Innholdsfortegnelse for 06-Apr-2017 i Horse & Hound

AFTER more than four decades at the top of the sport, Nick Skelton has announced his retirement. Big Star, the 14-year-old stallion with whom he won two Olympic gold medals, will also be retired. An official farewell ceremony will be held for the pair at Royal Windsor Horse Show on Sunday, 14 May. After the pair won Olympic gold in Rio, Nick was keen to carry on competing Big Star (H&H, 25 August 2016), saying “people love to see that horse jump, so I think he deserves to go on”. But the decision for them both to retire was made “after months of thought and consideration”, after what turned out to be their final competitive appearance in Toronto in November and Big Star suffered a minor injury days before the…

CLIFTON LUSH The horse on which New Zealand eventer Jock Paget was selected for the Rio Olympics has been put down aged 18 after a field accident. Jock described him as a “true warrior” who loved his job. VALEGRO The dressage legend will continue to enjoy his retirement despite H&H suggesting he was to take up a new eventing career. Our April fool article went viral online, but there are no plans for him to event. FOR SALE 6 The 11-year-old mare was put down after suffering serious injuries in a fall in the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix at Ocala, Florida, on 26 March. Rider Emily Moffitt, was not seriously hurt and has thanked well-wishers for their support.…

THE first new enclosure in 100 years is to open for Royal Ascot this summer (20-24 June). The Village Enclosure will sit between the Queen Anne and Windsor areas on inside the track and have a capacity of 4,500. “The new enclosure is an exciting development and adds another new element to Royal Ascot, allowing race-goers to get in the heart of the action during what is always a brilliant week,” Rod Street, chief executive of Great British Racing, told H&H. The space will be open on Thursday-Saturday (22-24 June) of the meeting, and will feature “informal boutique dining experiences”, bars, live music and an after-party until 9pm. Tickets will cost between £49 and £67, and hospitality upgrades are available. “We have gradually reduced the capacity in the Queen Anne…

THE tug of war between tradition and innovation is ever-present in the horseworld. Stuart Buntine is one of eventing’s most forward-looking organisers and last weekend at Belton, his team rolled out a phone app to replace the customary paper programme. I downloaded it and found the layout easy to navigate. It had all the info you’d expect from a programme, as well as some extras, including a link to live scores, and integrated times for competitors alongside their number and horses’ vital statistics. Once the initial investment in the app pays off, this must be a huge money-saver for organisers and also great for the environment. On the downside, not everyone has a smart phone and a decent proportion of eventing fans and owners are not in their first flush…

He won both elementaries on his own and Kirsty Anthony’s Sanssouci, an advanced medium with Jennifer Nissen’s DHI Lightning Z and the inter I with Brenda Reddy’s Bam Bam on a very wet day at Windmill Farm. Rob is aiming Sanssouci (Sarkozy x Rotspon) for summer regional qualification at elementary and medium after the seven-year-old had a “chestnut mare moment” at the winter regionals, finishing seventh. “There’s nothing like a chestnut mare to keep you grounded,” joked Rob. Amy Crerar’s beautiful San Amour eventer Sankro won both his novices at an equally soggy Bury Farm. “It was the worst rainstorm I’ve ever competed in so our rein-back was non-existent but he was pretty unfazed by the weather,” said Amy. She bought Sankro with Sonia Evans two years ago and he…

I’VE just returned from two weeks of winter-dodging in Spain at the CDI Valencia. We had great judges — many five-star — and the appearance of some of the top German combinations made it a really worthwhile trip as the competition was joined by two of the most successful German dressage dynasties; the Raths and the Rothenbergers. Other competitors’ hopes were temporarily raised when Olympic team gold medalist Sönke Rothenberger arrived in the warm-up on the lead-rein on a hot-to-trot Cosmo 59, but the momentary excitement proved to be in vain as he won the grand prix with over 79%. My grand prix ride Wydny confirmed himself as an exciting prospect, scoring some nines and high placings along with the odd green moment, which was to be expected in his…

