Innholdsfortegnelse for 23-Feb-2023 i Horse & Hound

DAFFODILS, lighter evenings and milder days — the spring competition season is around the corner and the sense of anticipation is wonderful. This issue is packed with the detail you need to have your most enjoyable year yet as a rider and spectator, whatever your hopes for 2023. If you are looking for marginal gains, turn to page 38 to find out how the likes of eight-time Olympian Andrew Hoy are utilising science to give themselves the edge. If you have a particular championship in mind for 2023, take a look at our feature on timing your peak to find out how prolific winners ensure they are at their best at the right moment by working back from that one key date or dates in the calendar (feature, p50). And…

BLENHEIM'S new organisers hope to reinstate the grassroots eventers’ challenge and attract more fans to the fixture. Stable Events Ltd — which runs three game fairs and includes many of the team who ran the last game fair at Blenheim in 2014 — will take over the Oxfordshire event for 2023 (14–17 September). Katrina Midgley of Stable Events and Blenheim Palace Horse Trials event organiser, said Stable Events’ speciality is running events “usually in fields with little to no infrastructure” and outlined its knowledge in tradestands and traffic flow, and the game fairs’ similar demographic audience to horse trials. “We'll work with experts who will ensure the sport runs smoothly, including the reintroduction of grassroots classes,” she said. “Our expertise will be apparent when developing the showground, attractions and visitor…

EXTRA FUNDING FOR PARA EQUESTRIANS BRITISH para dressage will receive £251,000 extra funding for Paris 2024. The money will come from a £4m pot announced by UK Sport, shared across 33 sports, towards the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. The funds follow an extra £11.2m UK Sport investment announced in December 2021. And although dressage, eventing and jumping received a £660,662 share of that, only para equestrians will benefit this time. “With qualification for the Games secured, this welcome additional investment will allow us to ensure the essentials are covered as well as additional coaching and competition opportunities,” said Georgina Sharples, British Equestrian para dressage performance manager. HELP NEEDED FOR UKRAINIAN HORSES FUNDS are being raised towards generators and hay for Ukraine. The Federation of European Equine Veterinary Associations and Ukrainian…

▲ MANNERS An H&H-er asked the American Quarter Horse Association a question, to no avail. Ah. The American Paint Horse Association has a similar acronym. Mother always told us to mind our Ps and Qs… ▲ READING Talking of letters, a study has found horses can distinguish between five (below, right) O, B, Z, V, and X. Add A, K, E, H, C, M and F, and we think they'll learn a dressage test far better than we can… ▲ PRACTICE Top marks to Tim and Jonelle Price, who took a ditch to the worlds to practise. We think this could catch on. Anyone planning to take their own bank to Hickstead?…

Edited by Polly Bryan polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 SPRING is coming! Our first foal has been born already, and we're excited about backing the new influx of horses as well as the show season getting underway. As we breed so many young horses, I take great interest in the importance of raising sound, healthy athletes. At this time of year there are always social media posts criticising young horses being started too early by “over-ambitious” riders. However, there is much misconception out there about what keeps a young horse healthy in body and mind. There are also some super resources available, and peer-reviewed scientific research, to help us do the best for our horses and dispel some myths, too. There seems to be some misunderstanding about the concept of a horse being…

My parents met in the late 1970s in a student riding club in Poland. It was still a communist country, so horses were owned by the state and based in national studs, with access to riding very limited. Going to that club as a kid was my first contact with horses. At the start of the 1990s, the political scene changed and I started riding properly at about 10, when private riding schools were first established. We didn't have ponies, we learnt to ride on big horses, so some of my first experiences were quite traumatic! My younger brother Jan was a member of the national junior and young rider teams, so I was heavily involved in his sports career. “As a rider, I wasn't super-competitive, I was better in…

POACHERS HIDE Kirton, Boston, Lines For you: a three-bedroom home with a fabulous garden and outdoor space. There is an attractive al fresco dining area and summer house. For the horses: an immaculate equestrian property with quality facilities, including a 20x60m fibrelock manége with watering system and training mirrors. The stable yard has four looseboxes, a tack room, hay store and outbuildings. There is also a horse walker and four post-and-railed paddocks. The property is set in 2.36 acres. £599,000 ECR Properties, 01449 711727, ecrproperties.com HUNTERS LODGE Login, Carmarthenshire For you: a spacious three-bed bungalow with sunroom and decking area offering lovely views in rural south-west Wales, plus an insulated timber shed in the garden that is used as an office. For the horses: a range of bams and outbuildings,…

