Innholdsfortegnelse for 26-Aug-2021 i Horse & Hound

OLYMPIC gold medallist Oliver Townend and new British Eventing CEO Helen West are looking to capitalise on Oliver and his team-mates’ success in Tokyo – to turn enthusiasm for eventing into new riders (news, p4). Oliver was eloquent in his message that you don’t have to be posh to win eventing gold, chipping away at the sport’s elitist image. We need new riders from all backgrounds coming through in order to find the next Oliver, Laura Collett and Tom McEwen, and these riders have given a generation dreams to pursue. To continue to thrive, the industry needs thousands more participants besides those who will make it to the dizzy heights of medals, but who will become the new experts, trainers and enthusiasts in equestrian sport. While any negative image in…

SANDRO HIT One of the most influential dressage sires ever has died aged 28. He was bred by Reinhold Harder, owned by Paul Schockemöhle and has hundreds of licensed sons, broodmares and Olympians among his descendants. KALECHE Ruth Dowie of Runningwell Sport Horses’ mare won the Bolesworth six-year-old title with Ronnie Jones. She had taken the four- and five-year-old titles, and the Big Star six-year-olds’ final this year. Report, p42. BERLUX Z French showjumper Simon Delestre has parted ways with his Tokyo ride, owned by Nicholas Hochstadter. Simon and the 10-year-old had multiple placings at CSI4/5* shows. His new home has not been confirmed. TEMPLAR JUSTICE The five-star eventer, produced and ridden by vet and H&H amateur rider of the decade Katie Preston, has retired aged 14 owing to injury.…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle MANY of our fears about the three-to-a-team, all-to-count Olympic eventing format in Tokyo proved unfounded. Although there was some average riding from less-experienced competitors, it didn’t seem like the extra pressure to complete the cross-country was causing them to push harder than in the past – there are never many retirements at championships. Withdrawals and trot-up eliminations after cross-country felt at a normal level and we didn’t see many visibly unlevel horses presented for the trot-up. I was concerned mediocrity would be rewarded, with a team who managed three completions on poor scores on the podium. But the medal-winning nations all had three jumping clears across country. The confusing substitution rules only came into play for teams down the leaderboard, so those following the business end could ignore…

I was working as a paint sprayer when my then mother-in-law asked me to clean her lorry one weekend. When it was finished it was the one shiny lorry in a row of dirty ones, so gradually everyone else asked me to do theirs – all 14. Through word of mouth I began to get more and more valeting work. I asked my then boss if I could go part-time but he said no. I decided to give it a try for six months – that was more than 14 years ago. Horses were part of my early life. When I was 10 my sister had a pony and I rode into my early teens at Loughton Manor riding stables. Then when I married my first wife, as she was…

LOWER TROUGH FARM Eagley Bank, Lancs For you: a four-bed family home, situated in a remote rural location with breathtaking views. The house is set in the North Pennines along the River Spodden. For the horses: there is a range of stabling for up to 10 horses, hay barn and tack/feed room. There is a 30x60m sand exercise area plus excellent hacking. The property is set in 22 acres. £725,000 Rural Scene, 01264 850700, ruralscene.co.uk MONKS ALLEY Binley, Berkshire For you: a beautifully presented Grade II-listed house, with six bedrooms, standing in picturesque gardens and grounds with far-reaching views. For the horses: fantastic equestrian facilities with direct access to a bridleway network. Scotts of Thrapston stable block with five boxes, a Monarch five-horse walker, as well as post-and-railed paddocks. The…

THERE’S an invincible air about the Swedish riders this year. The dust has barely settled on their gold medal-winning performance at the Tokyo Olympics, where all three team riders also reached the jump-off to decide the individual medals. Peder Fredricson came away with the individual silver on his tremendous partner All In and went straight out the following week to land the Longines Global Champions Tour of London grand prix on Catch Me Not S, the 15-year-old gelding he brings to Germany in a bid to regain the European Championship crown he won in 2017 with All In. He’s the only rider from Sweden’s trio in Tokyo to contest both championships, but he’s joined by alternate rider Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (Ermindo W) alongside top riders Douglas Lindelöw (Casquo Blue), Angelica Augustsson…

