Innholdsfortegnelse for 7-Aug-2025 i Horse & Hound

I’M fascinated by what results in a win, what sets a horse and rider combination apart on any given day and what goes into a victory both during the competition and the years beforehand. This week, event rider Bubby Upton shares a detailed account of the moments leading up to her Bramham win with Its Cooley Time (How I won…, p18). I’m always grateful to riders who are willing to speak in such detail about their processes and experiences – what might seem a given, or even a mundane fact, to them is fascinating to the sport fan, and potentially hugely helpful to the aspiring rider wanting to learn from their heroes, too. Bubby’s grit and determination come through in her article, as does her gratitude for this horse and…

TRUESHAN The nine-year-old was put down after a serious injury in the Goodwood Cup. The Group One winner played a major role in the careers of trainer Alan King and jockey Hollie Doyle. PERSIMMON The 20-year-old gelding, who won eventing European team silver with Kitty King and young rider showjumping European team silver with Will Fletcher, has retired. QIRAT The 150/1 shot trained by Ralph Beckett and ridden by Richard Kingscote, won at Goodwood, believed to be the biggest-priced success in a British Group One in modern times.…

▲ TESTING Overheard at the yard, two riders bemoaning one’s lorry’s MOT failure. “Damn it, the DVSA testers clearly have gone to Specsavers!” one remarked. Safety aside, we know how you feel. ▲ SHOPPING Anyone feeling flush might like to check out Hermès’ saddle cloths, at £400+ a pop. “Just think how many sets of shoes that is,” observed a rider, adding after a pause: “And bottles of gin.” More to the point. ▲ PHOTOGRAPHY Spotted online: “My parents have six photos of me from 1986. I have 196 photos of my horse taken between 7am and 7.08am today.” Accurate. ▼ BINS To the New Forest, where donkeys have been “interacting with” wheelie bins – and the pigs will be out before long – but apparently this is better than…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. @ horseandhound instagram.com/horseandhound facebook.com/horseandhound PARA MATTERS – OR DOES IT? I WAS born with 85% of my eyesight missing. I’ve finally plucked up the courage to apply for classification to be considered as a para rider. I recently had my visually impaired (VI) assessment with the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and was classified B3, which the BPA told me meant I was eligible to be considered for para competitions – amazing news. I’ve since discovered that British Equestrian (BEF) and subsequently British Dressage (BD) only accept B1 and B2 classified VI riders. However many UK sports accept people with a B3 classification. “I hope classification criteria will be reviewed” ROSE PAICE Surely all sports should have the same…

I grew up on a farm. My father was a hard taskmaster, and I learnt on all kinds of horses. I worked at the hunt kennels, exercising the hounds and horses in the morning and collecting fallen stock for the knacker’s yard in the afternoons. In 1987, I joined the Old Surrey and Burstow Hunt as second horseman and kennelman. I hunted hounds for 28 years, then eight years ago, I retired from hunting to run my own business. There comes a time in a horse’s life when it starts to get old, drop condition, ribs show, and feet and teeth deteriorate. No matter how much food you pump into it, the body is shutting down, and the kind thing to do is euthanise the animal. Some thoroughbreds get to…

TAKING the reserve supreme ridden was Welsh section B ridden victor Ringside King Triton (Peter) ridden by Alex Carter (née Williams; pictured). Alex was deputising for her sister, Kate Pittman, who enjoyed a dream show. As well as winning both the section B ridden classes also qualifying for HOYS with Peter, Kate came up to win the section C ridden class with John and Jacky Kirk’s home-bred Donys Dick Turpin (Hugo). Hugo is no stranger to the limelight, having stood section C in-hand champion and Tom and Sprightly winner in 2023 shown by Kate’s husband, Richard. Kate’s rub of luck didn’t stop there, also winning the ridden section D gelding class with her own and family’s home-bred Ringside Zorba. Incredibly, this was Zorba’s fifth win here having won this class…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle HIGHLIGHTS 24–27 July Dauntsey Park, Wilts BETWEEN them, intermediate winners Abigael Drodge and Pauldarys Bootylicious (Beie) boast an impressive inventory of injuries. Two dislocated shoulders (Abi) and a fractured splint bone (Beie) meant the pair spent much of the past three years on the sidelines, but they have made up for lost time this season with top-10 placings every time out – bar at Farley Hall where Abi missed out a cross-country fence. “It has been one thing after another,” said Abi, who sustained her injuries playing rugby. “I was just about to get back in the saddle again after my second surgery when Beie was kicked in the field and got part of the other horse’s hoof stuck in her leg.” Abi, who only started riding when…

