Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-Nov-2024 i Horse & Hound

THERE are positive signs that Japan's eventers will be able to build on their team bronze at the Paris Olympics. Two of the riders, Ryuzo Kitajima and Toshiyuki Tanaka, funded by Riding Club Crane, are based with Angela Tucker in Gloucestershire. They will stay there and aim to qualify for the LA Games. “We will also send new riders to the UK to train,” said a spokesperson for the club. Angela said: “The riders who went to Paris are worldclass, but to move forward to Aachen and Los Angeles, we need other riders involved.” Kazuma Tomoto, the bestplaced Japanese eventer in Paris (fifth) and Tokyo (fourth) while based with Wiliam Fox-Pitt, works for the Japan Racing Association (JRA), which recalled him to Japan, chiefly to teach, and retrain former racehorses.…

MY parents were not into horses; my father was the village “bobby” where I grew up in Glan Conwy, north Wales. The next-door farm had ponies and the deal was, if I could stick on them long enough, I was allowed to take them to shows. There were no facilities, though, and we rode in the fields. I grew up with the Flint and Denbigh branch of the Pony Club, where it was drummed into us that any mistakes were the rider's fault; I can still hear ringing in my ears, “Sit still and never pull back.” As a teenager, I was jumping a horse at a county show in Wales, where David Broome and Harvey Smith were also competing. Harvey saw me ride and told me I needed to…

THE memory is vivid: feet out of stirrups, lying back onto moulting hindquarters and deep into don't-draw-breath eight-year-old chat when Mr Charlie Mouse set off for a swift and steady bolt, before depositing me safely by a gate at the far end of a deep-sided valley. A well-rehearsed manoeuvre that he had used to keep the army of children he'd taught to ride in the West Country on their toes. By the time he'd arrived with me, well into his 20s, the approach to his assignment was part gentlemanly grandfather with his mealy Exmoor muzzle, and part austere 1950s schoolteacher. Lying in an embarrassed heap by that gate, it didn't occur to me that I'd look back with fondness on my early years in the saddle under the tutelage of…

HUNTING BEDALE 2 November Edited by Catherine Austen catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 “As they so often do, hounds hunted brilliantly on the Cowton clay and we had a great day” ROSS CRAWFORD, JOINT-MASTER AND HUNTSMAN…

DRESSAGE HIGHLIGHTS 4–10 November Sparsholt College, Hants SCARLETT LAI claimed a 67.94% PSG win with Retanach Request, a horse she describes as the most characterful she's ridden. The 14.2hh Welsh cob gelding – who rose to fame when he reached grand prix with his former owner, Nicky Heale – teamed up with Scarlett when the Lai family bought him last April. “I've spent a lot of one-on-one time with him and he's so responsive,” said Scarlett, who works full-time at her parents’ riding school in the New Forest. “He has definitely taught me a lot. It was a rewarding test and the score is our new personal best at PSG.” The Catherston Stud team enjoyed a successful day, with yard rider Hope Hughes heading the medium 5 with breeding and…

SHOWJUMPING NATIONAL AMATEUR AND VETERANS CHAMPIONSHIPS 12–17 November National Amateur and Veterans Championships, Aintree International EC, Liverpool AN amateur and veterans title eluded Samantha Baker for almost 15 years but she broke her luck in dramatic style when she snatched victory from final draw in the coveted 1.20m major veterans final. Riding her feisty 10-year-old mare Billy Scarlett (Billy Um Bongo x Lancelot), Sam delivered the quickest of just three double clears from the nine combinations who made it through, ousting Julia Hardy and El Siera from the top spot. The partnership had been on imposing form throughout the show, having already topped the podium in the Hazelden 1.15m challenge final and finished runner-up in the national minor veterans championship. “I am not normally a fast rider but it suited…

CAROLINE BARNES had a “long day” when she took her eight-year-old son to compete at Pickering Grange Equestrian, Leicestershire, where he collected three wins, before executing a swift turnaround and heading to Newbold Verdon EC to claim two victories herself. One was in the Blue Chip Joint Care power qualifier riding the I'm Special De Muze x Kannan mare CH Special Q (pictured), also finishing third on Kilbunny Mistico. Five-year-old CH Special Q was bought from Ireland last year and has already established a solid record. “She's really taken to it. She's not done a massive amount, but she jumps a lot of clear rounds. She has her own personality, but she likes to jump the jumps, which makes it easy,” said Caroline, who also headed the 1.25m open by…

