Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-Aug-2025 i Horse & Hound

THE European Dressage Championships get under way in Crozet on 27 August, and while Britain has a fantastic chance of a team gold medal and individual placings to boot, excitingly there is no foregone conclusion and it will be a thrilling competition to follow. As dressage editor Oscar Williams puts it (preview, p38) the results really will come down to the finest details. Oscar has painstakingly completed this week’s ultimate form guide (p42), giving you a taste of what to expect from each combination. These form guides are your ideal companion as you watch the competition unfold – be it in person, on screen, or following our coverage online. A reminder that all Horse & Hound magazine subscribers get complete access to every article on our website – visit: horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits.…

LAURA COLLETT WITH 16-YEAR-OLD LONDON 52 OWNERS: Karen Bartlett, Keith Scott and rider BREEDER: Ocke Riewerts BREEDING: By Landos, out of a mare by Quinar GROOM: Tilly Hughes PIGGY MARCH WITH 12-YEAR-OLD HALO OWNER: Jayne McGivern BREEDER: Bernard Hobe BREEDING: By Humphrey 61, out of a mare by Contender GROOM: Hannah Chowen CAROLINE HARRIS WITH 11-YEAR-OLD D. DAY OWNERS: Lucy Matthews, Fiona Olivier, Marie Anne Richardson and Heather Royle BREEDER: Fiona Olivier BREEDING: By Billy Mexico, out of a mare by Dilum XX GROOM: Nellie Smith BUBBY UPTON WITH 10-YEAR-OLD ITS COOLEY TIME OWNERS: The Five Time Syndicate and rider BREEDER: Ennisnag Stud BREEDING: By Quality Time TN, out of a mare by Heartbreaker GROOM: Kirsty Campbell YASMIN INGHAM WITH 15-YEAR-OLD REHY DJ OWNERS: Janette Chinn and The Sue Davies…

NEW TECH FOR CUSHING’S TESTS NEW technology for diagnosing pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID; Cushing’s disease) will benefit horses, VetPartners hopes. The company has bought analysers that detect concentration of certain substances in blood for Liphook and Rainbow equine hospitals and Rossdales. The machines measure insulin and adrenocorticotropic hormone to help diagnose Cushing’s and equine metabolic syndrome. Liphook’s Andy Durham said the new method gives more accurate results. “It will reduce the risk of false negative results, so more horses suffering from Cushing’s disease will receive the treatment they need,” he said. FOX-PITTS’ HOYS MASTERCLASS WILLIAM and Alice Fox-Pitt are looking forward to their first masterclass at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) this year. The couple will be joined by Chilli Morning IV, eight-year-old clone of William’s legendary ride…

BRITISH racing will stage a one-day strike in protest at Government tax plans for online betting. No race meetings will take place in Britain on 10 September and the sport will host a major campaign event in Westminster to highlight the threat of the Treasury’s proposal. The four fixtures that were due to be held that day will be rescheduled. British racing’s Axe The Racing Tax campaign is in response to proposals to harmonise all remote gambling duties. This could increase the 15% tax paid by bookmakers on racing to bring it in line with online gaming, taxed at 21%. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said analysis, which it commissioned, shows this could mean a £330m hit to the industry in the first five years, and put 2,752 jobs at…

bethan.simons@futurenet.com AT this year’s Royal International (RIHS), the Hickstead team put on a super show with a great atmosphere, and they should be thanked and congratulated. That said, I would welcome one significant change in the way that the show hunter and show pony finals are judged. Each year, stewards ask children in these classes for a “short show”, which I find can be unnerving for our younger riders who are desperate to give the best account of themselves possible at such an occasion. The sand track and slope in ring two make it easier to give guidance to our riders in the show hunter pony classes and to plan a show to gallop up the hill. But it’s not so easy in the show pony finals. As a producer,…

RIDER AUSTIN O’CONNOR “I BOUGHT Colorado Blue’s dam, the Rock King mare Rock Me Baby, from Hendrik Wiegersma as a five-year-old. She sustained an injury, so we started breeding from her and then I sold her to Kate Jarvey, who I was working with, as a broodmare. “I backed ‘Salty’ as a three-year-old and he was a nice, commercial event horse, but one wouldn’t even have dreamt of his superstar qualities. Kate’s policy was that the nice mares were retained and the geldings sold. By the time he was five, I liked him enough to want to keep him, so I was lucky to be able to form The Salty Syndicate – Gill Watson, Philippa Smith, Jenny Burall and at the time Pat Sandison, who has since passed away. “He…

