Innholdsfortegnelse for 8-Aug-2024 i Horse & Hound

PARIS 2024 has delivered drama and thrilling results – and for equestrianism, that's been in part due to the format of three to a team with no drop score that riders and chefs d'equipe understandably dislike. Columnists Graham Fletcher (p14) and Tim Gredley (p50) acknowledge the positives it does bring to excitement levels, intrigue, understandability and, in turn, drawing a crowd. To say some were surprised Britain's showjumpers won team gold suggests a lack of faith – but I did have déjà vu, having experienced similar levels of wonder during London 2012. There was a lovely symmetry to the line-up, with a rightly proud father Peter Charles being replaced on the podium by son Harry, who truly was outstanding. How cool was Scott Brash, taking on the pressure of being…

FROM PONY CLUB TO PARIS GAMES A RIDER who won the Pony Club national tetrathlon championship two years ago is to represent Great Britain in the modern pentathlon at the Paris Olympics this week. Charlie Brown, a former member of the Ludlow Hunt branch of the Pony Club, has been called up to Team GB after Myles Pillage had to withdraw owing to the recurrence of a calf injury he sustained last month. Charlie said he was “extremely gutted” for his friend and team-mate Myles, but that he is very excited about his debut and will “give it all I've got for the team”. Pony Club CEO Marcus Capel said the organisation is very proud, adding: “Charlie's dedication, hard work, and exceptional talent have led to this remarkable achievement.” The…

Para dressage rider and swimmer Suzanna Hext got engaged to her partner Gareth Petts. Suzanna said it was “the easiest yes I've ever said”. Showjumper Jack Whitaker topped the Samorin CSI3* 1.50m grand prix qualifier with Equine America Valmy De La Lande, then was third in the grand prix. Television presenter Lizzie Jelfs won the Magnolia Cup on the Harry Eustace-trained Reins Reigns Rains on 1 August. The race was in aid of My Sisters' House. Rower Georgie Brayshaw, who was temporarily partially paralysed in a riding accident aged 15, won Olympic gold as part of Britain's women's quadruple sculls crew. Jockey Oisin Murphy was leading rider of the Qatar Goodwood Festival with four winners. Mick Appleby took the leading trainer title, also with four.…

SHOWJUMPING ONLY IN HORSE & HOUND jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald OPINION WHAT a brilliant achievement for Ben Maher, Harry Charles and Scott Brash to bring home the gold medal from Paris. In terms of riding and horsemanship, it was the best I've ever seen. All three were 11 out of 10. They didn't start as favourites – a major bookmaker had Britain to win team gold at 25/1 – which underlines just what an amazing feat this British team pulled off. I've always said that the epitome of class is making a hard job look easy, and no rider personifies that more so than Ben; he's a beautiful rider to watch. Harry Charles, showing a maturity beyond his years, was outstanding. In years to come, he'll ride rounds as good as Friday's –…

I DIDN'T see the logic of the three-to-a-team format before, but I'm a convert. It made the competition more exciting and understandable to newcomers. The setting looked unbelievable and Paris lived up to the Olympic tradition of bold, intimidating jumps, plus fantastic coursebuilding. Huge praise to the organisers. Our boys nailed it from the first moment and I felt an underlying confidence having those three representing us. Harry Charles must be so mentally strong to erase that fall in Aachen from his mind. The whole team set-up should be proud. We don't see how much goes on behind the scenes. The grooms dedicate so much time and effort and are as responsible for the performance as the riders. Tim Gredley was longlisted for the British team for Paris 2024 and…

WHATEVER the realm of elite sport, peaking when it matters is the trump card. The top combinations looked to have the handbrake on in this grand prix, which served as a qualifier for the special and the freestyle, the team and individual finals. With no medals at stake, it wasn't the moment to go for glory, but to do just enough to secure a berth in each final. Nonetheless, there were a couple of eye-catching performances as less-exposed horses smashed expectations to rattle the favourites, who were surely keeping their cards close to their chests. We knew the Danes would press the Germans for the top rank, and Germany's reigning Olympic champions, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and her soulmate Dalera, duly carried on where they left off in Tokyo to head…

