Innholdsfortegnelse for September 17, 2015 i Horse & Hound

AFTER last week’s European Eventing Championships, I saw a lot of knocking of the Brits on social media — disappointment with silver, selection criticism, and questions about how we move forward. However, silver really is a great result; the riders and back-up team should be congratulated. Eleven teams started, five finished, we came second. Don’t forget, only two years ago we returned from the Europeans without a team medal of any colour. British chef d’equipe Yogi Breisner said beforehand that Britain could record its best team score ever and still finish second. In the event, we did come second — but without that best team score, partly due to conditions, but also due to errors. For me, this sums up the two sides of “underperformance”. Firstly, there is not doing…

DR HALLVARD SOMMERSETH, a leading figure in world endurance, has been provisionally suspended as an FEI official in connection with the UAE “fake rides” scandal. Dr Sommerseth is a former FEI bureau member, when chair of its endurance committee. Originally from Norway, he has worked in the UAE for many years and, in his current role as head of the UAE federation’s veterinary department, was in a position to influence ride organisation. The FEI stated that Dr Sommerseth had also shown a “consistent failure to comply with FEI rules and regulations over a period of several years.” The fake rides came to light in March when H&H was tipped off that a President’s Cup qualifier, purportedly staged on 21 January, did not take place. H&H contributor Pippa Cuckson investigated and…

HORSE Sport Ireland (HSI) has lodged an appeal directly with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following the incident at the European Showjumping Championships which HSI alleges cost Ireland its qualifying slot for Rio 2016 (news, 3 September). An arena steward ran across the path of Cian O’Connor, whose horse Good Luck, clear until that point, lowered the next fence. Ireland missed out on Rio qualification by just 0.38 of a penalty. Two appeals about the impact of the distraction were dismissed by the ground jury and appeal committee on the day at Aachen. A decision from CAS is not expected for several months.…

THINK vintage fashion and shopping locations such as Brick Lane and Brighton probably spring to mind. However, sartorial equestrians can now get their vintage fix while supporting equine welfare, as Redwings Horse Sanctuary launches its own boutique. Vintage Aylsham — located at the charity’s visitor centre in north Norfolk — opens on 2 October. The shop will stock original clothing, jewellery, shoes and bags dating from the 1940s to the 1980s. It will also have Victorian, Edwardian and art deco accessories and homeware. All items on sale have been donated by the charity’s supporters and all money raised will go towards the rescue and rehabilitation of horses. More than 300 items have already been valued and priced ready for the opening. The vintage shop is the brainchild of gifts in…

I thought Harry Meade’s commentary on the cross-country day at the Blair Europeans on the BBC was brilliant. It was so refreshing to hear such informative and insightful comments; I felt he was really interested in educating the viewer and allowing them to share his experience of how to ride a course. Harry is just what the sport needs if viewing figures and, with any luck, TV coverage are to be increased. SUSAN CHAPMAN Taunton, Somerset The writer of the letter of the week wins a bottle of ChampagneTaittinger…

STOWE: £1,950 for the Michaelmas term for full livery FACILITIES: loose boxes with rubber matting, an all-weather outdoor school, cross-country schooling field, wash-room, solarium, off-road hacking and daily turnout. MILLFIELD: £160.50 per week (£2,247 based on a 14-week Michaelmas term) FACILITIES: stabling in American style barns, two outdoor arenas, an indoor arena, two sets of showjumps, cross-country schooling fences, Derby jumping course, BE cross-country course, off-road canter track, access to gallops, an all-weather horse walker, a round pen and a polo field. STONAR: £2,210 per term for full livery FACILITIES: two full sets of showjumps, a large indoor school, a lecture room, a floodlit outdoor arena and a cross-country schooling field. Note: the above prices are livery only; further school fees apply.…