THE seven vertebrae of the neck (C1 to C7) run in a gentle S shape from the poll to the thorax, entering the chest above the point of the shoulder. From C2 to C7, there are three joints between each vertebra: the intercentral joint that contains a disc and separates each vertebral body, and a pair of large, obliquely angled joints that sit above and to the side of the spinal canal. These are called articular process (facet) joints. They are lined with cartilage and contain lubricating fluid, just like other mobile joints in the body. These joints play an important role in the support and mobility of the head and neck. Just like other joints, they can become arthritic, enlarged, irregular and can suffer from osteochondrosis, the developmental condition…

FIND MORE GREAT PRODUCTS ONLINE Visit horseandhound.co.uk/buyers-guides to find more fantastic new products…

THE VENUE The 2025 European Dressage Championships will be held at Jiva Hill Stables in Crozet, France: a venue at the foot of the Jura Mountains, near Geneva, that regularly hosts international dressage competition. THE JUDGES The judging panel includes president Raphaël Saleh (FRA), with Maarten van der Heijden (NED), Hans-Christian Matthiesen (DEN), Peter Storr (GBR), Katrina Wüst (GER), Janet Lee Foy (USA) and Christof Umbach (LUX). CAN I BUY TICKETS? Tickets are on sale now and prices start at €20. Saturday’s family entertainment is free, with a separate ticketed evening show. Parking is free. Group bookings and VIP packages also available. ● Visit jivahillstables.com…

TWO riders secured their passes to next year’s BE80 championship at Chillington Hall with thrilling wins in their regional finals at Blindley Heath (2) and Forgandenny (2). Tanisha Arian celebrated her 16th birthday in style with a victory at the former with Martin Wright’s homebred May’s Lane (Millie). “She goes by the name Princess Millie and she likes to do things her way,” said Tanisha, who teamed up with the 13-year-old mare, who has also competed to prix st georges level dressage with Martin’s wife, Janine Lamy, at the beginning of the year. “Millie’s whole attitude to life is ‘hold my beer’. She’s a unique character and I’m very lucky to ride her.” At Forgandenny, Milly Morrison and her 14.2hh Welsh Cob Cwmtysswg Estafan sealed their victory on a score…

PATIENCE is paying off for Hannah Biggs, an advanced medium gold champion with Ada Bjordahl’s 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding Dutch Habour H. “I’m pleased I took a couple of years to consolidate his work,” said Hannah. “He’s sensitive creature, physically and emotionally, so we’ve worked hard on his management and feeding and with vets and farriers. He’s quite hypermobile, which brings problems of its own, but we’re really getting somewhere. “He’s now so much stronger and able to show movement in a good way,” added Hannah. “This was a confidence-boosting win; he felt willing and happy.” Isabella Balian headed the novice silver with nine-year-old gelding Beechwood Joey, who she describes as her “Irish bog pony”. “We’ve owned him since he was five, but we had to rehab him for kissing spines.…

IN horses, as in humans, we are often drawn to the flashy, the arched neck and extravagant action, but it is the faithful “Mr Reliable” that deserves our respect and a place on this page. One such is Mac. “He’s an old sod to ride,” admits Essex and Suffolk huntsman Jack Henty. “I’ve never really enjoyed riding him, but he’s a good horse. He’s always there, always reliable.” Mac had experienced an unspectacular racing and point-to-point career with 23 starts before coming to Jack. “A young lad trained and rode him. He won a maiden as an eight-year-old on heavy ground, but he was pretty useless after that,” reports Jack. “I got him when he was 11 for next to nothing!” A SECOND CAREER MAC hadn’t hunted before starting his…

HAMPSHIRE rider, trainer, yard manager and coach Annie Forsyth-Wright has a great many strings to her bow. With the impending arrival of a newborn she’s about to add another, and becoming a mother will mean that she will have to scale back her schooling and competing efforts for a time. “Realistically, I’m not going to be running a string of more than two for the foreseeable,” she says. A consequence of this is the sale of her 13.5t Mercedes Ketterer lorry, which has been her perfect transport since 2017. “It’s a great piece of kit, the most solid truck on the planet, and I’m gutted to be parting with it,” she continues. “But the cost of diesel means taking only one or two out and about will be extortionate.” Annie’s…

Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ RETRAINING OF RACEHORSES (RoR) has launched a “refreshed welfare framework” for competitions and events including its championships this week – including more active enforcement of rider size limits. The charity published its new welfare rules on 1 August, ahead of The Jockey Club RoR National Championships (19-24 August). They are “designed to ensure the wellbeing of retired racehorses and support their successful transition into new careers”. “These rules are grounded in the principle that horse welfare is paramount, addressing both the physical and psychological needs of each animal,” the guide states. WEIGHT RATIO ROR then announced that it had updated its horse-to-rider weight ratio rules, in place for all RoR competitions and events. These state that the total…

IN THE NEWS INONOTHING The 2010 Badminton winner, owned by Jenny and the late Claus Waaler, has died aged 29. The thoroughbred finished in the top 10 at six five-stars with Paul Tapner. A PLUS TARD The 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner scored a showing double with Emily Kate Robinson, winning the racehorse to riding horse title at Balmoral – and then at Dublin. PAM The tiny foal, who measures just 5.2hh and weighed 15kg at birth, was born to a rescued Shetland at World Horse Welfare’s Glenda Spooner Farm in Somerset.…

MISTAKES Oops to the H&H-er who last week got confused between Let It Be and Let It Go. Long week. Where’s mother Mary speaking words of wisdom when you need her? FAILING A lorry failed its MOT, again, on brakes. “They’re a bit picky; if they want to see lack of brakes they should take Prince hunting,” the owner said. True. Not sure the DVSA sees it that way though. AGE The same rider did smile when the nice garage chap said: “Is that an actual J-reg or a private plate?” The former confirmed, he said: “It’s older than me!” Yep. Hence the failure. Thanks. FEAR Actor James Norton said he fell off a horse and broke his collarbone during filming – but was most scared of telling the producer…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. CLARITY AND TRANSPARENCY I FOUND Bethan Simons’ article (comment, 7 August) very interesting. One thought I had regarding situations where different heights and weights have been amalgamated into one class was to judge it similarly to a championship format, so the judge would asssess the same heights together, then the top three of each height section would go forward to the main judging. “Amalgamated classes could be judged like championships” ANN HILL This way horses are judged initially like for like and it could be explained by the judge, through a microphone, at the end of each height judging how they came to their decision. The judge could also then explain their decision at the end of…

“I WORK on Jane O’Donald’s small yard near Austin’s and she kindly lets me have time off to groom for Austin and Salty. His team at home are great and I’m the lucky one who goes to shows with him, which I’ve been doing since Tokyo. I used to work for Austin and he teaches me on my horse too. “He is a sweet horse, with a lovely nature. Austin’s kids lead him around. His only downfall is that being grey, there’s a lot of washing – he’s not bad, but he wouldn’t love bath time. “I travelled all over when I groomed for Lucy Jackson, but I’d never done an Olympics before so to go to two with the same horse is wonderful, especially having the crowds in Paris…

SURGERY is performed under general anaesthesia with the horse on their side. The targeted intervertebral foramen is identified using X-ray and a spinal needle is inserted under ultrasound guidance onto the edge of the enlarged articular process. A small incision is made on the side of the neck to allow insertion of a cannula and specialised endoscope. With continuous saline irrigation, soft tissue is cleared using specialised instruments. Fluid pressures and heat dissipation are carefully regulated to protect nerve structures. Bone is then carefully removed from the articular process with burrs and punches, widening the foramen to relieve nerve compression. The amount of bone removed is pre-planned from the original CT scan. Once decompression has been achieved, the incision is sutured and the horse moved to the recovery box. Horses…

WHETHER you’re heading to Crozet, watching via live stream, or just keen to stay in the know, Horse & Hound will be your go-to source for everything European Dressage Championships. From breaking news and in-depth reports to interviews, photos, and expert insight, we’ll have it all – delivered as it happens, straight to your fingertips. WEBSITE IN addition to our full magazine report, H&H will be publishing extensive online content direct from Crozet, including: breaking news and multiple reports throughout each day, covering both team and individual competitions daily round-ups with all the key results, facts, and talking points in one place exclusive interviews with leading contenders, rising stars, returning favourites, British heroes, grooms, and more To keep reading after five articles, readers will need to buy a subscription to…