I WAS so proud of the British riders; they pulled everything out of the bag and went for it. Becky was great in the grand prix, she more than held her own – you'd never have thought it was her first Olympics. Her performance looked so correct and harmonious. In the special, she kept that same wonderful way of going and added a bit more risk. I've watched Jagerbomb develop hugely over the years and it's fantastic to see how Becky's got everything so secure now. There's even more to come and it won't take long to turn those consistent sevens and eights into nines. All she needs to add is a bit more impulsion to bring even more expression to the movements. But the balance between impulsion, suppleness and…

A FORMER double Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in-hand finalist provided his rider with her first-ever Birmingham ticket in the ladies' show horse final. Beth Jacomb and her Kings Master nine-year-old gelding Triple Crown (Derry, pictured) were on form after success at the Royal International, where they finished third in the ladies' hunter championship. Derry appeared at HOYS as a two- and three-year-old, placing second and third on his respective appearances. Beth has been riding at the side-saddle championships since she was five years old. “It feels very special to finally get to HOYS,” said Beth, who keeps Derry with Will Morton in Essex.…

Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ GREAT BRITAIN has won a second superb equestrian gold at the Paris Olympics, as the jumpers topped the podium – and the dressage squad won two brilliant bronzes. Ben Maher (Dallas Vegas Batilly), Harry Charles (Romeo 88) and Scott Brash (Jefferson) made it four Olympic showjumping gold medals in four Games on 2 August. The next day, Carl Hester (Fame), Becky Moody (Jagerbomb) and Lottie Fry (Glamourdale) won team bronze, less than four marks behind Germany's gold. On Sunday, Lottie and Glamourdale won individual bronze, behind Germany's Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB, and Isabell Werth with Wendy. The British showjumpers had been on top form from day one, securing their ticket to the team final by…

ROSEMARY NOBLE “AUNTIE ROSIE”, as she was affectionately known, died on 25 June, aged 84. Born in 1940 in Ayrshire, she was educated at Wellington School for Young Ladies, where she excelled in sports. After school, much to her father's disapproval having paid for an expensive education, she worked for Ian Galbraith at Castlehill Stables, where she taught, and rode show hunters. Rosemary worked there until her family needed help with the hotel business in Roslin, and returned home. It was there she met and married William Noble in 1960 and went on to have sons David, Colin and Michael. In 1979 she began hunting with the Lauderdale and this led to wonderful friendships. She succeeded the legendary Dot Hogarth as chairman of the hunt supporters club in 1988 and…

SNOOP DOGG was cruising the mean streets of the Palace of Versailles, as he turned up in full dressage regalia to watch the grand prix special team final on 2 August. The rapper was joined by American author, presenter and businesswoman Martha Stewart, and both wore black tailcoats and white breeches. Martha, who celebrated her 83rd birthday on 3 August, had long black riding boots but Snoop had chosen black trainers with brown half-chaps, and black Roeckl gloves. Both were later pictured with safety helmets and shades on as they watched the teams battle it out for medals in Snoop's favourite equestrian discipline. In an interview with CNBC Television last week, Martha said she had been encouraging Snoop to try “unusual French food” such as snails during his visit to…

DRESSAGE ONLY IN HORSE & HOUND oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscarw_dr OPINION WE have so much to be proud of in these past few weeks. We should be inspired by our youth riders' fantastic medals and outstanding performances, as well as the Olympics, which were a feast for the eyes – team and individual bronze medals, eight to 18-year-old horses, and riders in their 20s to nearly 70 years old. While no one would have chosen the circumstances behind her selection, it was inspiring to see a new face in Becky Moody excel on the world's biggest stage. Carl Hester's exemplary harmonious freestyle, the power and majesty of Glamourdale in front of the palace, young riders chasing Isabell Werth, new talents from Poland and Ecuador, and the drama of close team competition – with…

