Innholdsfortegnelse for 25-May-2017 i Horse & Hound

WHO should be responsible for ensuring a horse is free from prohibited substances in competition? This controversial question has raised its head once again after a case in the showing world under Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) rules. At the RoR national championship show at Aintree on 28 August last year, a sample taken from Royal Rock tested positive for tranquiliser reserpine. The owner, Yvonne Botham, was penalised although the horse was in the full-time care of and produced by Allister Hood, whose son Oliver was riding Royal Rock at the championship. On 3 March, a disciplinary panel fined Mrs Botham £500 and disqualified Royal Rock from all classes at the championships. Since the news was released on the RoR website on 11 April, along with details of three other horses…

THE British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) has a feed assurance scheme to help reduce the risk of naturally occurring prohibited substances (NOPS) ending up in feed and supplements. BETA chief executive Claire Williams told H&H BETA was consulted by the FEI when the specified substances category was created — it is largely based on the NOPS list. “Since the scheme began, potentially serious incidences of NOPS contamination have been avoided and the supply chain has become more transparent,” she added. “Due to their nature, no feed can be guaranteed completely free from NOPS, but when a company belongs to the BETA NOPS scheme, it shows everything possible has been done to cut the risks of feed contamination.” BETA NOPS-accredited companies work to strict protocols to minimise the chance of contamination…

BRITAIN’S para-dressage coach Michel Assouline is leaving to join United States Equestrian. He will take up the position of head of para-equestrian coach development and high performance consultant with US Equestrian after the European Championships (22-27 August). “I have been privileged to work with an incredibly successful team of athletes,” said Michel. “It is a very exciting time; I am looking forward to the journey to Tokyo.” Meanwhile, British Dressage (BD) has two new additions to its senior management team. Amanda Heath takes on the role of sport operations manager from 1 June and Charlotte Osborne has been appointed training and education manager. Chief executive Jason Brautigam said: “While losing experienced and knowledgeable team members like [previous post holders] Paul Graham and Jo Brown at the same time is not…

Alan Swinbank TOP Flat and National Hunt trainer Mr Swinbank died on 17 May, aged 72. During his career, Mr Swinbank, who had himself ridden in point-to-points, had nearly 800 winners. Among his stable stars were Group One winner Collier Hill, with whom he also enjoyed international success, Gracilis and Formal Decree. Members of the racing world have paid tribute to Mr Swinbank. Jockey Ben Curtis, who rode more than 50 winners for the North Yorkshire-based trainer, said he will be “forever grateful” for the support Mr Swinbank gave him. Katrina (Katie) Halswell ONE of the first ladies to race against men, Ms Halswell died this month following a short illness at the age of 72. A successful West Country point-to-point jockey, she was the leading lady point-to-point rider in…

• If something seems too good to be true, it usually is • Use your common sense; if the email doesn’t fit the expected process of selling or buying a horse/horsebox, you should be cautious • Don’t give out your personal or bank information to a caller • Be wary of offers to buy your horse/horsebox in the first email. Would you buy a horse or horsebox without seeing it? • Be wary of anyone asking for bank details in the first email in order to make a payment • Trade face-to-face with people rather than via email…

TRASHED fly masks; who hasn’t had them? It’s a summer joy ranking up there with digging out ragwort; trawling the fields looking for the masks the little darlings — or their friends — have pulled off, not to mention the “poor neglected me” expressions they then pull when their faces are black with flies. But HACK horse sanctuary in Wales came up with the novel idea of recycling old high-vis gear into new fly mask parts. “Our two rescued sweet-itch ponies, Daisy and Lilly, are always trashing their hoods; we spend hours trying to find them in the fields,” said volunteer Jane Lloyd. “So out came the sewing machine and this is the result! “We can easily find the hoods, and the ponies are itch-free.” The ponies are presumably also…

THERE are two sports in my family, riding and sailing, so we’re constantly talking about how they compare at every level. One big difference is how these activities recruit their helpers. In the horse world, volunteers may be riders, but a lot of them are former competitors, parents or simply other interested followers. And no one has a compulsion to assist — volunteers are genuinely that. In contrast, those who sail at club level are generally required to “do a duty” as a condition of club membership — a day a year, or perhaps two. Your job will be allocated according to your skills and if you can’t do the date you’re given, you find someone who can do a swap. Lack of volunteers comes up frequently in horse sport…

