Innholdsfortegnelse for 25-Aug-16 i Horse & Hound

HE’S been sent more than 600 text messages, has lost track of the number of “Skelfies” he’s appeared in — and he had rather a headache on Monday. But although Nick Skelton said his appearance on the front of most of the national newspapers was “an age thing — they make the most of some old fart winning something” — he added that winning his medal, the first-ever individual Olympic showjumping gold for Britain, was “amazing”. “I’ve finally taken it off!” he told H&H on Monday, after a night spent celebrating with his family. Nick’s victory in the six-horse jump-off in Rio last Friday (19 August) was the culmination of years of work and his unshakeable belief in his horse. “Big Star should have been on that podium too —…

OLYMPIC riders and reserves have praised the facilities at Rio following the Olympic Games, writes Amy Mathieson. At previous Olympics, reserve or substituted riders have often stayed at separate facilities to their competing counterparts, at a cost to the national federations. In her autobiography, Mary King recalls being immediately segregated into the reserve stables on arrival at the 2004 Athens Olympics. But at Rio the British riders stayed together. “All Team GB athletes, including our reserves, stayed within the Olympic Village with the rest of the team for the duration of their time in Rio,” a spokesman for the BritishEquestrianFederationtold H&H. “Their accreditation allowed them to continue to exercise and train their horse while they were there.” The FEI told H&H all horses stay together due to biosecurity reasons. “Usually…

RIDERS who jump double clear in five British Showjumping (BS) first-round national amateur championships classes of the same height from 1 September will qualify directly for the 2017 finals. BS announced the change last Monday (15 August), adding that those who jump one double clear will be eligible to jump second rounds, at which qualification for the finals is on offer. Previously, one placing between first and sixth was needed to qualify for second rounds, but this was changed to four double clears last summer. But BS announced on 15 July that only one would be needed this year (news, 21 July), and that those who had jumped four at the same height would be fast-tracked to the 2016 finals, owing to the low number who had secured four double…

AMANDA SHORT MRS SHORT, a level 2 judge and former British Showjumping (BS) area representative for Herts and Middlesex, died on 13 August. She was a former owner of Trent Park Equestrian Centre, where she held affiliated shows. She also ran a livery yard and riding school, which both still run. She became a judge in 1975, and deputy area representative in 1990, taking over in 2007. A BS spokesman said: “An incredible advocate for the sport, [Mrs Short] welcomed new members with the same warmth and camaraderie as those she had known for years. She will be missed greatly.” Mrs Short is survived by daughter Gina and grandson Thomas. BRIAN FILLERY THE founder of hay steamer company Haygain, Brian Fillery died at home in South Africa on 9 August,…

EQUESTRIAN sport may not be as common on television as it was in the past, but fans can now enjoy more coverage than ever. BBC Sport’s online livestreams of the Rio Olympics meant enthusiasts could watch all three disciplines, and thanks to online streaming, coverage of events from British Showjumping to Barbury is also available. Adam Cromarty is director of Impact Media, which is to livestream the 2016 Horse of the Year Show (5-9 October). Impact provides one-camera streaming, but has also produced programmes featuring more cameras, for television. “We’re doing more and more,” he told H&H. “We produced Hickstead for Sky Sports this year. Quality is moving on all the time; it’s good enough for Sky HD. “To all intents and purposes, it’s television; I think that’s the future.”…

DUST off your oven gloves and deprive your equine friends of a few carrots — it’s time for the Brooke Burghley Bake Off. Equine charity Brooke has teamed up with Burghley Horse Trials (1-4 September) to challenge people to come up with their best carrot cake recipes. Three finalists will travel to Burghley Park, Lincs, on 3 September for the final, with prizes including tickets to the 2017 event. A “surprise celebrity guest” will judge the competition, and the finalists’ recipes, plus those of “selected participants” will be made into a recipe book in aid of Brooke. Burghley Horse Trials is supporting Brooke’s High Teas for Gee Gees campaign, which aims to raise awareness and funds for working equines by asking people to throw tea parties. Wooden spoons at the…

• The biggest surprises from the Games • Olympic breeding: the sires packing a punch in Rio • In pictures: the medallists, the Brits, the drama and the horses who won our hearts 16-PAGE BURGHLEY PULL-OUT Full form guide detailing every horse and rider, plus dressage test and course map YOUNG RIDERS Pony European Championships and Pony Club Championships EVENTING Blair and Millstreet DRESSAGE Bury Farm High Profile Show and Field House Area Festival SHOWING Equifest and Pembrokeshire County VET CLINIC The science behind feeding SHOWJUMPING Scope Championships and Showjumping Life COLUMNISTS Simon Reynolds, Graham Fletcher and Roland Tong…

‘The Hickstead Derby was always on my bucket list — it was always the one that I wanted to win’ THIS year has proved to be something of a turning point in William Whitaker’s career. As well as claiming the prestigious Hickstead Derby title in June, a month prior to that the 27-year-old bit the bullet and moved abroad. It was not an easy decision for the Yorkshire-born showjumper to up sticks to Belgium. Not only does he have strong family roots back in the UK but also a young family of his own to consider. “It was tough but in the end I really needed to improve my career somehow — what I was doing at home was working well but I needed to be doing something extra and…

