Innholdsfortegnelse for 19-Sep-2024 i Horse & Hound

HORSES in lush green fields may incorrectly be considered to have a higher body condition score than if they were in a bare paddock – and vice versa – owing to our eyes playing tricks on us. In a study published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, researchers from the University of Liverpool and the British Horse Society (BHS) aimed to understand whether the type of grass cover of the background environment in which a horse is seen can influence the viewers' perception in body condition scoring. “It tricks your brain into thinking they're bigger” HOLLY HIBBERD Photographs of 20 horses were taken in their usual fields, then superimposed on a background image of sparse grass and a background of lush grass. More than 150 participants – owners, vets, vet nurses and…

As the son of a cargo pilot, I moved a lot growing up. I'm from Southern California originally and when I was 11 we moved to the Philippines. We lived just outside an air base, where there was a riding school. My mom and dad bought me my first pony there, a Welsh called Misty. “Locals knew I loved animals and they'd bring them to us” Later, when we moved back to California, I was lucky – a buddy's dad owned 360 acres and boarded horses and cattle. I spent most evenings and weekends messing around with horses and having fun. When I was a teenager we relocated to Africa for two years, living in the northern Congo. The locals knew I loved animals and they would bring them to…

FORMER five-star eventer Sara Squires won the Saracen Horse Feeds inter I silver on the 11-year-old Laetitius C with 69.88%. Sara explained that she enjoys the challenge of dressage more than she ever thought she would. “Dressage focuses you mentally and challenges you physically. It's all about connecting the horse, and riding with leg and seat,” she said. “It's made me a much better rider. Although I miss the thrill of riding cross-country, I don't want to do the high-level stuff anymore.” TALKING POINT…

DRESSAGE LEMIEUX NATIONAL DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Silver classes BRYONY GOODWIN completed an impressive hat-trick of titles when her Topspec medium gold winner Dion II won the Bret Willson advanced medium silver too on 73.87%. “Dion is new to advanced medium so I didn't have great expectations, and the medium yesterday was such a hot class that I went in just hoping for a top-five finish,” she said. “The medium is his comfort zone and I wanted to give him a good confidence-giving round in the advanced medium. The fact he was confident enough for me to ride forward into the changes was the highlight.” 77.41% Lauren Burrows, highest scorer in the silver section It can be tempting to push such talented horses, but Bryony is thankful to have a “super” joint…

ONE TO WATCH CARRICKVIEW APOLLO (pictured), who is by Emerald and out of one of Darragh Kenny's 1.60m mares, has been with Will Edwards since a two-year-old and finished an eye-catching fourth in Bucks County's area trial. “He's a super-exciting horse, he only had a couple of fences down in the whole of last year. He jumped a national grand prix recently and flew round that; I was surprised how easy he found it for a seven-year-old,” said Will. “We're aiming him at the grade C final at HOYS next.” Watch this space.…

Irish Draught Horse Society (Great Britain) National Championships, Onley Grounds, Warks THERE was no denying Darren Crowe with Ruth Bird's athletic Birdies Bellamont Diamond, who impressed from the off to land the £2,000 ridden challenge against 28 other top-class finalists – a repeat of last year's result. “I never dreamt we could be lucky enough to win this again,” declared Darren, who has also qualified 11-year-old “Milo” for the HOYS heavyweight hunters. “He gave me his all today – but he always does.” Milo was bought by Ruth in 2017: “I was pregnant with my third child and bought Milo as my happy hacker,” she said. “I took him to a few local shows and got good feedback, plus advice to contact Darren. He's done an excellent job producing Milo.”…

FLAT racing's Mr Consistent, the five-year-old Sweet William (pictured above), claimed Friday's feature race at Doncaster, the Group Two Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup, renamed this year in memory of the racing journalist who died last month. This one-length success extended Sweet William's remarkable career record of having been placed in the top three on all 14 of his career starts. The son of Sea The Stars is owned and bred by Philippa Cooper of the Normandie Stud and trained by John and Thady Gosden. He has proved an out-and-out stayer, striking up a superb partnership with his jockey Rab Havlin. The gelding's prowess on the track is all the more miraculous as he broke his hindleg as a two-year-old, requiring screws to aid the healing process. Sweet William is…