CIRENCESTER THE MALT HOUSE A five-to-six bedroom Cotswold stone village house, 2.5 miles from Cirencester. It comes with a three-bedroom cottage, studio, gym and two acres of land. An L-shaped stable yard houses three loose boxes, a general store, tack room and hay store. PRICE : £2.2m VISIT: knightfrank.co.uk LAMBOURN CHAIN HILL HOUSE A seven-bedroom Victorian family house, nine miles from Lambourn, with panoramic views over the North Wessex Downs. There is planning permission for stabling, a swimming pool and a hard tennis court. Set in 4.4 acres. PRICE: £2.3m VISIT: savills.com DULVERTON CHURCH MEADE A four-bedroom bungalow on the edge of a village, situated seven miles from Dulverton. There is a stable, a double garage and ample parking, with a 5.28-acre paddock positioned immediately to the front…

WHEN her 14.1hh “pocket rocket” became increasingly out of control, Dawn Harkin decided to consult a bitting expert. WHY I TRIED A CLINIC: “I needed better brakes for Blue, my coloured Irish gelding, especially for jumping and cross-country. I bought him as a happy hacker and we used a snaffle at first, but when I started competing him we changed to a Pelham and then a gag. He was becoming stronger and more opinionated and totally avoiding the bit.” COST AND ARRANGEMENTS: “I teamed up with friends — there were eight horses in all — and we arranged for Gail from Horse Bit Hire to come up to see us in central Scotland. We each paid £55 plus the cost of the new bit, if needed, on top of that.”…

THE Event Rider Masters (ERM) aims to take eventing to a new audience and it ran its first global highlights programme after Chatsworth, complementing its free livestreaming. The FEI has for many years provided online viewing and has the same goals in promoting the sport, but can perhaps learn from the ERM. The ERM’s live coverage is straightforward to find, doesn’t require a password or any details and is free to view. It was so easy to access that I watched on my phone while walking across Chatsworth’s lorry park on my way from competing in the class to getting on my next horse. In contrast, punters have to pay for FEI TV and put in their password each time, which only die-hard fans will do. Obviously a subscription service…

Brightwells Elite Dressage Auction, Addington Manor, Bucks SALLY HARDWICK had to “run like Pamela Anderson” after her winning bid of £31,000 — for Danubio, a four-year-old gelding by the Desperados son Decurio — at the elite dressage sale. The daytime auction clashed with the grand prix at Addington’s Premier League (report, 18 May), in which her daughter, Alex, was competing. “We really wanted that horse, but Alex was warming up,’ Sally explained. “Straight after bidding I had to run at 100 miles an hour to the collecting ring and we miked up, but I wasn’t allowed to tell her whether we’d got him as she was in full-on test mode. As soon as she came out she asked.” Sally, a Brightwells first-timer, had not even realised there was an auction…

IT was a good start for Caroline Griffith who, earlier this month, was appointed by the British Equestrian Federation as UK Sport National Lottery-funded World Class dressage performance manager going forward to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. “There were a lot of positives to take away from Compiègne — it was a strong marker running up to the Europeans. There were good individual performances, but also a good team spirit. It’s great at this stage in the year for the judges to see the calibre of horses and riders we have in Britain, which are being developed in the correct way.”…

The grade I para rider, who won at the para winter championships in February riding Pandora, recorded a 76.78% grade I individual win with new ride Athene at Oldencraig. Athene, owned by Di, was Sophie Christiansen’s triple gold medal-winning para ride in Rio. “Athene has lovely fluidity but she’s quite lazy compared to Pandora,” said Julie. “Athene has a huge stride that you have to ride up to the bridle. The first couple of times I rode her I was too subtle with my aids. “I had sat on Athene only four times before the show and arrived late because I crashed my car on the way. Helen Burt, who manages South Bucks RDA [Riding for Disabled Association], is fabulous and she worked her in for me.” Becky Edwards and…