7 is the number of Games Great Britain’s most experienced Olympian has now competed in — eight if you include the alternative Olympics in Rotterdam in 1980. The only Olympics he’s missed since 1988 is Sydney in 2000, when he had a broken neck. 58 year-old Nick is the oldest British medallist since 1912 (John Butt, 61, won silver for shooting). FIRST individual British showjumping Olympic medallist since Ann Moore’s silver in 1972 on Psalm. FIRST ever British Olympic showjumping champion. 60 At 58, Nick is the oldest British gold medallist since 1908 when Jerry Millner, 60, won a gold for shooting. 64 year-old Swede Oscar Swahn is the oldest Olympic gold medallist ever, winning for shooting in 1912. There’s still time, Nick……

ON the day of the individual final I was at David Simpson and Louise Pavitt’s wedding. Luckily they postponed the speeches so we could watch Nick Skelton win gold. There was plenty of celebrating afterwards, as I’m sure you can imagine. Nick has spent four years preparing especially for the Olympics. According to the rider, the last time he tried to win was the Aachen grand prix in 2013 — everything else has been preparation for Rio. I spoke to Nick afterwards and he was on cloud nine. His performance was purely Nick doing what I’ve watched him do for the past 40 years — plan, prepare and deliver. It was no fluke him winning gold — he’s a man who plans to perfection and his round was calculated to…

AS in London, there was discussion about whether everyone starting on a clean scorecard for the final day is right - it’s a format which scuppered Nick in London but made his win here possible. “It’s a hard thing because you have a couple of horses - my horse or Eric Lamaze’s horse - that haven’t had a rail the entire time they’re here,” said Kent Farrington, who jumped-off but ended up fifth. “And you have others coming in on zero that have had three or four poles down before the competition even starts. “That’s the format. We all know it, but it’s hard on those horses. They’ve done a lot. “The first round was definitely soft. I think six in the jump-off is too many for an Olympic Games…

OLIVER TOWNEND was in phenomenal form at Somerford Park, blitzing the Andrews Bowen CIC2*. He not only won, but also filled three of the following four places. His winning ride was Andrew Cawthray’s Note Worthy, a horse he originally had as a youngster before selling him to Tim Boland in 2011. “Tim took him over to Australia and competed him to three-star level,” said Oliver. “The horse came back up here in 2014 and we bought him back when Tim returned home. He’s heading for Blenheim now and assuming all goes well, he’ll move up to four-star next year. He’s a machine of a horse and he has the potential to go right to the top.” Of the 71 starters in the two-star, just five finished on a clean sheet…

• Boy for Piggy PIGGY FRENCH and her fiancé Tom March celebrated the arrival of a baby boy, Max Arthur March, on 28 July. He weighed in at just 5lb7oz and “despite a less than straightforward start, mother and baby are doing well”. • Larkhill (2) will no longer run THE popular grassroots event will run only once a year from now on. Larkhill (2) will no longer take place owing to increased military activity on Salisbury Plain in October. Larkhill (1) will run in the spring. • Enter for Mark Todd scholarship ENTRIES are now open for the Mark Todd Bridging the Gap Scholarship, which will see one event rider win training and mentoring from Mark Todd, plus £3,000 worth of product sponsorship from the Mark Todd Collection and Keyflow Feeds. Applicants…

A sudden surge in progress has come as a surprise for Debbie Poynter, winner of the pick-your-own riding at both prix st georges (PSG) and inter I with Keystone For Real at Hunters EC, Glos (10 August), writes Andrea Oakes. “We’d reached a plateau and now we’re moving along a bit quicker than I expected,” said Debbie, who was persuaded to ride through an inter I in a lesson with her trainer Nicola Buchanan. “We were a bit stuck at advanced medium and ‘Really’ had to learn to sit, collect and push. He has a lot of power and he just wants to go big everywhere. “We’re muddling our way though,” added Debbie, despite breaking the 70% barrier in both tests with her Florencio gelding. “There’s so much to think…

OVER a frustrating two days, owner Rosemary Penn suffered the agony and ecstasy of showing, but eventually she claimed one of the jewels in its crown courtesy of Miss Velvet Brown, who earned a coveted ticket to the Horse of the Year Show’s (HOYS) Cuddy in-hand supreme championship. A day earlier, it seemed ironic that although she beat all comers to stand overall supreme young hunter, Miss Velvet Brown’s initial reserve filly status would deny her a place in the Cuddy qualifier, as only champions were eligible. However, before the question of whether supreme champions should contest the qualifier was answered, Miss Velvet Brown took the female sport horse tricolour a day later, which happily gained her automatic entry into the Cuddy qualifier. Judge Anthony Steward had nine champions to…

I never tire of visiting Dublin Horse Show. This time I judged lead-rein show hunter ponies, a cleverly worded class of “first-ridden ponies” (show pony and show hunter ponies together) and the International Connemara Performance Hunter Championship (Showing Life, 14 July) alongside American eventing legend Denny Emmerson. I discovered on my return that the outstanding lead-rein victor was none other than 19-year-old “senior ambassador” Treowen Ranger, mentioned in my April column — now doing a sterling job across the water. It was a refreshing change to judge this class not using marks and, more importantly, without an obstacle course. A month earlier I had to contend with both at the Royal Highland show, where the rather boring obstacles played a more significant role than one would have expected. I’ve now…

