Innholdsfortegnelse for 9-Jun-2016 i Horse & Hound

A proposed new dressage scoring method could provide more accurate results, help riders and trainers improve and increase interest for spectators, according to those who have developed the system. Wayne Channon, secretary general of the International Dressage Riders Club, has worked with Dressage at Hickstead founder Dane Rawlins and others on a system they believe will improve the accuracy and reliability of scores at all levels. The international dressage riders have worked with representatives of judged sports such as gymnastics to develop the method, which they hope will eventually replace the current method of judging at all levels of competition. The proposed judging system demands every rider theoretically starts with a 10 for each movement, from which fractions of marks are deducted depending on the seriousness of the error or…

KITTY KING and Gemma Tattersall are the most secure in their spots. The selectors will forgive Kitty’s Ceylor LAN his start box wobble at Chatsworth, provided he doesn’t do it again, and Gemma (Arctic Soul, Quicklook V and Chico Bella P) is on fabulous form and likely to be nominated with more than one horse. William Fox-Pitt needs a competitive Bramham to show he and Chilli Morning are back to where they were before his accident. Nicola Wilson put herself back in the hunt on One Two Many with her Houghton win, but she must consolidate this weekend. Zara Phillips will be nominated with High Kingdom — she isn’t at Bramham but does need to show a step up on her Badminton performance in either training or competition to make…

TWO endurance horses have tested positive for the banned substance human Erythropoietin (EPO) in a first for equestrian sport under FEI rules. The first- and second-placed horses in a CEI* ride in Doha on 22 April — Centurion, ridden by the UAE’s Abdulla Mubarak Rashed Al Khaili, and SUR (Mabrouk), ridden by the UAE’s Mohd Butti Ghemran Al Qubaisi — tested positive. The FEI has provisionally suspended the riders and their horses, the latter for two months. EPO is a peptide hormone that is produced naturally in the human body. It is one of the substances that elite cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted using to enhance his performance. EPO stimulates red blood cell production, which allows the blood to carry more oxygen to the muscles so an athlete can work harder…

OLYMPIC medallists from London 2012 and Beijing 2008 will be targeted in a re-analysis of drug-test samples. The retesting is part of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) “fight against doping”. An IOC spokesman said the retesting is primarily focusing on athletes who could compete in Rio this summer. The budget for the pre-Rio testing programme has also been doubled. “The IOC will not hesitate to punish anyone within its reach responsible for using or providing doping products or methods,” said a statement from the organisation.…

A NEW ARRIVAL Bramham event director Nicholas Pritchard and his wife Beth welcomed their baby Rufus to the world on 30 May — just 10 days before this year’s event kicks off. A RETIRED POLO PONY Maria Bourne, former groom of ex-polo pony Ophelia, set about finding a safe retirement for the mare after spotting her advertised for sale for £150. “Offal” is now enjoying her golden years at Polo Pastures. A RECORD RESPONSE A total of 5,429 owners and keepers of horses have been counted as participants in this year’s National Equine Health Survey, up from 4,951 last year. Paper copies of the survey are still to be counted. A MIGHTY CHALLENGE Bransby Horses’ supporter Rachel Reed (pictured) is set to take on the Chamonix Mont Blanc Vertical Marathon…

CONNEMARA ponies are being snapped up by buyers on the Continent, as the breed experiences a boost in popularity. At last month’s sale at Clifden, Co. Galway (21-22 May), 110 ponies were sold overseas to buyers from France, the Netherlands and Belgium. Padraic Heanue, manager of the sale, said this was one of the highest percentages of a sale to go abroad. “There’s no doubt the ponies are becoming more popular — overseas as well as in the UK,” he told H&H. “They’re a very versatile, hardy breed with a good temperament. “Most of them are sold for riding, some for pleasure and some for competing.” Henrietta Knight, chairman of the British Connemara Society and former trainer of triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate, said the trend was “very…

CAMERAS BUT NO ACTION Sir — Congratulations to the team who put together The Queen’s 90th birthday celebration at Windsor (report, 19 May). We had tickets for the Friday evening and as a family we all enjoyed the event, including smelling the saddle soap! After telling everyone how wonderful the event was, I was embarrassed and disappointed when we watched it on TV. It did not show half of the event we saw, not because it was different but because it seemed to focus on the wrong things. Although I like Ant and Dec, why would we want continually to see them? It should have been the event that was televised — and for once without adverts in respect to The Queen. The camera work was diabolical and the sound…

My favourite restaurant… I wouldn’t consider myself to be a “foodie”. When judging at Royal Cornwall one year, I was invited to Rick Stein’s Padstow restaurant [renowned for its fish] and unwittingly ordered steak. When I’m getting away from it all… I like to visit historical landmarks in London. What I’m watching… Political dramas such as The West Wing. They certainly prepare you for showing society council meetings! When I’m in the lorry listening to… Adele. My favourite track is Hello. My most memorable win… When Fair Breeze (Benjy) won the riding horse championship at Wembley in 1989, before landing the supreme under David Broome. Benjy (below) was reserve riding horse in 1988 and 1990 and won the small class three years on the trot — beating JCB ridden by…