HORSE&HOUND IN THE SPOTLIGHT Need to know CADLANVALLEY ROYAL BRONZE Breed: Welsh section B Sex: gelding Breeding: by Cadlanvalley VIP out of Cadlanvalley Sweet Elation Age: six Owner: Laura Kerry-Oates Rider: Maisie Kerry-Oates Producer: Katy Marriott-Payne Breeders: Yvonne and Howell Davies and Hayley Grota Best results: 2024, first Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) mountain and moorland (M&M) first ridden qualifier and reserve champion NPS Area 25, first Royal International (RIHS) M&M first ridden qualifier and mini champion and first RIHS Welsh section A and B ridden qualifier and reserve M&M champion BSPS Area 6, first London International Heritage first ridden working sports pony qualifier and Enablelink Ltd winter challenge supreme BSPS Winter Championships, first HOYS M&M junior small breeds qualifier Lincolnshire Show, eighth Welsh section A and B final…

THIS is a horse that fractured a part of its calcaneus, which is in the hock. This fracture is simple (with only one fracture fragment) and only minimally displaced, which makes it amenable to standing fracture repair. The biggest advantage to repairing this fracture under standing sedation is that it avoids the risk posed during recovery from general anaesthesia, which for a fracture of this type would be significant.…

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Watch the birdie French President Emmanuel Macron poses for a selfie with a fan while watching the Olympic showjumping team IT was clear walking Santiago Varela and Grégory Bodo's course for the team qualifier on Thursday that the fences were a wonder of design and craftsmanship – from the macarons at 5ab to the urban art wall at 11 – and that this would be a testing competition. “Normally you have a 1.50m speed class on the first day at a championships, where you can get your horse going forward, then you settle them back and jump the team rounds,” said Cian O'Connor, who took the anchor position on Maurice for four jumping faults and a time fault to confirm Ireland's qualification. His compatriot Daniel Coyle, an Olympic debutant who…

HORSE welfare were the words on everyone's lips as the Olympic dressage began just a week after the release of a video of Charlotte Dujardin hitting a horse, which led to the rider withdrawing from the Games and her subsequent suspension. The mainstream media had dressage in their cross hairs, and nearly all riders had to field questions to reassure the public that such abuse is an outlier and not a mainstay of training. Carl Hester had not previously commented on Charlotte's actions, so was under particular scrutiny. He said the video “was a huge shock to me” and confirmed it was not filmed at his property, where Charlotte is based. “I have an open yard where everyone is welcome and I take pride in the fact that my yard…

EVENTING HIGHLIGHTS 24–28 July pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Bishop Burton International (2), E Riding of Yorks TOP spot in the junior CCI2*-L was awarded to Lucy Standish and Global H, a 14-year-old German warmblood whom A-level student Lucy has been riding for three years. The pair held a commanding lead after the dressage on 20.9 and were never headed, despite rolling a pole in the showjumping. “He's outstanding on the flat and did an amazing test,” said 17-year-old Lucy. “He was so relaxed, soft and supple and was really listening to me. He was quite fresh and excited for the cross-country and we came home with lots of time in hand. “He was fresh and excited for cross-country” LUCY STANDISH “Showjumping has been our weakest phase so we've been working really hard…

DRESSAGE HIGHLIGHTS 22–28 July oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscarw_dr Bury Farm Equestrian Village Summer Regionals, Bucks GRACIE CATLING reigned supreme, carrying away four titles on three horses. Her consistent campaigner Tsjebe Fan 'E Vesta Hoeve, known as Jeb, stepped up to his first regional inter I to win the silver section with 69.07%. “Jeb couldn't have done more,” said Gracie of the 18-year-old Friesian gelding. “I know him inside out and he's so consistent and calm in a test. The bigger the show, the better he is. I hope to try an inter II with him soon and we're training the grand prix movements. He loves the piaffe and passage —they'll be his highlights.” SMALL BUT MIGHTY PAIR SOAR VIOLET HAWKINS, 14, has made a meteoric rise through the levels with her 14hh…