THE photo board in the tent of hard-working secretary Sarah Hoggarth at the 113th annual Rydal sheepdog trials and hound show is pasted with images of shows from yesteryear. It is testament to how little has changed at this historic event since its inception in 1901. The natural amphitheatre of Richard Le Fleming’s Rydal Park, just a stone’s throw from Ambleside and the Coniston Hunt kennels, is the perfect venue for this old-fashioned celebration of rural Cumbria. Popular chairman of the show, Claire Logan-Stephens, who succeeded the responsibility from her father Bruce, heads a committee of local farmers and hunting enthusiasts who ensure the show continues in the same spirit as it always has. The judging of shepherds’ crooks and walking sticks in either wood or sheep’s horn is a…

MODERN pentathlete George Budden made his step up to open a winning one when heading the open boys individual championships for the Hursley Branch of the Pony Club. George’s winning performance included his best shoot, a good swim and clear ride, but it was the run that clinched the title with a time of 10.46 minutes — the fastest in his group. “I was lying in second after the ride, so I had to run as hard as I could to bag the win,” explained George, who is about to start sixth form. “It was a hilly course, but I’ve put in a lot of training through the winter and that really helped.” George was also pleased with his clear in the ride section. “Over the past few years, I’ve…

This is the fourth in our series of informative feeding guides from the nutrition experts at Spillers. Written in the same easy-to-read style, this practical guide will help you discover more about the roles of key nutrients and the vital functions of forage. You’ll learn what a balanced diet actually means, why it’s important and how it can be achieved. The truth about energy and calories will be exposed and the mysteries of body condition scoring divulged. Nutrition can be a daunting subject and, with the growing number of feeds on the market, achieving a balanced diet for your horse or pony can be confusing. This guide will make it easy for you to design the perfect diet for your horse. Explaining why, in today’s world — where approximately a…

MYTH BUSTER: BALANCERS PROVIDE CALORIES FOR WEIGHT GAIN The term ‘conditioning’ is widely used in association with high-calorie products aimed at weight gain. With the exception of stud balancers, all balancers provide a negligible level of calories when fed at the recommended ration, regardless of the manufacturer. Even if balancers contain additives such as probiotics to support gut health, they simply will not provide the additional calories that poor doers need to gain/ maintain weight. MYTH BUSTER: BALANCERS ARE EXPENSIVE TO FEED With a price tag of approximately £17-£39 per bag, a balancer may seem like daunting and costly investment. However, due to the low feeding rate (typically 500g a day for a 500kg horse), balancers are actually a very cost-effective way to ensure that good doers receive a balanced…

• Aim to maintain a BCS of five out of nine. Being overweight can have a significant effect on energy levels • Feed for your horse’s current BCS - don’t be tempted to increase his feed if he is already scoring a five or above • Don’t increase feed in anticipation of increased work • Feeds high in starch may help to achieve a more energetic response but are not suitable for all horses (see above) • Keep your horse/pony as fit as possible - improving his fitness may also help to improve his natural energy levels. Speak to an instructor or trainer for more advice • Try to maintain a varied workload to prevent your horse getting bored • Energy supplements may help, but avoid those containing iron, which…

FRANKLIN D The Goodwood winner was put down after he broke a leg on the gallops. The Michael Bell-trained four-year-old gelding, who won the Betfred Mile on 29 July, was described by co-owner Tim Gredley as a “complete gentleman of a horse”. BROADSHARD SIMPLICITY The Wallace family’s riding horse, “Saucy”, has been sold and will now campaign with Dan Williams. The Llanarth Alleycat eight-year-old was supreme horse at the Horse of the Year Show with Jayne Ross in 2014 and 2015. FLINTSTAR The eventer ridden to Olympic team bronze by New Zealand’s Jonelle Price at London 2012 is for sale. The 16-year-old, who was sold to America in 2014, has a price tag of $35,000 (£26,000). He has enjoyed success in young rider classes with Calvin Ramsay. SABINE DES IBIS…

BRITAIN will be sending a full squad to the Rio Paralympics despite worries surrounding budget cuts to the 2016 Games due to a lack of funding. The Deodoro Olympic Park will be partly dismantled, travel grants have been delayed and only about 12% of tickets have been sold so far. A team of five British riders and their horses are entered to compete in the Paralympics (10-18 September). But around 10 countries are expected to struggle to cover the cost of sending their athletes to the Games, owing to the cuts. A spokesman from the International Paralympic Committeetold H&H the dismantling of the Deodoro Olympic Park will not affect the equestrian competition or the media centre at the venue. International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Sir Philip Craven said that although…

LUDGER BEERBAUM The four-time Olympic gold medallist has jumped in his last Games for Germany. The 52-year-old, who helped his team secure bronze in Rio on Casello (17 August), has announced his retirement from the national team. SIMON GRIEVE Event rider and H&H blogger Simon is recovering from a crashing fall with Trevidden at Hartpury on 11 August. Simon was knocked unconscious and suffered a dislocated shoulder. Trevidden was not injured. DAVID BECKHAM The former football star has been showing off his new equestrian tatoo. The design features a horse complete with flowing mane. David’s wife and fashion designer Victoria posted a picture of the tatoo on Instagram. PAULA PERRY Equine charity HorseWorld has given Bristol police community support officer Paula a special award in recognition of her work to…

H&H’s new bumper show guide, celebrating the winter season, will hit news stands on 6 October 2016. If you want your show, event or clinic to be included, free of charge, send the date, venue address, secretary’s telephone number and details of disciplines — stating whether they are affiliated or not — to hhshowlistings@timeinc.com, or Madeleine Pitt, Horse & Hound, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7BF. Alternatively, upload your events to Equo at www.equoevents.co.uk, having registered as an organiser. The closing date is Friday 2 September at 5pm.…