FOR many of us, we dream of being able to look out the kitchen window and see our horses grazing happily. But is this as idyllic as it sounds? Buying an equestrian property is an exciting step, but there are a number of issues to consider before taking the plunge. Once you’ve sorted your housing non-negotiables, you’ll need to think about how much land you’ll actually need, as well as the facilities that are already there. The British Horse Society recommends “a ratio of one horse per 0.4–0.6 hectares on permanent grazing (1–1.5 acres per horse)” as a minimum, but of course this is only a guideline. Other factors include the quality of grazing and the type of soil, as well as the size and condition of your horses. Consider…

TULCON HERO – owned by husband-and-wife team William McMahon and Grace Maxwell Murphy – retained his stellar form. By Gortfree Hero, the 2025 Balmoral supreme also won the Red Mills Showing Ireland Champion of Champions final before heading here to win his heavyweight four-year-old class with William in the saddle. Not to be outdone, Grace took the reins on Patrick Curran’s home-bred Glencarrig Douvan to win the ridden Connemara stallion class for the second time. ON FORM…

KATY MARRIOTT-PAYNE produced both the HOYS junior M&M champion and reserve, which went to the small breeds winner Wensley Magic Touch (Madge) and large breed winner Donys Dawnus respectively. Leisl Mead’s home-bred Welsh section A Madge, already qualified in the open section with Alice Tomlinson, was partnered here by Heidi Cooper to head the junior class – the pair also finished runner-up in the HOYS first ridden qualifier. The Welsh section C mare Donys Dawnus, owned by Julie Joyner and ridden here by Maisie KerryOates, will be making her debut at HOYS in both the open and junior finals. ON FORM…

HIGHLIGHTS 4–10 August oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscnwilliams FEI WBFSH World Breeding Championships, Verden, Germany FIONA BIGWOOD’S mare Quinn G earned her third consecutive title at the FEI World Breeding Championships – winning the seven-year-old qualification round with 80.18% and the final with 81.65%. Quinn won as a five-year-old in 2023 with Betina Jaeger, and at six with British Olympic medallist Fiona. “She’s a dream to work with,” said Fiona of the Quaterhit mare, who “loves to perform”. “She goes down that centre line with her ears pricked, wanting to show off,” said Fiona. “She’s so full of power, and then you go into walk and she just relaxes through her whole body.” Describing Quinn as a kind mare who loves humans and cuddles, Fiona added: “She’s a complete time-waster!” Fiona was competing…

Speedgate Events Area Festival, Kent “HE was feeling quite cocky, in a good way,” said LucyAnna Westaway of her inter I bronze winner Ahi O’Malley. “It’s exciting now we can add more power. He certainly had that – he was full of it.” LucyAnna has seen the 14-year-old gelding develop confidence and strength. “He’s a little dude,” she said. “He’s got Jazz and Spanish lines, and is so much fun. We often go out on ‘hooley hacks’. “We’re working at inter II at home and learning together; I just need to figure out how to do the one-time changes,” added LucyAnna, who trains with James Rooney and Jody Haswell. “He was ahead of me on a couple of moves. If I can let him do his job and not overthink…

LINCOLNSHIRE-BASED mother-daughter duo Lindy Robertson and grade V para rider Flossie England have a two-lorry set-up: a 3.5t Theault and a 16t Whittaker Legend. Using a trailer presented problems both for one of their horses, who didn’t travel well in a trailer, and for 20-year-old Flossie, who has Erb’s palsy – a nerve damage condition that can happen when a baby’s head or arm is pulled during delivery. This limits the movement and feeling in Flossie’s right arm, meaning she can only hitch a trailer with assistance. “The 3.5t is fantastic for her,” says Lindy. “It has made it possible for her to take one horse out on her own, and it’s economical, more like a car. “It doesn’t have a living, but the crew cab sits five and turns…

THE squad of six horses and riders to defend British gold at the Agria FEI Eventing European Championships at Blenheim Palace (18-21 September) has been chosen. Eventing performance manager Dickie Waygood said: “This is a really exciting group, combining experience and new talent. “We’re fortunate to have Laura Collett and Tom McEwen with their accomplished Olympic rides, it’s a new championship ride for Yaz Ingham, and Piggy March brings her next-generation championship horse. “Bubby Upton and Caroline Harris have been in outstanding recent form and are worthy debutants – it’s exciting for our sport to have new faces in the squad. “The line-up is ideal for current and future performance as we look to next year’s FEI World Championships and LA28, while being competitive at Blenheim. “I’d like to thank…

