Innholdsfortegnelse for 23-Mar-2023 i Horse & Hound

IF the buzz and feeling from the first day of Cheltenham last week is an indicator of the sporting year ahead we are in for an awesome 2023 of horse sport. As Marcus Armytage (report, p50) and Kim Bailey (opinion, p16) help us relive the week that was, I hope all who were in the stands on Tuesday enjoyed bearing witness to Constitution Hill's outstanding nine-length victory as well as Honeysuckle's emotional swansong, and managed to retrieve their hats from lost property, too. With Badminton entries announced (news, p9), we already have even more to look forward to – and in next week's issue we go behind the scenes with contender Laura Collett to live a day in the life of last year's Badminton winner. It will be sad not…

VANIR KAMIRA Trevor Dickens’ Badminton and Burghley winner has retired from five-star competition, aged 18. Rider Piggy March said “Tilly” will do some one-day events. BELLA ROSE 2 Isabell Werth's Olympic silver and team gold medal-winning mare, owned by Madeleine Winter-Schulze, has had her first foal, a colt named Via Bellani, by Valdiviani. ORATORIO William Fox-Pitt's ride, owned by the Oratorio syndicate, died of a heart attack at Lincolnshire Horse Trials. The 14-year-old had come 13th and 14th at Badminton. ALL WE NEED The young rider European team gold medal-winner has been put down aged 12 owing to cancer. He and Millie Juleff were sixth individually at the 2022 championships. NOBLE The Royal Canadian Mounted Police gave the seven-year-old mare to The King to continue a long tradition. Noble is…

Dressage legend Carl Hester withdrew from the Addington CDI owing to a foot injury suffered in a non-horse-related fall. Carl was due to ride Fame. Eventer Georgie Goss will make a nationality change and ride for Ireland when she returns to competition following the birth of her first child, who is due in a few weeks. British Eventing CEO Helen West will step down in June after two years owing to “personal circumstances”, including the need to care for her father. British Equestrian Trade Association executive director Claire Williams was named in the Women in Trade Associations Powerlist 2023. Irish eventer Jonty Evans will make his para dressage debut with his Olympic partner Cooley Rorkes Drift at Solihull on Thursday 30 March, in grade IV.…

TWO Shires have helped create a wildflower meadow in the Tower of London moat. Andreas Liefooghe is the managing director of Operation Centaur, whose horses have been carrying out conservation work for royal palaces for 30 years. “We're not romanticising but in these really quite special places, it makes a lot more sense to bring the horses in,” Professor Liefooghe told H&H. “In Kensington Gardens, the wildflowers are abundant, where before was just grass and nettles. People are seeing wildflowers in central London, where they hadn't been seen for decades.”…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. CALL FOR HELP I AM hoping your readers can identify the original recipient of this horn, now in use in New Zealand. The inscription reads, “West of England Show 1986, presented by Horse and Hound”. Was it presented by H&H's former editor Michael Clayton to the huntsman of the champion hound? Major Alex Boissard MFH Sherwood Station, New Zealand “Breeders must breed animals fit for purpose” MELISSA WILLIAMS MY SPECIAL HORSE FURTHER to your natives special (16 February), I have a very special part-bred native. When they say the best horses find you, I truly believe it. Cuthbert (Deenivs Cuthbert), a New Forest x Cleveland Bay, is turning out to be my horse of a lifetime. I've…

Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald WE all went into this year's four-day Cheltenham Festival wondering what the bloody hell was happening. Jon Pullen, Cheltenham's clerk of the course, had been watering for the best part of three weeks before the meeting and then for the umpteenth time the weather forecast changed with rain, frost and snow predicted. All arrived… who would want his job! We marched in on Tuesday full of excitement, expecting to see a masterclass from Constitution Hill and the shortestpriced favourite did not disappoint. We all stood in awe as this equine dynamo frankly won the Champion Hurdle without coming off the bridle. Hats in the air and as he returned to the winners’ enclosure, the crowds clapped and cheered with appreciation of what they had…

