Innholdsfortegnelse for 22-Dec-2022 i Horse & Hound

SOME initially bemoaned the London International Horse Show's move from Olympia to ExCeL, saying it would be harder to get to and would lose its magic. I'd refute both claims, particularly with the Elizabeth line opening this year – Olympia would have been just as tough to get to with last week's rail strikes. As for magic, it exists in spades at HPower's version of ExCeL – from Father Christmas and his elves singing The Last Noel, black tie arena parties de rigueur, torch-lit renditions of Sweet Caroline, the return of the inspired fancy dress showjumping (think John Whitaker as Pirates of the Caribbean’s Elizabeth Swann!) broad appeal displays and top-class sporting action. You don't need a glass dome roof to feel magical, you need Lottie Fry achieving a personal…

UTHOPIA Carl Hester's London 2012 team gold medallist, 21, delighted spectators at the London International Horse Show on 15 December in a demonstration under Amy Woodhead, alongside his sixyear-old son Marley. CATWALK IV Robert Whitaker's retired top ride, owned by his mother, Clare Whitaker and Mandy Hall, has died at 19. They won the Lausanne CS15* grand prix, Helsinki World Cup and grand prix, and were on winning Nations Cup teams. FACHOUDETTE Georgie Dalton's (née Davies) five-star eventer, who finished 10th at Badminton 2008, has died aged 29. The pair were third at Luhmühlen 2007, young rider team medallists, and competed at the 2007 senior Europeans.…

▼ ENERGY A press release arrives at H&H Towers promising a breakthrough on “limitless energy”. Ooh, we thought, we could do with some of that for cold mornings at the yard… oh. Nuclear fusion. Not entirely sure that will be of help… ▼ MATHS Back to ExCeL for London International Horse Show, where a commentator was waxing lyrical over one horse's breeding. “That just says one thing to me: power, size, scopey, brave,” he said. Yes, we always love those powersizescopeybrave horses, too. ▼ CARS Some racehorse owners who bought their first horses early this year and have just celebrated their first victory said that at the time it was a tough call whether to “buy the horses or an Aston Martin”. Ah, those decisions are always so difficult, aren't…

LOVESTRUCK Stable name: Lara Sex: mare Height: 158cm Breeding: by La Rochelle out of De Beers Breeder: Gail Burrough Class: small riding horse Owners: Rosemary Penn and Vicky Smith Handler: Steve Pitt Age: 14 Best results: in-hand – 2022, champion Horse of the Year Show (HOYS); Price Family in-hand supreme qualifier Midland Counties, first (horse section) and champion Price Family in-hand supreme HOYS final; 2021, champion £1,000 Royal Mile final British Show Horse Association (BSHA) national championships; 2018, champion HOYS Cuddy in-hand supreme qualifier National Hunter supreme championships, fourth (horse section) Cuddy in-hand supreme HOYS final; 2011, champion in-hand riding horse Equifest, champion HOYS Cuddy in-hand supreme qualifier National Hunter supreme championships, first (horse section) and reserve Cuddy in-hand supreme HOYS final. Ridden – 2012, third small riding horse HOYS…

OPINION THIS was my first time competing at ExCeL – and what a fantastic show. It was always going to be difficult to replicate the magic of Olympia somewhere else; the building doesn't have the same charm, and there are always going to be people who miss Olympia. I am a traditionalist, but I thought the team managed to pull off a miracle by creating the same special atmosphere as Olympia. The show was on a par with the best indoor shows in Europe, and it was interesting speaking to people such as Ann-Christin Berger, groom to Helen Langehanenberg. They had travelled from Germany to this show for the first time. She said they would never miss London again and they want to come every year. Emile Faurie is one…