EDNA HUNNABLE SCHNIEDER THE long-standing equestrian sport supporter, owner and British Show Pony Society (BSPS) honorary vice-president died on 1 September, aged 86. Edna was born in Braintree, Essex, to a non-horsey family. She met her husband Thomas, and the couple welcomed sons Martyn, Chris and Julian. The Hunnables' equestrian story started when Thomas's father bought Martyn a pony, and all three sons went on to ride and compete. Edna and Thomas's equestrian interests grew, and in 1978 they founded and built Towerlands equestrian and sports centre, which became a renowned show centre, with Edna instrumental in its success. The couple also founded and ran Dynes Hall horse trials, an event Edna enjoyed hosting. Edna enjoyed all disciplines and she owned show and working hunter ponies, pointers, event horses and…

A RIDER injured when a driver spooked her pony and fled has been awarded £250,000 in a case that may have implications for others. The rider and her pony fell on a lane. HorseSolicitor acted on the rider's behalf. The pony was not seriously injured in the incident. “The claimant, an experienced rider, was on a quick hack when a driver passed and spooked the pony, causing it to fall and land on the claimant's leg and foot,” a spokesperson for HorseSolicitor said. “The car driver was never traced. “The claimant sustained knee and ankle injuries in addition to psychological symptoms, which resulted in a loss of earnings.” HorseSolicitor submitted an application under the Motor Insurers' Bureau's (MIB) untraced drivers agreement for compensation. The MIB's purpose is to support and…

CROPREDY LAWN Cropredy, Banbury, Oxon For you: Paul Webber's training base features a pretty farmhouse with seven bedrooms and well-proportioned reception rooms plus three additional properties. Outside is a tennis court, swimming pool, formal gardens, kitchen garden and greenhouse. For the horses: extensive range of equestrian facilities that includes stabling for 63 horses, equine swimming pool and water walk, loose-jumping lane, plus two horse walkers and a 14×32m indoor arena. There is a 6 ½-furlong gallop with a testing finish. Set in 236 acres, of which 134 are arable farmland. £6.5m Knight Frank, 01789 206950, knightfrank.co.uk BADGERSTOWN Foxhill, Swindon, Wilts For you: Mark Todd's training base features a main house with four bedrooms, plus a self-contained annexe and two flats. For the horses: 36 looseboxes, a 30×60m arena, lunge pen…

SADIE SMITH and her nine-year-old mare Swanmore Dantina (Dante Weltino x Charatan W) continued their unbeaten 2024 streak to win the Stübben inter II on 74.15% – adding to the two inter I titles they won at the Winter Championships. “I really wanted to win that,” beamed Sadie after the prizegiving.“It's the first national title I've won above small tour and I knew it was a strong class going in. “It's probably some of the best work we've done. I was chuffed with the piaffe, which we've been working on because she's lacked a bit of confidence in it before. I've not ridden much at the higher levels either, so we're learning it together.” The pair's extensions across all three paces were exceptional and a top-level career beckons for the…

LEMIEUX NATIONAL DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Gold classes 11 Championship rides for Jezz Palmer BECKY MOODY continued her dream summer aboard Jo Cooper's aptly named Magic Dream as the pair squeaked past Matt Frost and Kerouac to take the Bret Willson International advanced medium gold on 72.58%. The Governor mare – who claimed the medium gold title at last year's nationals – had a busy week, coming second in the overall prix st georges championship before also taking the seven-year-old title (see p54). Becky has ridden Magic Dream – or Shroom, at home – since the mare was three. They may be a perfect partnership nowadays but their relationship got off to a somewhat inauspicious start. “With young horses, I always want to sit on them before buying them as the feel…

WITH less than 1% separating first and second place, it was Amy Foulstone and her own Irish-bred nine-year-old HHS Sterling who won the HorseQuest elementary silver with 71.03%. “The medium trots and simple changes were the best we've ever had them in a test,” said Amy. “I was a bit nervous thinking, ‘Are we going to pull it off?' but he was a cool cucumber.” Amy has an eventing background but describes herself as having “a real passion for dressage”. HHS Sterling has now won 10 of his last 11 tests and Amy credits a lot of that to her local Olympian and trainer Becky Moody. “I thought if I'm giving this dressage malarkey a go, who better to help me than Becky?” she said laughing. “We've been going to…

LEMIEUX NATIONAL DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Para classes SUSANNA WADE was the sole para dressage rider to break into the 70s riding Ami McClean's Premier Royal Mint in the Equissage grade I. It was all the more impressive because the 17-year-old gelding by Royal Hit is a relatively new partner for Susanna. “My trainer, Jess Thompson, found him for me,” explained Susanna. “He's an advanced horse who needed a bit of an easier life. He hasn't done much for the last three or four years, and he's not been here before, so I didn't know how he would react. But he knows his job the second he gets inside the boards.” The combination has recently started training with Spencer Wilton, and Susanna was happy that the work she's been doing at home…

