Innholdsfortegnelse for 3-Jan-2025 i Horse & Hound

WE start the year as we mean to go on – celebrating brilliant horse and rider combinations. On page 32 you'll find 12 to watch in 2025 – names that you might or might not yet be familiar with but who we believe you will enjoy watching and following within our coverage over the next 12 months. It takes so much to make it to the top, and these riders show a mix of career paths – we wish them all well. In this week's interview we hear from a man who has been there and done it all – Mark Todd (p16). He talks about the highs and lows of his time in the sport so far. Meanwhile we continue to address the issues that need to be discussed…

DRESSAGE IN dressage, fresh blood means elimination. If the judge at C suspects blood on a horse during a test, the rider will be stopped and, if fresh blood is confirmed, eliminated. Fresh blood in the horse's mouth or area of spurs during the post-test tack check results in elimination, and blood found elsewhere on the body will result in an examination by a vet, who will advise on the horse's fitness to continue in further competition. SHOWJUMPING IN showjumping, blood (fresh is not stipulated) on the horse's flanks results in elimination. In cases of horses bleeding in the mouth, “such as where the horse appears to have bitten its tongue or lip”, officials may authorise the rinsing or wiping of the mouth, and allow the combination to continue. But…

REDWINGS is urging horse owners to share their experiences and opinions of fireworks, to present to the Government as it considers a bid to change the law. MP Sarah Owen's private member's bill, which calls for updates to firework legislation, will have its second reading on 17 January. A meeting of representatives of the Fireworks Working Group, which comprises human and animal welfare charities including Redwings, and business and trade parliamentary under-secretary Justin Madders, is scheduled for February. Redwings wants to find out how horses and owners are affected by fireworks, so is asking all UK residents over the age of 16, who directly care for at least one horse, to fill in the survey before the Government meeting. Redwings campaigns and policy manager Helen Whitelegg said: “We know data…

@oscarw_dr OPINION ANOTHER year passes, and the prospects for riding schools have never looked so bleak. With costs exploding upwards, there's little hope – and no help – on the horizon. My worst moment of the last month was when a proprietor asked me, with tears welling up in her eyes: “How can we keep our riding school open?” Actually, I lie. An even more disheartening moment came when I repeated that question to another proprietor of a large, successful centre. This person informed me their accountant had suggested a 7% rise in lesson prices in January. We put our prices up in August, I retorted, but couldn't do so again, as nearly 20% in six months was a hike too far for clients. Yet the suggestion that this is…

Need to know HAPPY VALENTINES Stable name: Harley Age: 12 Classes: large riding horse and ladies’ show horse Breeding: by Fürstenball Owner: Heather Rothwell Riders: owner and Phoebe Price Best results: 2017, amateur, home-produced and young horse supreme champions Equifest, reserve supreme BSHA National Championships; 2018, supreme of show Aintree National Championship Show, third large riding horse RIHS final, third large riding horse HOYS final; 2022, first amateur riding horse Royal Windsor, third large riding horse RIHS final; 2023, first ladies’ show horse Royal Windsor; 2024, supreme amateur riding horse RIHS final, supreme amateur BSHA national championships, first ladies’ show horse HOYS final, second large riding horse HOYS final. OWNER/RIDER HEATHER ROTHWELL “I BOUGHT ‘Harley’ as a five-year-old from Astrid Bolton, who had sourced him from the Netherlands. Astrid rang…

I STILL think about Tingle Creek. He was trained by Tom Jones and I can't explain how much of an athlete he was, he looked like a greyhound. He loved jumping, but only on firm ground; the harder the ground the faster he was. I rode him in the Pattern Chase at Sandown in 1977, the only time I'd sat on him before was trotting round the villages on a Sunday. We jumped off, he went a million miles an hour. He jumped fences like hurdles, he went flat out, every time. Two yards out he'd pick up, and land two yards out, the other side. He won, and broke the track record. The following year, he ran in the same chase, what would be the last race of his…

FIND MORE GREAT PRODUCTS ONLINE Visit horseandhound.co.uk/buyers-guides to find more fantastic new products STEP UP BY RED GORILLA Ideal for mounting larger horses and provides added convenience around the yard. The three steps feature non-slip grip and it conveniently folds flat when not in use. Beyond its use as a mounting block, it's great for reaching tack room storage and other hard-to-reach areas. PHOENIX CLIPPERS BY LIVERYMAN Designed and developed by professionals, this handset offers the power of a mains clipper with the convenience of a cordless. It handles even the most dense winter coat effortlessly, while the brushless motor ensures quieter operation and less vibration. It comes with a set of blades and two battery packs. HEATED GILET BY WOOF WEAR Keep out the cold and warm up in minutes…