DARTMOOR 26 November Edited by Catherine Austen catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 Ivybridge, Devon LAST season, I had a memorable, if occasionally hair-raising day hunting hounds in the eye of Storm Dudley on the Quantocks from the late Anthony Trollope Bellew's, after which the locals said they would have cancelled if we hadn't been visiting. I had thought that day was crazy until a recent day with the Dartmoor hounds in the face of an unnamed foul tempest. I had been boorishly studying the forecast all week and, as a non-native, took measures. However, as I sat at the meet, with a Ri-Dry mac over my hunt coat, I felt absorbed by waves of misplaced vanity. By 2pm, when the master's breeches had turned completely pink from his running red coat, I felt…

“I DON'T usually get attached to them, but I didn't want to see this one go anywhere,” said Davy Harvey of his novice prospect Benefit, who came to Davy's yard to be sold and ended up staying. Co-owned with Judy Peploe, the six-year-old gelding is already getting ahead of himself with his flying changes. “We'd started them when he was in to sell and in the test he threw in a lovely one,” added Davy, who headed both novices at Wellington Riding, Hampshire. “He's just that type, always trying to please. He'd been brought over from Denmark and had done nothing, so he was green, but he shows all the qualities for the higher-level work. There's no rush; it should be quite fun.” ONE TO WATCH…

Wix EC, Essex NICKNAMED “Peter the Perfect Pony”, Laura Percy's six-year-old Connemara gelding Conobola Cascade claimed a novice double. “He's new to it all, but I'm pleased with how well he's done so quickly,” said Laura, who bought 14.2hh Peter as an allrounder two years ago. “He has oodles of scope and he tries his heart out in every respect.” “He scores a lot of marks for consistency” LAURA PERCY After success in the British Connemara Pony Society performance award scheme, the son of Larkins Cascade Dawn started his affiliated dressage career in October. “His paces are fantastic and he scores a lot of marks for consistency,” added Laura. “The judges have been complimentary.”…

Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @jones_eleanor_ CHATSWORTH will host the British leg of the FEI eventing Nations Cup with long-standing host venue Houghton absent from next year's calendar. Chatsworth (13-14 May) held Britain's leg in the FEI eventing World Cup series, which ran from 2005 to 2012, and was a venue in the Event Rider Masters series. The four-star at the Derbyshire fixture is also among the events named in the 2023 calendar at which competitors can pick up a qualifying result for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 2023 Nations Cup series is also one of the ways nations can qualify; the highestplaced team not already qualified bags a place at the 2024 Games. Chatsworth event director Patricia Clifton said the team is “delighted”, that the…

Showjumping legend John Whitaker, 67, was given the British Equestrian Writers Association (BEWA) lifetime achievement award at the London International Horse Show. Legendary Flat jockey Frankie Dettori has announced he will retire at the end of the 2023 season. The 52-year-old's career to date includes 282 Group and Grade One victories. Eventing world champion Yasmin Ingham received the Raymond BrooksWard memorial trophy, for the British rider aged 25 or under who shows the “greatest potential for future success”. Grand Nationalwinning jockey Davy Russell has retired aged 43. His illustrious career includes two Grand National victories with Tiger Roll, and a Cheltenham Gold Cup with Lord Windermere. Dressage world champions Lottie Fry and Glamourdale won the London grand prix, and the World Cup freestyle with a personal-best 90.99%. Lottie also won BEWA moment of the year.…

CAN'T afford your dream stables? Just use pallets. That's what Clara Fingerhut did, when she did not have the £25,000 she needed to build in the old barn of her new home. She's taken apart more than 250 pallets and used more than 10,000 screws to fix the slim planks to the posts concreted in, creating doors and windows from scratch. Her first thought was to put something in that would do and could be replaced in future with the ones she really wanted. “But I think I prefer what I've got!” she said. “I'm not rich, nor have I ever had a horse on full livery. I'm just a groom who wanted the best possible life for her horses and did everything in her power to make that happen.…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. DEAR HORSE & HOUND… MANY thanks to you, NAF and Agria for making me Horse of a Lifetime in this year's Horse & Hound Awards ceremony at Cheltenham Racecourse. So very sorry that Terry Pendry and I could not attend, but I so much appreciated this special nomination. We are very grateful to Lizzie Briant who represented us. It was our duty, honour and privilege to serve our late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and we miss her so very much. Please assure your readers that I am very well looked after by the team here at Windsor Castle and am enjoying semi-retirement. ” I am very well looked after here at Windsor Castle” CARLTONLIMA EMMA May I…