WOUNDS are frequent in horses; for the period of January to September last year, they made up 13% of outofhours visits for Equicall, for which I work. Many are minor abrasions that do not require veterinary attention, but some wounds are very serious and involve joints, tendons, bones or a combination of these. Risk factors include poor fencing, objects in the field or stable, turnout with new horses, or horses being horses. Should you find your horse with a wound, first, do not panic. If your horse is able to walk, move them to a clean dry area to stand with a haynet until the vet arrives. If the wound is too severe or they are too sore to move – or you fear doing more harm – stay where…

WHILE most of us treat our horses like athletes, we don't always view ourselves as such. Yet you can maximise your output on the yard and in the saddle by wearing the right kit. Whether you're mucking out several stables or riding a handful of horses, a day on the yard is hard graft. Ariat's Ascent apparel collection, as used by showjumper Caroline Breen and performance specialist Dee So'oialo, is designed to combine sporting performance with practicality. The company's base layers have compression fit to aid muscle recovery and tensioned panelling to help with posture prompting. The half-grip tights use similar technology to support muscles and joints, and keep you strong and comfortable in the saddle. seriously, but it's hard to remember key points all the time without being prompted,”…

DRESSAGE ADDINGTON CPEDI/CDI 14-19 March Edited by Polly Bryan polly.bryan@futurenet.com @pollyrose21 Addington CPEDI/CDI, Bucks SCHOOLGIRL Annabella Pidgley proved just what a force she already is at elite level with six wins in six classes at Addington. At only her third senior international show, she topped the grand prix, special and freestyle as well as three young rider classes. Annabella, who will sit her A levels in three months’ time, ticked off several “firsts” in spectacular style. Notably, she waltzed to a freestyle victory on her first attempt at grand prix to music, on her international debut with new ride Vamos Amigos. The Vitalis gelding is no stranger to big marks, having won individual world silver last summer with Denmark's Cathrine LaudrupDufour, who lent her music to Annabella. The 18-yearold seemed…

“WE smiled the whole way through,” said Kate Cowell of her PSG win with nine-year-old Joolz on his debut at the level. “The test was fluent, with so much power. It was like he'd read the book.” Joolz, who headed the class at Kings EC, Herefordshire with 75.59%, has impressed Kate with his trainability since she bought him with Trish Andrews as a six-year-old. “I've never had a horse that picks things up so quickly,” she said. “He can be spooky, but he has really knuckled down. He's 16.1hh and like a little brown pony, but his movement is enormous. He's quite hard to sit to!” ONE TO WATCH…

A YOUNG rider with a pony more than double her age made a victorious first outing since standing supreme at HOYS last October. Elsie Lynch, who celebrated her 11th birthday just two weeks previously, partnered the evergreen 133cm worker Noble Peppermint – now 23 – to win both the 80cm and 90cm winter worker stakes classes at BSPS Area 2B and land the section title. “They've had a quiet winter but we're now looking forward to getting back out and about,” said Laura. 2023 DEBUT…

NEWS Insider Edited by Eleanor Jones Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @jones_eleanor_ OWNERS are being encouraged to take advantage of the new strangles vaccine as part of a multi-factor approach to combating the disease. The long-awaited vaccine launched in the UK last autumn, having been in development for over 25 years. It reduces clinical signs of the infection, including high temperature and coughing, and can reduce the number of lymph node abscesses. Trials found it can protect “more than 94% of horses”, but despite the benefits, vets have reported limited uptake of the vaccine. Edd Knowles of Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic told H&H the vaccine is an “exciting addition” to the strategies available to combat strangles. “There is no single ‘magic bullet’ to prevent strangles…

▲ MARKETING Hurrah for the shop that had a sign stating “Monty Python horseshoes” on a tray of coconuts. Well played, that manager, and also significantly cheaper than the ironforged alternative… ▲ PRESERVATION A pony called Elsinore Alan Partridge is the first stallion to contribute semen to a gene bank to preserve Exmoors’ diversity. Great idea, even better name. Aha! ▲ CONFIDENCE To Lidl, where for £5.99 one can pick up a bottle of a white wine called, wait for it, Confidence. Quick slug and you'll soar over everything, right? Whether your horse also does is another matter.…