INDIVIDUAL bronze medallist Thibaut, 41, was at his first championship, although he has ridden on French Nations Cup teams. “We were just trying to qualify for Rio, I never dreamt of an individual medal,” he said. Thibaut is an army officer with the Cadre Noir at Saumur. He only has three event horses, but he has five or six horses for Cadre Noir displays and also teaches. The 11-year-old Qing Du Briot ENE HN, by Eolien II, was bought by the federation body Institut Français du Chevalier et de l’Equitation at the end of his six-year-old year, and Thibaut started riding him 12 months later. “He is very good in all three phases, he has excellent movement and is a great jumper,” said Thibaut.…

THIS test suits big, flashy movers. The early medium and extended trots, plus a half-pass zigzag towards the judges, show off the forward horses with an expressive front-leg action. But the horses must be closed down and obedient in the walk half-pirouettes. Riders have to balance the risk — overdoing it in the trot can result in boiling over in the walk. The difficult walk section is worth three marks. Laura Collett’s Grand Manoeuvre was among those who showed tension and went lateral in the walk — when both legs on one side move simultaneously. This can develop from being tight or it can be something a horse always does, in which case it is difficult to correct. The factor which set Holly Woodhead and Sandra Auffarth’s tests apart was…

BILL LEVETT held his nerve in a reverse-order final showjumping phase to take the CIC2* with his promising young horse Lassban Diamond Lift. They jumped a speedy clear to seal the win, their task made easier after dressage leader Emily King went for an early bath at the water with Dargun. Lassban Diamond Lift was bought at the Monart sale in 2013 as a five-year-old and this is his second season eventing. “He’s just got better and better this year,” said Bill. “He was a bit buzzy in the showjumping — I try to keep a nice rhythm but you have to just ride what’s underneath you and go with it. “My dressage trainer Gareth Hughes said from the start that he has good basic paces and should score fine.…

CHARLOTTE ARMSTRONG and Fairytales Lover (pictured, right) found themselves in the winner’s enclosure at Goring Heath (2) after they finished first in novice section H. The victory was all the more sweet as Charlotte bred the seven-year-old son of Primitive Faerie Tale and has brought him on herself. “I love breeding them as you can mould them from the beginning,” said Charlotte, who runs a 10-box schooling, competition and sales livery yard in Gloucestershire. “This win is the icing on the cake; we have such an amazing bond and I can’t wait to see how far we can go.” Alyson Parker and Jollie II cemented their recent partnership with a victory when they saw off 42 other combinations to triumph in the BE100 regional final. “I didn’t think we’d get…

TEN years since the first evaluation — then at just one venue — the Baileys British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Futurity series continues to evolve. This year 554 young horses (from 602 entries) were evaluated at 12 venues, assessed using a new marking system based on linear scoring (see box, far right) while some new faces joined the assessor’s panel. Brought in as a response to requests from participants, the new evaluators are discipline-specific and have taken part in their particular sport. Jan Rogers, head of equine development at the BEF, said: “We continue to move forward; linear scoring is a big step and apart from a few IT glitches, the changes have gone well and have been well received. “We now have a clearer idea of the levels a horse…

GOLDEN WEST (Hesselteich’s Golden Dream x FS Golden Moonlight), ridden by Bundeschampionat veteran Wibke Hartmann-Stommel topped the four-year old stallion division this year, having taken the three-year-old title last year. “This stallion almost looks like a model, made of porcelain,” enthused judge and commentator Dr Martin Plewa. “He’s well toned, has beautiful self-carriage, and willingly responds to the rider’s aids.” The mares and geldings equivalent went to Wenke Kraus and the mare Tackmann’s Baiser (FS Golden Highlights x Barrichello). Adolf-Theo Schurf’s D-Day AT (Dance Star x Notre Beau), ridden by Zoe Gilbers, celebrated in the five-year-old dressage pony class while Sarah Hübner’s Timberlake SH (Timberland x Top Karetino), ridden by last year’s pony European team gold medallist Maike Mende, won at six-year-old level. This victory completed a hat-trick of major…