West Wilts (3) ZOE SOLLIS and Dalsown Done And Dusted were foot perfect from start to finish to head BE100 section F. The pair led from the front, completing on their dressage score of 27. “I never look at my scores until the end of the day, but Mum keeps tabs and I can usually tell whether I'm in with a shout as she'll say things like, ‘You'd better put your foot down,’” smiled Kent-based Zoe, who describes her winning partner, Dusty, as “the most easy-going horse in the world”. “It's like he's read the book of how to be a good horse – in fact, we call him ‘the dog' at home because he follows us around everywhere.” Victory here helped make amends for what had been an otherwise…

“HE HAD TO BATTLE” LEOPARDSTOWN'S Group One Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes resulted in a thrilling blanket finish, where the William Haggas-trained Economics (Tom Marquand, blue silks) ground out the closing stages in determined fashion to edge out the dual-Derby and Royal Ascot-winning Auguste Rodin (Ryan Moore). Japanese challenger Shin Emperor took third. Haggas had swerved Economics away from this year's Betfred Derby, preferring a more patient approach to this season. The three-year-old son of Night Of Thunder earns an automatic berth into the $5m Longines Breeders' Cup Turf in November with this, his third successive victory in Group company. “The tempo of the race wasn't right for us and he had to battle,” said the winning jockey, who landed a Group One double at the track after the Donnacha…

THE owner of a pony who was lucky to survive after his hoof went through the lorry floor has highlighted the very real need for meticulous checking of vehicles. Vets believe Abi and Emma Hardern's two-year-old Buttons will make a full recovery from the incident on 5 September, when Abi was transporting him and another youngster on the Huntingdon bypass in their 7.5t lorry. Emma hopes sharing his story will help prevent another such incident. “The fire brigade chief told Abi they see this across the country and most of the time, the horse breaks its leg on impact and has to be put down,” Emma said. “Our saving grace was that he's a small pony and our lorry is high off the ground. If it had been inches lower,…

INTERACTING with horses is a “lifeline” to young people, research has found – not only highlighting the strength of the horse-human bond but helping secure our sport's future. The British Horse Society (BHS) has published the results of a study it carried out with the University of Buckingham to analyse the effectiveness of horse-led educational schemes such as the BHS's Changing Lives through Horses (CLtH). Considering available research and CLtH, including interviewing participants, it looked at six areas: communication, confidence, teamwork, responsibility, perseverance and relationshipbuilding. It found statistically significant improvement in all, and that interacting with horses “strengthened participants' transferable skills, enhanced social and emotional development, and created a positive shift in behaviour,” a BHS spokesperson said. “It's more than I could have thought possible for the children” BECKY The CLtH…

THE INTERVIEW LIFTING the glittering King George V Gold Cup trophy on that momentous day at Hickstead in July was, says Donald Whitaker, proof that “dreams really do come true”. He and the exuberant Millfield Colette won the iconic class with the performance of their lives, spearheading an all-British podium during a sensational summer for our home riders. The Yorkshireman admits he found it hard to concentrate on the volley of questioning during the press conference after as he was drawn to the illustrious list of equestrian greats etched on the solid gold trophy in front of him. “I had Ben Maher sitting next to me, who won it in 2013, then my uncles John and Michael have their names on it – by winning the King's Cup you really…

THE gut microbiome is the collection of microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal tract (vet clinic, 11 January). This includes many bacteria, fungi, viruses and other organisms. The role of the gut microbiome has received much research and discussion in recent years both in people and animals. It is known to help to support energy harvesting, digestion and the immune system, among other things. A study of the development of the microbiome in foals conducted by researchers at the University of Surrey (news, 15 August) showed some remarkable results, indicating that the development of the bacterial communities in the gut during the first year of life can have dramatic effects on the horse's subsequent athletic ability. The study followed 50 thoroughbred foals from birth and analysed the bacteria in their faeces.…

AFTER THE OLYMPICS “You've built up to this and it becomes all-consuming; it's a lifestyle” CHEF D'EQUIPE DICKIE WAYGOOD DREAMS do come true; just ask Team GB. When the British eventing team won the country's first gold of the Paris Olympics, Laura Collett said, “I just want every child out there to know, you can never dream too big.” Lottie Fry captioned her social media post that depicted Glamourdale back in his stable, a beaming Lottie (still in immaculate competition kit) and her bronze dressage medal with: “What dreams are made of.” And team gold medal showjumper Harry Charles thanked Romeo for taking him “beyond my dreams” and told reporters, “Paris was the best day of my career, my life even.” Becky Moody was originally a travelling reserve and suddenly…

