Innholdsfortegnelse for 27-Apr-2023 i Horse & Hound

BADMINTON is nearly here, and we can’t wait Piggy March’s course-walk in this week’s issue (p36) brings the event to life ahead of time, and we are looking forward to delivering our bumper special report issue (11 May) - plus next week’s essential, expert form guide, compiled by Pippa Roome, with which you can follow the chances of every combination taking on this hallowed turf in May. A reminder - Badminton tickets can only be purchased in advance. Last year, cross-country day sold out, and the event is not adverse to turning you around if you don’t have a ticket, so don’t chance it. Also worth noting the event will run on to Monday this year, so cross-country day is Sunday 7 May, with showjumping on Monday 8 May. The…

LONDON 52 The 2022 Badminton winner, owned by his rider Laura Collett with Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott, will not defend his title. He struck into himself and is sound but missed prep. GLADSTONE Eight-time Paralympic gold medallist Sophie Christiansen has bought the 12-year-old to target Paris 2024. He was formerly competed by Sophie Wells. VERMICULUS Jacqueline Mars’ 16-yearold, ridden by US rider Lauren Nicholson, has been withdrawn from Badminton. The pair helped the US to world team silver in 2022.…

▼ PAIN Spotted online, the statement: “If your backside hurts after a ride, your stirrups are too long, if your knees hurt, your stirrups are too short. If everything hurts, they’re just right.” Story of our lives… ▼ TOYS A young girl was given a toy horse, with two riders, and a double-seated saddle. Could this be the way forward, like a tandem skydive? Get Carl to sit behind you and you’re an instant winner? (No. Ed) ▼ SCAMMERS This week’s award goes to the seller of a “free” horse, who’s asking for an adoption fee of $1,200. Oh, and she’s an eightyear-old gelding. Seems a great deal.…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. PARA CHALLENGES I WAS interested to read Natasha Baker’s comments about the challenges of classification in para sport (opinion, 13 April). As an owner, I have not failed to see the increasing differences of physical abilities within the grades, and it has been quite upsetting to watch. Besides the obvious unfairness, the governing bodies must be mindful that owners are required in the sport. We know across the disciplines how hard it is to find owners and it is even more obvious in para sport, due to the reduced exposure - and there could soon be a shortage of the right horses for the appropriate riders. Christian Landolt Tetbury, Glos “It should be the same group of…

Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald OPINION TO have the opportunity to ride such exceptional horses at Aintree in my last few days in the sport was really special. Winning a double of Grade Ones on Irish Point and Gerri Colombe was very pleasing and, looking back, continuing on beyond the Cheltenham Festival was the right thing to do. Sometimes it doesn’t work out and I was happy enough to take my punishment after Cheltenham, but Gordon Elliott and my wife Edelle were adamant that it would be better if I finished on a better note, and they were right! Unfortunately, my Grand National chances were lost at the first fence - which was entirely my own fault. A couple of strides out, I was happy enough, but then two…

Follow all the action with H&H ● Horse & Hound will have three journalists and a photographer on the ground at Badminton throughout the competition. WEBSITE ● Horse & Hound will be creating extensive online coverage of Badminton in addition to what will be included in the magazine report. Our coverage will include: ● Course photos of the five-star track on Thursday, 4 May. ● Course photos of the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships’ tracks online now. The pictures will be updated to show the dressed course on Thursday, 4 May. ● Times for the next day’s competition so you know when your favourites compete. ● Breaking news and reports on all the action as it unfolds during the event. ● Interviews with first-timers, comeback stars, British heroes and more. ●…

MARGARET JONES didn’t let thunder, lightning and a rainsoaked warm-up stop her from achieving her dream of winning a sash, and she came away with the spoils in the advanced medium bronze. Riding her own Dimagic, Margaret was the only rider in the field to break the 70% marker - and she says she owes her success in part to the power of a positive mindset, having remained focused on achieving this goal. “It’s amazing what your mindset can do; your frame of mind can actually make you believe you can win it,” she marvelled. “I know you’ve got to deal with whatever things are thrown your way on the day, but I told myself I was going to win this. The weather wasn’t going to beat me. And I…

HEIDI FORD steered her six-year-old gelding, ATMS Chacoas Uno, to a win in the under-18 BE100open section M – the pair’s first attempt at the level. Heidi, 17, who juggles eventing with studying for A levels at Cirencester College, has produced the Irish-bred gelding, whose stablename is “Delboy”, from a four-year-old. “He certainly lives up to his name; he thinks he’s very special and has a huge ego,” said Heidi. “We often say that if he were human he would be the one that no parent wants to invite to their child’s birthday party. He’s like a kid on Haribo!” The pair added just 1.2 cross-country time-penalties to their dressage score of 25.5. ONE TO WATCH “I gave him a bit of extra time to read the fences as it…