Little Mill Equestrian Area Festival, Carmarthenshire KERRY BEVAN, who won both the elementary and medium silver titles with Kardashian (Willa), credited her trainer, Jackie Beaven, with the mare’s ongoing progress. “Through Jackie’s approach, I now work with what Willa gives me – I ride what I’ve got, rather than what I want,” said Kerry, who has been competing Russell Walker’s 10-year-old De Niro daughter since late 2023. “It’s all about Willa and me zoning in to our bubble together and supporting each other, to get the best from our relationship. That strength of partnership has made a big difference – we’re building the confidence and trust, so she can relax in the test and not be on high alert all the time.” After achieving the double, Kerry added: “Days like…

Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ THE Danish equestrian federation (DRF) will ban double bridles in lower-level dressage from September, as part of horse welfare reforms. The DRF dressage committee said the change, which applies up to level four – roughly equivalent to Britain’s advanced medium – supports more balanced progression in horse and rider education. “The change is part of a professionally based development of the sport, where the rider’s preparation and the horse’s welfare go hand in hand,” a spokesperson for the committee said. The wider ethical guidelines of which the ban is part reinforce the principle of horse welfare as top priority. “The horse’s welfare is paramount and must never be subordinate to competitive or commercial interests,” the guidelines state. The…

SCONE CHARITY COURSE WALKS THE Georgie Campbell Foundation will be the supported charity for the first running of Scone Palace International Horse Trials (21–24 August). The foundation was set up in memory of five-star event rider Georgie Campbell, and aims to help young event riders in establishing and running their businesses, and to support cross-country safety improvements. The proceeds from the guided cross-country course walks at the event will go to the charity. Jo Williams, Georgie’s older sister and Georgie Campbell Foundation trustee, said that the foundation is “honoured to be named as charity of choice for the inaugural Scone Palace International Horse Trials” . ENGLAND BEAT BRAZIL AT GUARDS ENGLAND’S polo team beat Brazil 16–7 in the Coronation Cup on International Day at Guards Polo Club (25 July). The…

Top event rider Harry Meade is recovering from a biking accident in which he punctured a lung, broke ribs and injured his shoulder. Eventer Ellie Fredericks, who rode for Britain at the 2023 young rider Europeans and is the daughter of Lucinda and Clayton, has switched to ride for Australia. Hampshire-based Andrew Balding was crowned leading trainer at the Qatar Goodwood Festival with four winners and a number of placings. International dressage rider Olivia Oakeley and Taylor Elisa married at Romsey Abbey on 26 July. Olivia said it was “the best day of our lives”. Eventer Tom Woodward has been sidelined with a broken wrist sustained in a fall from a young horse at home. Tom had been due to ride at Hartpury this week.…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle OLYMPIC course-designer Alec Lochore is now back in the UK after his five-day visit to the 2028 Games venue at Santa Anita, California, where he was joined by course advisor Mike Etherington-Smith for a couple of days. Both are now feeling good about the possibility of producing a circa 5,000-metre track for the Los Angeles Games. As ever, there are many i’s to be dotted and t’s to be crossed, but the people at Santa Anita were very positive in their attitude and have agreed in principle to the groundworks to be done on the hill to the side of the racetrack, which will provide some terrain, and that the course will be crossing the car park. All being well, Alec will return to Los Angeles to move…

I’M quite particular about my food, making sure I have the right nutrients, particularly because my body is always using extra energy for recovery since I had my injury. My breakfast is the same every day. I have overnight oats, soaked in chia blackseed and some yoghurt, berries and banana on top. It’s quite a big breakfast, then I know I’m fuelled for the day, or if I am competing at an awkward time such as over lunch. My mum is an amazing cook and lunch will be something like a quiche and dinner might be a chicken salad, with some carbohydrate on Friday night ready for cross-country. I have one coffee every morning and drink a huge amount of water. If it’s hot, both the horse and I have…