COMMENT SUMMER has officially ended and as the evenings draw in, the hard work begins at the Billy Stud. We had a big build-up for the young horse championships and we were successful at Addington, where we won the six-year-olds and had seven out of the top 10 in the five-year-olds. Now, the established four-year-olds are turned out to enjoy what’s left of the grass and the next cycle starts. There are 50 unhandled three-year-olds to be backed and we have 90 horses stabled at this time of year, with a team of 15 full-time staff. With a team this size, we have a lot of banter and pranks. Two of our lads were taking four-year-olds to Addington for the first time, so all of the other jockeys convinced them…

WHEN Ryan Jones saw an advert in Horse & Hound in 2005 for a “beauty horse trainer” for the Saudi Royal family, he decided to apply. “I had no real idea what the job was, but I applied and got it,” he said. “It turned out to be working for the King of Saudi Arabia’s private stud. I spent 10 years there and it was a job that truly changed my life by enabling me to work with world champion horses and a different level of showing. “King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died in January this year, but I will always appreciate the opportunities that working for him has given me,” said Ryan.…

CONTROVERSY reigned at Doncaster on Saturday when Ralph Beckett’s Simple Verse, the apparent winner on merit, was demoted to second behind Aidan O’Brien’s Bondi Beach in the Ladbrokes St Leger. First run in 1776, the Leger is the oldest Classic and, while this may not have been the greatest edition ever run, it was certainly up there among the most contentious following a 15-minute stewards’ inquiry. It had been a bold shout by Beckett and the Qatar Racing team to supplement Simple Verse, a progressive filly, for the race but it looked to have paid dividends as she battled her way to victory by a hard-fought head over the Irish challenger. But Simple Verse was deemed to have interfered with the runner-up, first at the two-furlong marker when Andrea Atzeni…

RELENTLESS swept to a clear victory in a strong Belvoir intermediate class, with a polished round over the big hedges. This course could be thought of as a warm-up for the leading teams ahead of the first team chasing national championship qualifiers, as the track at Garthorpe Racecourse features some meaty obstacles, including a downhill S-bend after a wide blackthorn hedge with yawning ditch in front. Led off by Dickie Barrett with Mani (this week’s Horse Hero p24), the professional-looking squad of Rowan Cope, Jake Launchbury and Simon Coady all have racing experience under their belts and it showed, with some bold jumping and well-judged turns. Jake’s mount Steve just clipped the top of the Harby Bow — a dressing fence where three members must jump the first part before…

THREE double clears over a testing track in Lincolnshire Showground’s atmospheric main arena secured the open team showjumping title for East Midlands Dressage Group. The winners were the only team out of 11 to finish on a score of zero. In second was Area 14, with Worcester and District in third. The victory was particularly sweet for Alison Garner, who was riding her home-bred 12-year-old Beyond Belief. “He has been dogged with injuries in the past so it is really special to come back,” she said. “He really tried for me today.” Alison’s team-mate Becci Harrold, piloting the seven-year-old My Harlequin Lady, fits in riding around her job as a security engineer in Sheffield. “The course was quite testing and big so needed forward riding,” said Becci. Julia Hardy on…

WHERE: Spruce Meadows, Calgary, CanadaWHEN: 3.18pm, Sunday, 13 SeptemberWHO: Scott BrashWHY: The world number one showjumper makes history,taking the Rolex Grand Slam “IT is absolutely unbelievable, for me the dream of a lifetime has come true,” said Scott Brash as he became the first rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam of showjumping. After winning the first two legs — at Geneva and Aachen — the Scottish rider and Hello Sanctos netted a cool € 1m bonus by claiming the third and final leg at Spruce Meadows. • For full report see p102. THE Queen was on hand to present the British team with their silver medals at Blair Castle’s European Championships (13 September). However, she had to stretch somewhat to reach William Fox-Pitt’s neck. “I feel rather fraudulent here,”…

ROBERT BANKS The Burghley Horse Trials fence judge retired after the cross-country on 5 September. This was his 53rd year judging at the four-star event. A NEW MUM Showjumper Corinne Collins gave birth to a girl named Rosie on 8 September. Rosie weighed in at 7lbs 11ozs. NOAH THE DONKEY A donkey has returned home after spending two weeks in equine hospital after falling down a water-filled storm drain (pictured, left). Noah fell into the two metre-deep drain in Heydon, Cambs on 17 August and was rescued by firefighters. JOHN BISHOP The comedian and his wife Melanie have rehomed four horses from World Horse Welfare. Dora, Amara, Indie and Mable were in the care of the charity’s Penny Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre.…