PARALYMPIC dressage rider Ricky Balshaw’s top ride LJT Engaards Solitaire was a serial door-kicker. At dinnertime in particular, the gelding (known as Sid) loved to bash the stable door with a foreleg. Eventually this made him lame. “In 2014 he bruised a cannon bone from kicking the door,” says Ricky. “Because he kept repeating the behaviour, it didn’t heal. He ended up having a year off to recover.” Time off for injury is never ideal, but when the injury is caused by a habit that isn’t easily rectified, the issue becomes problematic. Ricky’s first port of call was Simon Woods MRCVS, director of Fyrnwy Equine Clinic in Shropshire. “Sid presented with lameness of the left foreleg,” Simon explains. “The lameness was a lot worse when he was ridden. We nerve-blocked…

Investec Derby Festival, Epsom 3-4 JUNE NINE times out of 10 the winner of the Investec Derby turns out to be the best middle-distance colt of the Classic generation. I predict that if the first four in Saturday’s Classic gather for a reunion in the Irish Derby at the end of the month, the Aga Khan’s home-bred Harzand will again come out on top. Admittedly the son of the 2009 winner Sea The Stars, who stands at the Aga Khan’s Giltown Stud, had a smoother passage than the 1 1/2-length runner-up, US Army Ranger, but in the last 100 yards Harzand was going away from Aidan O’Brien’s colt. In doing so, he finally filled in one of the few blanks in trainer Dermot Weld’s distinguished career, as well as giving…

My support team and Philipp Kolossa WILLIAM FOX-PITT conveyed genuine and heartfelt emotion when crediting wife Alice, work rider Hector Payne and his Dorset-based support team for all they did to keep his horses going while he recovered from his well-publicised fall last autumn. This included CCIYH* winner Little Fire and CCI2* winner Secret Night, both of whom were found for William by Philipp Kolossa. “I’m really happy to be here; I could not have won without them keeping everything going,” he said, choking back the tears. “The timing is perfect ahead of me taking Chilli [Morning] to Bramham next week. “I needed to prove to myself that I could go clear inside the time, something I hadn’t managed to do this season, which I did here on both horses.…

Rewarding volunteers BRITISH Eventing’s volunteer of the year, 77-year-old Felicity Alexander (right), received her award at Little Downham, whose organising team had nominated her. Felicity admitted: “I got withdrawal symptoms when my daughter stopped competing. I did 34 days last year, have made lots of friends through volunteering and miss it in winter.” A Little Downham spokesperson said: “We nominated Felicity in recognition of her 20 years of volunteer work. She never complains, does every job come rain or shine, and is a true superstar volunteer.” Course walking error SIX intermediate combinations were eliminated at the Hippo Horse Wash & Brush (fence 19abc) for jumping an old log drop into the water rather than taking the correct “canter in” route. One advanced rider also had a memory lapse, jumping the…

A LEX BRAGG and Zagreb, one of five combinations to finish inside the time, topped the open intermediate. The pair added nothing to a dressage mark of 22.7 — which shared the lead with Georgie Spence (Billy Ball) — and won by more than three marks. Zagreb missed last season due to a small hole in a tendon. Alex, a part-time farrier, was shoeing the horse when he noticed he wasn’t right. “He probably would have finished his next event, but we didn’t want to take the risk. He’s my top horse, so I gave him a good rest and he’s come back stronger,” added Alex. Zagreb, a 12-year-old by Perion, is now being aimed at Bramham. Alex also finished third riding Redpath Ransom, an 11-year-old by Randi, who was…

FOUR-star courses do not have a new designer very often — it’s not an easy job and the margin for error is very small. Part of the skill is in knowing the ground and how the different parts of the course ride. Therefore for Mike Etherington-Smith to be taking over from me at Luhmühlen, and Eric Winter replacing Giuseppe della Chiesa at Badminton is a major move in the four years leading up to Tokyo 2020. It will take them a little time to settle in. I’m sad to leave Luhmühlen after 10 years. I wish Mike luck as he strives for a good balance under the critical eye of the European mainstream media. Many were surprised at Eric Winter’s appointment at Badminton, but he is relatively local and knows…

KERRY BRENNAN and her mother Liane’s Wellington M (Welly) clinched victory in the Beerscellars UK area trial in spectacular style. Just two weeks after his area trial win at Notts County, “super Welly” again demonstrated his love of a big grass ring by securing a three-second winning margin over pathfinders Holly Gillott and Lammy Beach. Kerry and Welly have been on tremendous form recently. Following two wins at Bury Farm, the pair also competed in the Nations Cup in Drammen. After two weeks in the field, Welly looked fresh and eager to get on with the job, Kerry even having to sit tight on their lap of honour. Sue Barratt’s course took the 11 finalists the full length of the ring and it was a crucial, acute turnback halfway round…