WORLD HORSE WELFARE Artist Sarah White has donated a painting of adoption horse May to World Horse Welfare’s Glenda Spooner Farm, Somerton. She gifted the painting to celebrate the opening of the farm’s new visitor centre (17 July). ANDROID USERS EquiBioSafe, a free app launched by the Horserace Betting Levy Board last month, is now available for Android users. The app was designed by vets and informs users on contagious disease prevention in horses. WINE-FRIENDLY EQUINES Hundreds of French vineyards have been reviving horse-drawn ploughs in a return to traditional farming. Horses are favoured by wine producers as they have less impact on the ground than tractors. A DRESSAGE MULE Grand prix dressage rider Vicky Busch has been turning heads competing on her unusual new ride. Vicky, a keen supporter…

THIS year’s British Showjumping (BS) National Championships (9-14 August) were “a pleasant surprise” according to Peter Charles. The show had previously received criticism from riders (news, 4 August). The London 2012 team gold medallist, whose son Harry won the under-18 and the national 1.40m titles, described the layout at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre Stoneleigh (NAEC), Stoneleigh Park, as “great”. He added: “Above all, it had super jumping and is a great show going forward.” Fellow showjumper Nigel Coupe said that last year’s championships, the first to be held at the NAEC, was “too spread out and there was a lot of criticism”. But he said the 2016 event was more compact and “user-friendly”, adding: “Rome wasn’t built in a day and if you see improvements every year you…

A MEDAL FOR STORR Sir — I was overjoyed to hear the kindly but authoritative tone of Peter Storr when tuning in to the BBC red button coverage of the Rio dressage. He struck just the right balance between analysis of the nuances for die-hard fans, and explaining for the newbie what was right and wrong. He also made viewers aware of the key marks as they went along; this is so important when there is zero information on the screen. Great stuff, Peter, you deserve a medal, too. All horse sport is under huge pressure to become more accessible to stay in the Games. By the end of the first week, it was clear we still have a mountain to climb. A neighbour who is a knowledgeable, all-year-round follower…

JUST once every four years, equestrianism — and plenty of other sports that are not in the mainstream — has the opportunity to inspire the masses. This is something of which certain sportsmen seem to be particularly aware. Swimmer Adam Peaty, for example, on winning his first medal, was quick to point out that anyone can do what he’s doing — anyone can get down to the local swimming pool and start doing lengths. After London, you couldn’t travel 200 yards without seeing a bike, and the continued popularity of cycling is reflected even more in the positive impact on retailers than it is in the ongoing haul of medals British athletes acquired at this year’s Games. Of course you can’t nip to Halfords, buy a horse, get out practising…

MY Olympic campaign started 18 months ago with a plan for Vancouver K (JP) to succeed at the top international shows and push us up the rankings. We set achievable goals — each time I went out to beat the lowest of the four scores that counted towards our Olympic ranking position. We kept it realistic, raised the bar a little each time, and made sure the momentum moved forwards. However, our road to Rio really started many years ago when I began training JP with my key teaching principle of getting the basics right. It’s important not to run before you can walk. I school the basics until they are like clockwork, then progress to the next stage. You have to be able to ride a 20m circle under…

Tickets CAR parking costs £12 on Thursday, Friday and Sunday; £13 on Saturday. Accompanied children aged 12 and under get free admission. Admission for all other visitors costs £18 on Thursday, Friday and Sunday; £29 on Saturday. • Visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk or tel: 01933 304744 for advance discounts and more info. Visit the H&H tradestand POP along to tradestand number B31 to buy your Olympic commemorative and Burghley pull-out issue, plus take advantage of great subscription offers - 30% off with a free gift or 50% if you choose not to take the gift. You can also find out more about Equo, H&H’s event entry website, and enter a competition to win a £4,000 wardrobe for you and your horse from Horseware and Alessandro Albanese Equestrian Clothing. Over the weekend, physiotherapist Clare…

TIFFANY FOSTER had the standout clear of the second team round on Tripple X III (pictured), who won team gold at London 2012 under Britain’s Ben Maher. Ben’s home-bred showed incredible scope when taking off miles from the triple bar at fence four. “We prepare in Florida and Calgary, where we always have to operate on a quick time, much quicker than in Europe,” she said, explaining she had an advantage when it came to the tight time allowed. “I looked up in the stands as I came in and saw my mum Lynn and Carlene Ziegler [Tripple X’s owner]. I had a big grin on and couldn’t stop watching them, but I told myself to concentrate.” Tiffany may have a wonderful horse now, but she wasn’t born privileged. “When…

BRAZILIAN course-designer Guilherme Jorge, who did a great job here, believes the limitations placed on the individual final in terms of number of fences and length of track should be re-examined in light of the high standard in the modern sport. “One of the first things we have in mind is the welfare of the horse and not to overface them with extreme challenges,” he said. “I worked with the technical delegate [Spain’s Santiago Varela Ullastres] and we definitely thought we had a course strong enough for the first round - it was a step up from the previous day [second team round]. But horses jumped it better than expected, which shows the quality and way our sport is going. “The second round had a maximum of 10 jumps and…