THOMAS PRITCHARD pushed Natasha Hawkins’ nine-year-old Kalan PB against the clock for the first time, to seize victory in the Blue Chip Joint Care power qualifier at Barleylands EC, Essex. Thomas rides for Julian Mincher, who first had the horse at his yard as a four-year-old before he was sold. He subsequently had a quiet few years after his rider went to university. “He's been back with us since May and we've been really enjoying him,” said Thomas, who is based with Julian at his yard in Ilford, east London. “At the moment, he's like a six-year-old in terms of experience but he's picking it up fast. “I'd gone in earlier on another horse and thought I'd been pretty quick, but ended up dropping down to seventh place. I knew…

FORMER Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was watching his Spirit Dancer win the Bahrain International Trophy, but at Prestbury Park his Il Ridoto won the Paddy Power Gold Cup and he must be excited for what the future holds for star novice L'Eau Du Sud (pictured). He owns the grey in partnership with John and Lisa Hales and Ged Mason, and the six-year-old came home a comfortable winner of the Grade Two Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase. “You are entitled to get excited with a horse like him,” said trainer Dan Skelton, who saddled four winners at the meeting. “He'll go to Sandown now and hopefully cement his place as the best two-mile novice in Britain – but I know Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls might…

“HE was an amazing jumper,” says David Broome. “He was a natural and sometimes you would think that you might need two or one-and-ahalf strides between jumps and he would make up his own mind that he could do it in one – and he did. Sunsalve was not born to be a star but he certainly became one and in doing so, he also played a major part in the showjumping stardom of David Broome and his being awarded an OBE in 1970 and a CBE in 1995. “It's a pity that horses never receive awards like that,” he continues. “There are so many horse legends from various areas of the world of equitation but while they get fame they don't get much else. I am sure that most…

CONCERNS have been raised that Irish breeders’ reputations are being “destroyed” over foal passport delays. This summer Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) launched online passport system HorseSource to replace paper registration. HSI said the system, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Marine (DAFM), was “designed to simplify and enhance the process”. But months on, breeders have told H&H the system is not working – and they are unable to proceed with sales as they are waiting for passports. On 15 November HSI said 5,765 foal passport applications had been made on HorseSource including full pedigree, which require DNA samples, and non-pedigree. Of those, 1,268 passports have been issued. Breeder Emily Cooper submitted two at the end of July, but passports had not arrived by 15 November. She told H&H…

MPs have pledged support for changes to fireworks law – as a petition with more than a million signatures, calling for an urgent review of regulation, has been delivered to Number 10. On 30 October, 15 MPs or their representatives attended an awareness event at Westminster organised by The Fireworks Working Group – which includes charities such as Redwings and the RSPCA – to discuss the adverse effects of fireworks on animals and people. Of the attendees, 12 MPs pledged support to the group's campaign, including Neil Hudson, MP for Epping Forest, and Sarah Owen, MP for Luton North. Last month, Ms Owen introduced a private member's bill to improve firework regulation, the second reading of which is scheduled for January (news, 24 October). Mr Hudson, who sponsored the event,…

A COLLECTION of 829 locks of hair from racehorses sold at auction for £38,000. The collection included locks from Shergar, Red Rum, Arkle and Nijinsky, and was gathered by the late Ray Goddard between 1948 and 2003. “Collecting locks of horsehair might seem like an unusual pastime, but it's provided us with an incredible archive, featuring some of the most famous horses the racing world has seen,” said Graham Budd, auctioneer and owner of Graham Budd Auctions, before the event, held in partnership with Weatherbys, on 13 November. The auction also featured historic trophies, silks, horseshoes and memorabilia, including a shield mounted with a racing plate worn by Shergar when winning the 1981 Derby, and one worn by Shareef Dancer in the 1983 Irish equivalent. The shield, which sold for…

“IT was incredible,” says Mari Durward-Akhurst reflecting on winning a bronze medal in the grade I freestyle at her first-ever Paralympic Games in September. “I don't think I realised what it would be like, and everything was just so much bigger than I'd imagined. “To finally be able to say I'm a Paralympian,” she adds, pausing for a second. “Well… it's been a lifelong dream and I think it's starting to sink in. I want to go and do it again now!” It may have been the first Games in which Britain didn't win team gold – finishing sixth – but for those in Paris it certainly didn't feel like a disappointment. Watching Natasha Baker's comeback, Sophie Wells’ inexperienced LJT Egebjerggardds Samoa grow in confidence with each test and Georgia…