EVERYDAY SHAMPOO BY NAF Offers a deep and refreshing yet gentle clean for your horse’s coat, mane and tail. It has a mild, easy rinse formula that removes dirt and sweat without drying the skin. It’s infused with eucalyptus and spearmint, and leaves the coat soft and shiny. £25.99 for 5l nafequine.com HAY FLAKES BY THUNDERBROOK A high-quality forage alternative that’s rich in natural fibre to promote healthy digestion and wellbeing. Ideal for senior horses and those with dental challenges, these flakes soften quickly, making them easy to chew and digest. £24.95 for 20kg thunderbrook.co.uk LIFE IS A RIDE SOCKS BY REDSWARE These fun mid-calf socks are made with elastane, which ensures they maintain their shape and offer the perfect fit to your foot and leg. Colours: blush or off-white…

THREE-YEAR-OLD home-bred Rosemoore Florence landed breeder Jack Kitching – a fourth-generation Shire breeder -a first Royal Welsh win, championship and HOYS ticket. “We’re known for showing foals and selling them on,” said Jack. “But I thought I’d like to try to get one to HOYS so kept her. She was a late foal so she’s only just started showing this year. She’s a dream to do – my eight-year-old daughter Skye has done a young handler class with her. FIRST HOYS “This is my first time here – I’ve wanted to come for ages. I thought if she gets in the first four against those senior mares, I’ll be made up. To win it and go on to take the lot – it’s not sunk in yet. It’s mega.”…

BEATRICE LOVETT BRUNT and her partner of nine years, Glenlo Sally, held their nerve to win the under-21 BE100open championship at Bishop Burton – their first win in four years. “Sally rocked her dressage test, stormed around the cross-country course and then took care of me and my nerves in the showjumping,” commented Sally, who is studying law at Nottingham Trent University. “She is a one-in-a-million pony who does everything with a smile.”…

HIGHLIGHTS 27–28 July Heckington, Lincs JENNA PALMER-EVANS and Ilord revisited their 2022 victory at this show, reclaiming the area trial after a two-year hiatus from the ring. It was a feature class with some surprising plot twists. Just one first-round clear, from Helen Tredwell and Luikan, was among the five through to the jump-off, but she chalked up both a rail down and a time penalty in the concluding phase. Jenna had carried through four faults but went on to deliver a well-paced clear that was enough to take the top spot. Adrian Speight, who had two down in the first round with Lizzy D’Alme CZ, went on to jump a clear for third. “It was quite exciting actually as you didn’t know which way it was going to go,”…

oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscnwilliams HIGHLIGHTS 21–27 July Virtus World Para Dressage Championships, Sparsholt College, Hants GREAT BRITAIN emerged as team world champions at the first-ever Virtus World Para Dressage Championships, an event for athletes with intellectual impairment that also welcomed riders from Australia, France and Germany among others. “They earned it – I couldn’t be prouder,” said Nick Rodgers, manager of the winning British quartet of Chris Bradley (MBF Harley Rebel), Daisy Britnell (Dakota Snow Chief ), Hattie Moore (CTD King) and Danielle Curzon (Dizzy Rascal). “They improved as a team as they got to know one another and the quality of riding got better each day.” Among the standout performers was Danielle, who claimed individual II3 gold with Victoria Moss’s British-bred Dimaggio mare. “What an experience,” said Danielle. “It wasn’t an…

catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 BRIAN FANSHAWE was one of the most renowned masters of foxhounds and amateur huntsman of the postwar era. There was seldom a dull day following his hounds and he commanded his field with military authority. His imprecations in the hunting field were seldom coherent enough to cause offence, but they did provide a discipline that helped him achieve remarkable sport in some differing countries. One reason for Brian’s record of remarkable sport was that he was a comparatively rare amateur huntsman in that he was both an exceptional horseman and a gifted hound man. This meant that he could stay near enough to his hounds to infuse them with his forceful drive and zeal in catching foxes, often at the end of long hunts. He hunted hounds in…

MIKEY’S competition name was Ringside Advantage, and he has certainly given Paul Strawson an advantage in the Brocklesby country. This season, a yawning ditch defeated all but Mikey: “The huntsman was on a good horse, but he asked what we should do. We gave him a lead and carried on!” The part-Irish Draught, part-thoroughbred arrived from Ireland destined for the show ring as a working hunter, but “he was a four-faulter”. Paul’s sister Ginny Rose had seen him aged five when Jane Collins first brought him over and liked him, then when he was for sale with showjumper Adrian Speight, she went to look at him. “She thought I’d like him, but not the price,” remembers Paul. “She was right, but the price dropped!” No doubt, that was due to…