FOR some years, the elephant in the room has been that the Olympic Games has ceased to be the pinnacle of our sport in terms of difficulty, but this could not be said of Rio. Course-designer Pierre Michelet should be commended for bringing cross-country back to being the chief influence and USP of our sport. So how tough was Rio compared to previous Olympic courses? In Rio, 41% of riders jumped clear across country, which is in line with previous Games — from 1964 to 2000 the percentage of clear rounds was consistently around 40%. However, three “soft” courses in Athens, Hong Kong and London followed, with an average of 69% jumping clear. So Rio was not unusually influential, it simply put the sport back to where it used to…

Louise Price THE 19-year-old secured her first BE90 victory at Homme House (Much Marcle) when she and Jacqui Armitage’s 14.2hh pony, Hoffnant Bright Eyes (Charlie), finished on their dressage score of 24.3. “We’ve worked on Charlie’s fitness, upping his hacking and doing more fast work,” said Louise. “He’s a cobby type - not built for speed - but he can really gallop now.” Francesca Fitzherbert THE 18-year-old steered two horses to their first wins at Aston-le-Walls (4). She topped the BE100open on Conguistador II, with whom she is aiming for young riders next year, and a BE90 with first-timer Monbeg Eclipse. “Both surprised me,” she admitted.…

“STAYING on all four feet has been our biggest accomplishment today,” laughed Rebecca Tilton, who headed the inter I with the 13-year-old gelding Valliant. “He slipped over out hacking, and it was hit and miss whether we’d come, but he was fine this morning.” You wouldn’t know they’d taken a tumble, especially when pulling off row after row of expressive flying changes. “It was very hot and we weren’t firing on all cylinders, but we didn’t have any mistakes and his pirouettes were much better,” Rebecca said. “I’ve been training with Gemma Appleton and she’s helped me understand them, which has made a huge difference.” Rebecca has owned Valliant, by Olivier, since he was three. “Olivier offspring are renowned for being trouble as youngsters and he certainly was,” she mused.…

RIO is a vibrant city, a tale of two halves, with the extreme poverty of the favelas contrasting with beauty and wealth. The views over the city are the most breathtaking I have ever seen. Years of preparation and debriefs had all of us, at one stage, wondering whether it would all be worth it; what not to eat or drink, being on guard 24/7 and the in-progress roadworks on the way to the equestrian centre. My old eventing friend Ruy Fonseca commandeered my Facebook after my rather nervous column in March (H&H, 10 March) to rebut all my fears and boy was he right. The after-party life CHEF de mission Mark England ( jolly appropriate name by the way) gave us our first briefing on arrival, and his incredible…

‘I was told retirement was the only option’ STACEY JONES and River Rico have made a winning return to the competition arena. They topped the gold section of a prelim with 71.43% at Cockshot Dressage, Cheshire (14 August), 18 months after their last outing. Stacey, who trains with Toby Blake, won the 2014 North-West novice restricted regional championship with the British-bred Riverside x Bergamon gelding and was already qualified for a repeat attempt when disaster struck. “He went lame and was treated for a suspensory injury,” explained Stacey, who bought the 10-year-old as a yearling. “It didn’t respond to treatment and last August I was told retirement was the only option. In the end I got a second opinion and the reason for his continuing suspensory problem was traced to…

Melissa Barnett AFTER heading their show hunter line-up, Melissa Barnett and Finns Rose (pictured) claimed the inaugural Kellythorpe Stud Young Guns British Show Pony Society intermediate championship. As Melissa works full-time as a project manager, her mother Sarah keeps “Finn” ticking over on the flat and hacking along the Cheshire lanes at home. “He has a fabulous walk and we are just beginning to find his sixth gear in gallop,” said Melissa. Melissa bought Finn three years ago to take her into the senior small hunter ranks and her Finns Clover Inn eight-year-old has been successful in intermediate, small hunter and amateur classes. The pair will be Birmingham-bound in October for the first time after winning their first small hunter qualifier at the Derbyshire Festival. “The introduction of an intermediate…

MECCA’S ANGEL will come under the hammer at the end of the year to start the next phase of her career as a broodmare, but David Metcalfe’s terrific racemare will fetch many multiples more than her yearling price of 16,000gns after she landed her second Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, the highlight of York’s Ebor meeting, last week. The past fortnight has been full of good sports stories and, most have come overnight from Rio, but here was a domestic one as the bargain-basement bullet-fast grey gave her connections a sense of déjà vu on the Knavesmire. Trained by part-owner Michael Dods near Darlington, the five-year-old mare clearly loves the Knavesmire and a little bit of juice in the ground. Last year she beat Acapulco, the American speedball, by two lengths on…

A broken bone during a lifeguard competition BREAKING her finger just weeks before the championships wasn’t the best preparation for the Llangeinor Hunt’s Mali Howell (pictured), but she still managed to take the intermediate girls’ individual honours. “Someone accidentally jumped on top of me during a lifeguard competition and I broke my finger,” explained Mali. “I had it strapped to be on the safe side because they thought it was a boxer’s fracture - which is where your knuckle comes off - but I’d just chipped off the bone luckily.” This was Mali’s first year as an intermediate, having come second in the junior championships last year. “I wasn’t expecting to win with it being my first year in intermediate, so I was aiming for the top 10 and anything…