WHEN Alec suggested having a party this holiday, my mind was immediately drawn to the chunder-fests of my youth. Our parents were very good about letting us have parties. My 16th was held in an empty farm cottage that had no carpets and was due a lick of paint. My mother was far too house-proud/sensible to let us loose at home. I vaguely remember a strong smell of damp and my old friend Jamie, who was doing the music, cuddling a bottle of Archers underneath the Christmas tree. Jamie doesn't drink these days. The evening started full of promise and there's a photo of me standing in front of the tree in a suede mini skirt to prove it. Three hours later, I was comatose inside a nest of sleeping…

Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ ARE the blood rules in the Olympic disciplines working – and how do we move forward? The rules have long been debated. The FEI says they “protect horses and there can be no grey areas when it comes to horse welfare”. Not all cases of blood mean there is a welfare issue or that a rider has done something wrong. The FEI says such eliminations “do not imply that there was any intent to injure the horse” and that many incidents are “minor or accidental”. But the consequences are different across disciplines (see box, p6). H&H asked the FEI why the rules differ, and was told disciplines have their own rules under the relevant technical committees, and “historically,…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. @ horseandhound instagram.com/horseandhound facebook.com/horseandhound GREENWICH CLOSURE I WAS appalled by the decision to sell the equestrian site at Greenwich (news, 12 December 2024). I believe the initial intention was to provide accommodation for Olympic participants and, thereafter, riding for the community. It had state-of-the-art facilities, including an indoor school with the same surface as the one used for the Olympic dressage competitions, a mechanical horse and therapeutic swimming areas for horses. After the Olympics, residents were offered lessons, including a session on the mechanical horse and a free riding hat. This was appreciated by many, including children and those less advantaged. But at some point, all this changed. It was noticeable that the better horses were removed;…

THE day before I arrive at Mark Todd's Wiltshire yard, he held a sale – bridles, rugs, an old pair of skis, it all went. Now, in his hallway, there are stacks of flat-packed cardboard boxes, ready to be assembled and filled. “How privileged I am to have had this life” ON A CAREER IN HORSES The last time I visited, he was beginning his new career as a racing trainer (he saddled his first runner in August 2019). There was a crackling sense of excitement in the air, along with the buzz of a busy yard: phones ringing, decisions made, and the quotidian sounds and sense of horses nearby. This time, it's a different energy. Mark announced in mid-November that he wouldn't be renewing his licence, though he'll keep the…

“WE got Harley in January 2023. Stuart Hollings made us aware that Heather was considering leasing him for the season to do ladies’ classes and I jumped at the chance. Some of our biggest wins include the supreme amateur riding horse at the Royal International [RIHS] and the ladies’ show horse at Horse of the Year Show [HOYS]. He was also show horse of the year at the Showing World Awards this year. “Harley is a very easy-going and happy chap and knows his job through and through. HOYS this year was a dream come true. I only started riding side-saddle in 2022 and this was only Harley's second year competing sideways, too. When we got called out as winners, I felt very emotional and shocked, as it was such…

EVENTING Daniel Alderson EVENTERS come from all over the world to base themselves in Britain, but Daniel Alderson has gone the other way – he's a British rider based near Waterford. The 30-year-old moved to Ireland to work for Richard Ames, after four years with Jeanette Brakewell, and was then at Global Sport Horses before starting his own business two years ago. “I rent a yard from Orla Byrne, who also owns some of my horses. I wouldn't have been able to afford to buy somewhere, so it's been amazing she's allowed me that opportunity,” he says. Daniel's flagship ride is Lady Caroline Colthurst's Blarney Monbeg Pepper, who was 13th at Boekelo, one of the few to make the time on a wet cross-country day. “She's very opinionated and likes…

CHIEF consultant for Animal Protection Denmark Mette Uldahl says: “Blue organs have always been known and recognised by vets. It is a serious sign of a body organ being compromised by one or several factors. “For blue tongue in horses, several factors are considered -for example, lack of oxygen due to compression of the tongue and potential compromise of the respiratory system, due to a very tight frame of the head, neck and body posture. “The prevalence is not verified overall, discipline-specific or at different levels, but it has been displayed regularly on photos in horse sport, particularly in dressage at a high level. “The addition of any material, devices or artificial foam-like agents in a horse's mouth to disguise oral lesions or blue tongue is unethical. People choosing to…