Hopetoun (2), West Lothian LOUISA MILNE HOME and her own and Susie Wilks’ striking palomino gelding, Future Plans (Jack), were in a class of their own in the open intermediate (OI), winning on a score of 29.1 – more than six penalties ahead of runners-up Wills Oakden and Macgregors Cooley. Louisa first clapped eyes on the now 10-year-old gelding, who is by the cremello showjumping stallion Crown’s Ace Of Pearl, six years ago when he was contesting a young event horse class at Dublin Horse Show. “It was fascinating to see the work involved in producing top-level horses”ROWAN LAIRD “Vere Phillipps beat me to it and bought him on the day, so I ended up acquiring him later on through Vere,” explained Louisa, who retired her stalwart five-star partner, King…

Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships, Bolesworth Castle, Cheshire NEW champions were crowned from record entries of future stars competing in the vast international arena with its beautiful castle backdrop in rolling Cheshire countryside. Ronnie Jones made a triumphant return with Ruth Dowie’s Kaleche to take the Windmill Farm Estate six-year-old championship, 12 months after heading the five-year-old title. They also finished equal first in the four-year-old championship. The initial 128 entries were reduced to 59 for the final with 14 contending the jump-off. The clear round bonus money and the opportunity to qualify for the World Breeding Championships in Lanaken, Belgium, added to the pressure and shaped riders’ tactics. It didn’t faze Ronnie and he stormed to victory by three seconds, won a…

Coloured Horse and Pony Society (CHAPS) championships, Arena UK, Lincs MEGAN HEWITT ended a run of near-misses to land her first Harrison Civil Engineering supreme ridden title, scoring with her nine-year-old part- Welsh D gelding Ranchella Rolex (Roly). In front of an appreciative audience, their polished freestyle performance just had the edge over the 2015 and 2016 victors, Andrew Collins and Dan Birch’s super-consistent Surewill. “I was looking for a horse or pony to do a job and it was a close decision,” said supreme judge Caroline Nelson. “I’d love to take the winner for a day’s hunting. He has super limbs, a lovely front and carries a saddle very well.” Megan, who runs Selston Equestrian Centre with partner Tom Jackson, bought Roly last November after having had him to…

ABSENT FRIENDS THE Sunnyland Beagles, which hail from Co Down, have been welcome competitors at Rydal since the late John Shaw Brown first brought them over in 2005. Sadly, their trip this year was thwarted by post-Brexit red tape. Arriving at Larne with hounds it was explained to huntsman Lee Beverland that while pet dogs may cross freely, hounds, as “commercial” goods, could not and would be barred from the return trip without the necessary paperwork. Faced with that reality, poor Lee had to return to kennels before making the journey without the beagles.…

ANYONE listening in might have thought we were talking about the return to school. “Mine are going back tomorrow.” “Yes, ours too. It’s quite sad, we’ve had them a lot longer this time, but I think they are ready.” In fact, it was hound puppies and their inevitable return to the kennels that were under discussion. The puppy show had come around again, and a collection of puppy walkers and hunt supporters had gathered to see the judging of last year’s customers. This time they were in the capable hands of Angus Crozier, master and huntsman of the Haydon, and James Finney, huntsman of the Zetland. Alec and Mary had already decided that one of ours, Greenhouse, a mottled bitch, wouldn’t win any prizes but would hunt like a demon.…

Share your news story Call 01252 555021 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @jones_eleanor_ BRITAIN’S superb performances at the Tokyo Olympics have presented the horse world with “an amazing gift” that it “must grab with both hands”. British riders took five medals at the Games, equalling, in numbers, the London 2012 tally. “We knew the names way before us who had been successful at the Olympics. So for our names to be added to that list is a huge honour and achievement. But we are all normal people,” Tokyo eventing team gold medallist Oliver Townend said. “We are not all posh horse people, we are all from normal backgrounds. I hope it allows kids also from normal backgrounds who have a dream to [realise] it is possible. If you have that dream and you’re…

Para dressage rider Georgia Wilson makes her Paralympic debut in Tokyo with Sakura. Georgia replaces Sophie Christiansen and Innuendo III, who were ruled out by a “minor veterinary issue”. Eventer Dan Jocelyn is recovering from injuries sustained in a fall from Duke Of Champions in the Hartpury CCI4*-S. Dan said he is “sad to miss the best part of the season”. Jumps jockey Tom O’Brien, 34, reached a landmark 1,000 winners in Britain and Ireland, with his milestone victory on the Ian Williams-trained Head On at Worcester on 22 August. Showjumper Nigel Coupe sustained a broken shoulder and concussion in a fall from Cut Above at the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships (18-22 August). Irish eventer Ben Connors, 14, and Cornafest Fred took individual silver at the pony European…