ATENDON SHEATH is a fluid-filled membrane that helps to reduce the friction of tendons as they move across joints and other bony structures. Like joints, tendon sheaths and bursae (fluid-filled sacs) also contain synovial fluid. This is a thin, slippery liquid rich in hyaluronic acid; it maintains a thin separation of structures to avoid damage from friction, and conserves energy. The digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS), typically referred to as the tendon sheath, is one of many fluidfilled tendon sheaths in the horse's body. This particular one provides near frictionless movement of the flexor tendons as they move over the back of the fetlock and pastern joints. The force and spring to a horse's stride is in no small part due to the free movement of these tendons around the…

THE compliment National Hunt jump jockey Jack Andrews likes the most is that he “doesn't look tall on a horse”. He's 6ft 4in, and has been since he was 16, so it feels harder for him to look “stylish, neat and normal”. Ponies never excited him – he'd only consider riding if his sisters tacked up and washed off for him – but “there was never a doubt in my mind that I was going to be a jockey”, he says. Racing was all around him, all the time; his parents rode, and his sisters Bridget and Gina are jockeys. When Jack schooled his first point-to-pointer, aged just 12, the flame was lit, and he had his first race ride two days after his 16th birthday. Then came the growth…

HIGHLIGHTS 4–10 November Bury Farm Equestrian Village, Bucks “WE'RE on an upward trajectory,” said Nicola North after a 67.79% bronze section and overall prix st georges (PSG) win with Baptista-RA. “It's quite a jump up from advanced medium, but our hard work seems to be coming to fruition. This is our best score to date.” Nicola bought the Bretton Woods mare nearly two years ago and credits her trainer Lisa Hopkins with the progress they've made. “Lisa has really helped us get to grips with the higher-level work,” she said. “We've been working on the pirouettes, but we're getting more consistent across all movements. “‘Bee’ is a typical chestnut mare and can be feisty but, if you can get her on side and learn how to press the right buttons,…

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Emilia Middleton netted her first national title, claiming the 1.05m amateur sash with the striking Ikke Van De Rikse (I'm Special De Muze x Concorde). Emelia is new to the national circuit, having lived in Spain until she was 14, but she's focused on climbing the ranks and is currently working for Joe Fernyhough. “I told her to go for two clears but she was determined to win. Joe had told her to come home with a rug!” her mother Felicity said. “She's hoping to go professional, so to win was a huge confidence boost. They've been at local shows but not a championship with lights and music, so it was a new thing for them both.” Emilia added: “I'm really grateful for Joe's support and also the support…

IN THE GENES WHILE showjumper Tim Gredley was competing at the Stuttgart Masters in Germany, finishing best of the Brits in fifth in the grand prix with Imperial HF, his family's smart half-brothers East India Dock and Burdett Road produced a winning brace at Cheltenham. Four-year-old Burdett Road and the year-younger East India Dock (pictured) are out of Galileo mare Diamond Bangle, with the latter by Golden Horn, while the £100,000 Greatwood Hurdle winner is by Muhaarar. East India Dock won Saturday's Grade Two JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle by an incredible 18 lengths under Sam Twiston-Davies, with that race at the Festival now the obvious goal. The Gredleys won the same race last year with Royal Ascot winner Burdett Road, who won a listed race at Newmarket six weeks…

A NEW organisation to run pentathlon including horse riding has been welcomed, as it pledges to put welfare at its heart, while operating in an “ethical, transparent” way. The Pony Club International Alliance (PCIA) and the International Pentathlon Association (IPA) have signed an agreement to run equestrian multi-sport. Modern pentathlon, run by international governing body UIPM, replaced riding with an obstacle race, after distressing scenes at the Tokyo Olympics. IPA director Alex Watson, a former Olympic pentathlete and Australian team manager, told H&H this was “like taking cycling out of triathlon and replacing it with golf ”. Mr Watson said, as other pentathletes have, that previously, pentathletes could qualify for major competitions without the needed riding skill. “The only way forward is to have a complete reset,” he said. “To…

One of my early ponies was an 11hh grey called Peter Pony; an archetypal woolly leading-rein pony. There's a photograph of me on him, aged about six, in my tweed jacket and bowler hat, being led across some old turf in the Heythrop country by Miss Lavinia Jenkinson. The first 10 years of my life were in Gloucestershire while my father, Captain Ronnie Wallace, was master of the Heythrop. In 1977, we moved to Exmoor, which was very different; the days you enjoyed were the ones where you didn't get soaking wet or blown off your pony in a gale. “I take one of my hunters, jumping the odd gorse bush as I go” My father didn't push me to hunt and at such a young age you were largely…