Enjoy the show The Royal County of Berkshire Show is held at Newbury Showground on 19-20 September. www.berkshireshow.co.uk Top riders compete The National Dressage Championships are at Stoneleigh, Warks, from 17-20 September. www.bdchampionships.com See behind the scenes Newmarket yards open their doors on 19-20 September. www.newmarketopenweekend.co.uk Go eventing Watch Blenheim Horse Trials CCI3* and CIC3* from 17-20 September in Woodstock, Oxon. www.blenheimhorse.co.uk…

Favourite restaurant... Yauatcha in Soho. I love dim-sum style eating. Watching... FamilyGuyandQI(and secretly GameofThrones). Looking back... I once went into the main ring thinking I was being sent into the warm-up ring. It was not until I saw the judge’s cars that I realised there was no warm-up ring and I was about to ride my test. Getting away from it all... We are lucky enough to escape the British winter for a few weeks each year when we head back to Australia, but I have to say my favourite holiday is our skiing trip to France. Listening to... Dire Straits. Memorable win… Adelaide CCI4* on Newsprint in 2008, as it was my first major three-day win. He was a very special horse. When I let my hair down… I…

Riding a clear round • The most important thing is to ride in a rhythm. If you are pulling or kicking, that’s when it goes wrong. • Many people come too slowly out of a corner. Keep trying to ride out of a corner, and you’ll get to the fence on an even stride. Tackling ‘problem’ fences • Water jumps should be ridden with pace but in exactly the same way as a normal fence. It’s the easiest fence for the horse to jump but tends to be a rider-frightener. • At combinations, people get into trouble when they come in too slowly. Ride the first part positively and the rest will take care of itself. Pole work • Poles or planks on the ground are useful for horses across…

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THIS was a really clever cross-country track — not overly big, but it didn’t need to be. It’s easy to overcook it when you have this terrain. There were lots of places to make a mistake, while the balance and flow of the course was very good. It’s hard to pick a horse-friendly route through Blair’s hills, but Ian Stark (Scotty) was clever in this regard. You want as many teams to complete as possible and there was a way round for everyone — if the less experienced don’t take it, that’s not the designer’s fault! It was good that horses weren’t punished if riders made a mistake. Designers like to make competitors have to think their way round and a good example of that was fence four, which was…

WE were given a display of dominance over the past fortnight, at Burghley and the European Championships at Blair, both of which were won by Germany’s Michael Jung. The course at Burghley was a triumph. It was big with some daunting combinations; it certainly got riders talking, but as is so often the case when a course is imposing, it rode well and horses and riders relished the challenge. The direct routes kept horses pointing in the direction of travel so they maintained the will to draw forwards. At both Burghley and Blair the cream rose to the top. The only change I’d make at both would be showjumping time, which was too easy and allowed riders to school round. Well done to Alec Lochore and Ian Stark at Blair…

LIST Five judge and grade III para rider Jane Atack earned her biggest win to date when claiming the novice open title with her “second horse” Webster III. Jane suffers from fibromyalgia after being crushed by a horse who reared up and fell on her. “I spent two years in a wheelchair followed by seven years on crutches, which triggered fibromyalgia,” she explained. “After lots of surgery and nearly losing my left leg, I now have no ankle joint, but can walk and ride. “Webster is my second horse because he can take a hold, but I decided to be brave and learn to ride him, and now, after 35 years of riding, I’ve finally made it to the Petplan Area Festival championships. He gave me my moment of glory…