1) Who was the first event rider to win back-to-back Olympic individual gold medals? 2) What is a bard in equestrian terms? 3) What is the purpose of an Irish martingale and what sport would the horse be doing? 4) Who became master of the Quorn in 1753 and is known as “the father of modern foxhunting”? 5) As an odd-toed ungulate, members of the Equus family are most closely related to which two animals? 19 August answers: 1) Nicolas Touzaint 2) One (Takeichi Nishi, 1932) 3) Grey Grand National winners 4) Copenhagen 5) Kit Harrington.…

alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ THIS week, I wanted to address a few things that my fellow producers, columnists and competitors have commented on in recent weeks. It was lovely to be back out showing at championship level at the Royal International (RIHS), but after a season out of the show ring, I noticed that a lot of riders, mainly those in the children’s classes, were ring rusty. For many young jockeys, the RIHS was their first experience of a big showing class. Sometimes, ponies were moving three or four abreast on the go-round and during the initial pull-in, judges couldn’t even find the pony they wanted. The number of riders who couldn’t ride a final walk-round was also alarming. The problem is that you just can’t replicate this atmosphere at home and…

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MAGAZINE • Magazine issue 2 September: full form guide, including information on every pair competing. • Magazine issue 9 September: 17-page report, including in-depth analysis of every phase and exclusive opinion from Bicton’s cross-country course-designer, Mark Phillips. WEBSITE • Find our extensive online coverage at horseandhound.co.uk/bicton, which will include… • Video of Mary King walking the key combinations. • Full course pictures for the cross-country and showjumping. • Numerous reports throughout and after every phase. • Daily previews including ride times for key contenders. PODCAST • Find all our podcasts at horseandhound.co.uk/podcast or search “Horse and Hound podcast” in your podcast app – and then hit subscribe or follow to ensure each new podcast automatically downloads so you don’t miss any episodes. • Listen to an interview with competitor Ros…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Baileys Horse Feeds Somerford Park, Cheshire OLIVER TOWNEND and Tregilder put in a foot-perfect performance to win the Baileys Horse Feeds CCI3*-S on their dressage score of 26.6, one of only two combinations to achieve the feat, the other being Piggy March in third with Cooley Goodwood. “He had a bit of a wobble at Houghton, so he’s had a couple of confidence-giving runs and is heading for the five-star at Bicton,” explained Oliver of the horse belonging to the Hazeldines and Mitchell Fox Group. “He’s a high-class horse I think a lot of and he gave me a fantastic ride round here. What a special event – everything is done foremost for horse and rider and the rest just slots into place behind that. The facilities are…

alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ Equifest, East of England Showground, Cambs A FOOT-PERFECT show pony lead-rein contender stole the hearts of the crowds and the judges to clinch her first Equifest supreme accord. The hugely popular show saw mammoth entries across the horse and pony sections, with double figures witnessed in most classes. Reigning supreme of them all was Tash and Philip Cooper’s beautiful six-year-old lead-rein pony, Barkway Blackberry, ridden by their daughter, Emily, also six. Judge John Harvey, no stranger to his own success with mini ponies, gave them the nod in the supreme. Producers Team Hillyard have had Blackberry, Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) bound in October, on their yard since she was a three-year-old. In her first season under saddle, the Barkway Bubbling Fun daughter stood second at the…

AT just 14 years old, Izzy Sharifi jumped to win the 153cm plaited working hunter qualifier at National Pony Society (NPS) Area 7 on a pony she’s been partnered with for just four months. Her ride was the athletic bay mare Honeycoat (Millie) who is currently based with Sam Darlington and was contesting her third HOYS class with Izzy. “She was bred by Michaela Bowling and we bought her from Jen Tubb,” said Izzy’s mother, Ruth Sharifi. “We’re delighted as Izzy will be one of the youngest riders to jump at this height.”…

polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 Kings Equestrian Area Festival, Herefords “I THOUGHT we’d still be the bridesmaids,” said Josephine Clewlow, who rode Bon Jovi AKW to win the prix st georges (PSG) and PSG freestyle silver sections. “We’ve been championship runners-up so many times, but he’s finally a sash horse. “We had hit a rock at the nationals at Hartpury,” she said. “We looked at the half-passes and flying changes to see what was going wrong. It was nice to win.” Josephine, who teamed up with the 15-year-old UB40 gelding three years ago, added: “We call him ‘average Joe’ as he’s not a big mover, but everything is accurate. He’s so willing and trainable.” Josie Kent headed both the PSG and inter I freestyle bronze sections with her 16-year-old British warmblood Serious Black.…