• Breen’s dream rides TREVOR BREEN will be taking both of his former Hickstead Derby-winning rides back to the West Sussex venue for another stab at the prestigious title (23-26 June). His 2015 victor Loughnatousa WB and the one-eyed Adventure De Kannan - on whom he triumphed the previous year - will both return under the Irishman. • Buy your tickets now TICKETS are now on sale for the first leg of the Longines Masters series, kicking off in Los Angeles from 29 September to 2 October. The grand slam of indoor showjumping takes place across three continents with shows in Paris and Hong Kong following the initial American leg. • Big Star for Bolesworth NICK SKELTON’S brilliant Big Star (below) is among the entries for the forthcoming Bolesworth International (16-19 June). The…

THE 12 riders who will take part in a British Showjumping training initiative this year have been confirmed. The International Experience Programme (IEP), launched in 2014 with the help of Sport England, is aimed at riders aged 16-30 who put themselves forward for selection, and provides support for those that are hoping to make the step up to international competition. The selected riders were chosen after Chepstow International CSI2* (report, 12 May) and include Millie Dickinson, Hannah Downes, Kathryn Ellison, Rachel Gallop, Megan Howard, Charlotte Lee, Georgia Lovett, Laura Mantel, Charles Richards, Rebecca Symons, Rachel Walker and James Winter. The programme offers course walks, FEI clean sport and doping workshops, talks on travelling horses abroad, veterinary advice and performance observations. The riders will head to Arena UK International CSI2* (7-9…

THE four-mile mixed open was the feature race of the day at Trecoed and it displayed the talents of one of the country’s leading novice riders, Richard Patrick, as the 20-year-old rode Boyfromnowhere to a comfortable victory over the 13-year-old legend Rosies Peacock, the winner of 34 point-to-points who had to give away a huge 12lbs in penalties. The nine-year-old winner had previously won the Southern National for former trainer Rebecca Curtis, and this was his second victory in a row for his current trainer Gareth Moore, having won a novice riders’ race at Cothelstone last time out. Richard showed his skills again in the restricted, driving the short-priced favourite Mad Money up to win by a neck for trainer Jonathan Tudor. The 10-year-old has displayed durability this season, as…

BATTLE RANGE (Nick Orpwood) won the mixed open race in fine style at Garthorpe on Saturday (4 June) . He pulled away after the last to beat Broughtons Bandit (Philip York) by 12 lengths, with Time Gentlemen (Rob Jarrett) five lengths back in third. This was the Jacqueline Coward-trained nine-year-old’s fourth win of the season, and he is surely one to watch next year. Tempelpirate was certain to start as an odds-on favourite for the PPORA club members’ race for novice riders, having won the past 13 races. Here the top-rated visitor met his match in Lough Inch, the locally trained Garthorpe specialist owned by trainer Tommy Morgan’s partner Liz Harris. Jack Andrews allowed the nine-year-old to front run from start to finish and, although Tempelpirate (Ben Hicks) was in…

WHEN David Andrews from equestrian riding surfaces manufacturer Andrews Bowen says he believes water will one day be as expensive as oil, it’s not hard to see why the company has invested in sustainability technology. Equaflow, their sustainable water storage, irrigation and conditioning system for surfaces, was used at the London 2012 Olympics, and is installed at Bolesworth, David O’Meara and Dan Skelton’s racing yards and showjumper Shane Breen’s base. “Reusing water is essential,” says David. “Hot countries such as Spain already know what a big factor water is, where competition horses can use up to 100 litres a day for drinking and washing off, but there’s a growing understanding of it here, too.” The 60x106m surface at the Royal Highland showground features the Equaflow system and can store almost…

‘It was the steeplechase that was the making of him because it got his adrenalin up’ FIVE BOYS was my best friend and the horse that, in my eyes, could do no wrong. His racing career over hurdles was characterised by being tailed off or pulled up and, aged nine, he found himself in David and Jane Tolley’s yard. Jane invited me to take him eventing with a view to selling him on. Within a week I decided that I wanted to buy him myself. He failed the vet, but we settled on a price of £5,000 to be paid in two instalments, one immediately and the second at the end of the season. By the time it came to paying the balance, Five Boys had won at novice and…

LIST One judge and former British Dressage chairman Jennie Loriston-Clarke is not convinced by the proposals. “We have a perfectly good set of rules,” she said. “An eight is good, a nine very good, and so on. “I still think, gosh, that’s good, it must be between an eight and a nine, and if it makes my hair stand on end, it’s nine-plus. I’m no mathematician or computer expert, but I think this system would hold up the spontaneity of the marks.” Mrs Loriston-Clarke believes reducing a theoretical 10 by fractions of marks would be too “infinitesimal”, and put too much pressure on judges. “If you’re judging canter half-passes, you’ve got to count the strides, look at the changes, and ask yourself, is the bend equal both ways, are the…