HORSES FOR COURSES AS the days start to lengthen and the daffodils bud on shady banks, one thing is for certain. Turn up to any British Showjumping (BS) event and spy, among the blonde ponytails and blingy browbands – there it is! A flash of tweed and a turquoise hat tag. It's nearly eventing season again. Riders of all disciplines are united by the love of the horse and everything that comes with it. But those things that do come with it can vary. Eventer Karla Parsons, aka Muddy Mayhem on social media, hosts a podcast with a showjumping friend, and differences between disciplines are a common topic. “One thing I always rib her about is, ‘You do know horses can trot, don't you?’” Karla jokes. “You go in a…

EVENTING & SHOWING • Olympic event rider Kitty King:”Oxstalls [Glos, 17-18 June] are running an affiliated event for the second time this year and I'd like to go there. I use the venue for cross-country schooling and have schooled round the flagged courses after their unaffiliated event. It's a well-designed and presented course, with undulations, so a useful event for educating young horses and giving them a great early experience.” • Showing rider Vicky Smith: “Lincolnshire Show [21-22 June] is a traditional, old-fashioned county show. The rings are immaculate and the committee takes the time to ensure perfect going. The stables are permanent and are next to the rings, and there is an all-weather arena for working in, which makes life easier on the horses, especially if it's wet or…

HUNTING Edited by Catherine Austen catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 FOR many visitors to Cornwall, its image and experience are of sandy beaches, starfished coves and lasting memories of long summer days and sundowner evenings. But for the “real” Cornwall, it is necessary to journey to its interior, small villages, their houses almost glued to the shoulders of steep bracken banks, and the wild expanse of Bodmin Moor. Nowhere in Cornwall is this more authentic than at the farm near St Neot of East Cornwall master and huntsman Graham Higgins and his wife Lynsey. Hounds, which have been kennelled here for 40 years, loll on tidy benches, hunt horses graze in the paddocks and, in the front room, a host of modest memorabilia commemorate and venerate Graham Higgins's 40 years as a master…

The good advice given in this article is all very well, but the extremely time-poor among us will be relieved that there are some useful shortcuts. Hannah Goffe, who hunts with the Heythrop with her children, Ella and Iris, has some enterprising suggestions: ● “Hang muddy coats in the shower [on the other side to the shower head] to steam-clean them, then it's really easy to brush them.” ● “Keep a powerful hand-held vacuum cleaner in the lorry and vacuum your children's hunting coats when they've got them on to get rid of the worst of the mud and hair.” ● “Use hair-straighteners to iron your stock.” Genius!…

DRESSAGE HIGHLIGHTS 6-12 February Edited by Polly Bryan polly.bryan@futurenet.com @poliyrose21 Morris EC Area Festival, Ayrshire A CHANGE in discipline is proving fruitful for Welsh cob gelding Derradda Rummy, who landed both the novice and prelim bronze classes with plus-70% scores under owner Ellis Simister. Ellis only joined British Dressage (BD) late last year, having previously concentrated on working hunter showing and grassroots eventing. “I've never been the bravest of riders when it comes to jumping, so I thought I'd like to have a go at dressage, and we've never looked back since,” she said. “My trainers Scott McLellan and Grant McKenzie told me to go out and get enough points for the Area Festivals, so that's what we did. The three novices we did to get to the Area Festivals…

York North & West of Yore, Askham Bryan College, Yorks THE EASTERBYS dominated at Askham Bryan, claiming three of the six races. William Easterby trained the conditions winner Crossgalesfamegame who was bought from Doncaster in May for his younger brother Tom to ride (see box, above). William then rode six-yearold Hollington to victory in the maiden. “I thought he was a nice horse at home, but it really surprised me how well he ran today,” said William. “It's a real family effort – Mum [Sarah] owns them and Emily, my sister, rides them out every day.” William's second riding victory came in the intermediate when five-yearold Fascinating Rhythm got his head in front for trainer Stephanie Easterby. “He's a nice horse who has already performed well this year – this…

Edited by Eleanor Jones Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ FORMER Olympic champion showjumper Eric Lamaze is accused of “deceiving” owners of two horses in a lawsuit worth over $1.3m. The Canadian rider is the subject of the civil lawsuit against him and his companies in Palm Beach, Florida. Lorna Guthrie and Jeffrey Brandmaier took action relating to horses Newberry Balia NL and Nikka VD Bisschop. The complaint states that the plaintiffs have a long history with Eric, and that the action is based on a scheme to “induce plaintiffs to transfer large sums of money to defendants, purportedly for the purchase of horses for investment purposes”, to “deceive plaintiffs regarding the purchase” of the horses, to “betray” plaintiffs regarding their sale and “withhold…