SAMANTHA THURMANBAKER, Nicky Greenhill, Dannie Morgan and Georgia Renouf and their horses all achieved career firsts this week. Samantha’s Wout (Zazou) won his first ever affiliated class, the advanced 96 at Bury Farm. She has owned the Wup-sired eight-year-old since he was four. “He’s grown quite a lot — to 17.2hh — so we’ve taken him slowly,” explained Samantha. “He’s naturally good at the collected work and learned his changes on the lunge. We’re working on teaching him the medium trot.” Dannie Morgan and the Oppenheimers’ winter elementary silver champion, Headmore Davina, continued their upward trajectory with 75.45% and 76.61% on their second attempt at medium level at Crofton. “Her lateral work is established, so now it’s putting it to the test,” said Dannie. “She’s such a classy horse; my…

I SHARE the anxiety expressed in H&H’s excellent Badminton report and opinions (11 May) about the dressage judging. Having commentated for Radio Badminton, I concentrated on each test as hard as the judges. And a recent optician’s appointment revealed I have the best long-range vision they’d seen for ages in someone my age. I don’t care what angle it’s seen from, a late-behind change is just that. With experience, it’s perfectly possible to see it even from directly behind. Yet this fault was given sixes and sevens by one judge — and fours when it was correct. Another concern is that all the judges could see the scores as they happened. Now I am not saying this caused anything to be altered, but no judge should have to contend with…

A CALCULATED performance from Lancashire rider Chris Smith and Warriors Glory in the Foxhunter second round was good enough for the pair to add Horse Of The Year Show (HOYS) qualification to their impressive list of achievements this year. One of five riders to progress to the third and final round over the test set by Rafael Suarez, Chris knew that only an economical treble clear round would be good enough to secure his place at this year’s final. “We just missed out last weekend at South View, and I was determined that it wasn’t going to happen again this week,” said Chris, who shaved off time between the first two jump-off fences. The eight-year-old stallion has also qualified for this year’s winter B&C final at Hickstead. “In the six…

‘The faster he goes, the better he is. He loves a forward stride’ ALLANA CLUTTERBUCK ON SULTAN DU BARY ALLANA CLUTTERBUCK hit top form with a victory double gaining Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) finalist places with two Du Bary-bred ponies owned by Sue and Tim Evans. Only three of the initial 32 competitors produced clears in the pony showjumper of the year qualifier over course-designer Mark McGowan’s technically testing track. Allana used her final draw on the Versailles 11-year-old Sultan Du Bary to provide the only double clear, finishing in the quickest time. “The faster he goes, the better he is. He loves a forward stride and I love him; he tries so hard,” said Allana, 16, of her 2016 team bronze medal-winning partner at the pony…

ROYAL WINDSOR is one of the highlights of the showing calendar. It always has a buzz about it and whether you’re a competitor or a spectator, it’s a show like no other. Where else could you get to stand at the ringside just feet away from The Queen, or even perform in front of her, in such a wonderful setting? I thoroughly enjoyed a day of watching the mountain and moorland (M&M) in-hand and various other classes on Friday. The youngstock classes are a great opportunity to spot future ridden stars, made easier with a ring layout that allowed spectators to watch three breed classes at once, culminating with a fabulous overall championship in the castle arena. It was encouraging to see all the native classes on Friday and Saturday…

Dulverton (West), Bratton Down THE Barber team relished the fast ground as they clocked up a treble. There’s No Panic (Will Biddick) stalked the leaders throughout the four-mile mixed open to pull clear and land the feature race for trainer Jack Barber and owner Mike Biddick, the jockey’s father. Mike trained the horse himself until a few weeks ago. “The boys [Jack and Will] said I wasn’t doing enough fast work with him, so I told them to have a go,” said Mike. “I was reluctant at first because Jack told me it wasn’t going to be cheap. I’ll have the horse back to hunt; he’s a lovely hunter.” Will Biddick completed his double aboard Posh Totty. “This is a great one, as the mare was my last ride as…

Prince of Wales Trophy, Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, Berks PLAYING against Adolfo Cambiaso is the stuff of every budding polo player’s dreams, which explained Emlor’s James McCarthy’s delight at making his high-goal debut against the 10-goaler in this final. It might also have softened the blow for the 18-year-old of losing out to Cambiaso and RH Polo by 12-10. “Every player dreams of being on the pitch with Cambiaso and for him to say ‘well played’ to me at the end was phenomenal,” said McCarthy. “When I was a kid playing with a hand stick I used to pretend that Cambiaso was behind me — and today, 10 years later, he was.” TURNING TIDES MCCARTHY had stepped in for his injured father Spencer, the team’s patron, and made…