Showjumper Luciana Diniz’s top stallion Winningmood is on the mend after suffering a mysterious allergic reaction that caused him to be covered in lumps (more on p71) • www.horseandhound.co.uk/ winningmood Tributes have been paid to two Australian riders, Billie Kinder and Hana Dickson, who lost their lives in separate accidents involving horses recently • www.horseandhound.co.uk/ australian-fatalities Hundreds of riders have posted pictures of themselves on social media using #inspiredbyhannah in support of eventer Hannah Francis (below), who is battling an aggressive form of bone cancer • www.horseandhound.co.uk/ inspiredbyhannah The BEF has said it is “working closely” with the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association to monitor the Zika virus situation in Rio ahead of the Games • www.horseandhound.co.uk/ bef-zika Plans to build 46 houses on the former site of Patchetts Equestrian Centre have been given the…

BRITISH Dressage’s (BD) young professionals’ award, which is run to help amateurs looking to make a career in dressage, is open for applications. Applicants, who must be aged between 18 and 25, need to send in a CV and two references to support their submission by 26 August. The selected candidates will be given training with top riders and trainers. Six finalists will be chosen from a semifinal in October, and will attend a workshop day prior to the final in March 2017 at Talland School of Equitation. BD said it hopes the “input and advice from top professionals will be invaluable” to the finalists. • Apply: www.britishdressage.co.uk…

SUBSTANTIAL increases in the cost of equine veterinary claims have led to higher policy prices, according to insurance companies, writes Rachael Hook. Advances in veterinary care have caused the cost of claims to increase significantly, according to Equicover director Penny Reid. The majority of claims made to the insurer — 94% — are for vet fees. “People often compare the increase in the cost of living to the percentage increase in their horse insurance premium,” Ms Reid said. “However, it really has nothing to do with the cost of living. Although most vets have not increased their overall fees by more than the cost of living, advances in the diagnostic techniques and treatments have seen the cost of the average claim rise by 50%.” A large proportion of Equicover’s claims…

HORSE-SHY DRINKERS A skewbald was spotted at the entrance of a bar in Birkenhead on 26 May. The cob was pictured in the doorway of Moodz. THEFT Horse tranquilisers were stolen from a farm in Owstwick near Hull on 26 May. Various items were taken from an outbuilding, including around 50 Acepromazine (ACP) tablets. Anyone with information should call Humberside Police on 101. A HUNT KENNELS Three beagle puppies were taken from a hunt kennels in Oxfordshire on 30 May. Those with information are urged to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. A LOST FOAL A five-day-old foal on Dartmoor was left fighting for its life after losing his mother. The foal was spotted by hikers and rescued by the Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony group, who are now trying…

POLO The Queen’s Cup final has been moved to a new date to coincide with Her Majesty’s birthday celebrations. It will now take place on 11 June at Guards Polo Club, Smiths Lawn, in Windsor Great Park. www.guardspoloclub.com EXHIBITION See paintings by James Gillick, featuring polo ponies, thoroughbreds and Arabs, at the Sladmore Contemporary Gallery, Mayfair, on 7-28 June. www.sladmorecontemporary.com CLINIC Take part in a polework and jumping clinic with Alex Jewell at Sheepgate, Lincs, on 11 June. www.equoevents.com DRESSAGE Wellington Riding, Hants, is holding a British Dressage Premier League show on 9-12 June. www.wellington-riding.co.uk BRAMHAM Watch the second leg of the CIC3* Event Rider Masters series at Bramham, West Yorks. The event, on 9-12 June, also features a CCI3*, under-25 championships and a CIC3*. www.bramham-horse.co.uk RACING Go to Royal…

First I would like to congratulate the person who realised that a reference to scientific papers at the end of H&H’s veterinary articles is very much appreciated by those who want to deepen their knowledge of that particular subject. Second, I would like to follow up Sir Mark Todds comment about the risks involved in eventing (26 May) with regard to the tragic death of eventer Philippa Humphreys last month. Only the riders are completely aware of those risks, and we have the choice to accept them “unconditionally” as, according to her husband, Philippa did. However, we put our horses through the same risks, with the big difference that they don’t have that choice. It is our duty to reduce those risks. The same should apply for racing too, especially…

My earliest showing memory… The first time I qualified for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in 1971 on my 12.2hh show pony Knighton Kinsman. Settling down with… A good book by either Dan Brown or Stephen King. I also enjoy looking back at the results and reports in my collection of old Horseman’s Year books starting from 1949, and the old Horse and Hound yearbooks. Remembering when… Jayne Webber (now Ross) and I were attacked by millions of flying ants during an evening judging stint under floodlights in Johannesburg, South Africa. At first we thought it was snowing! My first pony… A first ridden all-rounder called Highland Robbie. We used to go hacking across the famous Pendle Hill accompanied by well-known chief showing steward Frances Youngs.…

“DOOR banging is something I take quiteseriously,” says dressage rider and trainer Richard Davison. “The effect of small but repetitive trauma is accumulative and the consequences can be very harmful. I’ve had a number of horses that bang the door periodically, even a grand prix dressage horse that would buck and kick the walls. “Our horses spend a lot of time in the field and look forward to it. Moving their legs faster is a natural reaction to positive excitement, which can lead to kicking and banging. They soon learn that the noise can elicit attention. “I’ve found QuitKick very effective, as the device squirts a jet of water at the horse if he bangs, and nips the problem in the bud. Management changes are not always practical for the…