COURSE-designer Alan Wade, from Ireland, is known as a riders’ favorite and here he had the horses jumping better in the last two legs of competition than at the beginning. Only one rider in the top 12 had a knockdown in the second round. Alan’s strategy was to build up the fences in terms of height, but there were none of the tricks that some designers seem to favour. “I wanted them to leave in a good fashion over big fences and head to the next show,” he said. “My main concern is horses; I look after horses. If riders want to make mistakes, I don’t want to see the horses get into trouble. “The riders will be blaming themselves for the faults they created earlier in the week that…

ZARA TINDALL is the only British rider making the trip to Rolex Kentucky (27-30 April) this year. She is entered for the American four-star with Gleadhill House Stud’s High Kingdom. The 2006 world champion also travelled to Kentucky in 2015, but had to withdraw High Kingdom when he injured himself kicking out as he was being tacked up for his dressage test. H&H wishes the pair better luck this time. Zara is joined on the entry list by US-based British rider James Alliston, who is bidding for a fifth consecutive completion with his faithful campaigner Parker. Previously the World Class programme has offered Brits with more than two four-star horses funding assistance to travel to Kentucky, but that is not the case this year. Sarah Armstrong, British Equestrian Federation interim…

 Ascot and Doncaster, 1-2 April ‘The race fell into his lap today’ PAUL NICHOLLS ON SAN BENEDETO’S NOVICE RUN AT ASCOT WHEN the exciting Might Bite led home his stable companion Whisper in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham it provided enough prize money — when added to the riches accrued by Altior and Buveur D’Air — to propel Nicky Henderson into a £130,000 lead over Paul Nicholls in this season’s trainers’ title. Since beating Martin Pipe to secure his first title at the end of the 2005-06 season Nicholls’ 10 titles have only been interrupted once, by Henderson in 2012-13. Looking forward, a lot will depend on what happens at Aintree, particularly in Saturday’s Randox Health Grand National (8 April), where Nicholls runs five against Henderson’s possible one, and…

Fernie, Leics RELENTESSS won the Skinner’s open qualifier at the Fernie team chase with a stunning round over the beautifully-built course at Tur Langton. The glorious hedges and old turf had attracted a huge entry for the open class, but with the first two events of the season having been lost to land management changes, a lack of match practice was evident for some teams. With Simon Coady at the helm on Risky Beauty, five-time national champions Relentless showed their verve over the first switchback of hedges — angling them tightly and at a good gallop. At the top of the hill, Matt Mackley’s Piggy fell, but the others ploughed on — Rowan Cope and Ollie Finnegan keeping on close terms with Simon. A couple of hairy leaps out of…

Foot is a legend and the perfect schoolmaster. He was very keen when we set off and dived at the first fence but after that scare, his jumping was great.” Hey Listen (Donal Delahunt) also struck gold for Lucinda’s yard in the 15 runner open maiden. Still last with less than a mile to go, the five-year-old sliced through the field to hit the front after two out and score by half a length from Doesn’tbotherme (Kit Alexander). The ex-Irish youngster was bought for £30,000 at the Cheltenham Tattersalls sale in November. “His fall here last month probably educated him a lot,” said Donal. “A change of tactics worked a treat as I decided to drop him out instead of racing up with the pace as he had been doing…

The Pony Club Dengie Winter Championships, Addington Manor EC, Bucks IN the hotly-contested Dengie Winter League Championship, only 12 out of 86 competitors jumped clear to go through to the jump-off over the up-to-height, technical course. The second part of a double, situated on the back wall of the arena, caused multiple run-outs, while an upright with planks produced plenty of four-fault penalties. Last to go in the jump-off after executing a superb first-round clear, was Alice Burden,15, and her 14.2hh coloured Welsh cob, Neebro Moonshine, who smashed the opposition by 2.89 seconds to win the championship class. The win was made all the more special as this was only their fourth outing in over a year due to the 11-year-old Neebro Moonshine suffering from ill health for most of…

NICK SKELTON’S retirement may have been on the cards for a while, but, after his reassurances that “When Big Star stops, I’ll stop”, we all hoped there would be at least one more season to savour this heroic duo. Sadly, Nick’s announcement now places that final full stop on what has been a truly momentous era for the sport. His and Big Star’s departure will leave a massive void — where once they purposefully spearheaded British teams, where once they strategically outpaced their rivals in the most challenging jump-offs and where once they proudly lined up for the prize-giving ceremonies. The sight of the “runaway train” and his perfectly poised rider with the killer competitive instinct devouring the most difficult of tracks gave us all something to which to aspire.…

