Innholdsfortegnelse for 6-Jan-2022 i Horse & Hound

I HOPE you’ve managed an enjoyable and undisrupted festive season with all the sporting action the horseworld has to offer over this fabulous time of the year. Throughout we held our breath to see what restrictions might interrupt those proceedings, but we emerged into the new year without gaps in our calendar. A happy new year indeed. We did hesitate for a moment two weeks ago to run this travel special – a regular for the first issue of the year up until 2021. But knowing the joy of many who have taken their first overseas holiday in the past few weeks, there will be more seizing the day, despite the issues we still face. For those not ready to take on the challenge of timing PCR tests and watching…

ALL those involved in horse sport have a responsibility to reduce their impact on the environment, according to businesses promoting change. In the wake of 2021 climate-change summit COP26, companies shared the ways they are working to be more “green”, and practical measures riders can take to make a difference. Westgate Labs, which offers worm-count services, created a nature reserve on its site and planted 1,000 trees during lockdown. The Northumberland business promotes “sustainable” targeted worming, based on test results rather than a fixed schedule. Nothing is left with the customer after a sample is returned, and recycled packaging is composted on site. “A lot of the time these options cost more, but we have to look at our choices,” director Claire Shand told H&H. “One of the privileges of…

1) What is the name of the horse on whom Laura Collett scored her first three-day event win? 2) What is the upper height limit of a small hunter? 3) Which rider was known as the “Galloping Nurse” and was the first woman to event for Great Britain at the Olympics? 4) What is the horse Cnoc-Na-Cuille famous for? 5) Who owned the winner of the 1000 Guineas and the French Oaks in 1974? Answers from 30 December 1) Mighty Nice 2) Four (A, B, C and D) 3) Youngest winner, aged 18 in 1969 4) Gulfland 5) Golden Miller.…

I learnt to ride at the Pony Club, starting at five years old. I grew up riding English and I was hooked. My parents bought me an off-the-track thoroughbred mare when I was 12, and we worked up the levels of eventing, competing in three-day eventing all through high school. After my first year of college, I found a job as a summer wrangler on a dude ranch in Colorado. I’d ridden all my life, but seeing the view of the mountains from the back of a horse was life-changing. A wrangler on a dude ranch is responsible for a herd of horses and taking people out riding in the mountains. Their responsibilities range from knowing the personalities of each horse, the feeding and veterinary health of the herd, managing…

A 5am call to a foaling mare was the last thing I expected in the first week of January. The mare had returned from the stud not in foal, so the owner decided to run her, more in hope than in expectation, with her three-year-old uncastrated colt in a distant field over the winter. The foaling date suggested that she had been covered in late January or early February. This foal was going to be born into a landscape blanketed with snow. As my usual car cannot cope with anything other than a light dusting on the road, I transferred my equipment into my wife’s Land Rover and hoped I had everything I needed. Although I have frequently moaned about how much it costs to run this vehicle, there are…

BEST HORSEY MOMENT: “I have two: one was a memorable test when everything just seemed to go right – it was a feeling of what dressage should feel like, not just look like. I was riding Uthopia in 2011 in the grand prix at the European Championships. He just gave everything that day and it was the most amazing experience. “Riding a grand prix test, trying to get a clear round but also having power and selfcarriage from one movement to another is one of the most difficult things to get right. We often have moments in a test when it feels like that, but to come out of the test and think that the whole thing felt like that is a very rare occasion and that is how I…

BEST HORSEY MOMENT: “It has to be hunting in Ireland. We’ve hunted with the Galway Blazers a few times in Ireland and it’s just a completely different experience to how we hunt in this country now. It’s not just the riding but the whole social aspect – everyone is so friendly and welcoming. “We go to the kennels and have a look around and it’s just a fantastic few days away that can’t be bettered. They have their meet in the pub and then you fall out of the pub and onto a horse and off you go. They just want to show you around and make sure you have a great day. “The horses are always excellent – they know their job and you just sit and point. It’s…

HOLIDAYS aren’t what they used to be. But as restrictions started to ease in the first phase of the pandemic, those stricken with wanderlust and usually wedded to going abroad discovered that old Blighty has plenty to offer. There are few places better than England for equestrian culture. And while international travel remains precarious, for those who like an adventure on horseback, or just to use their holiday to hone more advanced riding skills, there is a huge variety of options on your doorstep (or at least without taking an aeroplane). Something special WHAT & WHERE: ride bareback to the beach in your wetsuit for an exhilarating deep water swim with your horse (pictured) – where you can try circus-style tricks with the sea as your safety net. The horses,…