THE demands are essentially the same for all three phases of a driving trial: circles, half-circles and straight lines. With a team, it is also vital that all the horses go and come back at the same time in response to your whip, voice and rein aids. So when I’m training a driving horse, circles, straight lines and transitions underpin everything. I feel that about 70% of the communication with a driving horse is via the bit, so getting that right is very important. Every horse has to be nice in the hand. I have a big box of bits and I’ll change them until the horse tells me the one he likes. I have two horses in my team who go in three different bits, one for each phase,…

1 Adding true international flavour to the showjumping action, top riders will descend on Bolesworth Castle, including Brits Scott Brash, Nick Skelton and Michael and William Whitaker, while Cian O’Connor, Billy Twomey and Dermott Lennon make up some of the Irish contingent. The USA’s Laura Kraut and Italian Lorenzo de Luca are just a few of the overseas riders making the trip to Cheshire. Young showjumper Yazmin Pinchen will be returning to the venue in a bid to win the feature grand prix (Sunday, 19 June) for a second year running — this year with a prize pot of £60,000. 2 Dressage stars Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin will head a stellar line-up in the dressage to music class on Thursday, 16 June — 51 days ahead of the Rio…

DERMOT WELD, aged 67 • A qualified vet, he took over training at his Curragh yard when his father Charlie died in 1972. • He has saddled Group One winners on four continents, including the Melbourne Cup twice - the first European trainer to win it when Vintage Crop triumphed in 1993 - and the Belmont Stakes in 1990 with Go And Go - the first horse trained outside of North America to win it. • Won the Irish Derby with Zagreb 1996 and Grey Swallow in 2004. British Classics include the Oaks with Blue Wind in 1981 and the 2000 Guineas with Refuse To Bend in 2003. Harzand was only his seventh Derby runner. • In the past 30 years he has only had two jockeys ride for him…

SINCE the Aga Khan inherited in 1960 the bloodstock empire built by his grandfather, his ploy of acquiring stock en bloc from other leading breeders has yielded notable dividends over the decades. It did so again at Epsom on Saturday with Harzand, his fifth Derby hero after Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), Kahyasi (1988) and Sinndar (2000). The colt, by Sea The Stars out of Hazariya, is a product of the celebrated distaff family descended from the 1931-foaled mare Lost Soul and nurtured by Lionel Holliday and his son Brook in Yorkshire and Ireland. Harzand’s third dam Hazy Idea, who traces to Lost Soul on both sides of her pedigree, was one of a dozen Holliday-bred horses taken into the Aga Khan’s fold in 1987, when she was a 20-year-old. The…

One-eyed wonder LOCAL rider Tony Kennedy’s three-star partner Westeria Lane (fifth in the CCI3*) only has one eye. Going sideways PONY class winners Zara Nelson and Millridge Buachaill Bui have also won a sidesaddle class at Dublin Horse Show. Inspirational Hannah TATTERSALLS granted terminally ill British rider Hannah Francis one of the wishes on her bucket list - riding in an international event outside of the UK. She rode the guinea pig dressage tests on both Wednesday and Thursday.…

Harry Mutch THE 19-year-old, who has only ridden at intermediate a handful of times, finished on his dressage score with his mother Carole’s HD Bronze to score his first win at the level. The horse has recovered from surgery to remove chips from his stifle after an accident last year. In addition, Harry had a spinal fracture and lost his best horse after a problem in the lorry. “It wasn’t a good year, but we’ve managed to come out and be consistent again,” said Harry, who took up riding at 13 after taking a riding lesson his mother couldn’t get to.…

‘We decided to keep him. As a present for that he kicked Simon in the head and bucked me off’Steph Croxford on the once unruly Mr Hyde WITH the ultimate prize in 2016 being a ticket to the Rio Olympics, Spencer Wilton entered Goodmans Supernova in the grand prix, which he duly won with 72.88%. “I thought it would be an ideal warm-up for Roosendaal CDI — the last before the Rio cut-off date,” said Spencer, who was caught up in the marking scandal at Lier CDI, which saw FEI ranking points removed after what was deemed to be nationalistic judging. “I still think they were mean to remove the points from those who were not involved, but at least we got to keep the prize money!” Spencer was pleased…

Namibian JULIE FRIZZELL’S Namibian, who won his grade IV silver class with 65.83%, has already tasted glory in a different sphere. The ex-racehorse won two Group Threes: the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood when trained by Mark Johnston. The eight-year-old son of Cape Cross came to Julie via Darley’s rehoming programme and this was his third para dressage competition. “He hadn’t done any dressage before I got him in September, but he loves it,” said Julie, a former RAF wing commander. “I’ve never ridden a more intelligent horse, and he’s got a real trick of a medium trot. He’s a really kind horse and an adorable character.”…