THIS system is used by many European studbooks. It deploys criteria for assessing all the various characteristics of conformation, movement and jumping, such as length of neck, the walk, and the take-off. Each trait is compared against an average, represented by the middle box. For example, a horse with an average or normal length of walk stride would be scored somewhere in the middle boxes, a horse with a long stride to the left of centre and a horse with a short stride to the right. Thus boxes at either end represent the extreme of each trait. “We have previously used a score sheet with written comments, but with linear scoring instead of words, there is a scale of nine data points that will be of greater use, because you…

A euphoric crowd witnessed an epic triumph that statistics suggest we are very unlikely to see again, or at least not for a very long time. As Scott Brash and the heroic Hello Sanctos entered the Spruce Meadows arena for their final round every person fell silent, watching with anticipation and riding every fence with them. The 29-year-old came to conquer Calgary, and that’s exactly what he did. Jumping into the record books as the only person to have won the Rolex Grand Slam of showjumping, Scott left reminding us all just why he is the world’s best. He has now clinched three of the toughest grands prix across the globe, including Geneva and Aachen — the first and second legs of this impressive feat — and all aboard the…

THIS was the first time Rome has appeared on the GCT calendar, and free entry ensured a full, enthusiastic crowd. Staged at the impressive Stadio dei Marmi, ringed by 59 classical marble statues depicting different sports, the stadium is part of the Foro Italico sports area — home to the Italian Olympic committee, which bid to host the 2024 Olympics this week. Visitors could take in the magnificent Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Sistine Chapel and the Roman Forum ruins.…

PRODUCING the sole clear round in the lightweight section of the HOYS Cuddy working hunter class, Laura’s Pride and Victoria Leavesley went on to stand reserve champions and picked up their ticket to Birmingham. The eight-year-old chestnut gelding has started competing in open working hunter classes this season, while also contesting intermediate working hunter pony (WHP) classes. He has now qualified for both Royal International (RIHS) and HOYS in both classes. “He was the only clear and I thought it was a tough track today,” said Victoria, who bought the son of Polling from Nancy Orr in Scotland. “We had spotted him in 2013 and put our name down on him,” added the rider, who runs her own yard on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border. “I feel fellow competitors have been supportive…

MAYBE I caught a glimpse of the future when attending the National Hunter Show on Staffordshire showground, incorporated within the showjumping Scope Festival. The idea was a stroke of genius, setting it apart from other showing society championships with its “Euro circuit” atmosphere. A show within a show is nothing new if my memory serves me right from competing on youngsters in handy pony classes at Ponies of Britain. But this was the first joint venture I’ve encountered on this scale. I’m convinced it will catch on in time, as costs in running shows of this calibre continue to escalate. There was some negativity towards the move north beforehand, but those who chose not to attend this time missed out on an excellent two days of competition, and the change…

AP MCCOY made what he claimed was a one-off return to the saddle in the Clipper Leger Legends Stakes at Doncaster (see news, p5). It came as no surprise to anyone that the recently retired 20-time champion steered Gannicus to victory. The winning trainer Brendan Powell’s comment, “He is still hard to pass when he is in front”, was — along with Ralph Beckett’s statement that he was disappointed following Simple Verse’s demotion in the St Leger — on the short-list for the prize “understatement of the week”. As the race was run under Rules it means that McCoy’s adjusted lifetime total now stands at 4,358, of which 10 were on the Flat. McCoy’s proof about it being the last time he would ride in any sort of race came…

SIMON COADY’S Risk (not to be confused with his other chestnut horse Risky Beauty) was running in only his third team chase, but galloped on impressively to make the finishing time for Relentless. The French-bred 12-year-old won four times under Rules, winning more than £27,000. “I bought him from Sam Waugh a year ago to hunter chase, but he’s really proving himself at this job,” said Simon. “He’s very small and compact but really jumps — he was a bit surprised by the quicker pace but settled and ran on well.”…

OVERALL individual senior open dressage winner Sophie Croxton’s ride, Mr McGowan, is not the easiest. Known as “Split” at home due to a tear in his ear that he has had since he was a youngster, the 11-year-old gelding is called a “stroppy teenage boy” by Sophie’s instructor, Louise Gilbert. Sophie, 22, has produced Split since he was a four-year-old and they now enjoy doing a bit of everything together. “The first two years I had him I was crying all the time,” she said. “I have had a lot of help from Louise, who is chief instructor of the Atherstone branch of the Pony Club. She has put in a lot of hard work and effort with us.”…