“I would love to have another like him. If only cloning wouldn’t break the bank!” A BRAVE horse is a boon, tackling big fences “without any concern or fear”, but a courageous one, Alice Bowden notes perceptively, will “confront something difficult despite any concern or fear”. Spike is definitely the latter. “Lorries are fine, but he is very spooky,” the director of the Hunting Office admits. “A stray leaf, a butterfly getting up or a sneeze from my terrier are all too much, but he is brimming with courage and has a fantastic brain.” Spike was found in Ireland at Cahirmee Horse Fair and came to Alice at the Middleton aged five, in 2004. The pair returned to Ireland and he “looked after me, navigating across the banks, drains and…

STACEY COOK may not have had the most ideal season after facing brain surgery – twice – in the summer, but ended the year with a smooth 1.30m victory at Forest Edge, Norfolk, on her mare Ninola. The Cambridgeshire rider suffered vision problems in 2020 and was diagnosed with a cyst close to her optic nerve, but had to wait until June 2021 for surgery. She then needed a second operation after the first caused a spinal fluid leak. “I was able to get back in the saddle six to eight weeks after surgery and luckily I had a good team at home who were able to keep the horses ticking over,” she said. “Being able to ride again happened quite quickly but you don’t realise how much fitness you…

Share your news story Call 01252 555021 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @jones_eleanor_ THE popularity of festive meets shows no signs of waning, nearly 17 years after the Hunting Act came into force. Most hunts in England went ahead with their plans, as the Government had introduced no Covid-related restrictions on outdoor events, easing fears the community had had over the impact cancellations would have on pubs, shops and businesses that benefit from the events. Ralph Richardson, joint-master and huntsman of the Middleton, which hosted meets in Driffield and Malton, said: “Our meets have yet again been well attended by those for whom it is a traditional part of their annual festivities. As well as parading in the towns, we took the hounds to visit a local care home which brought smiles to…

▴ SHAKING YOUR THANG To the US, where in a competition one had to jump a course of fences, then the last instructions were “Halt and Dismount at X”, followed by the amazing “Do a Little Dance”. We’re just glad it wasn’t followed by “Make a Little Love. Get Down Tonight”... ▴ A CHEEKY TIPPLE Some riders was discussing the possible health benefits of feeding Guinness. One swore her Shetland was looking better, then another chimed in: “I have found the future looks brighter if I drink the Guinness myself.” Also an entirely valid point. ▴ WATER One was very interested in an article about wild donkeys in deserts, who dig wells to access water, so allow other animals to survive. It said there are a number of these holes…

I AM pleased to see Pammy Hutton speaking up about top riders competing at the lower levels (opinion, 16 December). Being an instructor myself, I often hear friends and clients discussing professional competition in a negative way. I’ve also competed against riders at elementary level who warmed up with some piaffe at an unaffiliated show. This is annoying enough, but when international riders compete at regionals, with non-elite riders working hard to get there, it seems a little unfair. There is more than just the professional riders to consider – there are also the high-end horses they compete, the breeding of which is enough to separate them from the lay competitor. There are so many sections and rules at British Dressage that I feel it should be possible for them…

SHOWING Alice Homer THE 19-year-old certainly left her mark in horse ranks in 2021. She not only won at the Royal International (RIHS) in ladies’ show horse ranks aboard Bloomfield Eloquence (James) – whom she rode to second at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in the same class – but she was also crowned intermediate champion on Hickstead turf, on board the five-year-old show riding type Ballinclare (known as Annie). “James has been sold to a new owner [Liz Prowting] and I’m super-excited that he’s to stay on the yard,” said Alice, who was reserve working hunter champion at Royal Windsor last year with Little Joe and rode Annie to second and fourth placings in respective HOYS intermediate and hack finals. Alice, who is currently studying geography at Bristol…

BEST HORSEY MOMENT: “There are a few special moments from my career. The first is that I always wanted to win the Foxhunter final in the early days, which I did in 1986 on Edisford Bridge. Progressing from there was competing at two Olympic Games; Atlanta and then Sydney – you never think you’ll get there, so to ride at two was just amazing. To win the Hickstead Derby in 2007 on Cassabachus was another dream come true. “I also jumped the only British double clear at Hickstead in the European Championships in 1999 on It’s Otto. It was a really good adrenaline rush – there were only four double clears in the championship. I was lucky to get picked – it was between me and Robert Smith – and…