I was originally a hairdresser, but got fed up with that and joined the Army military police; that didn't work out, though, because I used to get terrible blisters with all the walking. I've always had horses – I used to breed a few – and showjumped to Foxhunter and small open level; I still ride now, but just for pleasure. I ran shows at home [Ling Farm, Nottinghamshire] and Denzil Oxby used to build the courses; I was only his whipping lad to start with, but that's when I decided I wanted to become a coursebuilder myself. Eventually, I got onto the course-builders’ panel and I travelled around with Denzil, learning a great deal. One show centre had a broken wall and I asked if I could take it…

“ROSEMARY introduced Lara to us at Royal Cornwall when she was a three-year-old, and I was in love from the moment I first clapped eyes on her. She came to our yard to be produced and she's never left. “She qualified for HOYS in-hand as a three-year-old, going through to win and take reserve champion at the final. She was backed and brought out the following season, and was practically unbeaten during her novice career. Lara and I won the riding horses and took reserve section champion at HOYS together in 2014. “She is the most trainable, intelligent horse I've ever known. In another life, she could have done pure dressage. The elevation in her paces means she just tips and glides along while staying incredibly balanced. She's the perfect…

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SHOWJUMPING LONDON INTERNATIONAL Grand prix TURKISH AIRLINES LONDON GRAND PRIX 1. MATT SAMPSON & Ebolensky (GBR) 2. LORENZO DE LUCA & Curcuma II Palazzetto (ITA) 3. ANGELIE VON ESSEN & Cochella (SWE) Winning owners: rider and Rachael Evison Groom: Kate Titulaer Breeder: Frank and Patrice Koster MATT SAMPSON scored a huge win in the Turkish Airlines London grand prix as the only rider to jump clear in both rounds. The 32-year-old Brit has had a super 2022, spending much of the year based in North America with his girlfriend, Canadian rider Kara Chad, but to win at home meant everything to him. This was his first victory at the London International, where he made his debut last year. “I live away a lot, but I'm at home for Christmas,” he…

DRESSAGE HIGHLIGHTS 5-11 December Edited by Polly Bryan polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 Bury Farm EC, Buckinghamshire “HE feels really up for it,” said Abi Lyle of her grand prix winner Farrell. “He's always been sharp and spooky and can be a difficult character, so we have to make things low pressure, but he's really coming on. We're not just getting things done in the test now – we're making them better. “I know him so well that I'll be able to be more tactical at shows next year,” she added. “We'll be aiming for some more CDIs. I'm looking forward to it.” Abi, who describes the 11-year-old Fabregas gelding as “a little bit hard on the outside but soft inside”, added: “He's quite funny as he'll hold a grudge. He used to…

Northallerton EC, N Yorkshire CAMACHO, a horse who “fell off the radar” for a decade after success as a five-year-old, took both the medium freestyle and advanced medium 96 qualifier. Emma Littlewood started competing the Citango gelding – bought by Robert Holstead as a hacker – in March, after sitting on him at a training session. “He was crooked and he couldn't canter, but I could see potential,” explained Emma, who trains with Hannah Esberger. “He's such a nice soul, quite quirky but so enthusiastic, which can be his undoing because when I ask for one thing, he offers me five. He's still a bit giddy in the changes, but already he's showing talent for piaffe-passage.”…

SOMETIMES Christmas can feel like a competitive sport. “All ready?” people ask. Because I'm usually not, I find it difficult not to grimace or say something that is inappropriate at a time when we should be feeling goodwill towards all men. I like the people who say, “It's only buying a few presents and cooking a roast, what's the big deal?” Rather than the super-organised whose presents are wrapped and houses decorated by the end of November. It would be fine if they didn't tell us about it. This year the postal strikes have thrown another spanner in the works, the roads around here are covered with snow and the organised/smug are having a field day. Meanwhile, I am on a white-knuckle ride wondering if any presents will arrive before…