NEXT WEEK NEW SERIES Taking a trip down memory lane, as Tessa Waugh takes a break over the summer. Tessa’s column will be back later in the year. AS soon as hunting finishes, our first lot of sheep start lambing. Mary and I have been helping with orphan lambs and calves that need extra TLC. All the hours spent messing about with horses are suddenly swallowed up by the demands of new life on the farm. All the things I thought I would get done once the season finished are still on the back burner, and of course horses still need looking after even when they are not in full work. Hounds too. Down at the kennels, things don’t suddenly stop because we are not hunting. For hunt staff there…

Edited by Eleanor Jones Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ TRIBUTES have been paid to the showjumping legend Promised Land, who has been put down aged 28 after a golden retirement. “Murphy” is known for winning the Hickstead Derby with Tina Fletcher in 2011, having come second in 2010. But the combination also won puissance, international stairways and area trials, and were placed in everything from speed classes to grands prix. “He was such a fabulous horse,” Tina told H&H. “He was sharp but such a legend.” Tina’s husband Graham competed Murphy to 1.40m, then Tina took over. She said it was Graham who thought he would be a Derby horse. “He always jumped water so high. He was an amazing water jumper, but…

COOLE CODY FWayne Clifford’s Cheltenham specialist, trained by Evan Williams, has retired aged 12. He won nine of 42 starts including the Plate at the 2022 Festival. WORTLEY GOLCAR LILY Gill Simpson's Welsh section B mare has joined Gareth Roberts’s Phylbern Stud as a broodmare. Produced by Aimee Devane, she was at HOYS and the RIHS many times. FERNHILL PARK Carol Jackson and Camilla Cottle’s mare has died, aged 27. The former large hack and intermediate, third at HOYS in 2002, was the dam of top hack Forgeland Hyde Park.…

Australia's Shane Rose won his third Adelaide International CCI5*, on Tokyo Olympic and two-time World Championship ride Virgil, 18. Olympic event rider Gemma Stevens and seven-year-old Cooley Park Muze won a BE100 section at Horseheath on their dressage score of 9.8. Top jockey Harry Skelton, who was crowned 2020/21 champion jump jockey, will end his 2022/23 season early, after sustaining a shoulder injury. Former Horse Sport Ireland CEO Ronan Murphy has been appointed FEI dressage, para dressage and vaulting director, and will take up his new role on 10 July. Legendary showjumper John Whitaker won a CSI4* 1.50m in Fontainebleau with his own and wife Claire’s Equine America Unick Du Francport.…

OPINION Edited by Polly Bryan polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 HAVING known Christian Landolt for many years, I was very sad to see his resignation from FEI officialdom and horrified by his reasons concerns over abuse and bullying (news, 13 April). Christian was originally encouraged to become a judge by Stephen Clarke, and he took on the challenge in the eventing world - where he had ridden to top level - with the same passion and integrity as Stephen. Christian’s experiences with the way he has been treated are far from isolated, and that others are afraid to speak out speaks volumes. With the spotlight on horse welfare, and rightly so, an expectation that officials are treated with respect and that their welfare is looked after is totally reasonable; anything else is unacceptable.…

THELWELL was not just a one-trick pony. While the plump, petulant ponies were his bread and butter, his passion for ecological issues was ahead of his time. His book The Effluent Society, published in 1971, revealed his concerns about the impact of development, pollution and society's treatment of the environment, long before conservation issues became a more pressing global priority. These cartoons focus on a serious topic, but his talent and humour pervade with a wry look on modern life and so-called progress. Thelwell admitted that The Effluent Society gave him the “greatest personal satisfaction”, and it is fitting that it has been reissued this year in tribute to his centenary. An exhibition Norman Thelwell Saves the Planet is running at The Cartoon Museum in London until 3 September.…

● Badminton TV is the only way to watch all the live action, from the first horse inspection through to the showjumping, from anywhere in the world. ● Visit watch.badminton-horse.tv to sign up. ● Badminton TV is an internet TV channel. The live, as well as watch-again, streamed programmes from the whole event will be hosted by the Brightcove platform. ● See the course preview with Eric Winter, Alice Fox-Pitt and Tina Cook, live now. ● At home with the Prices, live now – Badminton TV was one of the first to visit Tim and Jonelle’s new home, and spent the morning with Tim as he prepared for Badminton and Jonelle shared her tips with Badminton first-timer Hollie Swain. ● Badminton TV subscribers will have 365 days of access to…