H&M ALL IN Peder Fredricson's double Olympic individual silver medallist, owned by Charlotte Söderström, has retired aged 17. They were European champions and won Tokyo team silver. PACINO Clem McMahon's late top jumping stallion has been cloned. The Irish rider has revealed the existence of three-year-old Pacino II and he will be available for breeding this year. SIRIUS BLACK III British dressage rider Gemma Owen's junior team horse has died at 18 after a “sudden, severe illness”. He had top results at small tour with Gemma and trainer Sarah Higgins.…

▼ MARTINGALES A non-horsey man tried to make a suggestion about his wife's horse. “Maybe he needs one of those bird things,” he said. “A nightingale?” Ah, the elusive call of the lesser standing nightingale. ▼ FIGHTING A social media post states that one is in an arena with a hunter (with rifle), 50 hawks, 10 crocodiles, seven buffalo, 10,000 rats, 15 wolves, five gorillas, four lions and three bears; which two would you pick to defend you. The real question is, who let that many in the warm-up? ▼ SUCCESS Please congratulate that rider who picked the right string when opening a bag of feed this week. Savour it, for this moment shall never come again.…

Edited by Alex Robinson alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ WOW! This was my immediate reaction on walking into the London ExCeL building for the first time to watch the New Horizon Plastics Heritage supreme mountain and moorland (M&M) final at the London International Horse Show (LIHS) in December. Everywhere was lighter and more spacious than at Olympia, where this competition was held from 1978 to 2019. Competitors were also full of praise for the excellent “all under one roof” facilities, including the lovely warm stables. This final stands out from the crowd with its unique four-judge system: the two performance scores are teasingly revealed after each individual show, which leads to much speculation building up to the afternoon presentations. I personally enjoy analysing the full mark sheets a few days later. The old…

If you're on the lookout for a new riding hat or body protector, check out this selection VISIT HORSE & HOUND'S VIRTUAL SHOPPING VILLAGE horseandhound.co.uk/directory/shopping All body protectors listed meet the BETA Level 3 (2018) standard UVEX SUXXEED BLAZE With a shiny lacquer finish, glitter insert and chrome-plated frame, this adjustable helmet is really eye-catching. From £325.50 uvex-sports.com RACESAFE PROVENT 3.0 Updated for an improved fit, this lightweight body protector is available in 80 sizes with elasticated adjustments. From £160 racesafe.co.uk CHARLES OWEN HAMPTON This elegant, traditional hat, with a soft yet durable tan harness and satin lining, is available in a choice of five colours. From £197 charlesowen.com CHAMPION TITANIUM TI22 Segmented body protector made of a military-grade outer mesh, with 100 flexible foam sections and a cool-feel lining.…

British Dressage Full members can compete in any BD competition, from preliminary to grand prix. The competition structure offers pathways leading to area festivals, and regional, winter and national championships. Club members can compete in prelim bronze qualifiers, MyQuest and Team Quest competitions including Quest championships, plus combined training. Full competing membership: £95 annual payment (plus £80 horse registration) or £8.50 per month (plus £7 monthly horse registration) Three-month trial membership: £35 (plus £15 horse registration) Winter membership (October to March): £55 (plus £55 horse registration) * BEST FOR BUDGET Club membership: £35 (plus £15 horse registration) Benefits and perks: third-party liability insurance and personal accident cover for full and club members, free legal advice helpline, training discounts, 20% discount membership for under 16s British Showjumping Full members can follow…

EVENTING & DRESSAGE • Olympic eventer Alex Hua Tian: “The event I'm most obsessed with is Bradwall Manor [Cheshire, 29-30 April], which runs classes up to novice with Dutch rider Andrew Heffernan as cross-country course-designer. “Last year I jumped round the novice and I haven't had more enjoyable novice runs for a long time. The course is modern, with flow and has plenty of educational elements to it. When you ride lots of novice courses they all roll into one, but this was a standout event where I had two particularly nice rides.” • Grand prix dressage rider Alice Oppenheimer: “I'm lucky to have so many good venues around me. When it comes to national shows, it's a toss-up between Hickstead Premier League [9-14 May] and Wellington Premier League [6-11…

SHOWJUMPING • Will Fletcher, European YR team gold medallist: “The organisers at Wales and West have done a fantastic job this year; they're always improving their facilities and the fact they have two ranking classes in both their international shows [Chepstow Spring International, 29 April-1 May, and Summer International, 25-28 August], means that they are one of the only show centres in Britain making the improvements we need in terms of the levels of prize money in this country. We always do our absolute best to go and support them – it's not far away for us either!”…