UNDER FEI rules in international competitions, the athlete is the “person responsible” for a banned substance, but depending on the circumstances, this responsibility can be extended. The regulations state that “the owner and other support personnel, including but not limited to grooms and veterinarians, may be regarded as additional persons responsible if they are present at the event or have made a relevant decision about the horse”. At national level, including British Dressage, British Showjumping and British Eventing, sports fall under British Equestrian Federation anti-doping rules, which follow the same premise as the FEI regulations. British Horseracing Authority rules state the person responsible is the trainer or owner “who has care or control of the horse”. The trainer may transfer his responsibility as a “responsible person under the equine anti-doping…

BIG STAR The showjumping legend will parade alongside fellow equine heroes Arko III and Ramiro B at Bolesworth International. The stallion parade will take place in the main arena at 6.30pm on 16 June before the puissance. ANNIE POWER One of the greatest mares ever to grace a racecourse has been retired at the age of nine. The Willie Mullins-trained chestnut has won all except two of her 17 starts and is in foal to Derby winner Camelot. TOO MANY DIAMONDS The six-year-old Dan Skeltontrained gelding will be given a month off before the rest of the summer season after winning four races in a week. “Four in seven days is incredible, and what a great attitude,” Dan said. VALEGRO The star has been hacking with Charlotte Dujardin in support…

“JUSTICE has been served” for a pony who was badly wounded by a dog. Kyle Brady of Merrilocks Road, Crosby, was ordered to have his dog destroyed and disqualified from keeping dogs for five years at Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates’ Court on 8 May. Last August Shetland mare Karenza was being walked in hand on Crosby Beach, Liverpool, when Brady’s dog ran up barking, causing the mare to run away. “The dog followed and latched on to her face,” Karenza’s owner, Becky Hepworth, told H&H. The mare was left with a seven-inch wound and her salivary gland was damaged, causing saliva to excrete from the wound. Karenza underwent surgery and has recovered, but has been left with lip paralysis. “We’ve made a step forward in her fight for justice,” Ms…

TEXT FOR SUPPORT IN RACING WORRLD RACING WELFARE has launched a text method for using its support services. The charity’s Racing’s Support Line can now be accessed via text message as well as by telephone or online. The service offers advice to those in the racing industry, in relation to accidents and injuries, finances, illness and disabilities, family and relationships, addiction and recovery, retirement, housing and careers advice. Text services can be accessed on 07860 079043. Officers will continue to provide services from regional offices in Newmarket, Lambourn, Malton, Middleham and Epsom, along with roving welfare officers based in the Midlands and the south-west. HELP MONITOR EQUINE DISEASE THE 2017 National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) is now open and owners are being urged to take part. The survey, open until…

TUCKING IN A caterer’s menu for a day’s racing which made its way to H&H Towers featured a mind-boggling array of courses, including basil yoghurt and an amuse-bouche, not to mention afternoon tea. One applauds the concept of pre-pudding as well as pudding; it’s a far cry from a bag of chips in the paddock… CAMPAIGNING Spotted: Conservative MP Nicholas Soames, on a horse, apparently campaigning. The blue rosettes could, of course, mean he was hacking home from a show, in which case he was no doubt relieved not to have won… MISTAKEN IDENTITY A man with the same name as eventing supremo Harry Meade seems to enjoy a number of misguided tweets. “I’m so excited everyone wants to hang out,” he wrote, adding that although he is not the…

‘Carl made me passage around the arena on foot in the prize-giving as I’d unplaited my horse’ My earliest equestrian memory… My parents weren’t horsey, but I loved going to see my godfather because he had an old mare. I remember riding her once when I was about three. As we went under a tree I grabbed a low branch and was left hanging there as she walked off without me. My favourite restaurant… I’m a real foodie, but not a food snob. I’m quite happy at Franks, a local hamburger place in Towcester, but on recent trips to London I’ve enjoyed a curry at Chutney Mary and a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant called The Glasshouse. My secret weapon… I’m not sure whether to call it determination or stupidity.…