The 2019 Magnolia Cup winner Khadijah Mellah will ride her first race under Rules, an amateur race on Uncle Dick at Goodwood on 22 August. British long-distance rider Anna Boden won the 2025 Mongol Derby, jointly with US rider Michael Pollard and the UAE’s Eisa Al Khayari and Khalifa Al Hamed. Five-star event rider Felicity Collins and Jonny Burfiend married on 12 August. The couple thanked everyone who made their day “so special”. Former Olympic eventing champion Julia Krajewski has withdrawn Uelzener’s Nickel from European selection as she said Blenheim will not suit him. Rising eventing star Ellie Fredericks will follow in her parents Lucinda and Clayton’s footsteps to ride for Australia in future, rather than for Britain.…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle I CAN’T start this column without acknowledging the indescribably sad passing of Sarah Yorke in a cross-country fall at Aston-le-Walls on 8 August (news, 14 August). The thoughts of the whole eventing community are with her family and friends, as well as the Aston team and medics. Any fatal accident makes every person who rides cross-country think about their decision to do so. This one, at BE100 level for a rider who had a good record, will hit grassroots competitors particularly hard. But in the end, the huge joy, excitement and fulfilment many take from the sport makes them decide to continue. I’m not eventing at present, but I made that decision time and again when I was competing. Even with some health issues now that mean any…

I came to riding quite late. My first pony arrived when I was 13. I joined the Burghley branch of the Pony Club and was a messenger at horse trials in the days when we used to do that. It was my job to go and collect the scores. I was asked to leave once because my pony was too naughty, but didn’t understand why. I was quite enjoying getting carted around. We didn’t have a trailer at the start, so it was Burghley or nowhere. All my rallies were held in the park. We lived at Barnack, about a mile away as the crow flies, so on rally days I’d disappear down the drive and jump any hedge in my way en route. People would ask if I’d like…

THE BASICS IF you got into dressage during the Olympics, the European Championships run slightly differently. The format is split into three stages, with one set of medals awarded for teams and two sets of individual medals. Each nation can field three or four riders, but only the top three scores count towards the team result. If four riders compete, the lowest score is dropped. The final team score is the sum of the best three. In 2025, 14 countries are fielding teams, with riders from seven other nations competing as individuals. THE TEAM MEDALS ACTION kicks off with the grand prix, taking place over two days – Wednesday, 27 and Thursday, 28 August. This is the team competition, and it’s the only test that counts towards the team medals.…

(Times shown in BST; local time in Crozet is one hour ahead) TUESDAY, 26 AUGUST Horse inspection and arena familiarisation for all competitors WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST 9am: grand prix (part one) First day of the team competition. All riders perform the grand prix test, which also serves as the first individual qualifier. THURSDAY, 28 AUGUST 9am: grand prix (part two) Second half of the grand prix. Team medals are decided based on the top three scores per nation. FRIDAY, 29 AUGUST 10am: grand prix special Top 30 from the grand prix (including ties) compete to be in contention for the first set of individual medals. SATURDAY, 30 AUGUST Rest day No competition scheduled SUNDAY, 31 AUGUST 10.30am: grand prix freestyle to music Top 18 from the grand prix special (max…

ONE factor to keep in mind when considering keeping horses at home is that you will be in charge of all the decision-making yourself. This is where less confident owners may struggle. “You have nobody else to ask, ‘What do you think about this?’ when they come in with a fat leg,” says Oxfordshire-based Kate Davies. “At a livery yard you have other people to talk to, but when they’re at home and you’re on your own, you learn – you don’t have a choice. If you don’t have much confidence, that can be quite testing with anxiety over whether you’ve made the right decision.” On the flip side, if you are tuned in to your horses, the benefit of being with them and seeing them more regularly than daily…

NEXT CORNET won the international seven- and eight-year-old final sponsored by Elliott Group – the builders responsible for the new stand currently going up at this showground – under Bertram Allen. Aloga Stables Ltd’s seven-year-old is by Cornet Obolensky. “He’s relatively new to me – I’ve only done two shows with him, but I think a lot of him,” said the Irish rider. “He’s got a great brain, is very careful and wants to do the right thing.” Twelve made the jump-off, with Bertram saying of his tactics: “He’s never really gone fast. I wanted to be competitive, while knowing I’d have to hold his hand once or twice. But he was really with me.” ONE TO WATCH…