DRESSAGE & SHOWING • Grand prix dressage rider Becky Moody: “I love Myerscough [7–12 March] and Somerford [26–28 June] Premier Leagues. They have brilliant teams running them and excellent facilities. Yorkshire Dressage at Aldham Mill is our local venue. It's great for the young horses as it has a nice indoor warm-up and good fences round the competition arena. Nothing is too much trouble for the team there either.” • Workers specialist Ellie Hirst: “I never miss Royal Norfolk [28–29 June], although I get the most nervous there as it's my local county show. My favourite is Royal Cheshire [20–21 June]. It has good worker courses and big rings, and it seems to be my lucky show; in 2021, I qualified Noble Gladiator for HOYS in the working hunter class;…

OPINION THE goodwill of our farmers and landowners, whereby they allow us to carry out our sport on their land, is something that is never underestimated by masters whose job it is to seek such permission. Other than announcing our thanks in speeches at every given opportunity, how else can we show our gratitude for this enormous privilege? All hunts are different, but common practices include a fallen stock service, an invite to the puppy show, free tickets to the point-to-point (where some have a masters’ hospitality tent for that very reason) and possibly a farmers’ supper. Here at the Zetland, an annual fixture is the farmers’ meet hosted by one of our many local supportive pubs. All farmers and landowners are invited by the masters to join us, either…

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD National Academy athlete Jessica Finney won both medium classes at Bold Heath EC, Cheshire, riding her 16-year-old Don Schufro gelding Rough Lee So Schufro, also known as Arnie. The pair have only been together since November, and Jessica is combining doing her GCSEs with competing. “Arnie has had many successes at BD and is hopefully going to help Jess work through the levels,” said Jess's mother Martine. “Jess has had a lot of success with her previous ride, winning the home internationals and regionals, and is quickly developing an understanding of Arnie, mastering the new movements required at this level.” ONE TO WATCH…

RACING HIGHLIGHTS 18 February Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald Ascot Racecourse, Berks THERE are few more appreciated sights in racing than a good horse restored to greatness, and the welcome Shishkin received from the Ascot crowd on his return to the winners’ enclosure after a demolition job in the Betfair Ascot Chase said it all. Just over a year ago, Nicky Henderson's now nine-year-old beat Energumene in the thriller for the Clarence House over two miles at the same course. Whether that epic encounter, in which he just outstayed the Irish Champion Chaser, left its mark I'm not sure, but things have not gone so well since. He never went a yard at Cheltenham and was pulled up after a mile when favourite for the Champion Chase. He was…

THE reach of hunting is something that always amazes me. For such a niche activity, the sport touches a multitude of worlds and not just the rural ones like farming. Hunting people count nurses, artists, builders, teachers, lawyers and vets among their number, but racing has more connections with hunting than most. Adam and I were at Musselburgh on Sunday for the Cheltenham Trials weekend with Alec and a couple of his school friends. Our friend Rory, a former master of the Jed Forest, South Dorset and Berwickshire, is clerk of the course there and he was moving purposefully around the parade ring with his walkie-talkie when we arrived. On our way in, we were able to look over his “manor”; several miles of immaculately kept grass, everything spick and…

German eventer Michael Jung won two CSI4* showjumping grands prix with Fischerchelsea at the Zangersheide International at Sentower Park. World eventing champion Yasmin Ingham has been shortlisted for sportswoman and ambassador of the year at the Isle of Man sports awards. Flat jockey Oisin Murphy had a victorious return to racing on 16 February after his 14-month suspension, on the Michael Appleby-trained Jupiter Express at Chelmsford. Jump jockey Bryony Frost rode a 231/1 treble for Paul Nicholls at Wincanton on 18 February, with wins on Flic Ou Voyou, Switch Hitter and Press Your Luck. Jockey Tom Scudamore announced his retirement on 17 February, the day after a fall. The 40-year-old rode more than 1,500 winners during his 25-year career.…