MANY days spent riding horses are tinged with feelings of frustration, inadequacy or regret. That's normal – we always want to do better. Occasionally, however, the equestrian gods bestow on us something miraculous that is free from negative emotions and makes our heart sing. Hunting has given me many very happy days, but I will never forget an episode with the Rockwood Harriers on a mare called Meg. We were upsides the field master coming to a rail beside a hanging metal five-bar gate, with a drop behind it, and their horse swerved left into us in the final stride. Disaster seemed inevitable, but Meg swivelled, jumped the gate on an acute angle with a foot to spare and landed galloping in perfect balance. I had nothing to do with…

HUNTING MELTON HUNT CLUB RIDE 10 November Fox & Hounds Knossington Melton Hunt Club Ride, Barrowcliffe, Leics ON just her second attempt at the Melton Hunt Club Ride, Georgina Bathurst joined the illustrious list of winners of the most famous of hunt races. Riding Jan Maat, an 11-year-old German-bred thoroughbred by Electric Beat, Georgina had a dream ride to finish a couple of lengths ahead of Hannah Stevenson and Get Busy Livin. “He absolutely flew round and pinged everything – he felt amazing,” said Georgina, whose father Alexander is joint-master of the VWH. It was the Quorn's turn to host the Melton and it showcased the grass and big, imposing hedges of the pack's Friday country to perfection. After the dry weather of the past couple of weeks, the ground…

HIGHLIGHTS 4–10 November CALCOURT TOPLINE returned from a break on winning form, claiming the Blue Chip Joint Care power qualifier for Johnathan Bowman. The mare is owned by CCR Equestrian, run by Charlotte Ratcliffe, who established a competition centre and breeding programme in Gloucestershire five years ago. Seven-year-old Calcourt Topline (Westpoint Quickfire x Camus) is one of two horses they bought for Johnathan to produce while their home-bred youngsters were maturing. “She's recently started stepping up and won a Foxhunter in September,” said Johnathan, who has produced her from a three-year-old. “We gave them a few weeks’ break while the weather was good and this is their first show back.” There were 14 double clears in this single phase, where Johnathan took the top spot with 0.42sec to spare over…

HIGHLIGHTS 4–10 November Onley Grounds Equestrian Complex, Warks “HE'S a phenomenal type of horse – ones like him don't come along often,” said Josie O'Leary, who headed the Blue Chip Calming performance qualifier with the 10-year-old Tablinsky VD Laarse Heide Z. This big-striding 15.3hh delivered the fastest of nine double clears to win, securing his second Blue Chip qualification of the season. “He is so careful he's a bit of a freak, so the course really suited him as it was galloping and forward,” said Josie. “He is really brave sometimes and tries to take over because he really loves a long flyer, so I do try to rein him in a bit!” “The course suited him as it was galloping” JOSIE O'LEARY The Tangelo VD Zuuthoeve x Chin Chin gelding…

PORTMAN 17 November Portman, Badbury Rings, Dorset TRAINER Harry Ryall kicked off his season with his first-ever treble. A win in the opening race of the day – the 4&5yo maiden with mare Lady Kloppenheim – started Harry's winning proceedings. Ridden by Robbie David, the daughter of Vadamos, owned by The Jolly Boys, had her first run in April. “We bought her last August and ran her in a bumper,” said Harry. “She has strengthened up well over the summer and won nicely today. She was a bit novicey jumping but quickened away and won as she liked.” Harry's next victory came in the mixed open, when Shirocco gelding Another Furlough got his head in front, also under Robbie David, for owners Ryall and Rothwell. “It wasn't his best display…

MARINA BEALBY broke her riding duck when winning the conditions (level two) for grassroots riders, riding 10-year-old Precious Bounty, owned and trained by her father Ashley Bealby. The family bought the Yeats gelding, who has enjoyed considerable success pointing with trainers Tom Ellis and Kelly Morgan, at the end of last season and gave Marina her first ride before the season finished. “The saddle slipped, so we pulled up on that first run, then they ran last weekend at Knightwick, but the ground was too soft for him,” said Ashley. “He loved the firmer ground and zoomed round today.” Marina praised the gelding, who was carrying 12st 5lb, for their win. “It was a bit of a steering job,” mused Marina who works in London from Monday to Thursday as…