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Queen’s Award has gone to Barry Johnson and the Golden Jubilee Award to Kathy Kissick. They are the college’s honours for vets and vet nurses. Australian showjumper Edwina Tops-Alexander and her husband Jan Tops are expecting their first child in August. “It’s time for me to hang up my boots for a while,” she said. Owner-breeder Julia Scott sought permission from Dame Vera Lynn to name a foal in her honour. The filly, is hoped to begin her training with Hughie Morrison in the near future. Australian event rider Andrew Hoy and his fiancée Stefanie Strobl are expecting their first child. The couple plan to get married in May, and their baby is due to be born in August. Jockey Hector Barr has become…

FATAL ACCIDENT AT POINT-TO-POINT A POINT-to-point jockey died as a result of a fall on Saturday (1 April). James McNeile, from Devizes, Wilts, sustained serious head injuries in the 3.45pm at Larkhill. The 57-year-old was taken by air ambulance to hospital. A statement issued by the Injured Jockeys Fund on behalf of Mr McNeile’s family said: “The degree of brain damage was such that this was not a survivable injury. “James deteriorated overnight and died peacefully on Sunday. James died competing in a sport he loved, and around which he had built his life and some wonderful friendships.” ENDURANCE DRUG SUSPENSIONS MADE THE FEI Tribunal has suspended Qatari trainer Mohammed Ali Khalifa Al-Attiyah for two years. He admitted injecting two horses, Sur (Mabrouk) and Centurion, with banned substance human recombinant…

WALES When you’re next in the market for maggots, there’s only one place to go. Vets everywhere turn to a facility in Wales to buy them, to use in treating infections. “Wales is the maggot capital of Europe,” one Swedish vet said. What a claim to fame. FATE Overheard at a British Showjumping show to a despondent competitor: “Some things just aren’t meant to be.” We’re all for the “everything happens for a reason” view, but less sure greater forces were behind four faults in a 95cm open… WALES (AGAIN) Research carried out after Cheltenham shows the Welsh are more likely to win lotteries and bets than anywhere else in the UK. But they consider themselves less lucky, with Scots rating themselves top. Sadly though, the Scots beat only England…

I was dismayed and appalled to read the editorial regarding the possible split of amateur/professional in the lower British Eventing sections (news, 30 March). It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to compete against, and rub shoulders with, the top riders in our sport — and it is possible for the amateur rider to beat them at these lower levels because usually they are on young, green horses. When my daughter won a section at Hambleden last year, our first win paled into comparison with whom she beat to take the top spot. The separation of rider ability levels has been, in my opinion, to the detriment of British Dressage and it would be a shame if British Eventing followed suit just because of the views of disgruntled…

Holly Sargent, 16, headed both the elementary silver and the elementary freestyle at Tall Trees on Alisa Hunter Gordon’s 14.2hh Rosewater Breant, whom she has had on loan for a year. The 10-year-old was injured as a youngster and Alisa produced him with help from Carol Parsons before passing the ride to Holly. “He’s done really well with us and we’re hoping to go to the BYRDS [British Young Riders Dressage Scheme] Home International this year,” said Holly’s father, Richard. Georgia Stokes, who trains the pair, helped with their freestyle floorplan while Holly’s brother, Myles, compiled the music. Laura Strawbridge took another step towards competing in her first PSG next month, when she headed an advanced medium and an advanced on her eight-year-old mare Extasia at Bicton. “It’s all about…

KATE WELCH’S Biscuits Brown won both elementaries at Crofton Manor, but three years ago the home-bred by Valeur R was so badly injured he was almost put down. In the October of his third year “Jacob” caught his near foreleg in a fence. “There was a deep gash right round his coronet band,” recalled Kate. “He had also nicked his deep digital flexor tendon and tendon sheath. The vets at Liphook decided it was possible to operate. The wound was flushed out and then he wore a cast for three weeks.” “I was able to back him lightly the following May. I was advised by the vets and physios to strengthen him with hacking and flatwork. I’d love to event him but will probably only jump him quietly for fun.”…