QUALITY of care will no doubt be at the forefront of your mind when choosing an equine vet practice. Factors for you to consider include: • LOCATION Geography may limit your options, as your yard must be within reasonable call-out distance of the practice. There may be times when you need to take your horse there — is the practice easily accessible, with ample space for parking and unloading? • REPUTATION While the PSS provides proof that the practice has reached certain standards, personal recommendation can be a very valuable addition. Seek opinions about a practice from horse-owning friends and ask them about their experiences with routine and emergency care. • COST Budgeting for veterinary care can be tricky, but some practices offer special deals and payment options to soften…

WORK has kept Louise Harrison busy in the past few months. She looks after top-end equestrian properties at Savills and her slice of the market has been very vibrant. “I’m not normally able to be this positive, so this is the key message I want to share,” she says. “We have seen a lot of high-value sales in the past three to six months.” The main reason for this, in her opinion, is that buyers have finally accepted the fact that stock levels, which have been extremely low for some time now, are not going to increase magically any time soon. “There is a real shortage, so I think people who may have been looking for a number of years have decided they don’t want to wait any longer, they…

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Senior Inter-Regional, Keysoe, Beds A NEW team came together for the first time to take not only the senior inter-regional honours, but also give the North-West region their first ever win at these championships. North-West Thunderbirds, made up of Alex Ratcliffe, Nicola Deakin, Alison Wheelock and Holly Watson, lay fourth overnight after the first day, but ultimately pulled out the stops to beat runners-up Wales It’s Not Unusual by 0.63%. Alex kicked off the first day of competition by scoring a whopping 76.35% — the highest score of the show — at prelim, riding the nine-year-old mare Shadana, a German warmblood by Sandro Hit whom she has owned since a four-year-old. “We’d been doing unaffiliated dressage until last year when I started having lessons with Nikki Leyton, who persuaded me…

WHEN Sally Tabberer spotted a “for sale”advert for a Dutch warmbloodwith-attitude 11 years ago, alarm bells should have rung, but instead the “dangerous character”, Reptons Bear All (pictured), went home with her. “Sure enough he had plenty of character and I’d often come off him, or we’d be eliminated. He’s very sharp and would spin and be stubborn — but I’m just as stubborn!” recalled Sally. However, with perseverance she progressed and they enjoyed three years of British Eventing. “He became very consistent and usually jumped double clear. He’s 19 now, so I joined BD a year ago and am really enjoying it,” added Sally, who credits her mother, Diane Tabberer, for support at competitions.…

 David’s first ride, Raimillies, secured an advanced before Amperes Prince took the novice 23 with 77.08%. The former, a son of Relevant out of a Dacaprio mare, is owned by Laura Way and will step up to prix st georges (PSG) for his next outing. ‘The more he has to do, the better he is’ DAVID LANNON ON RAIMILLIES “The more he has to do, the better he is,” said David. “He took a while to master the changes but now they’re his party piece.” Amperes Prince, as his name suggests, is by Ampère and is owned by David’s boss and friend Kat Taylor. “He qualified for the young horse championships but he was green and gangly so we decided he needed time to mature,” said David. “He was…

PILEGARDENS FIREBALL, who won his first two novices at Bury Farm under Lisa Hopkins, is Paralympian Natasha Baker’s exciting new prospect. The six-year-old Fürstenball gelding was found in Denmark by Mette Assouline, and is owned by Christian Landolt. “After Rio I retired JP [Cabral, Natasha’s Paralympic gold medallist] and began looking for a youngster to bring on,” said Natasha. “He has the best temperament — he follows me around like a Labrador. At first he was totally unfit so he’s done loads of hacking and lungeing. He has an amazing walk with a humungous overtrack and a springy, bouncy trot.” Lisa will aim for regional qualification before handing over the reins to Natasha to compete.…

Sarah Turner debuted Michele Wyatt’s talented six-year-old Dexterity (by the Diamond Hit son Diatano out of a Florestan mare) at elementary, scoring 70.86% and 71.96%. “I have waited to bring him out at this level in order to give him time to strengthen, as he is a big horse. The last time I took him to Emile Faurie for training, he told me to go for it. I think Dexter proved he was ready,” said the Chelmsford-based professional rider of the 17.2hh gelding , who has qualified for the Shearwater young horse semi-final. The highest score of the day at Bluegate Hall went to Zena Faulkner and Quarrel, a 10-year-old Westfalian gelding by the showjumping stallion Quinta Real (Quite Easy I x Caretino). They scored 75.62% at prelim, and also…