PRIME Minister Boris Johnson has announced a major funding boost for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. The Government will provide £232m to UK Sport to support athletes, coaches and support staff – in addition to funding from the National Lottery. The £77.4m per year, is a 44% increase from the £54m per year received for Tokyo 2020. The funding will be used for athletes on UK Sport’s world class and progression funding programmes, which provide support towards “reaching the pinnacle”. It will also support those targeting the Winter Olympics and Paralympics and “kick-start the search” for the next generation of Olympic champions. “This commitment from the Government, as well as the incredible support we receive from National Lottery players, gives us greater certainty of delivering more extraordinary moments to reach,…

▲ OFFICIALS Authorities of a Spanish village, fed up with tourists complaining about everything from donkeys’ braying to cow muck, responded by putting up posters. “If you can’t handle all this, you may not be in the right place,” they read. We cannot like this enough. ▲ FATHER CHRISTMAS Overheard as a nervous-looking rider was about to go into the ring: “You believed in Father Christmas for 10 years, you can believe in yourself for two minutes.” Perfectly said – and if there’s a mince pie going too, we’ll love it even more. ▲ QUADRUPEDS One was interested in reports of police helping after a pony knocked a walker over. Of note was the reported police description of the horse: “Black, small build, four legs and roughly 12 hands tall”.…

ONE of my event horses, Chip, injured his left eye at the end of 2020 and lost the sight in that eye. I was devastated because he was such a natural jumper and I’d trained him up to two-star. But I did not give up eventing, as some horses cope really well with one eye. So I did all I could to help him adjust, progressing from leading him out on trail rides to walking over ground poles to trotting over a sequence of poles, and Chip adapted brilliantly. Eventually I jumped him over a raised cavaletti – he cleared it and from then on, went from strength to strength, never making a jumping mistake. We started competing again three months after the accident and after a few issues in…

TIMETABLE AND VISITING • Thursday, 2 September: first horse inspection • Friday, 3 September: dressage • Saturday, 4 September: cross-country • Sunday, 5 September: second horse inspection and showjumping • Official website for more information and tickets: bicton-arena.co.uk HOW TO WATCH • All the action will be available to watch live via a dedicated Elite Eventing channel on Horse & Country’s streaming service, H&C+. • The first horse inspection and dressage are free to view. • The cross-country, Sunday horse inspection and showjumping phases can be watched with a weekend pass, available for £25, or £20 for H&C+ members. Weekend pass holders will be able to watch all of the content on-demand for 90 days following the event. • Visit horseandcountry.tv…

THERE was barely a dry eye in the house when CHAPS legend, Harry, made his final appearance here – aged 39. Megan Champney’s multitalented partner of more than 20 years went out at the top, having won the Lostock Blue performance – for the third time – and working performance classes and collected his fourth veteran title. The little grey looked as exuberant as ever, producing storming gallops which put many of his much younger rivals to shame. “He’s jumped clear round after clear round, smiling through his bridle the whole time,” said emergency service worker Megan, who has had him on loan from Cassie Harding throughout. “We’ve tried to retire him twice before but he just wasn’t having it. Although he may disagree, it’s time to hang up his…

Edited by Catherine Austen catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 Rydal, Cumbria THE Holcombe Harriers won the supreme championship at Rydal with their beautiful tricoloured bitch Hopeful 18, whose star quality and presence made her stand out from the other champions to take the Bruce Logan trophy. The four judges who have chosen their respective champions, in beagles, harriers, fellhounds and terriers, are asked to step aside so an independent judge, chosen by show chairman Claire Logan-Stephens, can adjudicate over the final class. Claire works tirelessly in the organisation of the Rydal show and the trophy is in memory of her father, who was himself a former chairman of the Rydal show and a master of the Coniston Foxhounds. Jamie Cameron was plucked from the crowd to act as judge and he was an…

WILLIAM MICKLEM (pictured), who also found Giltedge for David, says: “Custom Made had a phenomenal temperament with an endless gallop. He was always a potential winner in the dressage, a cross-country machine and usually clean showjumping, so there’s no question in my mind that he would be competitive at the highest level today.” David was also blown away by Custom Made’s natural athleticism. “He was big-barrelled, with a big shoulder and well put together, but looking at him you couldn’t imagine the powerful metabolic machine inside,” he says. “He was an incredible athlete with so much hind-end power. “His heart and lung system was something quite special. His metabolic side made it so easy for him to do the longer distances at those paces. He really had endless gallop and…