THIS is one of the great horse shows. I compare it to our old Madison Square Garden, Aachen, Dublin, White City years ago. Indoor shows have to have a “show”; without a show, they’re flat, and this show is far from flat. This city is pristine for the horseworld, with a fresh audience ready to be introduced to top horse sport. CenturyLink Center is an absolutely world-class venue. Lisa Roskens (chairman of the Omaha Equestrian Foundation) and the organisers have done their homework. People couldn’t be nicer and horses come first; the stabling, the warm-up area, the footing, the horse-friendly ways to get to the ring. Alan Wade is one of the greatest course-builders of any era. There’s a horse atmosphere about this show and a people atmosphere. I wish…

CSI3* MEDITERRANEAN TOUR, OLIVA NOVA, SPAIN JOE CLAYTON and Con Man JX finished up with a double clear and fourth in the grand prix. The honours after the 19-horse jump-off went to Dutchman Ruben Romp (Audi’s Teavanta II C Z), but Michael Whitaker, ninth, was ruing his one mistake on JB’s Hot Property in the fastest time of all. “He’s been fantastic all tour,” said Joe of Sarah Billington’s British-bred Con Man. “He’s jumped clear in every grand prix, but this was a super finish.” Jamie Wingrove was also celebrating after he and Bart VI jumped a brilliant round to win Friday’s world ranking class. “Bart deserved this,” said Jamie, who was gaining his best result to date with the Dutch-bred 11-year-old. Jemma Kirk was a double winner on Tchoupi…

A “delighted” advanced section L runner-up Mark Kyle said he had experienced something of a breakthrough on the flat with Jemilla, who was bred and is owned by Shelagh Morley. “I experimented riding her in a double bridle at home over the past couple of weeks. I thought I would give it a go in competition here and it seems to have helped us,” said Mark, who added one showjumping time-fault and 0.8 of a cross-country time-fault to a dressage score of 32.6.…

HENRIETTA MEDDINGS and Martin S (right) added victory in BE90 section H at Munstead (1) to the win they recorded a fortnight before at Tweseldown (1). “He was on good form last season and we’ve worked hard on the dressage over the winter, so I knew we were capable of these results if I put my foot down across country,” said Henrietta, a mother of three and a relative latecomer to eventing. “I was pony-mad as a child, but never really got into competing until my daughter, Rose, showed an interest.” Rose is now 18 and busy with A levels, but Henrietta is flying the flag for the family with the Dutch-bred 11-year-old, with whom she is gearing up for a first visit to Badminton for the Mitsubishi Motors Cup.…

THE COUNTRY THE Western Fells are the home to the Eskdale and Ennerdale: further from the easy access of the motorway than the rest of the Lake District, therefore more remote and unchanged. These steep craggy slopes are home for hardy Herdwick sheep, as they have been for centuries, and are part of the Lake District National Park. Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain, sits among the rest of the Scafell range in the centre of the hunt country and all the valleys run away from here like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. From the higher points, there are views across the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man and north over the Solway Firth to Scotland. The sea is the western boundary from Whitehaven southwards and the North Lonsdale,…

WEST Country amateur huntsman Sir Anthony Austin died on 2 February, aged 86. Tony founded the Downside School Beagles in 1946. The monks were very encouraging: sides of beef mysteriously disappeared from the school kitchens during rationing to feed the beagles. In the school holidays he hunted the Goldburn Rabbit Hounds across the family farm at Goldburn, Okehampton, Devon. This pack consisted of a Labrador, whippets, terriers, hound puppies and ferrets. After leaving school he and his elder brother Michael whipped-in to their father Sir Ronald Austin at the Eggesford. At the end of the War, the family moved to Ireland and took on the Ballymacad as well as founding the Sylvan Park Foxhounds and Goldburn Beagles. On returning to England Tony Austin became the fourth generation to hunt hounds.…

