I liked that he was presented in a snaffle bit, too.”…