CLARE BARFOOT BSC(HONS), RNUTR Clare is a registered equine nutritionist and the research and development manager for Spillers. Clare is responsible for product design and development alongside all technical communication to horse owners on every aspect of feeding — from interpreting recent nutritional research through to practical feeding advice. Clare has 19 years’ experience in the feed industry, working in both the equine and animal feed sectors. SARAH NELSON BSC(HONS) Sarah Joined the Spillers team as Care-Line nutritionist in 2009 and advised over 4000 horse owners, riders and vets on all aspects of practical nutrition. In her current role as research and development coordinator, Sarah manages product trials, writes articles for equestrian press, supports product formulation and labelling and provides both internal and external training on all aspects of equine…

Although the term ‘energy’ is often associated with performance or behaviour and ‘calories’ with weight, they are exactly the same thing. Unfortunately, this means it’s impossible to find a feed that is high in energy but low calories or vice versa! Put simply, calories are a measurement of energy. In human nutrition, energy is measured in kilocalories, hence the commonly adopted term ‘calories’. In the UK, energy in equine diets is measured in megajoules (MJ) of digestible energy (DE) per kilogram (kg). One MJ of digestible energy equals 239 kilocalories — about one bag of peanut M&M’s! What is energy? ENERGY is not a nutrient itself, but is derived from the nutrients in food. In physics we’re taught that ‘energy can’t be created or destroyed, only changed from one form…

• Cereal-based feeds may help to produce a more energetic response in some horses although the reason for this is not fully understood • Avoid mixes and cereal-based feeds for ponies and native breeds as high levels of starch may lead to more rapid weight gain and insulin dysregulation • Oil is approximately 2.25 times higher in energy compared to cereals and is starch-free, providing a sympathetic alternative to cereals • High starch diets are not suitable for horses prone to laminitis, colic, tying up or gastric ulcers…

• Make sure your horse/pony is relaxed and standing as squarely as possible on a firm, level surface • Accuracy of body condition scoring relies on touch, so don’t wear gloves • Score each of the six individual areas (see overleaf) where horses commonly lay down fat (on a one-nine scale) before taking an average to calculate your final score • Remaining objective and consistent can be tricky even for experienced owners — always use the guide to help ensure your score is as accurate as possible • Ensuring the same person assesses your horse or pony’s BCS helps to prevent individual error, although getting a second opinion from time to time may be helpful…

• Try to BCS your horse often, ideally every two weeks. Although it may take several weeks to achieve a change in BCS, it can be difficult to notice subtle changes, especially when you see your horse every day • We all know that dieting can be hard work and in overweight horses or ponies, weight loss does not always result in a decrease in BCS initially, even though internal fat may be reducing. Keep on monitoring and try measuring belly girth in addition to BCS • Like people, horses don’t always lay down external fat in the same places. Some may have a large crest which proves difficult to lose, despite having an otherwise low BCS. If this is the case for your horse, don’t be tempted to continue…

• Do not starve any horse or pony, even if they are extremely overweight or laminitic • Provided they are otherwise fit and healthy and not laminitic, a BCS of six at the end of summer is generally considered acceptable. However, try to ensure your horse or pony slims down again over winter months as nature intended to help prevent excess weight gain the following spring. Again, provided they are otherwise fit and healthy, entering the spring at a leaner BCS of four-4.5 is generally acceptable • Balancers are the ideal option for horses and ponies that maintain weight easily on forage alone — see page eight • Add low calorie chaff or short chopped fibre feeds to buckets to help add ‘bulk’ and extend eating time • If your…

CHANGES made to the British Dressage (BD) competition structure have been met with riders’ approval, writes Eleanor Jones . BD has announced that criteria for the sections will change, basing eligibility on performance rather than points won, which it hopes will address the silver section’s size. H&H reported last month (news, 28 July) that members were frustrated with the structure, saying there were too many people in silver sections of the summer regional championships, and less chance of qualifying for the national championships. A statement released by BD on 10 August said it had acknowledged the silver section was “larger than ideal” but it was “vital” to run the structure for a full year’s cycle. Trainer and former international rider Jill Day said members “are more accepting” of the new…

Eventer Liz Halliday-Sharp urged others unhappy with fences to speak out after her horse suffered a fatal cross-country accident. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/ liz-halliday-sharp-fall Ian Stark will ride the top four horses in the Burghley Young Event Horse final, a competition first. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/ ride-judge-byeh World champion SFN Zenith NOP has a € 500,000 starting price for the Showjumping Fund of the Netherlands’ auction of six horses. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/ sfn-auction Dutch Olympic dressage rider Adelinde Cornelissen (pictured) has responded to rumours that her Rio ride Parzival had sustained a hairline fracture to his jaw. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/ parzival-jaw-rumours A rider whose horse fly-bucked after cross-country suffered more than 30 broken bones in her face. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/ rider-kicked-face Quadruple Olympic dressage gold medallist Nicole Uphoff said Irish rider Judy Reynolds’ freestyle in Rio was undermarked. • www.horseandhound.co.uk/ nicole-uphoff-speaks-out Joanne Foley, who came within a “hair’s breadth”…

THE question of when eventers can return to competition after a fall is as much a question for medics as it is for riders, writes Lucy Elder. Riders can be “medically suspended” by an event doctor for a specified or unspecified amount of time following a fall at an affiliated British Eventing (BE) competition. Before they are allowed to compete again, BE must receive written confirmation from a registered medical practitioner with a licence to practise that the rider is fit to compete. However, Medical Equestrian Association chairman Dr Steve Pigott explains why sometimes it is not that simple. “The suspended rider can go to any doctor to be assessed as fit and I suspect that many go to their family doctor,” he told H&H. “GPs are used to assessing…