BEAUTIFULLY stylish, super-cool and deceptively fast — Billy Twomey’s jump-off round to secure the Equestrian Surfaces grand prix title on Pewit Nono was a joy and an education to watch. Only 13 of the 18 clears from 50 starters came forward to the jump-off under the controversial 25% rule (see Talking Point, p70), with Simon Crippen setting an early standard on the 14-year-old Careful x Lauriston stallion Temple Claudius. But one horse later Billy quietly and skilfully wiped six seconds from the time. “She’s only eight and I hoped she could be a grand prix horse,” said Billy, who won the star of the future title back in September at this venue with the chestnut. Nono boasts super bloodlines. Bred in Britain by Billy’s longtime owner Sue Davies, the mare…

A HOME-BRED and home-produced three-year-old colt booked his place in the 2017 Cuddy supreme in-hand championship when Ian Boylan’s Anglo and part-bred Arab champion Alonby Chardonnier (Austin) headed a strong qualifier. As a producer and handler, Ian has previously amassed countless in-hand wins and championships, but to take such a prestigious win with one of his own ponies was clearly a special achievement. “He is a wonderful pony to work with and he has his sire’s signature front, movement and laid-back temperament,” said Ian, who shares ownership with Doctor Nancy Brooks. “He’s still low mileage as we’ve left him to mature, but he’s really come on with some long-reining over the winter.” Austin, by Llanarth Aristocat out of the 148cm show pony mare Mis Demeaner, was the supreme riding pony…

 South Suffolk, Ampton Racecourse, Bury St Edmunds ‘She walked into the ring saying, “I’m here, I’m the champion”’ JUDGE KATIE IGGULDEN ON RENDENE SECRET CHARM A SIX-YEAR-OLD New Forest stallion whose owners say has the “easiest temperament you could wish for”, claimed the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) Heritage championship and a trip to Hickstead. Hollybrooke Duke, owned by Jo Smyth and Chris Rushforth and on lease for the season to Maddi Bishop-Peck, kept his sparkle and his manners throughout. “We bought him as a two-year-old, but we had to wait six months to get him until he was licensed,” said Chris. “I backed him and rode him away at home. He was so easy, you could just have put a saddle on and ridden him.” When Chris’ health…

 THE question of what to feed the hordes trampling your lawn has long had a simple answer: lots. In the 19th century, the privileged few enjoyed breakfast indoors, where chafing dishes laden with bacon and kedgeree filled their energy reserves. Outside, those who had already hacked five miles were in need of replenishment, and lavish feasts were served on silver trays until butlers went the way of the top hat. ‘The last time I served it to the Grafton, we lost 60% of the field at the first fence, which can’t have exceeded 2ft!’ MARTHA SITWELL The basic purpose of fuelling riders for the exertions of the day still exists, but in these social post-ban days, hosts are increasingly imaginative. In Cottesmore country, meets have become a “work of…

Gelligaer Farmers, Lower Machen TOM DAVID made his last ever two rides count before hanging up his boots to concentrate on his career as assistant trainer to Ben Pauling. He scored two wins, one riding Minella Arts in the confined, followed by the restricted aboard Oscar Fiain. The Carlie Packwood-trained eight-year-old Minella Arts, owned by Carmen Goldsworthy, lost his maiden status at this course last year. On Saturday, he caught pacemaker Doctor Braveheart (Charlotte Prichard) to win by a neck and make his tally three from three. “Minella Arts is an improving horse and it’s taken me a while to work out how to ride him,” said Tom. “He’s a bit of a thinker and he’d rather sit behind a horse than pass one, so in the end, I started…

Jockey Jack Kennedy broke his leg in a fall at Punchestown on 17 May. The 18-year-old, who recently recovered from an unrelated leg fracture, will be out of action for around four months. British Eventing vice-president Lucinda Green and CEO David Holmes gave Keith Watkins an award for his services. Keith has been principal starter for south-west events for two decades. James Bowen , has taken the Howden jockey of the month award for April. James, 16, is in his first season point-to-pointing, having come up through pony racing. He has ridden 17 winners to date. An online auction for Rob Walker raised £40,100 for rehabilitation at the Injured Jockeys Fund’s Oaksey House. Showing and hunting enthusiast Rob was paralysed in a fall in January. Hickstead’s ring seven has been…

