Innholdsfortegnelse for 30-Jun-2022 i Horse & Hound

WELL done to Shane Breen, winner of the 60th Hickstead Derby. We have missed this iconic event, which always delivers an exciting story and has such history. As Shane says, winning it is not about the money, but a dream for those who have followed the class since childhood. One of the other big talking points of the past week was the results of World Horse Welfare’s survey looking at public perception of horse sport. Some feel that even bringing this to readers’ attention is “scaremongering”, or creating a problem that is not there. The problem is there whether we write about it or not, and if there is a risk to the future of horse sport, better to address it than put our fingers in our ears and look…

Eventer Mary King, 61, is recovering having fractured vertebrae, ribs and her shoulder blade in a fall from a young horse. Mary said she is “absolutely fine” and hopes to event this season. Irish showjumper Shane Breen has won his first Hickstead Derby, on Can Ya Makan. Shane, who was also joint second on Golden Hawk, said it was emotional to lift the trophy finally. Report, p36 Leicestershirebased British event rider Eliza Stoddart has announced she got engaged to her partner William Bell on 16 June while the couple were on holiday in Croatia. Showjumper Matt Sampson won his first five-star grand prix, on Fabrice DN, at Spruce Meadows, Canada, on 18 June. Matt thanked Fabrice for making his “lifelong dream” come true. The Queen has reportedly returned to riding,…

GOOD WEEK ▲ COLLECTION An experienced semen collector ended up with rather a painful bruise on his arm when one collection didn’t go to plan. “I took my eye off the ball, ” he said ruefully. Which one, is the question… ▲ THE ARMY Scammer of the week is he who is selling a five-year-old 14.2hh who is, apparently, calm on the parade ground and in the field, isn’t whimsical and “will be a reliable friend and partner on the battlefield”. Ring the MoD immediately. ▲ TRANSPORT To Scotland, where a man dressed in high-vis has been attracting attention as he rides around town on a mini rocking horse on top of a hover-board. With the price of fuel, and horse feed, as it is, this would seem nothing but…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle I FINALLY managed to have a month on this side of the Atlantic in June and was lucky enough to be at Bramham and Luhmühlen. I didn’t, though, escape the travel woes – with two flights cancelled, I finished up flying to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport and catching a train home. The two events provided an interesting contrast. Ian Stark’s Bramham, with all its terrain, was “four-star plus”, while Mike Etherington-Smith’s Luhmühlen was “five-star minus”. It’s a moot point which was the most difficult course. Riders at both were happy, though, as they were expecting a typical Scotty course in Yorkshire and a softer five-star in Continental Europe. “The two events provided a contrast” I know Ian felt slightly battered after Bramham (opinion, 16 June), but the…

VETS in Denmark noticed that sweet itch ponies, coincidentally vaccinated with a ringworm vaccine licensed in that country (but not in the UK), seemed to show a reduction in the intensity of the disease. Many veterinary practices in the UK have imported this vaccine under a special licence and tried it. The results have been mixed and very hard to interpret, as invariably owners will also use, and are advised to, other preventive methods. A recent placebo-controlled study in Germany, in which 51 affected horses were vaccinated, showed an overall reduction in the severity of the disease in vaccinated animals, but the difference (although noted by the owners) was not statistically significant. Further research is required before this vaccine can be unequivocally recommended to control sweet itch. Other attempts to…

alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ Royal Highland, Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh NATIVE classes at the 200th Royal Highland Show were dominated by one young rider, who took home three Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers on three different ponies before lifting two overall championships. Eighteen-year-old Aliya Khan was the ultimate juggler, commencing her bumper run on Friday and not slowing down for a moment until the show closed. Aliya was first of the mountain and moorland (M&M) open working hunter contenders to jump with Leah Cassell’s worker qualifier debutante, Pumphill Rasputin. The 14-year-old Dartmoor gelding, a HOYS finalist as a junior, open and first ridden with Leah’s sister Hollie Mcgauley, triumphed over a flowing Graham Barclay track, which attracted so many entries that competitors were jumping well into the night. “Jumping first…

polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 Jardy CDI2*, France “AS a trainer, I was excited. I knew they had a good chance, ” said Matt Hicks of his protégé Dylan Deutrom and San Marco – winners of the prix st georges (PSG), inter I and freestyle, the latter with 77.12%. “We were hoping for top three finishes, but to win all three – and to get that freestyle score – was amazing. “Watching their freestyle made me and my partner cry, and I never cry. Perhaps it was a bit of tiredness.” The pair’s wins came hot on the heels of a victorious overseas international debut at Opglabbeek CDI, Belgium, at the end of March, and an under-25 grand prix win at Wellington earlier this month. “This will be his last international small tour,…

catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 WIMBLEDON, the FA Cup, the Ashes, the Open, the foxhound show at Peterborough. What do they have in common? Tennis, football, cricket, golf and hunting all benefited from the Victorians’ zeal to organise and celebrate their noble pastimes, and the championships were all founded within just a few years of the first “Peterborough” in 1878. A foxhound show had been held in Yorkshire since 1859, masterminded by local MFH Tom Parrington, who later advised its larger southern successor. The show has had several different venues, with similar layouts since its founding, all within the sound of the bells of Peterborough’s great Norman cathedral. After more than five decades at Alwalton, another venue in the locality will now be sought under the expert chairmanship of Sir Philip Naylor-Leyland, whose…

Share your news story Call 01252 555021 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ THE results of a survey into public perception of equestrian sport should be a “wake-up call” to all in the industry – but if we take action and work together, we can overcome the challenges. An independent survey commissioned by World Horse Welfare, conducted by YouGov from a representative sample of the public, found that 20% of respondents did not support the continued involvement of horses in sport, under any circumstances, and 40% only supported this if their welfare is improved (see box). World Horse Welfare CEO Roly Owers said: “This is the first survey we have undertaken on this important subject, and the findings should be a wake-up call to everyone involved in equestrian sports. I’m afraid the…

FINALISTS NAMED IN SEIB YARD AWARDS THE finalists in the SEIB Yard of the Year Awards 2022, in association with Horse & Hound, have been announced. Following nominations and voting, the judges have decided on a shortlist in each of the six categories, covering livery yards, riding schools, competition venues and Riding for the Disabled Association centres. The awards were set up to celebrate excellence in British yards and support those that deserve recognition for their vital services to the industry. The winners will be announced on 6 July. • Visit: horseandhound.co.uk/yardoftheyear POINT-TO-POINT TO END AT BARBURY NO more point-to-points will be held at Barbury Castle, as they are no longer viable. The Barbury Castle Estate said it was “saddened” to confirm there would be no more meetings at the…

WHAT better present could there be for a newlywed couple than a copy of Horse&Hound with themselves on the cover? And not just any old copy of H&H, this one was created from a block of wood, in about 100 hours of expert carving on the part of Margot Charlton. Margot presented it to her son Matthias and his wife Ellie, who married on 11 September last year. Matthias told H&H his mother bandsaws a “crick” of wood to the correct size, then gets to work with her carving tools. The result is not much thicker than a magazine and, apparently, can be stuck with Velcro to the wall. “But it’s just on the mantelpiece for now, ” Matthias said. “It’s a great keepsake, we really like it.”…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald FURTHER to Carl Hester’s comment in H&H (“The cost of shows is eye-opening”; opinion, 23 June), this year has been a horrible wake-up call for everyone. Competitors, business owners and show organisers have been hit by rising costs across the industry, and it’s tough out there. The biggest hit for the events industry has been fuel-cost increases, which not only impacts the thousands of litres we buy to run generators, but also the delivery charges from all the suppliers of infrastructure on site. New regulations came in this year that mean events are no longer allowed to use red diesel (less than half the price of standard diesel), at the same time as the actual cost of diesel is rising exponentially. Costs have risen about 15% across the…