SUE PERKINS The comedian revealed she was fed horsemeat the first time she met fellow Great British Bake Off star Mary Berry. The pair worked together on an episode of The Supersizers Go… in which Mary introduced Sue to post-war rations, including canned salmon and horsemeat. VANDALISM A Pioneer Day horse statue created by students in Ogden, Utah, to commemorate the arrival of Mormon settlers, has lost two legs after being targeted by vandals. Local police are investigating the crime. LONDONERS A 15-tonne muckheap caused a fire in Foots Cray, London. The blaze damaged a trailer but there were no reports of injuries to people or horses. A MUDDY COB A trapped pony was saved from a river near Mepal, Cambs, on 13 August. Rescuers led the horse up a…

EVENTING Go to Wellington Horse Trials in Hampshire on 27-29 August. Classes range from BE100 to advanced. www.wellingtonhorsetrials.co.uk ROR SHOW Around 200 ex-racehorses are entered for the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) National Championship show at Aintree racecourse on 25-28 August.www.ror.org.uk PARA DRESSAGE The British Dressage Para Silver Summer Championships take place at Solihull Riding Club, West Midlands, on 27-28 August. www.solihullridingclub.co.uk FUN RIDE Enjoy riding through Gaddesden Estate, near Hemel Hempstead, Herts, on 28 August. The route includes a five-furlong grass gallops and optional jumps. www.equoevents.co.uk COUNTY SHOW Leicestershire County Show takes place on 27 August, at the new venue of Gallow Field Road, Market Harborough. leicestershirecountyshow.co.uk DRESSAGE Watch the British Dressage Under-25 Championships at Sheepgate Equestrian Centre, Lincs, on 22-27 August. www.sheepgate.co.uk RACING Ex-racehorse charity HEROS is holding its…

My wife and I have just returned from Rio and although the result for the eventing contingent was not what we would have wished for, the hospitality afforded to us by the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) made the whole experience extremely enjoyable. Despite the fact that our daughter, Kitty King, was in the team, the Olympic rules allowed us no accreditation or special privileges, and organising flights, hotels and tickets could have been a real nightmare. However the BEF stepped in and did all this for us — even down to our bus tickets to Deodoro. The result was that all those people connected to horse or rider ended up together in the same hotel. Transport was laid on from and to the airport and we were royally entertained with…

My secret weapon… A drop noseband. Mum and Dad joke that I’ve gone right back to “their day”. It wasn’t until I went to Germany that I realised how effective they are and how they can really help with training. The biggest mistake I have learnt from… Trying to go four-star too quickly. Following my first attempt, I thought that it wasn’t possible, until last year when I had two fantastic cross-country rides at Luhmühlen and Burghley. When I am getting away from it all… Normally it’s skiing, but in March this year I went on the dreamiest holiday to Bequia in the Caribbean with some of my best mates — it was heavenly. My best warming-up tip… Carry through your training from home and don’t try and change things…

• MEREDITH MICHAELS-BEERBAUM was the German travelling reserve until 7am on the day of the first qualifier when Marcus Ehning had to withdraw Cornado NRW. “I was on the way to the stadium with my training outfit on,” she explained. “Then I got a message on my phone: ‘Do you have your white riding breeches with you?’ I was like ‘Oh my gosh!’ Tears came to my eyes, but I had to quickly turn the emotions down low.” • CANADA’S AMY MILLAR was boarding the plane to Rio when a passenger said to a shot putter: “I think you’re the biggest athlete here - I want you to have my business class seat.” • BEN MAHER changed Tic Tac’s bit after the first qualifier - he rides him in a…

Idon’t think a single one of us wasn’t in tears watching Nick Skelton on that podium. It s one of the greatest things to ever happen in showjumping, and we’ve waited long enough. Great Britains last individual medal went to Ann Moore and Psalm, who won silver in 1972 — and we’d never won gold. So what Nick achieved in Rio is phenomenal. But as big a job as Nick did during the Olympics, bringing that horse back from two serious injuries, and more or less two years off is a gold medal in training. And you can’t stress enough how much credit should go to his whole team in achieving that feat. Nick is probably one of the best riders we will ever see, but a lack of match…

JANOU BLEEKMAN made an eleventh-hour entry a winning one at her local event, which was founded more than 40 years ago by her grandfather, Michael Strachan. Leading the Rathbones CIC2* from flagfall to finish aboard Granntevka Prince, Janou held off a two-pronged attack from Pippa Funnell, who was second and third on Billy Walk On and MGH Grafton Street respectively. “When I saw that Pippa was on my tail after the dressage I felt sure that something would go wrong and I’d slip a few places,” confessed Janou, currently shortlisted for the Dutch young rider team with the former Lucy Wiegersma ride. “But Prince was amazing. He tries so hard. He was supposed to run at Bad Harzburg [the Dutch young rider final trial], but the ground was firm and…