IT goes without saying that I am passionate about judging, albeit a love-hate relationship. The love comes from having a front-row seat and being part of an inspirational sport; the hate from all the backbiting that seems to go with the job. The role of the judge is well documented and most riders understand how hard it is to have the perfect result. In fact, many seem to appreciate the fact that judges are prepared to stick their necks out and assess exactly what they see, even if they are a little different. Computer-style judging will not improve our sport. It’s been a big eye-opener for me over the past year being back on the other side of the fence with Chagall and San Marco in the arena. I have…

A host of young British and Irish riders have made the cut for the 2016 Young Riders Academy, supported by Rolex, of which George Whitaker is a recent graduate. British showjumper Emma O’Dwyer and Irishmen Jack Dodd and Eoin McMahon are among the six riders to have been selected for the academy’s full programme. Eoin, who rides for Germany-based Carl Hanley Sporthorses, fractured a vertebra in his neck in a bad fall while competing at Munich in May, which resulted in his ride Questfinder being put down. The full programme offers six months of tailor-made training at a renowned professional stable, plus advice on business, economics, veterinary and legal practice within the showjumping industry. Meanwhile, Ireland’s Michael Duffy and British rising star Spencer Roe will be part of the academy’s…

RECORDS were broken and history made this year as this popular show expanded to two days and moved to a new venue. Entries, too, were the highest in the event’s 22-year history, leading to some superb classes and more than £15,000 raised for local charities. A 2am start paid off for Billy Moran, who took the overall supreme of show award with his in-hand supreme, the stunning sport and riding horse breeding champion Broadstone Dolce Vita (Dee). This was the 15-year-old Demonstrator broodmare’s seasonal debut, and despite having entered the ring for her first class some 12 hours earlier, she retained all her charisma until the very end. The in-hand finale itself took plenty of winning, yielding both numbers and quality worthy of any Cuddy qualifier. The former ridden riding…

A trainer’s on song ZOE HAWKINS experienced her first win as a trainer courtesy of Stay Tuned in the open maiden race. Zoe, who rode the eight-year-old mare herself and was clocking up the second win of her career as a jockey, came out on top in a close finish after a late challenge from Chambray Dancer (Matt Hampton). An ecstatic Zoe said: “She’s been working well at home and I thought she’d have a great chance on the firm ground, but she tries her heart out on whatever.” The owner Nick Harvey said: “I bought the horse for Zoe to ride and train from Alex Dunn a year ago, and she has done brilliantly.”…

1. Install a water butt under a downspout - it’s low-key and low-cost (Wickes do a 100-litre one for about £25), but great for washing down horses or filling buckets. 2. Go it together - if you’re on a livery yard, bulk deliveries can save money and reduce transport costs. For example, Equisorb offer a £3/bale discount on full pallets (18 bales per pallet). 3. Switch off - whether it’s lights, electric fencing or phone chargers not in use. This saves energy, cuts bills and reduces the risk of electrical fires. Solar electric fencing is an option where fencing needs to stay on. 4. The Energy Saving Trust advises that swapping standard bulbs and halogen spotlights for energy-saving bulbs can save £35 per year, and 120kg of carbon dioxide. 5.…

GRANDIOSO The Spanish team dressage horse will return to competition after an injury, and is being aimed at the Olympics. The PRE stallion, 17, is due to compete under José Daniel Martin Dockx at the CDI4* in Aachen, Germany, 13-17 July. QUAYSIDE CAUTION The former top jumping pony has been put down aged 28. He was on the European gold medal-winning showjumping team in 1999 with Simon Buckley. He was then ridden by Gemma Johnsey-Plumley and Danny Dunne. KNOCK HOUSE The five-time winner topped Tattersalls Ireland Ascot May Sale and was sold to Donald McCain for £110,000. He was fourth in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham (17 March) and was bought for Tim Muir. He could be “an Aintree horse in future,” said Mr McCain. VIVANT VD HEFFINCK The showjumping…

MORE Pony Club members will be able to have a taste of competing at a championship after the launch of a new series for branch and centre members. The Pony Club regional championships are designed to act as the “first rung on the competition ladder”. Team dressage and showjumping classes will feature this year, and from 2017 eventing will also be added. Dressage will be at prelim level and showjumping courses will be 80/85cm. To secure a place at one of the five regional championships in July and August, teams must qualify at their area event. Viv Stephen, of Croxteth Park Riding Centre’s Pony Club centre, said it is “a really good step”. The centre’s members already actively take part in other team events. “I think any competition for us…

A petition calling for a ban on veterinary surgeons from prescribing homeopathy as a treatment for animals has been signed by about 1,000 UK vets, writes Lucy Elder. Started by equine and small animal vet Danny Chambers, the petition has received more than 2,500 signatures in total and he hopes to submit it to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) next month. Mr Chambers believes it is an animal welfare issue and vets “should be united in offering the best quality 21st-century care”. “Why should the public have to decide which vets are prescribing science-based medicine and which are offering non-proven treatments?” he said. A spokesman for the RCVS said: “Homeopathy is accepted by society, recognised in UK medicines legislation and does not in itself cause harm to animals.…