Kingswood EC Area Festival, Staffs SHIRLEY WRIGHT pocketed two Area Festival titles here, the medium and advanced medium silvers, with Der Blitz. Yet when she bought the Damon Hill gelding three years ago, 13-year-old Blitz had next to no competition record. “He had no experience but some movement, and very nice it was too,” she said. “Although he can be a bit lazy, he's a super horse and he learns quickly. Training-wise, everything is there. We've struggled with the flying changes, but we've taken a kind and gentle approach and given him time to get them right. “Nothing seems to faze him” SHIRLEY WRIGHT ON DER BLITZ “Despite his lack of experience, Blitz is quite bold and nothing seems to faze him. I'd love to get him to PSG.” The…

Northcote Stud, Lancs SAMANTHA JIMMISON was “in shock” to head a hard-fought NAF Five Star silver league semi-final with the seven-year-old Mourinho II, securing the Yorkshire rider her first ticket to Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). “He's a super, reliable little horse – we call 'Mr Consistent' – but we're not the fastest,” she said. “These classes are so competitive, I just didn't think he'd have enough experience but how wrong can you be!” A surprising nine out of 10 combinations through to the final round delivered treble clears, with just 0.8sec splitting the top five by end of play. Samantha pipped second-placed Harriette Rushton (C Rouet Du Darco Z) to the win with just 0.02sec in hand. “I had made up my mind to go for a treble…

WEST OF ENGLAND HOUND SHOW 1 August catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 West of England Hound Show, Honiton Showground, Devon FOXHOUNDS UNUSUALLY warm sunshine and temperatures of 23°C were the conditions at this year's West of England Show, hosted by Honiton Show, where 13 foxhound packs performed on the newly created flagstones, designed to keep the hounds' pads cool and below nine degrees at all times. With a good showing in the local classes – for packs from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset – the laurels in the open classes fell consistently to the VWH. Their quality hounds, in both the doghound and bitch hound classes, rightly caught the eye of the judges and those knowledgeable hound breeders around the ring. They took both the doghound championship with Solomon 23 and the bitch…

SINCE the beginning of the year Jack our youngest child, who is 10, has been tackling me about giving up riding. He started off by saying, “After this year please can I not ride again?” which soon changed to, “After this summer I don't want to ride anymore.” Like bargaining chips, he was offering a few months of compliance before withdrawing from the game altogether. I stopped his Pony Club subscription; he endured rallies and camps for five years with the forbearance of a prisoner. On top of that, the idea of riding around the farm is anathema and he doesn't see what all the fuss is about as regards hunting. This has left me with a quandary. On the one hand there seems no point in forcing him to…

INDY 500 US rider Andrea Baxter's five-star ride, whom she competed at Burghley and Kentucky three times, has died aged 19. They won four-stars and came 12th at Burghley in 2019. FACILE VEGA The Willie Mullins-trained four-time Grade One winner, out of Quevega and by Walk In The Park, has died aged seven after fracturing a bone in his pelvis. DESTANO Dressage rider Simone Pearce's Olympic ride has retired aged 17, after competing in Paris in the Australian team. The pair have had top-level international success.…

RADIO Radio 1 listeners may have heard Olympic gold medallist JL Dublin named “star listener” last week. Do we think “Dubs” is a Radio 1 fan? Or does he prefer maybe Bruce Springsteen, Born to (Have) Won? (Oof. Ed). TUCKING IN A supermarket tried to get in on the act with an email about making sure one had enough snacks to watch the Games. Sitting on the sofa and stuffing one's face. What the Olympics are all about. SHOPPING Overheard: “You don't go to the tack shop because you need something. You go to the tack shop and let it tell you what you need.” Never a truer word. MEDALS To Paris, where some reporters said a couple of times silver is “as good as gold”. Not sure that, had…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. A THREAT TO US ALL I AM writing to express my concern about the threat we all face as equestrians. The recent video release (news, 1 August) has meant that our sport is under the gaze of the world for the wrong reasons. For those thinking that the opinion of the public doesn't matter, they're wrong. Hunting's ban proves it. We need to pull together. Many members of the non-equestrian public don't see the love and enormous sacrifice that every horse owner knows so well. And we don't use social media to show them as often as we should. The perception of horse sport continues to be skewed from reality with many sure it's a sport of…