THE terrific trio that delivered Olympic bronze last summer have been named on the British team for the European Dressage Championships (26–31 August) – as a newcomer gets ready for his first full senior championship. British Equestrian (BEF) and British Dressage (BD) selectors have confirmed Britain’s definite entries in Crozet, France. Carl Hester, Becky Moody and Lottie Fry have returned following their success in Paris, joined by Andrew Gould, who was travelling reserve. Chef d’equipe Darrell Scaife said “what an exciting foursome” to take to France. “What an exciting foursome” DARRELL SCAIFE “Carl will be riding in his ninth consecutive Europeans, Lottie has been a team regular since 2019, while for Andrew and Becky, it’s their [senior] Euros debut. But all four have considerable experience and with Lottie and Becky…

THE owners of a riding school that has taught thousands of people to ride since it opened in the 1940s celebrated a “legacy of friendship” with a party to mark their 50 years at the helm. Gerry Dunne and Sue Curtis, who both learnt to ride at Grovely Riding Centre, near Salisbury, as children, took on the riding school in 1975 when they were school teachers in their 20s. The pair have built up the riding school over half a century, improving facilities and mentoring their instructors and staff, many of whom have been with them for decades – as have many of the school’s clients. “It’s always been about education,” said Gerry. “Either through British Horse Society exams or modern apprenticeships, or kids coming for days, it has always…

bethan.simons@futurenet.com WE were treated to a glorious week of showing at the Royal International (RIHS). The supremes were particularly thrilling, with masterclass performances all-round and a thoroughly entertaining ride-off between Craig Kiddier and Robert Walker. Both horses looked stunning and Craig’s hedge-leaping party trick really got the crowd going. In the pony supremes, there was no denying that eventual supreme and reserve Isabella Walker and Alice Homer – both of showing dynasties – had showmanship written into their DNA. Both proved competitive chips off the old block, pulling out all the stops in their shows. DNA aside, experience counts for so much in the ring. With such prowess in these age-restricted ranks, it’s little wonder we needed the inaugural Young Dragonara class. It is aimed at children who have not…

WHEN I jumped the last and knew Finn and I had won, my feeling was, “Wow, he’s actually done it.” You flash back through all the years that go into that result – I felt huge amounts of pride and also, “Oh my god, we actually got through all those moments where he felt too sharp and like he was never going to come round. Thank goodness I never gave up on him and it was all more than worthwhile.” It’s hard to describe when very few people have seen it all. Finn’s always had the talent. Now that he’s settled in his brain, he’s got it all and I can’t wait to see what else we can achieve together. I hope I can continue doing him justice for many…

bethan.simons@futurenet.com ROYAL WELSH 21–24 July Royal Welsh, Royal Welsh Showground, Powys THERE was female power and charm in abundance in the final in-hand supremes, where two broodmares caught the eyes of the judges and attracted rapturous applause from the packed grandstand. Overall supreme judge Martin Clunes eventually found his winner in Hannah Owens’ home-bred Cascob Welsh Doll (Dolly), shown by Hannah alongside her sister Ellie handling the foal. The exquisitely pretty and powerful eight-year-old had lifted the Prince of Wales – a section D breeders’ ultimate prize -the previous afternoon, judged by John Kirk appropriately togged in a bespoke Prince of Wales tweed suit. They also impressed Colin Tibbey to be awarded the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) Price Family supreme in-hand ticket. “I watched the videos three times…

FIVE-YEAR-OLD Eliza Marshall booked her first ticket to London International (LIHS) with Dartmoor Parkbourne Brandreth. The pair, led by Eliza’s mother Katie, qualified for the mini Heritage sports pony final at Great Eccleston, where they were mini champions. “We didn’t expect to qualify as it’s such a popular class. It feels like it has taken ages for Eliza to be able to compete in it as the rider has to be aged five from the January and she’s born in September!” said Katie. FIRST LIHS TICKET…

Who was your first pony? His name was Claude. He was a grey 12.2hh Welsh/Shetland and he was so naughty. He used to kick, buck and run off with me. He ran off across Salisbury Plain out hunting and they had to get the soldiers to surround me. What’s your weirdest superstition before competing? I’m not superstitious at all. I used to think that if you could think of three things that had gone wrong before the show, then you’d be OK there. But before cross-country, I have to tack up and do everything myself; I get particular. What’s the last show you binge-watched? The fantasy drama TV series House of the Dragon. I love anything sci-fi and period history. If you could have dinner with any three people, dead…