Ludlow, Bitterley ARTHUR’S SECRET netted the ladies open for the second year in a row after a stunning performance under Abigail Banks on his season debut. The seven-year-old gelding by Secret Singer hardly moved out of a hunting canter to make all the running and win easily by 15 lengths. Owned by Abigail’s Worcester-based mother Caroline Banks and trained by Martin Weston, this was the gelding’s sixth win in a row for connections, including a hunter chase. “We’re lucky to have him,” said Caroline. “He’ll take time to come back after that because he gives everything, but we’ll eventually aim him at another hunter chase.” The Corvedale Perpetual Silver Challenge cup has a strong connection to the family, having first been won by Caroline’s mother Pat Tollit in 1964, followed…

ASK a professional jockey what race they want to win and most will say the Gold Cup or the Grand National. Ask an amateur jockey the same question and they will say the Foxhunters. Cheltenham or Aintree, I would be happy with either. March and April — and in fact the months leading up to them — are dominated by the two festivals. For amateurs, the opportunity to be involved is limited. There are three designated races at Cheltenham – the National Hunt Chase, the Kim Muir, and the Foxhunter Chase – and a single designated race at Aintree, the Fox Hunters’. The last of those listed happens to be today (Thursday, 6 April). The Aintree Fox Hunters’ Chase is a unique challenge for both horse and rider. Big field,…

 IT was after I’d arrived at The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy, aged 15, that I first heard the name Jennie Loriston-Clarke. ‘I was totally gob smacked and desperate to learn how to do a flying change’ Jennie gave a demonstration one evening on Dutch Gold and rode a line of 25 one-time changes, straight into jumping a 3ft 6in parallel. I was totally gobsmacked and desperate to learn how to do a flying change. I came third in a talent-spotting final and my prize was a lesson with Jennie on a coloured mare called Jolly Dolly, with whom I went on to be young rider champion. I remember it like it was yesterday, in the corner of Jennie’s indoor school, getting Jolly Dolly to do a flying change, just…

ASK anyone in the business of horses in Ireland about Ballymureen Stud in Tipperary and they will instantly smile and talk of the warm welcome and the deft knowledge of horses that the Quirke family exemplifies. The stud is run by three generations and in many ways is the quintessential picture of an Irish stud, both in aesthetic and in attitude. With its whitewashed walls and immaculately kept yard, the stud is managed with the utmost of care. Standing proudly as the figurehead at Ballymureen Stud is the internationally renowned Harlequin Du Carel (Rosire x Starter). The importance of Harlequin Du Carel’s lineage cannot be overstated. Rosire, a selle Français bred by Alfred Brohier, was not only a top-class performer but vitally represents the exceptional bloodline of Nankin (by Fra…

ONE of the first questions I always ask when I see a horse, any horse, is: “Who is it by?” I can’t help myself. I remember someone once explaining to me that the phrase “who is it by?” was the difference between the Irish horse folk and English, although to my knowledge I have no Irish bloodlines. For those like me it is therefore quite frustrating when the answer is “don’t know”. How can you not know who your horse is by? It’s one of life’s mysteries — although admittedly not quite on the same scale as “how did Donald Trump get to be POTUS?” Another mystery is why the sporting disciplines have such a different stance on providing breeding information. British Eventing has, for a long time now, produced…

BORN: 30 December 1957 PRIZE MONEY : won nearly £7million MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS • World number one, 1984-5 • Competed on 173 Nations Cups teams, winning for the first time in 1979 riding Maybe • He rode on British championship teams for 36 years since 1980 • He made eight Olympic appearances (including the alternative Olympics in 1980 where he won team silver), winning team gold in 2012 and individual gold in 2016 • Won five World Championship medals — three team bronze, one team silver and one individual bronze • Won nine European Championship medals — three team gold, three team silver, one team bronze and two individual bronze • Two junior European Championship appearances, winning team silver twice and individual gold in 1975 • He set – and still…

BRITAIN’S mounted police officers have been reduced by a fifth in the past five years due to budget cuts and “changing operational needs”. Today, only 12 of the 45 forces in the UK have horses, and mounted police capacity has reduced by 19% overall. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) attributed this drop to a number of factors. “There has been some scaling back of mounted officers by individual forces in recent years, which is a result of reduced budgets but also changing operational need in these areas,” an NPCC spokesman told H&H. “Police chiefs allocate resources based on their individual threat and risk assessments in their local area which are regularly reviewed and updated,” he added. “While chiefs have explored potential alternatives to mounted police in public order operations,…