RIDERS will be gathering in Gothenburg for the 2017 FEI European Championships next summer (21-27 August). The first set of tickets for dressage and jumping at the Ullevi Stadium were released on 3 June. There are three different ticket packages: the championship week package, including all championship jumping and dressage classes and all additional classes at the Ullevi Stadium; the dressage package, including all championship dressage classes and additional dressage classes; and the jumping package, which includes all championship jumping classes and additional jumping classes. • For more information visit: www.gothenburg2017.com…

BRITISH Dressage (BD) remains “very optimistic” about the para dressage squad’s chances in Rio, despite the news that Ricky Balshaw has retired. Ricky, 29, revealed last week (25 May) that he was leaving the sport and stepping down from the British squad. BD’s para dressage director, David Hamer, confirmed had been a potential Rio rider. “We are disappointed to be losing him,” he told H&H. “Not only has he competed for Great Britain on a number of occasions, he has also been a great character and very supportive of riders coming into the sport. “[But] we have a strength of talented riders coming through the system and are very optimistic for the future.” Category Ib rider Ricky has won medals at Paralympic, world and European level. “I’m getting to the…

THE British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is “taking action” to dispel any “perceptions of bias” in its disciplinary panels. It will be accelerating its planned review of its disciplinary panel, appeal board and licensing committee after controversy surrounding the case of racehorse trainer Jim Best (pictured), who was suspended from training for four years in a hearing on 4 April. Mr Best’s suspension has since been quashed and the case is to be reheard after an “appearance of bias” in his disciplinary. The chairman of the panel that heard Mr Best’s case was Matthew Lohn, who, it later transpired, had previously undertaken paid legal work for the BHA. Between February 2014 and October 2015, fee invoices from Mr Lohn and his firm for legal work done for the BHA totalled over…

THE Great British Bake Off may have led to a wave of baking across the UK — but that is not all it has inspired. The BBC One show was also the spark behind the naming of a group of “thoroughbread” cobs rescued by charity Blue Cross. Bagel, Brioche, Ciabatta, Crumpet, Crouton, Panini and Pumpernickel were admitted to the charity after being rescued by the RSPCA. All were severely underweight, infested with worms and had sores under lice-infested coats, as well as overgrown feet. “To us these ponies are the best thing since sliced bread,” said Catherine Read, head groom at the Rolleston Blue Cross centre. “Who knows, maybe Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood might be interested in coming to meet them? “Then, in keeping with the bread theme we…

THE dressage scoring proposals put forward by Wayne Channon and Dane Rawlins (news, p4) will be deemed radical by a largely traditional user base. Eliminating bias from the judging of a subjective sport, as they set out to do, is a significant challenge. Convincing all those invested in this sport that the change they suggest is not only desirable but also necessary will be equally challenging. There has been much discussion this year about changing the format of eventing to future-proof its Olympic position. Having spent five years as H&H dressage editor, with the opportunity to cover Britain’s stratospheric rise in the sport, I am one of its biggest fans. However, I don’t doubt it needs to do more than rely on the charm of “dancing horses”, created largely by…

OTHER limb-related behaviours include: WALL-KICKING “Kicking out with the hindlegs is often associated with gastric ulcers, but it can also be caused by horses being stabled too close together or next to horses they don’t like,” explains Simon. “This can sometimes predispose the horse to pedal bone fractures in the hind feet as they traumatise themselves against the stable walls.” STAMPING Repeated stamping of the forelegs is often associated with irritation caused by unwelcome guests. “We’d look for mites, particularly in a heavy cob-type with feathers,” says Simon. “The injury caused would be more concussion-based.” PAWING “When a horse is trapped in a stressful situation, his first instinct is to escape,” says Justine. “If he can’t he will often fidget — performing a ‘displacement behaviour’ such as shaking his head…

“AT home in Australia, we had placemats of English hunting scenes. I thought it was something that went on 200 years ago. I had no idea it still happened,” says Nick Probert. Nick is now a fully fledged member of the Heythrop field, identifiable by the GoPro camera attached to his hat. “I wanted to show Mum and Dad back in Australia what I now do at the weekends,” he says. Nick is just one of an ever-increasing number of “foreigners in the field”, as he terms it. If you listened carefully to the chatter at a Heythrop Saturday meet, you’d hear American, Canadian, French, Austrian, Swiss, Dutch and Greek accents, among others. Nick took up hunting because he met — and then married — a woman who loved the…

The Ballysax Stakes THE betting experts spend a huge amount of time trying to work out whether the form from the Guineas, Chester Vase, Dante or Derrinstown is the key to the Derby. This year, the best trial was unquestionably the Ballysax Stakes run at Leopardstown on 10 April on heavy ground. Harzand, who had previously won a Cork maiden by 16 lengths, won the Ballysax, beating Idaho 1 /4 lengths. Idaho was just under three lengths away in third in the Derby. Other Ballysax winners who went on to Derby glory include Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002).…