Edited by Pippa Roome pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle MY career over the past 10 years has felt like an emotional rollercoaster ride, from some of the most heartbreaking experiences to achieving lifelong dreams. This week a couple of situations have touched me very deeply. The first was the tragic loss of our five-year-old home-bred stallion Cupid March. As I write this nearly a week later, I find it chokes me to talk about it. In our sport everyone knows the drill, especially the mental and emotional ups and downs, but this was heartbreak of a different kind. My husband Thomas, who has put so much time, energy and passion into his breeding operation, had bred a horse we knew had the wow factor and who had so much natural ability and a…

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SHOWING RACEHORSES IT is encouraging to note that there is a rising number of former racehorses shining in showing classes, following their retirement from the track. Not only do these thoroughbreds compete in dedicated RoR (Retraining of Racehorses) or SEIB racehorse to riding horse qualifiers, but they are also shining in hunter, hack and riding horse divisions. RoR remains proactive in promoting former racehorses, and recent statistics have revealed that 60% of its membership take part in showing. The organisation hosts six prestigious finals throughout the season, culminating in the national championships at Aintree in August. “RoR is a fantastic charity and nothing makes us prouder than seeing so many happy horses competing with us in their second career,” says Carly Sage, Aintree International Equestrian Centre manager. Several producers have…

WHETHER for ensuring we make it to the start box punctually, or arrive back from a hack in time for the farrier, the humble wristwatch is an essential. Riders’ watches need to be both shock-resistant and waterproof, tough enough to cope with a bump or fall, a dunking in the water jump and any weather. And they need to be easy to read while on the move in the saddle. And now watches can do so much more than simply stopping us from being late. Pick a sporty smartwatch that can monitor your training, heart rate, GPS location – with a built-in stopwatch and compass – and you can track your training and progress. The Polar Vantage M2 (£259) is a great all-round sports watch, with touchscreen, heart monitor and…

YOU can't go far wrong by copying Lottie Fry. Her bridle probably isn't the only reason she's the world champion, but this might be just one of her areas for marginal gains. “I have the Cassidy bridle from Finesse Bridles, which is a very elegant model with stitched leather,” she says. “I use the bridle on as many horses as possible and have found that it makes the horses more free in their movements and in turn they come lighter in the hand, which gives me a feeling of better balance.” This Danish brand is new to the UK. The bridle is designed to distribute and reduce the regional pressure on the horse's poll from the headpiece. The padding material originates from the technology applied in hospital mattresses used for…

ALTHOUGH the trend emerged in the dressage world, riders from all disciplines have joined in the fun and given it their own twist. Some collect sets from their favourite brand, but Jo Langley has collected every set she could find in purple. “I have about 15 sets of varying shades,” reveals Jo, who finishes the look with purple hair for good measure. “I mainly collect Eskadron and PS of Sweden, but I do have a few LeMieux sets, one from Equestrian Stockholm, a set by HKM and another from HV Polo. I also have a few partial sets, including an Anky.” Equestrians in the showing world are generally thought of as traditionalists, but Jo Stewart has managed to incorporate burgundy wherever possible. “Our team colour is burgundy, so my ponies…

THE Close Brother Mares’ Hurdle finally came of age this year. The bestever running of this race, it boasted two Champion Hurdlers in Honeysuckle (pictured) and Epatante and a previous winner in Marie's Rock. First run in 2008, it was instigated because a lot of mares were worth nothing and those with any pedigree went straight into breeding without racing. This year, if the Champion Hurdle was the Derby, then the mares’ hurdle was the Oaks. It was never going to be overnight, but finally it is there, everyone is racing mares and they are now worth plenty. TALKING POINT…

I OWE IT TO… AFTER a year of niggly issues, Handre is back out and winning. Isobel Goodwin's 11-year-old gelding headed both mediums at Kingston Maurward College, Dorset. “He's a big boy, at near 18hh, but it's a bit like the princess and the pea,” said Isobel. “With anything that's not quite right, he's very much a drama queen. We've spent time sorting things and he's now in a happy place, with bundles of energy. It was worth the wait – he was very professional about everything and exceeded all our expectations.”…