GUY Prest of KBIS said: “The important part for the policyholder is to buy sufficient cover to protect them from being personally liable above their limit of cover. “KBIS is reviewing minimum cover for public liability, which at £1m could prove insufficient. “This type of claim is relatively rare but can be life-changing, for the injured party and the policyholder if the cover is not enough to pay the settlement. Last year, a court awarded £3m but the plaintiff only had cover for £2m and was left finding the difference.”…

EMMA WATSON It emerges that the Harry Potter actress was “nearly trampled” by a horse while on set of the Beauty and the Beast remake. Apparently, the horse “moonwalked”, nearly taking Beauty herself out. Surely she could have used a spell or charm? PRESIDENT TRUMP Having been recently gelded due to his unmanageable behaviour, a horse named as above has now been renamed as authorities thought his original title inappropriate. Having turned down “Potus” for the same reason, it appears they are going to approve “Fake News” instead. LUCKY DRAWS Poor old Carl Hester. Having been asked to carry out the draw for the World Cup grand prix starting order with Irish counterpart Judy Reynolds, the dressage legend joked: “How did it end up with me sixth and Isabell last!!”…

JUGGLING ACT Sir — How interesting to read Emma Hindle’s column (dressage, 23 March) about the difficulties of juggling a business life with her passion for horses and her commitment to the sport, because it is a situation that so many others have to face. Emma (left), being an entrepreneur and a mother, must find time for her sport extremely difficult to schedule. However, she appears to have managed it with the progress of her three brilliant young horses after a gap of five years. This must give hope to all those who aspire to follow suit. Well done her and may her example lead to success for others. Diana Lewthwaite Millom, Cumbria DRESS TO IMPRESS Sir — Following the first-class racing at Cheltenham, I couldn’t help noticing the woeful…

‘My pony would come round the corner, shake her head and take off— it gave my mum heart failure’ The biggest mistake I’ve learnt from… Before I was a full-time showjumper, I accepted a job at investment bank Merrill Lynch. After six weeks I knew it wasn’t for me but I was still there a year later. Needless to say, I learnt that office jobs weren’t for me. My tip for jump schooling… Mix it up with polework, grid exercises and courses. Always have someone on the ground to help you with fences and poles. My time-saving tip on the yard… Have a daily plan for working the horses. We have 26 horses in and have a huge board that lists who exercises, who lunges, walker, field, ice, clipping and…

‘At the second-last I believed we’d won — it’s like someone’s said you’ve won the Lottery and then that the last number is wrong’ KIM BAILEY ON TRAINING LAST YEAR’S NATIONAL RUNNER-UP KIM BAILEY hates coming second. Last April, he trained the Rooneys’ The Last Samuri to finish a commendable second in the Grand National — and described it as a “smack in the face”. “At the second-last I believed we’d won,” he says, as we sit in his spacious Cotswold stone office. “It’s like someone’s said you’ve won the Lottery and then they say they got the last number wrong. “There is only one place to finish at Aintree — otherwise you might as well have pulled up. It was incredibly hard to take. “Then you get shoved…

Verity Jenner’s home-bred rising five-year-old mare Furstinclaire is a daughter of Fürstenball and out of Woodlander Farouche’s granddam Claire (by Caprimond). “She was backed by Ryan Shannon and has been carefully produced. Her temperament is outstanding and she is beautifully balanced — an elegant ladies' horse,” said Nicky. “I’m very excited to be riding her. We enjoy lots of hacking and I ride in the arena once a week. There were pigeons above our heads during the test but she has such an amazing temperament and didn’t light up. She moves so well and finds the work very easy.” Andrea Stubbs rode the 11-year-old Irish sport horse Wester Moy to lead a silver prelim, improving their score by almost 7% in the second test. “He can get distracted outdoors so…