CHYAZINT The six-year-old set a PSI Auction record, selling for €4m (£3.44m) to the Auers. The Casallco daughter, out of a Heartbreaker mare, was owned by breeder Anna Christina Gansäuer, and Paul Schockemöhle. OUIJA BOARD Lord Derby's 2004 Oaks winner and dam of Derby hero Australia has died, aged 21. She gave trainer Ed Dunlop his first British Classic success, and her wins included the Irish Oaks and two Breeders’ Cups. BOUNTY HUNTER II Caron Myles’ former advanced eventer has died, aged 31. Caron and the “feisty, determined” skewbald gelding jumped cross-country clear at Badminton 2002. After eventing, Bounty hunted.…

▲ INTERVIEWS Hats off to the genii who brought fancy dress back to The Show That Is Not Olympia, for a top night. Also to John Whitaker, aka Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean, whose post-round comment was: “How do you fill a hole in a parrot? Polyfilla.” We love you, John. ▲ UNICORNS Hurrah for Los Angeles animal control, which replied to a letter from a young lady who wanted to keep a unicorn in her garden with a unicorn licence and care tips, such as that it must have “sunlight, moonbeams and rainbows”. Would Defra have done that…? (No. Ed) ▲ A CHEEKY TIPPLE A rider was asked about a previous costume in a London International fancy dress relay. “No idea, we had a lot to drink…

Edited by Polly Bryan polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 OPINION WHEN it comes to keeping horse sport in the public's good books, I have to agree with Carl Hester (opinion, 17 November), when he said that my plea to “fight back” was too strongly worded. I use the term “fight” loosely; I call getting up in the morning a fight. The word was my father's when he wanted to rally his troops with discipline. Undoubtedly, we need a unified plan and then to stick to it. But what is the plan? And who will coordinate and finalise our blueprint to preserve equestrianism's precious social licence to operate? Once again, its that British conundrum of getting all our governing bodies to pull together on behalf of the horse. I'm part of the admin team…

SHOWING LONDON INTERNATIONAL Seniors THE country's leading senior horses and ponies, ranging in age from 15 to 33 years old, battled it out for the top two titles on offer in veteran showing. The Senior Showing and Dressage Ltd (SSADL) in-hand and ridden championships, supported by Agria Insurance, returned to London for the first time since 2019 and an assortment of versatile golden oldies were presented before judges Penny Clifford and Jackie Webb. After narrowly missing out on the ridden supreme three years ago, Amy Hunter's “horse of a lifetime” Pillgrim was back with a vengeance to secure the overall sash. Estate agent Amy has owned the 19-year-old traditional for eight years. “He's taken me to all the ‘biggies’, including Horse of the Year Show and the Royal International (RIHS),”…

EDEN MARKL'S former showjumper, Lux Rising Sun – who returned to competition this autumn after a two-year break – scored an outright prelim win at West Park EC, Durham. “Because of the pandemic, I lost my oomph,” said Eden. “I then discovered that ‘Patrick’ had pastern and fetlock arthritis. “He's a lovely, easy horse, but we call him an arrogant old man because he's set in his ways,” she added of the Lux Z 17-year-old. “We've done some showing and we started the veteran journey last year.”…

SHIRLEY RIXON'S British-bred Penhaligon Freigeist headed both elementaries. “He was on fire,” laughed Jayne Turney, who says she sometimes has to “sit tight” on the five-year-old gelding. “He was on edge, but in a good way.” Already a British Dressage young horse championships finalist, “Floyd” has won all six tests in three outings at novice and elementary, never scoring less than 70%. “He's very bright,” said Jayne. “He finds things easy and you only have to teach him once before he has got it. He has an amazing walk and has been showing that off in the competition environment.”…