DRESSAGE LEMIEUX NATIONAL DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Small tour SARAH HIGGINS and Geniaal won the prix st georges (PSG) gold (73%) and the freestyle (77.15%) to be crowned the Fairfax Saddles PSG supreme champions. The straight PSG was a mammoth class of 38, running from just past 11am to almost 6pm – and it took in pretty much everything the British weather had to offer. “As much as I want my friends to do well, all afternoon I was thinking, ‘Please don't do as well as I did!’” laughed Sarah, who is based in Cheshire and shares the ride on Geniaal with his owner Sarah Rao. “I've ridden him once in the last month because Sarah rides him most of the time. That's why I was so nervous this morning; I felt…

IN the Rothera Bray under-21 championship, European gold medallist and world number one Abigail Gray, 16, rounded off her final season in ponies in spectacular fashion, claiming the national pony title on the prolific George Clooney BS (pictured, above) with 73.86%. Myles Graham and his “heart horse” Nibeley Union Hit topped the junior line-up on 71.36%. Morgan Haerr and Behroez put a “dodgy” warm-up behind them to come out on top of the young rider final on 69.36%. “We have another three years in young riders; I'm hoping we can get better and better,” said Morgan, who has just done her A levels and is aiming for European selection. ONES TO WATCH Britain's first-ever children-on-horses gold medallist Ella-Grace Dovey scored 76.93% to collect another title, on Sheepcote Jackson.…

DRESSAGE LEMIEUX NATIONAL DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Young horses ASHLEY JENKINS landed back-to-back young horse titles when he topped the KBIS five-year-old line-up with last year's four-year-old winner Game On I (Governor x Sir Donnerhall), who was bred by his owner Nicola Mahoney. He dominated the five-year-old contingent here at Somerford Park, scoring 90% to lead the first round of the competition before coming out on top in the final. The format of the final involves young horses being assessed by a ride judge – which this year was Alex Harrison-West – and Ashley said the last time he'd seen somebody else ride “G” was at the nationals last year. But, as Nicola pointed out, the fact that he gave Alex such a good ride demonstrated his exceptional training, alongside his three…

IN spring 2023, BE90 section B winners Bella Balian and Beechwood Joey (pictured), were sidelined at the same time. “Joey bucked me off and I broke my leg,” explained Bella, who suspected that there might have been an underlying cause triggering the eight-year-old gelding's out-of-character behaviour. “I've had Joey since he was five – he is the first horse I have produced myself – and he had never done that sort of thing before. I had a feeling something was amiss.” Investigations revealed that Joey was suffering from kissing spines. “He had surgery and I waited for my leg to heal,” continued Bella. “So, we both had time out together.” Joey's rehab began with physiotherapy and slow work, and progressed to British Dressage outings by the end of last year.…

Bucks County, Weedon Park WILL EDWARDS had a strong showing in the line-up of the area trial, when he claimed both an emphatic victory with SHW Candies B and fourth place with his rising star, seven-year-old Carrickview Apollo (see box, below). Will jumped the first clear of the opening round with 14-year-old Candy and just three others remained faultless. He put his foot down with Carrickview Apollo, who was jumping his first area trial, after having a rail to claim one of the five jump-off slots. “He was first to go in the jump-off and jumped a very good clear,” Will said. “I was second-to-last to go on Candy and I had Angie Thompson behind me, as she'd jumped the fastest first round, so I thought, ‘I'll just have to…

NPS Great British In-Hand Show, Bury Farm EC, Bucks AFTER a near miss at the Great Yorkshire in July, home-producer Jaki Attrill was finally rewarded when her athletic three-year-old coloured sport horse gelding, Willowsway Mr Brightside (Bentley), nailed a first HOYS supreme in-hand ticket and made history into the bargain. A strong field of 15 – featuring the pick of the season's semi-finalists as well as champions on the day – lined up for judge Stephen Howard, who admitted it was a close decision between Bentley and the eventual runner-up, Cathy Wood's two-year-old filly Loxleigh I Do, winner of the semi-final at the Connemara Breed Show on her show ring debut. “A horse you'd love to ride” STEPHEN HOWARD ON WILLOWSWAY MR BRIGHTSIDE “My winner was the most beautiful mover and…