LYING in her hospital bed back in January with a punctured lung and eight broken ribs, Camilla Stevens, 25, was determined to be back in the saddle in time to compete her 15-year-old Perianth at the regionals six weeks later. “The accident happened while I was getting on at a show and it was so out of character,” said Camilla, from Okehampton. “Something spooked him and he ran backwards into a fence and then had no option but to go up and over. “The most frightening bit was that I couldn’t breathe properly for about three weeks and it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest.” Camilla has owned the ex-racehorse for 10 years and admits that she was nervous when she went to get on him again.…

‘I’ve been a fighter and a digger and grinder my whole career. I never give up’ MCLAIN WARD AMERICAN rider McLain Ward has come close several times to winning the World Cup final, and he led wire-to-wire with HH Azur to take the title in Omaha. “I’ve been very close so many times and in one way or another messed it up,” said McLain, who produced five rounds of fault-free jumping here. “I’ve been a fighter and a digger and grinder my whole career. I try never to give up — I keep working at it and my team works at it,” he commented. Noting that he has had a legion of supporters behind him who helped his career over the years, he explained that “to try to pull…

‘He’s come out this year like he hasn’t missed a single day. I’m delighted’ IZZY TAYLOR ON STARBURST EIGHTEEN months away from the eventing circuit didn’t prevent KBIS Starburst from making his return to international competition a winning one, when taking the 99-strong Lycetts Grantham Cup CIC3*. “He’s come out this year like he hasn’t missed a single day,” said rider Izzy Taylor of the 10-year-old, who spent a lengthy period on the sidelines due to a tendon injury. “I’m absolutely delighted.” Izzy added nothing to a dressage score of 43, which put her in ninth after the first phase on the flashy son of Cougar. “He’s really struggled on the flat, as he’s quite a nervous, introvert type,” explained Izzy. “We’ve worked hard to improve it and I…

I ENJOYED Belton, where I was responsible for the advanced and CIC3* courses. Being earlier in the season than last year, the course was more straightforward. There were opportunities for riders to take a forward distance instead of holding for the extra stride. It was great to hear British coach Chris Bartle encouraging his newly-acquired disciples to take those attacking choices. Chris knows that at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon next year, riders will have to take those energy-saving options, as under the new FEI championship rules the time will be nigh on unachievable with the golf course undulations and the four bridge crossings. Belton kicked off the Shearwater Insurance Tri-Star Grand Slam and it would take a brave person to bet against Izzy Taylor winning two more legs…

‘The winner went beautifully and would give confidence to any child. It’s the type that’s so difficult to find’ JUDGE VICKI KEEN PRAISES IDYLLIC SPARTACUS CHARLOTTE KILBEY and the Welsh section A gelding Idyllic Spartacus produced a sparkling performance to become John and Vicki Keen’s unanimous choice as supreme champions. The charismatic grey and his rider, both 12, never missed a beat to leave Georgina Wilkes and her small hunter Mexican Summer in the reserve spot. The first reserve award went to the William and Jen Parkinson’s riding pony filly Romanno Quickstep, who was in-hand champion for the second successive year. Charlotte Kilbey has known Spartacus all her life, as he was bred by her parents Mark and Liz at their Idyllic Stud in Essex. The son of their…

IS your horse fit enough to start the showing season? I ask this for two reasons. One is that some judges say they are seeing too many fat animals, particularly in pony classes. The other is that some riders believe that the best way to cope with a buzzy horse is to deliberately keep him unfit, but work him hard before a class. Both tactics are counterproductive. Apart from health issues linked to obesity, a fit horse looks much better than a fat one. Good muscle tone adds to the picture and catches a judge’s eye for the right reasons. A horse must be fit enough for the work he is asked to do and you should only work him according to his fitness level. If you push him too…

MARK BYCROFT, professional huntsman of the Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent (OSBWK) since 1992, is retiring on 1 May. Joint-master Richard Gurney said: “Mark is one of the best professional huntsmen in the country. He is a legend and has had to endure some very difficult times over the years; he has seen the country change so much, mainly due to urbanisation, motorways and electric lines. Throughout it all he has remained cheerful and positive. He has done so much for hunting in the southeast, as well as nationwide. “He is a very good hound man who has created over nearly three decades a very level pack of wonderful hounds, who will hold their own anywhere. He covers the country with some style and it has been a complete…