HORSES are able to distinguish between certain letters of the alphabet. In a study published in Animals, and carried out by Clara-Lynn Schubert, Barbara Ryckewaert, Carlos Pereira and Tetsuro Matsuzawa, it was found four out of five horses learned to differentiate between five letters: O, B, Z, V, and X. The researchers believe studying the equine visual system will improve understanding of horses’ perception and cognition, and links with learning. “The system used opens the window to a range of questions about horse cognition,” they wrote. EJ…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. BEING INCLUSIVE WITH reference to your feature “Hidden di erences” (9 February), my son, now 18, was diagnosed at age three with sensory processing disorder (a lack of proprioception). This caused him issues with balance and coordination, reading and writing. He started riding at age nine when he had su cient balance and coordination, and when a spell of benign rolandic epilepsy was under control. “I hope we equestrians can become more inclusive” EMMA STORM Learning to ride contributed to his physical progress, but it also taught him an emotional empathy, which was equally important. He progressed through Pony Club and competed, but although he was encouraged, he could never equal the results of his peers. My…

● Be prepared. If your mare has a Caslick's (or episiotomy, a surgical closure of part of the vulva to help prevent bacterial infections), ensure that it has been opened pre-foaling. Prepare your foaling box with copious clean lubrication, long arm rectal gloves, short latex gloves, plentiful clean foaling ropes and phosphate enemas if required for the foal. ● Mares often foal at night. Monitor your mare around the clock in the weeks running up to her due date. ● Start a timer on your phone at the onset of second stage labour to ensure you do not lose track of time. Pay attention to it. This can be vital if the mare is not progressing with labour normally. ● If there are no strong abdominal contractions or foetal parts…

LEONARDO DA VINCI saw art and science as symbiotic – the understanding and research into one, elevating and informing the other. When it comes to horsemanship, the lines between art and science are inextricably linked. The art and beauty of connection and performance, with the science of working with living beings – equine and human. With welfare and marginal gains the two top priorities in equestrian sport, could a lean towards science and maths prove the recipe to improve both wellbeing and performance? “THE first thing that you have to address with all of this is why would we use numbers?” says Sam Watson, world team silver medalwinning Irish event rider and founder of data analytics firm EquiRatings. “For riding a horse, which is such an art form, why would…

SHOWJUMPING • Joe Stockdale, world team bronze medallist: “I've been going to Royal Windsor Horse Show [11-14 May, Spring] since I was a kid and I remember Dad jumping there a lot, so to compete there now is very special. Royal Windsor was actually my second ever five-star show, so to do that on home soil was really nice. “My owners love it there, and are very well looked after. It's a show with a nice feel and you can't beat the location. I've had some success there, winning the under-25 class and had a couple of good rounds in the big classes and the grand prix. So there are a lot of good memories!”…

LAURA CHARLEY, who juggles a career in the Army with four horses, won the FMBs Therapy Systems star qualifier at Bury Farm, Bucks, with Ferrara VII. They were the quickest of 11 combinations through to the jump-off, and were collecting their second Blue Chip ticket, having already qualified for the Lister 1.25m. “‘Fern’ is an outandout winner and she feels quite pony-like to ride,” said Laura. “My mum keeps them all ticking over and I come home most weekends to ride.” Emma-Jo Slater bounced back to form after a few weeks off with a rib injury, winning the Blue Chip Joint RLF power qualifier with Kimba Je T'Aime, as well as taking second in Saturday's 1.30m open with Kimba Flamenco.…

DRESSAGE HIGHLIGHTS 6-12 February The Horse & Hound Podcast Don't miss world champion Lottie Fry on The Horse & Hound Podcast, supported by NAF – Five Star for the best performance worldwide: horseandhound.co.uk/podcast Solihull Area Festival, West Mids AFTER losing her horse of 20 years to colic, Peggy Postma was convinced her horseowning journey was over, but fast-forward 18 months and she is living the dream. “I was heartbroken after losing my home-bred Arabian to colic, but very quickly realised I simply couldn't live without horses in my life, so in walked Ice Cold Fever G, aka Tom, whom I bought from Charlie Hutton,” explained Peggy. “I travelled to Scotland from London to see him and fell in love at first glance.” After “gruelling posture clinics” before the show, Peggy…

POINT-TO-POINT HIGHLIGHTS 18-19 February Edited by Gemma Redrup gemma.redrup@futurenet.com @gemmaredrup Puckeridge Hunt, Horseheath, Cambs JOCKEY Jack Andrews strengthened his lead at the top of the men's leaderboard when landing a treble at Horseheath. He secured one of his wins in the INEOS Grenadier mixed open riding Tullys Touch, for trainer John Ibbott and owner Christina Blockley. This was the 10-year-old by Touch of Land's 10th pointing win. “He's one of my favourites – that's my sixth win on him now,” said Jack. “He's very versatile and has won on all types of ground and over different tracks. He's got a good turn of foot, especially in tactical races when there are not many runners. It was close in the end but he won well.” Another of Jack's victories came in…