THE shepherd-based community in rural Kyrgyzstan, where I was trekking for 10 days, relies so much on the hardy Kyrgyz horse for much of what they do. Tough and slim, about 14-15hh, they descend from their near neighbour, the smaller Mongolian pony. They come in all colours and are built to carry the Kyrgyz shepherd men and women all day, up and down the mountainous terrain, in their fast-paced walk, sometimes tolting before they hit a nippy canter. When they're not shepherding herds of sheep, goats, cows and donkeys, the Kyrgyz horses are helping to gather the walnut harvest, transporting people everywhere and then pulling whatever needs to be lugged from pillar to post. They are also ridden in the much revered national game of Kok boru, which is a…

WOODLANDER DORNRÖSCHEN Lynne Crowden's grand prix-winning mare with Michael Eilberg has died at 22. She is dam of Woodlander Farouche and four licensed stallion sons. DARRY LOU Z The 16-year-old, with whom Beezie Madden won the 2019 Spruce Meadows Rolex grand prix, will stand at Zangersheide this breeding season, following his stellar sporting career. DUKE OF BRITAIN German dressage rider Frederic Wandres’ international grand prix star and world team bronze medallist, who won the 2018 Olympia freestyle, has retired at 17.…

Olympic medallist and former European champion Tina Cook is the new British Eventing under-25 coach. She retired from eventing in 2022. Swedish showjumper Henrik von Eckermann starts 2025 atop the FEI world rankings. He has held the position for 29 consecutive months. Olympic dressage rider Christine Traurig will continue as the US dressage team's chef d'equipe until the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Double Olympic team gold medallist Tom McEwen opened a new Aldi store in Bristol last month. He also gave a talk at a local school's assembly. Jockey Graham Lee, who suffered life-changing injuries in a fall in 2023, won the Flat jockey and jump jockey special recognition awards at the 2024 Lesters.…

BIRDS A rider looking for a use for a dented riding hat found the perfect idea; hang in the barn for birds to nest in. Something to crow about perhaps? SPENDING Because now's the time everyone's flush with cash and looking to spend, why not check out the Hermès equestrian collection? A groom's backpack for £2,190, saddle soap £40, or a “smallbox box” for £450. Why wouldn't you? RESCUES We're pleased a donkey was none the worse for her fall into a river in Wales thanks to heroic firefighters. But even better; the village of the rescue? Abermule. We're here all week. NEW YEAR Overheard at the yard, a rider muttering: “Bloody January again.” Just after she'd pulled her socked foot out of her welly and into the mud, so…

WORD SEARCH The link is that they have all won the King George VI Chase ANAGRAMS 1 Vaulting 2 Dressage 3 Eventing 4 Showjumping 5 Racing 6 Carriagedriving 7 Showing 8 Endurance – all equestrian disciplines SEEING DOUBLE 1 Courbette 2 Liberty 3 Hackamore 4 Jockey 5 Gymkhana 6 Olympic 7 Bloodstock 8 Grooming 9 Bodywork 10 Dandy brush. Mystery rider: Becky Moody SCRAMBLED FACES 1 Christian Kukuk 2 Craig Kiddier 3 Harry Cobden 4 Jessica von Bredow-Werndl 5 Michael Jung 6 Michèle George WHO'S THE DADDY? 1 Dallas Vegas Batilly – H Cap Kennedy 2 2 Greenacres Special Cavalier – A Cavalier Royale 3 I Am Maximus – G Authorized 4 Jagerbomb – B Dante Weltino 5 City Of Troy – F Justify 6 Boston Black Tie – E Kilvington Scoundrel 7 Briarhill Buddy Bolden…

HORSES are not unique in suffering the ill effects of human-led breeding. Many dog breeds have obvious and well-documented health issues due to selective breeding for enhanced breed characteristics. The brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds, such as pugs, boxers and shih tzus, suffer from a range of problems, including breathing, eye and orthopaedic issues, plus other painful conditions such as skin-fold dermatitis. They did not, however, start like this. The English Bulldog (pictured, right), for example, originated from the Old English Bulldog. Used for the unpalatable sport of bull-baiting, it was bred to be stocky, with massive heads and strong jaws – and a normal length nose. When bull-baiting was finally outlawed by the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835, these dogs gradually became desirable as pets. They were bred with increasingly…

A NEW year offers a chance to set goals. While there's plenty you might like to achieve, use this time to consider how to achieve them – and at the same time improve your horse's welfare. IN PEAK HEALTH SET your horse up for the year by ensuring he's up to date with all of his appointments. List the essential visits: vaccinations, dentistry, physio, saddler, farrier. When is he next due a visit – and have you booked it in? Be proactive rather than reactive; maintain his health with routine visits and regular communication, rather than just booking in when there's a problem. On a similar note, how often do you have your own aches, pains and imbalances addressed? “From weekend riders to top athletes, it's a common theme that…