WHEN Tristan Voorspuy learnt that graziers invading his wildlife-rich ranch in northern Kenya had burnt down a shareholder’s property, he saw only one course of action. For someone who had spent the last 27 years guiding clients on horseback through landscapes teeming with dangerous game, arson was just another African problem to resolve. So he saddled up a favourite white stallion and rode to his death at the end of an AK47, while his horse limped off into the bush, never to be seen again. Tristan’s passing drew an outpouring of grief from hundreds of clients who had become friends during his action-packed riding safaris. Many claimed life-changing adventures on the Mara Plains. The stories of Tristan’s derring-do are legion; from being used as a football by an irate hippopotamus,…

AINTREE is a very different meeting compared with Cheltenham. It’s much more fun as a fixture for those working there — as the atmosphere is altogether different and more relaxed. Everyone stays up there, and as professionals, we seem to be able to enjoy it more. At Cheltenham you never dare let yourself relax, but at Aintree it’s somehow different. We have a few good chances heading there, including two runners on the first day, two on the second and then four (or five) on the third. You need to have a bit of luck, as ever, but we’re most hopeful for Yorkist, North Hill Harvey and Born Survivor. Captain Forez is more of a chaser in the making but we like his chances in the novice hurdle on Saturday…

BERWICKSHIRE Friars Haugh, Saturday 1 April Border Hunts’ club members.— 1, JJ Cockburn, P Home & AJ Wight’s Always Tipsy (N Orpwood) A Wight. maiden 5yo&up.— 1, P Russell’s Hey Listen (D Delahunt) L Russell. ladies open.— 1, J Latham’s Quel Elite (A Waugh) G Walton. intermediate.— 1, V Thompson’s Senor Alco (C Alexander) V Thompson. men’s open.— 1, J Latham’s Forge Valley (T Greenwood) G Walton. NPPA club members (veteran & novice riders).— 1eq, P Russell’s Badger Foot (D Sharp) L Russell and J Alexander’s Royal Chatelier (J Alexander) N Alexander. restricted.— 1, J Hamilton’s Towerburn (N Orpwood) A Hamilton. AVON VALE Larkhill, Saturday 1 April Open maiden 4,5&6yo.— 1, R Bandey’s Eyesopenwideawake (M McIntyre) R Bandey. WAPP club members’ riders conditions.— 1, The Ladygreys Partnership’s Churchfield Champ (B…

Middleton, Sheriff Hutton JOHN DAWSON was on stellar form and piloted four winners — three of whom are trained by the Coward family. John’s winning streak started aboard The Highlander in the club members conditions race, where the pair led from start to finish. “He likes to bowl away and jumps well — I thought we had gone quick enough, but I didn’t give him a squeeze until the last fence so I knew we would get home,” said John, who quickly followed up in the restricted with Path To Freedom, a five-year-old who won at this course earlier in the season. The pair were prominent throughout and managed to fight off a challenge from Martha’s Benefit (Will Milburn). “He’s a class horse with lots of ability, a good jumper…

‘We’re also a working farm and we do things with a personal touch — there is never “just another mare” ’ JANE HOLDERNESS-RODDAM ARRIVING at West Kington Stud, in the shadow of St Mary the Virgin Church in daffodil-strewn Wiltshire, with only scurrying pheasants and one pregnant mare mooching around the fields, it’s hard to envisage the hotbed of breeding activity it will become over the coming months: 50-plus stallions will have semen collected, 40 mares will come to give birth and 60 to 80 will visit to be put in foal. Only peculiarly well-fenced-off trees in the paddocks give any hint of what takes place. Everything looks homely, low key and natural — which is just as the team here want it. For 35 years, West Kington Stud…

IT is no secret that Defra is keen to implement a single Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO). There are currently 67 PIOs listed with Defra, ostensibly high but fewer than the number Defra credited with PIO status when equine passports became mandatory in 2004. Passports have to be issued before the equine is six months old. The basic identity passport (ID) identifies the equine by colour, height and markings and — since 2009 — the unique number of the compulsory microchip inserted by a vet. The passport states whether the animal has been removed from the food chain and the sole reason for a passport, as far as Defra is concerned, is an identity and health document to maintain safety in the food chain. So passports currently play a multi-pronged part…