“WE have Jemma to thank for introducing us. After Ozzie was broken as a fouryear-old we always hoped that he would have been the pony for her daughter, but unfortunately she outgrew him and it was decided at last year's BSPS [British Show Pony Society] Summer Championships that he'd be a great fit for Maisie. “We all work as one big team and it seemed like Maisie would be the right person to take him on as he was coming into his own. “He was very easy to back and start off. He's a rhythmical pony who finds work very easy, and he carries himself naturally, even more so now he's maturing. Maisie is doing a great job with him. Hers are the first little legs he's come across but…

THIS is a thoroughbred racehorse who sustained a medial condylar fracture of the cannon bone. What is unique about these fractures is that they can spiral up the cannon bone, and this makes them a high risk for worsening during recovery from general anaesthesia. Furthermore, it can be hard to track the path of the fracture up the cannon bone. However, when repaired with the horse standing, the radiographs can be easily taken to follow the fracture lines and screws can be placed accurately across the fracture line.…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com Team medals 1 2 3 Paris Olympics, France “MY dad said before my round, 'Enjoy it, whatever you do – you've worked hard to get here'. And afterwards, he said, 'Enjoy every minute of that ceremony, this will probably be the best moment of your life'.” And that's a dad who knows – for these are words reported by Harry Charles after he followed in his father Peter's footsteps by winning an Olympic team gold medal for Britain. Alongside Harry on the podium, in an emotional cauldron of beating sun and packed stands, were two riders who also stood on the top step in London 12 years ago, Ben Maher and Scott Brash. These two – still relatively young at 41 and 38, in a sport that boasted the…

FRANCE has not won an Olympic dressage medal since 1948, but their performance here was indicative of a nation on the up. Seeded seventh for the special, they finished sixth. Alexandre Ayache scored 70.82% riding Jolene. They had one mistake, losing oomph in the final piaffe. The Johnson mare has only been competing for two years, having started out directly at grand prix in 2022. “She arrived with me for schooling aged nine and could not even do a flying change,” said Alexandre. “I adored her and managed to buy her and train her up to grand prix in six months. “Because she moved up the levels so fast, she lacks strong foundations but she will improve even more. She has a great brain, she is so kind and can…

THE one horse that every rider wanted to take home —and many keep trying to buy – was Sandra Sysojeva's Maxima Bella. Aged eight, this Polish horse was the youngest in the entire field by a whole two years. Last season she was contesting young horse classes – “finishing nearly last”, remarked her rider – this year she stepped up to grand prix and not only made it to the Olympics but qualified for the individual freestyle. A bouncy ball of black energy, the mare smashed her personal bests in both tests, breaking the 80% barrier for the first time in her freestyle set to French music. Sandra, 40, bought Bella as a two-year-old from a Dutch dealer based on a 20-second video, and quickly regretted it. “I wanted a…

A NEW class for the 2024 show was the Emma Gann Future Star, held in memory of the late Emma Gann who passed away in June 2023. Emma of Emmpix Photography was a major part of the side-saddle community, having been the nationals' official photographer since 2011. The winner of the title was newly qualified paramedic Katie Yeo and her head-turning Friesian Jeorgeo. “Emma photographed me many times over the years and she would always put you at ease in front of the camera and make you laugh. It didn't matter what your background was or if it was a mega busy class, she'd always have time for you,” said Katie., who enjoyed success across the week with Jeorgeo, including over fences. “Winning this was a major highlight for me;…

WITH just three competitive outings behind him, Everybody Dance made easy work of the prelim and novice bronze classes at Brook Farm Training Centre Area Festival, Essex, to win both titles. “He has never travelled that far and I nearly didn't take him as I was worried he wouldn't cope,” said Xanthe Gould. “I really wasn't expecting anything.” Known as Eddie, the now 10-year-old palomino gelding, who is by showjumping stallion Dayton Sitte, was “big, weak and lacking confidence” when Xanthe bought him four years ago. “He did struggle with life, so we've brought him on slowly and gently to allow him to develop physically and mentally,” she said. “Although he's quite frightened of things, when you work him he's completely with you. We've done a lot of groundwork and…