BEST HORSEY MOMENT: “Going supreme at Royal Windsor in front of The Queen, on The Queen’s horse Barbers Shop and then going behind the scenes afterwards with Barbers Shop and handing The Queen the rosette. “The whole experience was just so amazing and it was definitely one of those ‘pinch yourself’ moments. He was a hero that day and went in the ring like an absolute legend. To do that with The Queen watching was something I never envisaged would ever happen. “He was home-bred by The Queen Mother which made it even more special. The passion that The Queen has for her horses is lovely and rarely does she get to see them competing, so to win a class was lovely, to win a championship was amazing but to…

“I DON’T like the look of his body language. I’m going to use my hat.” His horse almost nose to nose with a Cape buffalo, Ant Baber slowly lifts his hat. After a moment’s consideration, the buffalo sighs and relaxes, and the riders continue on their way after their exhilarating encounter – and a little wiser in the ways of the bush. Apparently, you can also stop an elephant with a hat. That’s something that should be left to the experts, and we were undoubtedly in expert hands at Ant’s. The eponymous Ant, a quietly imposing man devoted to the reserve and the welfare of its resident creatures – both wild and domestic – and his wife Tessa have been running Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill since the mid-90s. His…

CLAIRE BELLAMY has just returned from a hunting exhibition in Hungary, where she gave a talk on hunting under the ban in Scotland. You can watch her moving description of the animals and the life that she loves on YouTube. The trip was evidently a success, but she is not feeling confident about the future for hunting in Scotland. A review of the law is underway and it is thought that licencing and other measures could be introduced. “I think they are probably going to bring in licencing, but if they limit us to two hounds that will totally wreck it,” says Claire. “Hounds work as a pack. How can you push a fox out of a thousand acres of forestry with just a couple of hounds? You can’t even…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald Kelsall Hill, Cheshire TONY FRENCH was on flawless form as he delivered a string of clears to dominate the top placings on both days of the show. The rider headed the second day’s 1.30m final with his own and Danielle Ryder’s 13-year-old mare Diva H, also picking up third on his own 10-year-old Finnisk Castor. A day earlier, he had taken second, third and fourth behind Paul Sims (Candy 736) in the 1.30m open, collecting his strongest placing with Judy Price’s seven-year-old Origi DW, followed again by Finnisk Castor and then Danielle’s seven-year-old Sorrento IV. “Not every show goes like that,” said Danielle, who was due to head out to Spain with Tony for a short new year’s break the next day. “It was a nice way to…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald Cheltenham Racecourse, Glos IT is a while since Ludlow trainer Henry Daly has had a stable star, but after making it three novices’ hurdles wins in a row when accounting for I Am Maximus in the Ballymore Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, he has a potentially very smart horse on his hands with Hillcrest. The seven-year-old son of Stowaway is massive; 18-plus hands and weighed in at a heavyweight 693kg when he first arrived at Daly’s (admittedly well fed after a summer at grass). To put that into context, the average racing weight of his horses is nearer 520kg. With no one else to make the pace, Richard Patrick set off in front, Hillcrest pricked his ears and when joined by I Am Maximus on the…

gemma.redrup@futurenet.com @gemmaredrup Thurlow, Horseheath, Cambs EIGHT-TIME champion Gina Andrews rang in the new year by smashing the record to become British point-to-point’s winning-most lady rider of all time. Her milestone 304th victory came aboard the £800 chance buy, Fumet D’Oudairies – fittingly known as “Champ” – in the ladies’ open to pass Polly Gundry’s plus-10-year record of 303. To call this a fairytale would be to diminish what the 29-year-old has achieved. Records are neither set nor smashed on wishes alone. This was the culmination of years of work, matched by her talent as a competitor and a horsewoman. “I’ve loved this sport for as long as I can remember, going pointing with Dad when I was a kid,” said Gina, who secured victory and the record by 10 lengths,…

KAUTO STAR had amassed record prize money takings of £2,375,883 on his retirement but the total amount collected by his connections increased by £1.4m as a result of two bonus payments. In 2006-07 he won a £1m bonus for landing the Stayers’ Chase Triple Crown, a trio of races embracing the Betfair Chase, the King George VI Chase and the Gold Cup. He remains the only horse to complete that sequence in the same season. Kauto Star also won £400,000 when he finished top of the British Horseracing Authority’s Order of Merit table in 2006-07, in the process swelling his earnings to £3,775,883.…