AFTER a build-up of both anticipation and controversy, world number one Scott Brash marked his name firmly in showjumping’s history books by becoming the first person to win the Rolex Grand Slam of showjumping and securing a € 1m (£720,000) bonus, writes Hannah Lemieux. The Scottish rider partnered Lord and Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s 13-year-old gelding Hello Sanctos to victory in the grand slam’s final leg, the CP International grand prix, in Spruce Meadows, Calgary on Sunday (13 September). The pair produced the only clear in the second round over a tough track built by Venezuelan course-designer Leopoldo Palacios. The win came on the back of grand prix victories at Aachen and Geneva. Scott merely had to take part in the Canadian leg to pick up a € 500,000…

BROWN PANTHER Michael Owen’s star racehorse was put down after sustaining a fatal injury while trying to retain his Irish St Leger title at The Curragh on 13 September. The seven-year-old, trained by Tom Dascombe, won 11 of 28 starts in his career. VALEGRO The Olympic gold medal-winning dressage horse will not be competing in the Central Park Show in New York later this month (25-26 September). Charlotte Dujardin said he was withdrawn to keep him “fit, happy and healthy” following “an intense Europeans”. HELLO OSCAR The top showjumper, owned and bred by Margaret Lock, has died aged 29. The Hanoverian chestnut stallion won more than £100,000 in his career and was ridden by John Renwick until 1994. He was then competed by Allan Clutterbuck and later Geoff Glazzard. UZZO…

WORLD HORSE WELFARE’S Roly Owers stressed the importance of an ID system that is simple for owners to use. He said a central equine database is “essential”, as it is the foundation for any “robust, enforceable equine identification system”. “This is vital to protect horse health and welfare,” he said. “Not only does linking a horse to an owner encourage responsible ownership, but the data can help Defra protect horses in the case of a disease outbreak, deter horse theft and also safeguard the food chain. “The sector has been frank in its discussions with Defra over the importance of simplicity and practicality. It is imperative that we learn the lessons from the defunct NED.” A spokesman for Defra said: “Our new equine database will provide statutory information on the…

A TRAPPED HORSE A bay gelding named Billy was rescued on 3 September by firefighters, after being trapped in a West Midlands canal for two days. Billy was submerged in water with reeds up to his back and was pulled to safety by fire crews using a special platform. WILL FAUDREE The American event rider sustained two broken vertebrae in his neck after a fall at Five Points Horse Trials (5 September). He was released from hospital on 8 September. THE BROOKE A fibreglass donkey belonging to the equine charity was stolen from a county show. The donkey model, named Dotty, was taken in the early hours of 31 August at Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show. LIZ HALLIDAY The event rider had a scare while driving when her horsebox’s awning…

WORKING HUNTER CONFUSION Sir — Having ridden in the lightweight and heavyweight working hunter class last week at the Wales and West show (report, 27 August), I was surprised by the outcome of the championship. As the only competitor who jumped clear, I stood reserve champion. It would seem logical that, foremost, a working hunter has to be capable of the best jumping round, have good conformation and — least important, a pleasing ride. Indeed the emphasis of the points in the competition has a 60% weighting towards jumping. In this instance, my heavyweight hunter had a clear points advantage against the lightweight going into the championship, along with the advantage of the clear round. So how can the championship result be correct, when most of the points are awarded…

SINUS problems are not uncommon in horses and usually respond well to treatment. Complications can occur, however, in these complex cavities. A rare infection in both sinuses triggered by a straightforward tooth extraction nearly proved fatal for four-star eventer Trig Point. When antibiotics failed to resolve the problem, Nicky Roncoroni’s 13-year-old gelding endured multiple operations and invasive procedures as vets battled to bring the infection under control. His story starts late last year, when a slab fracture was identified in his upper 11 molar (the highest under the eye) during a routine dental examination. 18 November, 2014 NICKY is “grating carrots and making the softest mash” for Trig Point (known as The Mighty Jerry, or TMJ) after successful extraction of the offending tooth. “A videoscope showed horrible sores in his…