THE five-year-old Fidertanz stallion Fire Kracka (pictured) proved himself as one to watch, scoring a double under Virginie de Senneville. The pair claimed the Equi-Trek elementary silver, before adding the Prestige novice silver to their record. “He was brilliant in the warm-up and so focused in the arena - the connection is amazing and I just can’t wait for the future,” said Virginie, adding that Claire Wyatt’s stallion combined breeding duties with competition last year, but is focusing on sport in 2023. ONE TO WATCH “He loves to learn and he takes in information really well. We get on so well, which makes the journey very enjoyable.”…

SHOWING HIGHLIGHTS 10-16 April Edited by Alex Robinson alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ BSHA Northern Spring, Kelsall Hill, Cheshire “I HAVE high hopes for him,” raved dog groomer Mel McCluskey-Fedo about her riding horse, Legacy, who was crowned Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) amateur champion on his second outing of the year. The pair were adding an amateur riding horse Hickstead pass to the open ticket and section title they achieved at Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain in the north-west earlier this month. It’s no surprise that Mel has big dreams for the Financial Reward six-year-old, who is out of Kilcahill Diamond. In 2019, he finished sixth in the supreme in-hand final at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). “I bought him from George and Michaela Whitaker, who in turn got him…

NPS Area 15, Trinity Park, Suffolk HOME-BRED Welsh section D mare Broughton First Lady (Blossom) returned to the ring after a lengthy hiatus to win an RIHS ticket in veteran ranks, before standing senior ridden champion. Bred by Alison Jones and ridden by her daughter Charlotte Malone Jones, Blossom, now 19, retired from ridden showing four years ago after a career that included multiple HOYS and RIHS appearances. “She hated being out in the field with the other mares,” said Charlotte of Blossom, who was also best of breed and fifth overall in the mountain and moorland supreme final at Olympia in 2010 with Philip Ward-Burton. “She is thrilled to be back out. We’ve bred many ponies over the years, but we’ll never have another Blossom.”…

▲ ALERTS At Hartpury, the Government emergency alert went off, no drama. Phew. Then a thunderstorm like the Clap of Doom. Was that the four horsemen of the apocalypse warming up for novice silver? ▲ FLUID A breeder was told that her mare’s, er, large curve may be partly fluid rather than a foal that will be 18.2hh. “Must be what mine is too,” she mused. That fluid is always a pain. ▲ LOOKING Overheard from a trainer: “I don’t care if you close your eyes, as long as you close your legs.” Perfect. But probably open them as soon as you can afterwards though.…

A RIDER undergoing intensive chemotherapy for breast cancer said her showjumping is a “joy” that takes her mind off her health. Catherine Pritchard and Knockbridge Dancer, aka Ronnie the Connie, have been flying since they switched from eventing, jumping clear after clear. “He’s a local legend,” Catherine told H&H. “I come away from shows fistpumping; on a high for days.” Catherine had a double mastectomy six years ago, but the cancer returned and she has since had more surgery. “I don’t think I’d have got through with any kind of joy in life without Ron,” she said.…

Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald OPINION THE top end of showjumping is currently generating some of the best sport I’ve ever seen. The recent Rolex grand prix at ’s-Hertogenbosch was simply fantastic, with all contenders flat to the boards before US rider McLain Ward emerged as the winner. McLain’s win plus his bonus amounted to €1m (£880,900). Compare that with the £500,000 collected by the same weekend’s Grand National victor Corach Rambler’s connections, and it’s clear that international showjumping can now even outstrip racing on prize money. It seems a pity, therefore, that more people can’t witness our high-quality sport; that they can’t enjoy the excitement, the atmosphere, the crowds, the horsemanship and the wonderful feelings that the riders and grooms so obviously have for these incredible equine athletes.…