A RESCUE cob who overcame a difficult start as a neglected yearling excelled at Forest Edge Arena, Norfolk, to win outright at both prelim and novice. Rachel Cordle bought Trigger II (pictured, below) as a youngster from a riding school six years ago, imagining that he'd make a happy hacker. “He is amazing; he does everything,” said Rachel, who has lent the 14.3hh gelding to children she teaches and loaned him out for Pony Club camp. “Seeing the physio and being fitted with a new saddle has been a game changer – in his last two outings, he has wiped the board. Our trainer Sara Sexton has been so supportive and has really brought us on.” BACK FROM THE BRINK…

SHOWING HIGHLIGHTS 11-12 March Edited by Alex Robinson alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ HAVE YOU HAD A NOTABLE WIN IN THE SHOW RING? Email triciaj1@hotmail.co.uk within 24 hours of the show for your chance to appear in this section BSPS Area 6, Onley EC, Warks ONE of the youngest competitors teamed up with one of the oldest animals to land a first-ever Hickstead ticket in the Senior Showing and Dressage (SSADL) Royal International (RIHS) qualifier. Side-saddle enthusiast Xanthe Banks, 11, showed maturity way beyond her years to partner her family's longtime companion, 27-year-old Bizzie B (BB). “BB has been mine for 25 years so in a sense, Xanthe has been riding her since before she was born,” said her mother Jackie, reserve in London last term with the mare. “She started riding side-saddle…

POINT-TO-POINT HIGHLIGHTS 18-19 March Edited by Gemma Redrup gemma.redrup@futurenet.com @gemmaredrup Oakley, Brafield-on-theGreen, Northants MINELLA WIZARD made a charmed return after two years off the track to deliver a win for trainer Stuart Morris and a double on the day for jockey Jack Andrews. The Shirocco son was last seen at Maisemore in March 2020, where he “niggled” a leg. “It wasn't anything bad we gave him the summer off and when he came back in, it wasn't 100%, so we gave him the full year off and this is his return,” said Stuart, adding it was lovely the eight-year-old's owner Judy Wilson was there to see his victory. “We did loads of road work and steady work. He should improve a lot for the run. We have no big plans…

Croome & West Warwickshire, Shelfield Park, Warks NEW recruit Runwiththetide made a winning start on her yard debut for trainer Kelly Morgan, and franked her name as one to watch for future. The six-year-old Presenting daughter, formerly trained by Dan Skelton, joined Kelly from the Tattersalls Ascot November sale and repaid her faith with a win in the 2m 4f restricted under jockey Alice Stevens. “She's really chilled, very easy. It wasn't until I schooled her and put a fence in front of her that she really came alive,” said Kelly, of the Foxfield Stud Partnership's mare. “Alice gave her the perfect ride. Hopefully we can get an intermediate in the bag. I think she'll be better on better ground – she's going to see out three miles quite easily,…

HUNTING DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH'S 25 February Edited by Catherine Austen catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 Duke of Buccleuch's Makerstoun, Kelso EVERY now and again, it's important, I think, to do something that scares us a little. It sharpens us up, gets the heart beating a bit quicker and, if successfully negotiated, the “high” afterwards often gives us confidence to be braver in another aspect of life. I've had a lovely hunting season at home in the Cotswolds, but I haven't pushed myself out of my comfort zone in any way, really. So when Bill Farnsworth, vice-chairman of the Duke of Buccleuch's, asked if I would come up to the Borders, report a day's hunting and then give the after-dinner speech at their hunt supper that night – something I'd never done before –…

AT the hunt breakfast at the end of the season, it has become customary for the masters here to hand out hunt buttons to those who they feel deserve them through their support of the hunt. I wear the hunt buttons of the pack where I grew up, the South & West Wilts. I am proud to do so, but at the same time I couldn't help feeling it would be nice to wear the College Valley and North Northumberland ones as I have hunted here on and off for a decent spell. Adam has been master here for a while, too. I think it is fair to say that hunt buttons, or lack of them, have become a sore subject between Adam and me, provoking some grumpy exchanges (on…