Being ‘knocked down a peg’ ELEMENTARY silver winner Shirley Wright owes her recent success with nine-year-old Vanilla Courage, to her new trainer Jo Swain. “I was competing at medium, but Jo knocked me down a peg to make me cross the ‘T’s and dot the ‘I’s and it’s made a big difference to our performance,” said Shirley, who bought the gelding by Courage II out of Vanilla Sky as a four-year-old. “Now we’ve proven ourselves at elementary, we’ll move back up to medium. He’s better at the higher levels because he’s got more to think about.” Shirley describes Vanilla Courage as being spooky. “He still jumps and goes cross-country with my daughter, and I take him on a fun rides just to keep his brain active - he wouldn’t survive…

…at a championship TERESA SMITH led the prelim bronze on 70.07% with Costa Rica II. “I used to showjump but 10 years ago I gave up riding. Two years ago I decided I’d look for a nice cob to live out and do some hacking, but I ended up with the complete opposite,” admitted Teresa of the KWPN nine-year-old. “He has a huge stride and finds it difficult to balance in canter. I’ve been getting help from Eilidh Grant to get him engaged. I got stick for joining the white glove brigade, and I never thought dressage was my thing, but I’ve got the bug now!”…

AN on-form Mennell Watson claimed the Lanyon Bowdler grand prix on Outcast and the leading rider award for a bumper pay packet. Seven from 25 accessed the jump-off over course-designer Bob Ellis’ 12-fence track and, jumping in order of merit, Mennell was first to go as the slowest round-one clear. But he didn’t hang about in the jump-off, and a final risky gallop to the last oxer secured victory. “He’ll stretch all day to reach the back bar and he loves a big ring and eats up the ground,” said Mennell. The Russel x Flemmingh 13-year-old, owned and bred by Mennell’s partner Helen van Heyningen, is back to form after a six-month break last year. “He had a little crack in the wing of his pedal bone. He was still…

‘It’s a miracle he’s alive’ THE 13-year-old working hunter specialist Harley Foxtrot (pictured left) made an astounding recovery from a double colic operation in June last year. “It’s a miracle he’s alive,” said Libby Cooke of David Reid-Scott’s double Royal Windsor champion. “Harley had a lump in his small intestine which needed removing, as it was causing a blockage; he would not be here today without the amazing team from Bourton Vale Equine Clinic and Richard Tyler. I didn’t sleep for weeks.” Harley made his return to the ring at North of England in July, securing his passage to HOYS. He headed the heavyweight working hunter class here and stood reserve champion behind Libby’s lightweight winner, Mousa Kousa. Harley was ridden by Jolly Smith in the championship.…

‘We’ve been on a spectacular journey together and even now, at 16, he is so reliable. When you need a horse to fall back on, Marko is always there ’ OF all the horses I’ve ever ridden, Marakov has taught me the most. He’s taken me from my first-ever dressage test all the way to claiming the advanced medium title at my first nationals, and winning a silver medal at the European Championships. We first saw “Marko” when he was three. A dealer in Latvia accidentally sent a video of him being jumped over logs in a field to Dad, who instantly liked his type. I was still jumping at the time, so Dad’s idea was that he moved well enough to do dressage but also jumped well, so it…

‘Stable-kept horses may lack vitamin D’ Nutrition is essential to sustain life and should never be ignored. But apart from energy, where it’s clear if your horse is getting enough, it can be hard to determine what constitutes a balanced diet. Some nutrients included in the diet in small quantities are among the most powerful for optimum wellbeing. Follow our quick guide to make sure you know what’s essential for your horse’s health. Vitamins VITAMINS are organic compounds usually required in tiny amounts to maintain good health. The main vitamins are split between fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and water-soluble ones: the B group and vitamin C. Fat-soluble vitamins FAT-SOLUBLE vitamins are carried in fat, so if supply outstrips demand they can be stored in fat reserves and…

• Horses and ponies on forage-only diets • Horses and ponies fed less than the recommended ration of compound feed: compound feeds will only provide a balanced diet if they are fed at the recommended ration, which which is typically 3kg a day for a 500kg horse in light work • Horses and ponies fed straights or feeds that do not contain added vitamins and minerals such as alfalfa and sugarbeet • Horses and ponies in hard work that maintain weight easily on low energy feeds visit spillers-feeds.com to find your ideal feed…

• Feed according to the horse/pony’s current body condition score • Base as much of the diet on forage as possible - balancers are ideal for those able to maintain weight easily on forage alone and contain negligible levels of starch and sugar when fed at the recommended ration (see page 8) • Feeds do not need to be sugar or molasses- free - instead check the starch content as this is far more likely to have an effect on your horse’s behaviour • Avoid all mixes including those labelled as ‘non-heating’ - due to the cereal content mixes are almost always higher in starch than the equivalent cube • Start by choosing feeds containing less than 15% starch or, for very sensitive horses, less than 10% starch • Choose…

• VERY POOR (EMACIATED) No fatty tissue can be felt on the neck or withers; bone structure on neck, withers and shoulder easily seen; individual vertebra and ribs visible; tailhead and spinal processes very prominent; hips prominent. • VERY THIN Minimal fact covering on neck & withers, bone structure visible; spinal processes & vertebrae noticeable; tailhead & ribs prominent; noticeable bone structure on shoulder • THIN Neck looks thin; minimal fat covering on withers & over spine; spinal processes still visible; tailhead prominent but individual vertebrae not seen; shoulder prominent; ribs still visible. • MODERATELY THIN Neck & shoulder not obviously thin; withers accentuated; negative crease along back, fat can be felt on tailhead; faint outline of ribs seen. • MODERATE Neck blends smoothly into the body; withers rounded; shoulder…