“I came here for a podium finish as I knew nothing less would be good enough for a place on the Australian team at Rio,” said Paul Tapner, after achieving his objective by winning The Irish Field CCI3*. He took the class by a margin of 16 penalties with Fred and Penny Barker’s Prince Mayo, whom he then declared as his only viable option for Rio. Paul and the gelding, bred by Oliver Walsh, went into the showjumping with a four-fence cushion over Flora Harris and Cooley Lord Lux — who moved up from 11th after dressage. But Paul used none of his lives and completed on his dressage score of 44.8. Andrew Hoy and The Blue Frontier had been just over a fence adrift after cross-country but five poles…

Laura McAlister THE 17-year-old scored her first affiliated win in the BE100u18 at Tweseldown (2). She is a year older than her horse, Sportsfield Dusty (pictured), who was bought two years ago to give Laura confidence. “Winning was amazing, but if my sister Tori hadn’t gone too fast and got 5.2 time-faults, she would have won,” said Laura. Tori, 15, finished fifth on Corrieview Brynn. Jenna Good THE 13-year-old collected her first BE90 win at Tweseldown (2). She was riding seven-year-old Trewithian Hawkeweed, a pony she has brought on herself since he was a just-backed four-year-old. “I bought him from Preloved - and it turned out that he is a full brother to Trewithian Bracken, who won a silver team medal at the 2009 pony Europeans,” said Jenna’s mother Kirsten.…

Sonnar Murray-Brown and Erlentanz SONNAR and Erlentanz scored their first Premier League victory, taking the top spot in Monday’s PSG with just shy of 73%. The Latimer x Benz nine-year-old (pictured) was bought in Germany three years ago after Sonnar saw him at the bundeschampionat. “I saw and tried quite a few,” said Sonnar, whose riding career was so nearly cut short in an horrific car crash back in 2009. “He stood out as he had this incredible natural energy, with a great mind, a super walk and a very good canter.” Although the horse only started competing early last year he won the advanced medium open title at April’s British Dressage (BD) winter championships. “He did a couple of PSGs last year but he’s really come into his own…

BARCELONA in 1992 was my first Olympics, and the last year of a big, brutal Olympic showjumping course. I was representing Ireland then, and Britain was fielding a crack team featuring some of the best horses in the world. There was Milton with John Whitaker, Mon Santa with Michael Whitaker, Dollar Girl with Nick Skelton and Denizen with Tim Grubb. The course was enormous in the second individual round. I can clearly remember watching fences crashing down and poles breaking. Nick fell off, and Michael said he had to let the reins go on Mon Santa so the horse could see the poles on the way down. I said: “I’m going to jump a clear — it will be easy. By the time I get in they won’t have enough…

‘I wondered if he’d ever get back’ HAYLEY ERNER landed a special result when her handsome chestnut maxi cob Cock Robin (right) won and took his Hickstead ticket. The 10-year-old - formerly a successful lightweight campaigner before being measured out - was off for the whole of last season due to injury and this was only his second outing. “He had to have two operations and, at one point, I wondered if he’d ever get back in the ring,” said Hayley. “I just wanted to see if he still enjoyed the job, so I nearly cried when we won today.” Tadcaster-based Hayley has also enjoyed a string of victories with her new grey maxi, Silver Milestone - but success has not come without incident. “I had blow outs on the…

THE same old rumblings about the marks system seems to be erupting, with competitors berating judges. I’ve said before that I’m not a fan of the marking system. Putting marks on paper leaves judges open to scrutiny, as well as the poor stewards recording and adding them up. I prefer to collaborate with my co-judge, put our arguments over for and against each horse, and then both pick the best animal. I find it so bizarre that some judges don’t communicate. There’s nothing more disheartening as a judge than not knowing who your winner is — quite often we are as surprised as the competitor. It’s not uncommon that the winner will be the horse both judges didn’t mind, but who could have been one judge’s third place. With the…

ALL good things come to an end and jockeys can’t race-ride forever. It may seem ironic that I’m retiring after such a good season — 15 winners — but my granddad Mick Easterby put the thought in my head when he said that if I keep having bad falls, eventually I won’t be able to hunt or ride every day. As you get older, you start to notice that you don’t fall as well as you used to or bounce back as quickly. The falls I’ve had recently have really hurt and taken a long time to recover from. Retiring is easier said than done, but by slowly weaning yourself off riding every horse going and giving rides to other jockeys, you suddenly have time to spend on the other…

AFTER six consecutive days of cold, grey cloud, Cowdray Park was bathed in a warm sunshine for the final of the 18-goal Duke of Sutherland trophy — the warmth of the sun added to by the intense passion of all eight players. No inch was given by either side in this tense, closely fought battle. In a wonderful display of fast, passing polo, Ferne Park defeated Cowdray Vikings by a single goal. The game went from 0-60 in a flash, with a flat-out run to goal from the very first throw-in by Joaquin Pittaluga. Although it went wide, it set the tone for the game, with committed attacks by both sides. It was Cowdray Vikings who scored first, with a lovely run from George Pearson. Pittaluga played a blinder throughout…