NATIVE RIVER The Colin Tizzard-trained 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner has been retired after pulling up in the Welsh Grand National. The 12-year-old won 14 of 32 starts, including the 2016 Hennessy Gold Cup and 2021 Cotswold Chase. DIAMOND HILL Alex Harrison’s under-25 British dressage team ride has died from colic aged 10. He made his international debut with Alex in 2018 and they were third in the grand prix freestyle at Keysoe CDI in October. SASKIA HIT British dressage rider Liz Diegutis’ grand prix mare “Princess” has been retired aged 17 after developing arthritis. The pair competed internationally and represented Britain in a Nations Cup in 2019. ARLO DE BLONDEL The ride of Irish showjumper Richard Howley has been sold. Richard took the reins in 2019 from Jack Whitaker…

Former Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Sam Thomas landed his biggest career success as a trainer, with a win in the Welsh Grand National on 27 December with Iwilldoit. Jockey Gina Andrews became British point-to-pointing’s winning-most lady rider with her 304th victory, on Fumet D’Oudairies at Thurlow on 31 December. Report, p58 British Show Pony Society chairman Pat Pattinson will stand down in February, after 11 years. She felt it was the “right time to step away” but is to play an “active part” in the organisation. FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez was re-elected president of the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) for 2021-2025. She said it is a “huge honour” to continue. Eventer and coach Sharon Hunt is recovering from surgery after breaking her arm in a doorway. She…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle IF Carlsberg made first days in jobs, mine was it. I started as British Eventing (BE) chief executive on the day the British team won two medals in Tokyo. I was all packed up to go to head office when I received a phone call asking me to do a live BBC interview and it went on from there, with three TV interviews and one on radio. The radio interview, where I was alongside the chief executive of British Weight Lifting, highlighted some of our accessibility and inclusivity challenges. He said anyone could pop to the local gym and sign up to get started, which isn’t quite so simple in equestrianism. Four weeks later, I was lucky to go to Avenches for the Europeans. This was special because…

CAROLINE explains how she teaches horses about patterns and thereby rhythm from the outset: ● Place seven or eight poles on the ground down the length of arena, about 3m or 3.5 human strides apart. ● Trot over them to start with. Once you’ve done it once, most likely the horse will pick up canter on the next approach. ● Even though this is the earliest stage of training, there must be no compromise on straightness; keep him going over the middle of the poles right from the word go. “Young horses need variety”CHLOE WINCHESTER ● Once the horse picks up the rhythm easily, then you can turn the end pole into a small fence, about 60 to 70cm high, only just off the ground. Always start with a small…

BEST HORSEY MOMENT: “I have two very memorable moments, the first one was riding at my first Olympics in Sydney which was an amazing experience. It’s everyone’s dream to stand up for their country at an Olympic Games. The whole experience was just mind-blowing. “Supreme Rock had never been on a plane before, so the stress and worry around his welfare was huge, but to get there safe and sound and attend the opening ceremony in front of all those people was just incredible. I remember walking the course with no shoes on because it was warm and being teased about being bitten by the snakes in the grass. “My second memorable experience was winning the Rolex Grand Slam in 2003. The first two legs happened very quickly and went…

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catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123…

THERE’S no chance owner Clive Smith (pictured, on the left) will forget the Kauto Star roller-coaster ride. But it’s a measure of Kauto Star’s reach that Clive is still often stopped by people wanting to talk about the horse. “Wherever I go, people I’ve never met come up to me and start talking about Kauto Star,” he says. “It even happened in a lift in New Zealand. I also owned Master Minded, who was a true champion over two miles, but it is always Kauto Star they want to talk about.”…

SOME women buy sexy shoes, sign up for ultra-marathons or join Tinder when they fancy feeling young again. Some spend their money on expensive face creams and spa treatments or dream about going to raves. Mid-life crises come in many forms, but I’ve discovered a better way to go back in time. It’s simple actually and nowhere near as much hard work as running or mid-life dating. You simply need to get on a pony again. Best time-machine ever. I took Alec’s pony Issy hunting on Saturday. This chunky and amenable 14.2hh has just realised that she loves hunting. She is fit and up for it and loving life. There I was cantering up the verges, jumping on and off just because I could, hanging with the kids. The years…