IT is important to try to allow the horse to defend itself and keep its head away from the dog in the event of an attack, according to the British Horse Society (BHS). “Riders should always carry a mobile with them, so they can summon help if needs be,” a BHS spokesman told H&H. “If possible, the rider should take the contact details of the dog owner, but if this not possible, or the owner will not provide these details, they should make a note of any identifying features of the dog and owner.” They added that incidents should be reported to the police, and the police dog legislation officer, as well as the accidents section of the BHS website, bhs.org.uk…

HORSE “TRAILS” Zara Tindall’s career was the subject of another national website article, as she “showed off her showjumping skills at the Chatsworth International Horse Trails (sic)”. “Dressed in jodhpurs and a tailored navy jacket with matching lapels, the Queen’s granddaughter looked every inch the athlete,” the article added. No words. SELLERS Facebook finally seems to be acting on its ban on selling animals, in one recent case removing an ad. Which is fine, only this particular woman was trying to sell a rocking horse for £15. Not sure there were any potential welfare issues prevented there. MISUNDERSTANDING Overheard at a show: “Do you know anyone with experience of flying horses?” A pause, while listeners no doubt formulated replies featuring unicorns and/or Walt Disney, followed by collective realisation. Oh. In…

Sir — Wow, what a Badminton! I have three memorable moments. First up, Andrew Nicholson. Like the great Nick Skelton, he has come back from injuries that would end the careers of lesser mortals to claim the most glittering prize. I suspect I wasn’t the only one willing our German brethren to have a safe round on Sunday — but not a fault-free one! Second, Lissa Green as she delivered such a classy, go-getting ride on a horse that perhaps isn’t the most conventional eventer. The photo of her hugging her beloved horse on completing and mum Lucinda attending to the horse’s welfare epitomised what the sport is about. And third, the yellow card given to Elisa Wallace, who fell off her tiring horse at the final fence. I can’t…

ASK Bobby what equestrian property is most popular today and the answer is a project. The acute lack of stock means that people are increasingly buying homes that need a lot of work or farms with suitable land and outbuildings that can be converted to equestrian use. “If you can’t buy it off the shelf, you are going to have to go and create it and that’s what people are doing,” he says. As an example, he quotes a property he’s negotiating on where both the staff accommodation and the stabling need replacing. His clients have been looking for a professional set up for more than a year. “The easiest thing is to replace what is there, because then you can have everything how you want it,” he says. But…

‘I hunted him hard to find out if he had the stamina, and it made him’ IZZY TAYLOR ON THE DRESSAGE-BRED MONKEYING AROUND King West Rockingham, Northants YOUNG New Zealander James Avery scored his most significant win so far on British soil when taking section C of the CIC2* at Rockingham on Zazu. The nine-year-old Holsteiner by Canto is owned by Joe and Alex Giannamore, who also own the Surrey yard where James is now based, replacing Jock Paget after the latter’s return to New Zealand. James and Zazu jointly led the dressage with David Doel and Shannondale Quest on 40.2. David withdrew before showjumping, but James added just 1.6 cross-country time-faults to that dressage mark for victory over Piggy French (Jump Jet III) by 5.4 penalties. “He’s a…

ONLY a month after recovering from a severe sinus infection, Anna Foster’s Lord Loxley mare Wanarico, topped the medium classes with 70.56% for the Central Junipers team. Anna has owned the 14-year-old since she was three. “I bought her to event and then five years ago we started to concentrate on dressage, and she’s starting advanced medium this year,” Anna said. “This was our first inter-regional and I’m amazed she did so well because she’s only just recovered from a massive sinus infection. The vets think it started with hayfever and developed into a huge abscess, meaning she had to have a hole drilled into her head with a drain to flush it out with 10 litres of water, three times a day, for 10 days. But she’s come back…

Compiègne CDIO5*, France SPENCER WILTON and Super Nova put Britain in pole position after the first round of the Nations Cup. The ever-improving Olympic combination posted a personal best international grand prix score of 75.32% to win the class ahead of Helen Langehanenberg and Damsey. The loose, elastic and expressive De Niro gelding has no weaknesses in either his paces or movements, and the pair are going from strength to strength. However, their performance wasn’t the most comfortable: “I’ve recently had problems with my back, and in the trot-up I landed awkwardly and have been in agony all week,” said Spencer. “I was praying that ‘Neville’ might look after me, but in true Neville style he gave me one of the trickiest rounds ever. Even before the test started, he…