VISIT HORSE & HOUND'S VIRTUAL SHOPPING VILLAGE horseandhound.co.uk/directory/shopping PREMIER EQUINE TORINO Flexible, breathable breeches with moisture-wicking properties and a high waistband. £80 premierequine.co.uk TOGGI CONTOUR FULL SEAT Supportive, high-waist design made from four-way stretch fabric and with a silicone seat. £77 toggi.com PIKEUR CANDELA Cotton-rich microfibre design with the choice of a full-seat in silicone-applied grip or machinewashable mock suede. £199.95 pikeur.de HY EQUESTRIAN ROKA ROSE Full silicone seat breeches featuring no-bulk stretch hem ankles and diamanté detailing. £89.99 hy-equestrian.com FOUGANZA 900 CLASSIC Stretch fabric jodhpurs with a light silicone grip. The mid-rise waist hugs your curves. £59.99 decathlon.co.uk HARRY HALL FARNELL FULL-GRIP Mid-rise design that is functional yet comfortable. With a silicone seat and stretch ankle panels. £55 harryhall.com TOMMY HILFIGER KNEE GRIP PRO Four-way stretch breeches made from…

WHILE competing at Weston Park, just weeks before his Badminton win in 1998 on Word Perfect II, Chris Bartle was approached by a woman he hadn’t met before who boldly said: “You are going to win Badminton,” before disappearing. At the start of phase A on cross-country day at Badminton, Chris spotted the same woman sheltering under a tree, which he remembers gave him a strange feeling. When he went on to win she became an important part of his winning story. These days, Chris is the renowned coach to the British senior eventing team. Hector Payne, who trains with him as part of being on the World Class Podium Pathway, is going to his second Badminton with Dynasty, grateful to have the experience of his first run under his…

DRESSAGE NAF FIVE STAR WINTER DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS 19-23 April Edited by Polly Bryan polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships, Hartpury, Glos SADIE SMITH well and truly left the opposition in her wake as she headed the Magic prix st georges (PSG) gold. Sadie rode a blinder of a test on her stunning eight-year-old Dante Weltino mare Swanmore Dantina, posting 77.06% to finish almost 5% ahead of second-placed Becky Moody on James Bond II. Since winning the six-yearold national title in 2021, “Dia” has gone from strength to strength under Sadie, recently scoring a small tour hat-trick at the Addington CDI, and once again she rose to the occasion in super style here. The pair were last into the ring, and their PSG test was fluent, expressive and mistake-free.…

EVENTING HIGHLIGHTS 14-17 April Edited by Pippa Roome pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Oxstalls, Glos LECTURER and forensic scientist Hannah LambertMoore put the finishing touches to her preparation for Badminton’s grassroots championships in fine style by bagging BE105 section Q with her own Direct Golden Girl. Hannah’s work as a leading forensic entomologist sees her attend crime scenes - often the grisly kind - and gather evidence by studying insects present in decomposing human remains to help determine the time of death. And when she is not donning scrubs, she is lecturing at Cranfield University. Out of hours, the Cotswolds-based rider, who describes eventing as her “solace”, has been training hard with Mike and Emma Winter for her impending championship debut. “I’m very lucky that both my crime scene work and lecturing are…

OVER in the working hunter ring, Kelly Ward took an RIHS ticket en route to lifting the section title with Paulette Cooper’s 13-year-old MJM Laszlo. The two-time RIHS champion was discovered by Kelly’s sister, Louise Lyons, as a three-year-old before being sold to his long-term owner Paulette. “It’s fabulous to be offered such a ride. It’s a bit of a luxury for me; I never usually get a horse already set-up and ready to go,” said Kelly. “He’s always been a super model of a worker. I’ve competed against him in the past, too, so it’s actually nice to now be sitting on him.”…

RACING HIGHLIGHTS 18-22 April Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald Ayr Racecourse, Ayrshire ON the Wednesday of Cheltenham, as most of racing was celebrating Energumene being crowned Champion Chaser for a second time, Christian Williams received some devastating news. He will remember the day for an altogether different reason; it was when his five-year-old daughter Betsy was diagnosed with leukaemia. She spent two weeks in hospital since, with her family camping there, but if horse racing is ever able to provide a tonic for those situations, it did so on Saturday when the Williams-trained Kitty’s Light went one better than he did in 2022 and came home a poignant winner of the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr. In a short space of time, Williams has become the king of…

Quorn Hunt, Garthorpe, Leics CHARLIE CASE and Paper Mill were the only ones left going when winning the restricted for owner/trainer Michael Kehoe. “The race fell apart when our main rival in the betting lost his tack on his way to the start and then another fell at the first,” explained Charlie. “I tried to get a lead for as long as I could and when we got to three out, I sent him on and we were left on our own when nobody else finished."" Paper Mill, a seven-year-old by Schiaparelli, did manage to clock the fastest time of the day in the process of winning, making him one to watch. The final race on the card, the Goffs UK maiden 4&5yo, went to Rehill Relic, who won the…