Lost and found WHEN Francis Whittington was pony European champion in 1993, his family’s photos were spoilt when they went for development, but a friend put together an album for them. Sadly, this was lost — until just after Francis’ dressage at Blair, when someone returned it to him. Thinking it through KITTY KING paid tribute to two Kates, both World Class staff, who helped her process the surprise of being the pathfinder. “Kate Davis, our physio, has been helpful listening to all my troubles,” she said. “She spoke to my usual psychologist, Kate Goodger, before cross-country and found out what questions to ask me.” Quote of the weekend I “THE Vikings came here in the rain and the shitty weather” — Dane Hanne Wind Ramsgaard, 33rd Quote of the…

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LONGINES FEI EUROPEAN EVENTING CHAMPIONSHIPS BLAIR CASTLE 2015 Eliminated at first horse inspection —Indigo Pyreneen (Igor Atrokhov, RUS). Withdrawn before dressage —Franzipan (Ludwig Svennerstål, SWE). Withdrawn before cross-country —Constantin M (Irene Mia Hastrup, DEN) 52.6. Retired on cross-country — Easy Target (Francis Whittington, GBR) 37.5; Fletcha Van’t Herahof (Karin Donckers, BEL*) 40.3; Bay My Hero (William Fox-Pitt, GBR*) 43; Flandia 2 (Jacek Jeruzal, POL) 49.3; Lucky Accord (Sanna Siltakorpi, FIN) 51.3. Eliminated on cross-country —Entebbe De Hus (Karim Florent Laghouag, FRA*) 38.7; Barraduff (Pietro Roman, ITA*) 41.9; Simon Porloe (Padraig McCarthy, IRL*) 46.6; ACSI Peter Parker (Alice Naber-Lozeman, NED*) 46.8; Balham Houdini (Austin O’Connor, IRL*) 47.1; Sportsfield Othello (Joseph Murphy, IRL*) 50; Oplitas (Giovanni Ugolotti, ITA*) 50.2; Figaro De Verby (Giel Vanhouche, BEL*) 51.4; Johnny Cash (Johan Lundin, SWE*) 51.7;…

IT was a clear win for Beth Barnett and her 11-year-old mare Sheepcote Delight in the inter I, taking the title on a score of 70.78%. Beth, who says her Dr Dolittlesired horse “isn’t hugely experienced at this level”, bought “Della” from David and Serena Pincus as an 18-month-old filly, and produced the horse herself. “I was particularly pleased with her trot work, and her two- and three-time changes felt secure,” said Beth. “We rode one canter pirouette too small, but other than that it was a clean test.” Helena Charlesworth wasn’t expecting to win the prix st georges (PSG) with her 15-year-old Wurlitzer-sired gelding Jukebox Jury, having had a few setbacks in the lead up to the championships. “I brought him here a few weeks ago and he wouldn’t…

IT was touch and go for advanced medium restricted winner Sarana CDS after her hock became infected last winter, but with around-the-clock care from Oakham Veterinary Hospital, she pulled through and made a full recovery. “She got an infection that had to be drained, but it didn’t work the first time so had to be opened up, which resulted in a huge wound that took forever to heal,” said her rider Rebekah Cox. “I was pregnant and had my baby in February, so we were both off at the same time and are now both getting fit. The hock is a bit bigger than the other one and always will be, but touch wood it doesn’t seem to affect her at all.” The nine-year-old by Sandro Hit belongs to Rebekah’s…

WHAT a Europeans — thrills and spills until the end. The Dutch up-ended the form book, the British were brilliant and the German spectators were not terribly dignified in defeat at their historic happy hunting ground. I’ve broken the land speed record in the grand prix a couple of times myself at Aachen and can confirm that it’s a difficult place to ride. The movement of masses of people is distracting to horses and can create tension before the tests as the horses move arenas. Some horses were affected by this and didn’t show their best. It will be a different atmosphere in Rio where the layout keeps the public and the horses separate, so the results may be turned upside down. It was sad to see Totilas’ career end…