▼ HEARING A rider's phone managed to pocket-dial a horsey pal while she was riding. The friend said it sounded as if she was in canter at the time. “But was I on the right lead?” the rider asked. Good point. ▼ TACK An ad for a bookie during Cheltenham urged fans to experience the “unbridled joy” of the event. Deliberate? Or someone who fancies riding a racehorse in a headcollar? ▼ BREEDING There was confusion over some “then and now” pictures, one of a semen container, the other of a foal. “There are horse ingredients in the cooler,” a rider explained. “Like a home baking kit?” a wag asked. Well yes, just add an egg……

Edited by Alex Robinson alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ OPINION I WRITE this column as the wind is howling and the rain lashing, after just recovering from the recent snow. It is hard to visualise emerging for the forthcoming show season, which seems to have flown round, and yet here we are with our diaries, planning ahead. There will be many changes this season. Deciding which societies to register your horse with has been a conundrum for many. With so many options available now on the route to the finals, it can be a minefield. My best piece of advice would be to look at the season as a whole. Ask yourself what your goals are, and then you can decipher which society offers you the most opportunity. All horse owners will be…

HORSE&HOUND ALL IN A DAY'S WORK Our farm in the Chilterns is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and was bought by my late father-inlaw in the 1950s. My husband Ted and I run the farm now, but the soil is chalky and flinty and most of our crops are eaten by deer. We've diversified, and one day we met a lady business adviser who also rode and said: “You're in a great area – why not consider rides from your farm?” We were sceptical at first, but we're just five minutes from the M40 so we gave it a go and started mapping out self-guided rides. That was about eight years ago and now we've had over 700 riders with their own horses to visit Cholsey Farm Riding.…

BRADFORD HOUSE Belbroughton, Stourbridge, Worcs For you: a country manor house in immaculate condition, with a converted Georgian coach house and further separate cottage. The 17thcentury listed main house features tall ceilings, moulded cornicing, wood-panelled rooms and flagstone floors. There are seven bedrooms. There is also a gym with a sauna, plus a tennis court. For the horses: 11 good-sized stables, both internal and external, and a refurbished manège. There are also tack rooms, grooms’ tea room, plenty of storage and fenced paddocks set within 33 acres of grounds. £4.5m Knight Frank, knightfrank.com, 020 7861 1707 MOCKLEY WOOD FARM Henley-in-Arden, Warks For you: a highly individual six-bed country home in a lakeside setting, with 14,000 sq ft of accommodation, including a leisure complex with indoor swimming pool and squash court.…

IF you only have one horse, you're limited in terms of how much you can practise. This is where a horse simulator comes into its own. A basic racing one costs £1,300 plus VAT, while an “eventer” that can piaffe, passage and jump to 1.20m will set you back £86,500 plus VAT. You can hone polo skills, driving, dressage and more, and manufacturer Racewood reports an increased range of use for the simulators, including for disabled riders, therapies, medical research and those undergoing injury rehab. For those on a smaller budget, select colleges such as Hartpury have ones to hire by the hour, for instance the eventing simulator for £50. racewood.com…

RACING CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL Wednesday The Horse & Hound Podcast Hear from Lucinda Russell and Peter Scudamore on next week's H&H Podcast: horseandhound.co.uk/podcast MOVE over JP McManus, hello Tony Bloom. It is a while since we have had a big betting story, but that was provided by Energumene, who landed his owner £830,000 in one of the largest bets ever laid at the Festival when he ran out a comfortable winner of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. With the soft ground coming in his favour, Edwardstone not running any sort of race and Editeur Du Gite stuck in the mud, Energumene's second Champion Chase never gave Bloom, the owner of Brighton FC, a moment's worry. Energumene joined the club of now 14 horses to have won the race twice and…

DRESSAGE HIGHLIGHTS 10-12 March Onley Grounds EC, Warks FROM riding school roots, Bengal II has risen to grand prix success. Fay Lai's 14-yearold Hanoverian gelding scored his second win at the level, just five years after she bought him as part of a package of ponies. “He'd been doing bits and bobs in the riding school and was labelled a bit of reject, as his owner didn't really get on with him,” said Fay, who at the time was setting up her own establishment, Coombe Stables, in the New Forest. “He was a little too challenging for my daughter, Maria, so I started to work with him. I never thought we'd be doing grand prix, but we've learned the ropes together and he has proved to be the best horse…