SEASONED performer LJT Streisand proved she still has what it takes with a solid double win at Burrows Court. The 15-year-old mare headed the medium and advanced medium qualifiers with Sarah Stewart, who is competing “Babs” for her new owner Kate Vince. “It was Pammy Hutton who told me not to write her off just because she’s 15,” said Sarah, who was also placed at advanced medium and PSG with her own mare, Newho Philharmonic. “When Kate bought Babs her canter was her weakest pace, but we’ve been working on that and made a breakthrough. It was nice to see the improvement reflected in her scores.” Babs, a former para horse, has charmed her new team with her winning personality. “She’s so cuddly and kind, like a Labrador,” said Sarah…

ANGELA MACKENZIE rode Fuzz Buzz to account for an elementary bronze at Inchcoonans. The Rubinero seven-year-old black mare was bred by Adrienne Taylor and is out of Dynamic, whom Adrienne previously competed. “She’s elegant and full of life. She’s hot and it’s taken time for me to get to grips with her,” explained Angela, who trains with Linka Rollinson. “She moves well and I almost need to under-ride her and just think of the movements, rather than ask for them. I need one more sheet for the Area Festival at elementary and have already qualified at novice silver. Busy working mum of three Lucy Jay rode Dubarry, a 15-year-old dun Irish cob, to top a novice bronze. Lucy admits that finding time can be challenging. She has owned Dubarry for…

RIA SMULOVIC secured her qualification for the Area Festivals and BD veteran championships with a third novice win on the trot for Mia Palles-Clark’s former grade A showjumper Oroness, now 21, who just two years ago was jumping at Hickstead. “It’s not easy teaching an old horse new tricks, but Oroness has certainly taken up the challenge,” said Ria. “We’ve only been doing BD together since February, and, as a 16.1hh KWPN, she’s very different to my own ride, a 15hh Connemara. “She still jumps for fun — when I’m feeling brave I venture to the ‘dark side’ of British Showjumping. If we could use poles in the warm-up that would improve our scores, but she’s flying the flag for golden oldies.”…

MARK MCGOWAN’S tracks drew praise throughout the three days. “I felt I pitched the grand prix right,” said Mark. “The quality was high with good quality three- and four-star horses. Two-star horses were the exception to the rule so I set a fair test and every fence on the course fell. “There were more clears than I would have preferred — the 25% cut-off point would have been ideal — but the standard was high and the going good. “It was the right decision to reduce the rings from two to one [because of light entries]; the number of riders was right. Hats off to the organisers for running the show and we have more ideas for next year.”…

THE organisers tried hard and the ground was good despite the rain. You can’t help the weather but the going held up well. It’s a great midweek show for me. If it were on a weekend I would be committed to other shows. I had the chance to jump new horses and give Archie (Argento) his first run since Olympia. It’s his longest break for 10 years and he was full of it, like a fresh five-year-old. I need another not-so-big class now to get him back into it. I was pleased with Chino D’Enfer. The grand prix was the biggest he’s jumped and he just had a green fault. It was a good track — it didn’t kill anyone but needed jumping. They were light on entries, but this…

CSI4*/2* BOURG EN BRESSE, FRANCE (18-21 MAY) NICOLE PAVITT triumphed in Saturday’s six-bar on Shahenaz, while Ireland’s Mark McAuley (Miebello) clinched a brilliant runner-up spot in the grand prix behind France’s Mathieu Billot (Shiva D’Amaury). Laura Renwick’s impressive rosette haul included €5,000 (£4,300) for a second place in Sunday’s jump-off class on the 10-year-old Obos Quality mare MHS Washington and Anthony Condon took third in the seven-year-old final with Neil Fiddes’ Friso. CSI2*/1* VALKENSWAARD, NETHERLANDS (15-17 MAY) SOME top names routed via the Tops International Arena for some midweek jumping. Bertram Allen was a CSI2* big tour 1.45m rankings class winner on Christy Jnr; Emily Moffitt finished in the ribbons with Zagahorn in the medium tour; while Scott Brash picked up third place in the small tour two-phase on Cademuir.…