THE story of Fasine (Fürst Romancier x Sir Donnerhall), winner of the six-year-old dressage horses at the prestigious German young horse championships is almost too good to be true. “Wow,” said judge Christoph Hess, who commented on every test, delivering the marks. “That was one of the finest possible rides.” Only two days earlier, the superlatives had not been flowing quite so much. Thirteenth (with 7.2) was all the Oldenburg mare, a full sister of For Romance, could manage in the preliminary round — not enough to qualify for the final. However, the Bundeschampionat provides a route through the back door with a consolation final and the mare, bred by embryo transfer, took it. “I think Fasine was just a bit tense in the qualifier and we had a few…

THE Venezuelan course-designer has been building the tracks at Spruce Meadows for 20 years and is known for his tough but respectable courses. In those years of designing for Sunday’s grand prix, Leopoldo’s courses have produced only three jump-offs, one of which was last year. “I wanted to make the first round in the grand prix more friendly and then the second more difficult. It was the first time I have ever built a triple of verticals like that, you don’t often see them,” he said. “I don’t want to be putting horses on the floor but I also need to create something new and different. I woke up at 4am on the morning of the grand prix worrying about a combination I had planned, so I rang my assistant…

AFTER two hard-fought classes, Midlands-based riders Katie Shaw (Fools Business) and Sam Oliver (Siranimo S) captured the top tickets to the silver and bronze league finals at this year’s Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). Katie and Fools Business now have a chance to improve on their third place in the silver final at HOYS last year, where they had the fastest time but the last fence down in the jump-off. The win here was a poignant one, though. Fools Business’ dam, the JA pony Labamba — who jumped at HOYS with Katie’s sister Emma Sargeant — died on the Wednesday before the show at the age of 24. “On the way to the show, we were hoping he [Fools Business] would do well, as we couldn’t remember the last…

AFTER a day of absorbing competition, a superb all-round performance gave Isabella Wheeler, 17, and her 153cm class victor Pebbly Housemartyn their first White Company Gold Cup Sports Pony title. This intriguing concept, involving dressage, a “working performance” section and then timed showjumping — including an imposing set of planks as the joker fence — has grown in stature since being taken over by the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) three years ago. Here, animated and informative commentary helped to hold spectators’ attention, and a good crowd stayed at the ringside all day. With the showjumping conducted in reverse order of merit, pressure was piled on the last few to jump. Nothing fazed Oxfordshire-based Ella, though, as her athletic 12-year-old bay produced the necessary clear in fine style to retain…

Setting the standard A presentation was made at the West of England Hound Show at Honiton on 6 August to four young members of hunt staff who have recently completed a government-funded scheme that specialises in hound welfare and management. Jake Walden, Joe Hawkins, Harry Osbourn and Ryan Baugh were all immaculately turned out when they received their Animal Care and Welfare Apprenticeship certificate from Chris Hewlett of Haddon Training and Capt Ian Farquhar MFH. In addition, a presentation was made to James Batchelor at the Festival of Hunting for also completing his apprenticeship. A further seven candidates were enrolled on the scheme with effect from 1 May this year. Haddon Training has been working with hunting associations for seven years to ensure that skills from previous generations of hunt…

I first met Spring Along when he was five, at Lucinda and Clayton Fredericks’ yard. I was desperate to find another horse and Lucinda said that I wouldn’t be wasting my time to go and look at him. Even though he was only 15.3hh, as soon as I got on him, he gave me the feeling that he could jump anything. He was only a youngster, but we were jumping single barrels with no wings. I remember promptly phoning my parents to say I was going to buy him. Spring Along gave me most of my major victories — winning Barbury CIC3* in 2009 and the British Open at Gatcombe in 2010, and coming third at Badminton in 2010 — plus he took me to two Europeans, the 2006 World…