DAVID SHEERIN is embracing a new career with former advanced event horse Today's Special. They took the elementary 45 outright and the elementary 57 silver section at Wellington Riding, Hampshire. “I've not done dressage for 10 years and thought let's give it a go,” said David, after his debut with Ruth Rietdyk's “Pesto”. “I've had him since he was three; he's been the most wonderful event horse for a decade. “It was strange warming up for just one thing,” added David. “Both judges mentioned the harmony; you can see on Pesto's face that he's enjoying it. I think he could definitely reach small tour.” A NEW CAREER…

SHOWJUMPING Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald HIGHLIGHTS 9-12 March Bury Farm, Bucks TONY PEARSON has boosted his string in recent weeks and hit the ground running with his new rides to claim four classes across three days. He piloted two horses whose riders he usually trains to a one-two in the Blue Chip Dynamic B&C qualifier, topping the class with Isobel Stenning's CSF Kancruz while Penelope Khashoggi's Everest Villatte stood runner-up. Although Tony has previously taught Isobel on CSF Kancruz, he only picked up the ride last week. “She produced him from discovery and has jumped young riders on him but wanted him to do a bit more, so I am going to ride him and see where it goes,” Tony said. “She'll pick up the reins for a…

I OWE IT TO SHOWJUMPING has proved key to unlocking Oakley mixed open winner Ragnar Lodbrok's potential. The Jennifer Owen-trained “quirky” eight-year-old, who shares his name with the legendary Viking warrior, headed a strong field to seal the spoils for regular rider Alex Chadwick and The Whiskey and Water Partnership. “Today we switched over from cheekpieces to the visor, which sparked him up a lot,” said Alex. “His jumping has never been great, so we've been doing a lot of showjumping and gridwork with him, which has helped him. It all came together today. “We've been taking him to Palace House in Newmarket, which has a big school, and he's taken to it really well. The more showjumping we've done with him, the straighter he's got.”…

RIDING CLUB BRC TOPSPEC ARENA EVENTING CHAMPIONSHIPS 10-12 March Edited by Martha Terry martha.terry@futurenet.com @marthaowenorterry British Riding Clubs TopSpec Arena Eventing Championships, Aston-le-Walls, Northants SAFFRON WALDEN RC continued their dominance in the senior 80, claiming top spot in the team event for the third straight year. Suzannah Engelmann and Joker, 15, have been members of all three winning teams and were joined this year by Lisa Howlett on Knave of Golden Hearts, Rosie Bates with Forrest Dot Com and Nicola Shaw aboard Medrus Gavin Henson. The quartet finished almost six penalties clear of Fawkham RC. As a result of the inclement weather, the first class of the day – the senior 80 – was moved from the morning until the afternoon, and the senior 90 was cancelled. Any competitors already…

HUNTING CARLOW FARMERS 26 February Carlow Farmers, Borris “BETTER fasten your seat belt,” Tom Berney murmured to me, as we jogged across country to the first draw of the day behind the Carlow Farmers hounds. Tom, of the famous Berney Saddlery in Kilcullen, is the most courteous and mildmannered of men, but is also a gifted, fearless cross-country rider. A warning from him to harden your heart is not to be taken lightly. He had hardly spoken when his fellow whipperin Jodie Skelton was spurring his horse into a canter ahead of us and setting him at a formidable granite wall. Tom followed him over it with considerable elan. I followed Tom with rather less dash and style. We had just touched down on the other side when another wall…

WHEN veterinary nurse Penelope Skinner James took on an exracemare last summer, an insurance policy giving “peace of mind for the rest of her life” was her top priority. She opted for Agria's new lifetime equine policy. “Ivee is only five, so hopefully has a long life ahead, and anything could happen in that time,” says Penelope. “Even with the 25% co-insurance, the policy is worth every penny, because if she gets an illness that reoccurs, I am still covered, and that was the most important thing for me. I'm not interested in a 12-month policy.” Penelope has already made a claim for conjunctivitis. “I was worried she'd scratched her eye, so we needed to get a vet to sedate her and examine it,” she says. “I put a claim…