AMANDA BENSON’S five-year-old cob Fool Me Once (Balou; pictured) topped his heavyweight class with Aimee Stunt, now in her second year based with Irish producer Brian Murphy having relocated from the Walkers’ yard. Aimee and Balou were pipped into reserve by Brian and Glenn Knipe’s four-year-old maxi Murrisk Hill Seasmoke (Smokey). “Honestly you would swear Smokey has been here before; he really rose to the occasion every time he went in the ring,” said Aimee. Aimee’s sister Elliee – a successful UK producer in her own right – rode Amanda’s six-year-old lightweight hunter Madra Rua (Garfield) to win the five- and six-year-old class. Garfield – described by Aimee as a “big pet dog who would follow you everywhere” – was supreme at Balmoral last term but missed Dublin due to…

HIGHLIGHTS 7–10 August pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Blindley Heath (2), Surrey “I’VE waited 16 years for this,” exclaimed school business manager Naomi Henderson, who secured her ticket to next year’s Badminton grassroots championship with a win in one of three BE90 regional finals aboard her own Royal Empress By Command. The seven-year-old mare has twice been second this season, but saved her best for when it really mattered and kept a spotlessly clean jumping sheet to finish on her dressage score of 30.4. “It must be our lucky event” PHILIPPA HENDRY “When I bought her as a four-year-old I thought what on earth have I done,” admitted Naomi, who revealed that her ride is “quite quirky” on the ground. “She will only travel loose in the lorry and even then she rocks…

Scottish National EC Summer Regionals, W Lothian JO BARRY scored a hattrick of wins. Her seasoned campaigner Hidalgo II excelled at inter I and PSG gold to take both titles. “He has a very powerful hindleg. I keep being told by trainers that I’ll be thankful for that – but I look forward to the day I’ve tamed it,” she laughed. “He’s huge and eager to please, almost too eager. He was often so keen to be responsive that he became tense, but having more to think about with the advanced work is almost making him more settled.” Jo headed the novice gold with the petite Viva Caledonia (Vera), a six-year-old Valverde mare she bought as a yearling. “Vera is lovely, but overly friendly – like a limpet,” laughed Jo.…

WEST OF ENGLAND 7 August catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 West of England, Honiton Showground, Devon IT was a remarkable case of “the show must go on”. Following an isolated case of kennel cough at last month’s Dunster Show, it was deemed wise and sensible to restrict the entries at this year’s West of England Hound Show at Honiton. The classes for beagles, harriers, minkhounds and staghounds were cancelled, and it rested upon four foxhound packs to save the day. This ensured that spectators, tradestands and, most importantly, hunt staff who had spent so much time preparing their hounds for this final day of the showing season, could enjoy this, albeit limited, spectacle. One bonus was that for those packs showing – the Berkeley, Cattistock, VWH and South and West Wilts – the…

“WHAT’S your dream car?” It’s a question we’ve all mulled over. For the average person, it’s likely something sleek and sporty. For the equestrian? It’s probably stalled for four and has a swish and spacious living. Most riders investing in a transport solution must balance their vision with a number of practical considerations, not least of which is budget. But what about a more long-term view? What maintenance and running costs are there to consider? What does the resale market look like? What happens when your Pony Club kids become teens and your multi-equine cargo suddenly exceeds 14.2hh? LARGER vehicles frequently give the impression of lots of weight to play with – 3.5t sounds sufficient, 7.5t like boundless capacity. But Jordan Whittaker of Whittaker Coach Builders advises thinking about the…

Ginny Elliot Winner of four Olympic medals and world champion, Ginny was also a treble European champion, and won three Badmintons and five Burghleys. Her most famous horses were Priceless, Night Cap II and Master Craftsman. Tell us about your first horse: Dubonnet. A 15.2hh my grandfather bought as a foal from a cattle market for £35. He started everything off for me. He won the junior Europeans and climbed round Badminton even though it was well over his limit. What do you eat for breakfast? Nothing. On holiday I might have fruit and yoghurt. Did you have a particular superstition before competing? Three! I had to wear odd socks – I once wore them by mistake and I carried on forever. We used to put tendon protectors on the…