SHANWELL HOUSE Kinross, Perth and Kinross For you: stunning Georgian house set in spectacular countryside just 27 miles from Edinburgh. There are established gardens including rhododendrons and azaleas, an orchard and woodlands abundant with birdlife and red squirrels. There is also a two-bedroom gate lodge with a log-burning stove, plus a gardener’s cottage in need of renovation. For the horses: an attractive courtyard of stone-built outhouses where the original stables are currently used as garaging, workshop and barn. Set in a total of 25 acres, including a 10.6-acre parkland field, plus a 2.4-acre field with shelter. OIE: £1.35m Savills, 0131 247 3738, savills.com LANGLEE PARK Jedburgh, Roxburghshire For you: an idyllic lifestyle farm with a refurbished four-bedroom home with 28 acres of parkland. There are immaculate gardens, wildflower pasture and…

Lily the Jack Russell – she follows me everywhere and she’s a very clever dog. No matter how bad your day’s been, a dog will always cheer you up. If I’m jumping at home, she’ll come in the arena and get in the way sometimes, but generally just sits and watches – I don’t tend to take her to shows because she’d expect to come into the ring with me! I haven’t trained her that well……

“I’VE travelled the world and been to some beautiful places, but never have I had my breath taken away like in Glenfeshie in the heart of the Cairngorms, ” says Claire Scott. And she should know. Claire’s a long-distance rider who has been navigating the Highlands for more than a decade. And while Scotland’s unpredictable weather means its gems are often shrouded in the ubiquitous mists, its hills, lochs, beaches and glens make for spectacular riding country. Moreover, Scotland’s access rights make the countryside a haven for equestrian explorers. Claire cites the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 as liberating. “With horses, we enjoy the right to responsible access – the same as walkers and cyclists – meaning we can ride almost anywhere, ” says Claire, currently in the middle of…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Stratford Hills, Essex FRANKI JARVIS and Lissavorra Doc left a host of professionals trailing in their wake when they powered to victory in novice section F. It was a first win at the level for the duo, who added 2.4 cross-country time-penalties to their leading 25.8 dressage score. “When my mum told me my dressage mark, I didn’t believe her. I felt sure it was a typo, ” admitted Franki, who runs her own small yard on the Essex/Hertfordshire border. “He saved my bacon in the showjumping when we got the last fence all wrong and he put in an extra stride and ballooned it.” The pair teamed up six years ago when “Doc” was a fresh-off-the-Irish-ferry four-year-old. “We have such a special bond, ” added Franki. “All…

“HE’S getting there, ” said Ulrik Molgaard of Ostergardens Twilight after a 72.94% PSG win at Hunters Equestrian, Glos. “He has been a bit of a slow burner and not the easiest in the arena, as he didn’t go out much as a young horse. Now I have the time to concentrate on him and he’s becoming much more rideable. “He has a lot of talent, ” Ulrik added of the 11-year-old by Tailormade Temptation. “He was listening and focused on me in the arena.” ONE TO WATCH…

THE 2022 Cheltenham Festival delivered more drama than the Oscars. Rachael Blackmore was “absolutely lost for words” when she became the first woman to win the Gold Cup with a note-perfect ride on A Plus Tard and was greeted with rapturous applause. Jack Kennedy rode a fearsome race on Delta Work to win the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase on an almost waterlogged course and was met with thunderous boos. The reason? He’d chased beloved Tiger Roll and Davy Russell into second place and denied what would have been, in Irish trainer Gordon Elliott’s words, “the perfect ending”. The owners, the O’Learys’ Gigginstown House Stud, had already announced that Tiger would retire and live with Michael and his family as his “fifth child” after this race. Davy was surprised by the…

CHACCO KID Eric Lamaze’s grand prixwinning ride has been retired after sustaining a leg injury. The Chacco Kid Group’s 16-year-old was competing with Beth Underhill at Spruce Meadows when he injured a check ligament. MOTHER EARTH Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor’s 1000 Guineas winner, trained by Aidan O’Brien and piloted that day by Frankie Dettori, has retired to Coolmore. The four-year-old filly won more than £1m during her career. BILLY KING OF THE NORTH Danielle Thelwell’s pony won the ridden coloured championships at Royal Cheshire for the fourth time in a row. The 11-year-old elite graded stallion was ridden by his producer, Megan Hewitt, on each occasion.…

alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ THE Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) mountain and moorland (M&M) working hunter pony and junior ridden classes at the 2022 Royal Highland were an absolute joy to judge. The standard of the ponies forward was tremendous, and classes were well supported. My co-judge Nicola Shuttleworth and I had a mammoth day in the working hunter pony ring, starting at 1.30pm and finishing at 9.30pm. The stewards and coursebuilder were fantastic to keep everything running smoothly. The numbers forward certainly buck the trend of 2022, and I wondered if this was due to a superb Graham Barclay-built course or the fact it was the Royal Highland Show. Clearly competitors are still prepared to pay for great service, venue and organisation. Our winners were lovely and there must be…

ASK any rider what it takes to reach the top of the sport and the words ambition, perseverance and even a bit of luck will sound familiar. Of course, horsepower and financial backing also come into play and for riders based in Scotland, add the small matter of location to the list. For some riders, distance is no object, while for others the grass can become a little greener south of the border. But what is apparent is that they all share the same determination. For Aberdeenshire-based dressage rider Fenella Quinn, a 24-hour round trip to the likes of Keysoe International is becoming part and parcel of her competitive life as she moves up the ranks. Fenella made her international debut at small tour level in 2019 – riding for…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald AL SHIRA’AA HICKSTEAD DERBY WINNING RIDER: Shane Breen WINNING HORSE: Can Ya Makan OWNER: Team Z7 BREEDER: Lenaerts Gerald Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting, The All England Jumping Course, West Sussex IT was almost 20 years in the making, but Hickstead’s own Shane Breen finally got the monkey off his back and raised the Boomerang trophy, after jumping the sole faultless round in the Al Shira’aa Derby on Can Ya Makan. Good things come to those who wait, and the 47-year-old Irishman also made it a one-two when he produced one of four four-fault rounds with his other great stallion, Prince Torki’s 17-year-old Golden Hawk. Former world champion Dermott Lennon (Gelvins Touch), Brazil’s Carlos Eduardo Mota Ribas (Jella Van’t Kathof) and Harriet Biddick with A Touch Imperious, who…

AN Exmoor stallion, bought as a foal from a photo on Facebook, continued the breed’s 2022 run of form to head an excellent open ridden class, take his first HOYS ticket and then stand small breed champion at Lincolnshire Show. Rider-producer Jessica Talbot had Julian Walters and David Hodge’s six-year-old Blackthorn Poldark (pictured) – bred by Jackie Webb and Ann Nicholls and twice supreme in-hand at the Exmoor breed show – right on song to score in this, his first major season under saddle. “He was a fine example of the breed with great limbs, ” said cojudge Madge Taylor. “He had a smiley face all the time, and my cojudge Erik Mackechnie-Guire said he was an athletic, free-moving pony, without any extravagance, that executed a lovely show.” Julian explained:…

MADDIE WHITFIELD and her “quirky” appaloosa gelding, Samson, nailed all three phases on the same day to win the BE1000u18 at Nunney. “When I bought Samson five years ago, he was scared of a pole on the floor, ” explained Maddie, 17, who is a pupil at Colyton Grammar School. “Our results, especially in the showjumping, reflect the very many highs and lows we’ve had.” A new approach to the coloured poles has paid off handsomely this year and, with help from Maddie’s trainer, Polly Schwerdt, the pair have recorded three double clears from four outings. “Samson has always lacked confidence, but Polly and I have worked out a routine that suits him and that allows him to perform at his best. “He only ever jumps at competitions, we don’t…

IT is “common riding” season here in the Borders. A tradition going back to the 12th century when inhabitants of each town would patrol the outer reaches of their common land to guard it from rival gangs. The Borders was like the Wild West back then, pillaging and bloodshed were a way of life, which is hard to imagine in a place where everyone is so friendly. While guarding the parish is no longer a necessity, the custom of “riding the bounds” still takes place in many Border towns throughout the summer, along with a week of celebrations to mark the occasion. This year, I joined our local one at Yetholm. A friend called Emma and her son Rory came along too – Emma and I on foot, leading the…