Innholdsfortegnelse for 6-Feb-2025 i Horse & Hound

THIS week Gemma Stevens talks about her as yet unachieved ambitions in eventing – she wouldn't mind a Badminton win, or an Olympic medal – but meanwhile she's been taking the showjumping world by storm (interview, p16). Beating John Whitaker in the six-bar at London International was something of a dream, as is being invited to a CSI5* in Hong Kong, but she's certainly making the most of all opportunities. H&H's newest team member, showing editor Bethan Simons, looks back at the positives seen in the show ring in London, and the encouragement shown to young riders (opinion, p14). As Bethan says, the goodwill demonstrated and experienced at that show doesn't have to stop with the festive season – a kind word or wishing luck can turn a competitor's experience…

● Samantha Lissington raised the issue that thoroughbreds being excluded from world breeding championships is a “downfall” (news, 15 May 2023). FEI eventing committee chair David O'Connor agreed it is “a valid point” and would look into it again. ● The popularity of “tailgaiting” in the US – where people pay to park and picnic in designated areas closer to the action – was aired as a possible opportunity for events. ● Creating a series out of the current five-stars was mooted as a possible way to sell the sport.…

 RODEOS Does anyone else want to head to the US barrel racing/bronc-riding circuit purely for the purpose of being able to say, “This is my first rodeo”? (No, just you. Ed.)  SARCASM To an in-hand show, at which the handler of a horse with some bite marks was heard to tell the judge that the horse had been turned out after racing. “In a blender?” the judge enquired. Ouch.  PROFITS Spotted, an ad for a “pink Himalayan bath rock”, for a bargainous £35, which looks remarkably like the salt licks on a rope sold for about £32 less at every tack shop. Got to be an opportunity here……

Edited by Bethan Simons bethan.simons@futurenet.com OPINION PERHAPS it's my new baby, but it feels like we've barely had time to sleep since we were at London International (LIHS). Yet here we are, staring straight down the barrel of a brand new season. Still, it feels remiss not to comment on LIHS, which was a fabulous culmination of the 2024 showing calendar. I know first-hand that it's hard preparing for LIHS – the turmoil caused by rugging dilemmas in readiness for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) is nothing in comparison. It's even harder still if all of your preparation is completed in the pitch black hours before and after work. But every competitor deserves a pat on the back, because the standard, on the whole, was superb. For me, there…

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HIGHLIGHTS 23–26 January Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @ jen_donald DO YOU WANT TO BE ON THIS PAGE? HAVE YOU WON A CLASS? Email jennifer.donald@futurenet.com within 24 hours of your event and please include a contact telephone number Morris EC Small Pony Premier, Ayrshire SCHOOL friends Ella Kay and Cora Dowey were rewarded for their trip to a stormy Scotland when they took the top two spots in the opening day's winter 138cm second round. There were four treble clears from five forward for the final jump-off, where a great round from Ella, 13, and the brilliant Dizzy Rascal landed victory over Cora and Astral Ruben. Both girls are pupils at Queen Mary's School in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. “We were taking just the one pony, so we decided to travel…

BSPS AREA 1B WINTER 26 January Edited by Bethan Simons bethan.simons@futurenet.com BSPS Area 1B Winter, Myerscough College, Lancs A SCOPEY Fell pony - undeterred by the back end of Storm Éowyn – found his stride on his season debut to win his worker class and stand at the head of a competitive championship, after a total of 130 entries were recorded over the dozen worker sections. Steered by home-producer Stacey Mitchell, Ancaladh Wilf, a bay 12-year-old by Townend Lilibell, jumped clear in the 70cm section over Joanne Heap's beautifully dressed rustic course. Stacey, whose family runs an ironmonger and pet supplies business in Sedbergh, bought Wilf in 2021. While the pair have mainly focused on workers, they have form on the flat, too; they were finalists in the SEIB Search…

HIGHLIGHTS 2 February Melton Hunt Club, Garthorpe, Leics Edited by Gemma Redrup gemma.redrup@futurenet.com @ gemmaredrup THE Bradley Gibbs-trained and ridden Fier Jaguen put in a scintillating display when taking the men's open by a distance. Despite the 10-year-old – who possesses an impressive record both pointing and hunter chasing - jumping violently right throughout the race, the result was never in doubt for the gelding, who is owned by Julian Sherriff. “We know what he is – he comes out season after season and performs,” said Bradley. “The trouble is, I'd like to go to a few more hunter chases but all the good tracks – like Cheltenham – are left-handed and he jumps violently right. We've checked everything but he just goes right and we're not going to iron…

Edited by Eleanor Jones Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ HUNDREDS of riders have backed Harry Charles's call for change, after he had “probably the worst fall of my career”. Harry said he was lucky that he and the experienced horse he was riding escaped serious injury after they fell through the second element of a two-stride vertical to oxer double in a 1.45m national class at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) at Wellington International, US. Harry had come in steadily, got a good shot and “rode it perfectly”, but the 14-year-old gelding took off after only one stride. Harry posted on social media about such doubles; he is concerned that having the oxer second means horses are more eager to take it on.…

POINT BREAK Ben Maher's ride has won the Swedish Warmblood Association's jumping “rising stallion” award. The 11-year-old is owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright. GLENHILL GOLD Irish rider Declan Cullen's advanced event stallion has died aged 26. The pair won Ballindenisk CCI4*-L in 2011. His offspring include Declan's Burghley ride Seavaghan Ash. CHEDINGTON HAZY TOULANA Olympic eventer Chris Burton's showjumping ride is named on the Irish team for the League of Nations Abu Dhabi with Jason Foley.…

CONNECTIONS Police are trying to reunite stolen objects with their owners. These include a horse head ornament, a bag of medication and a giant Bible. Not that the horse connection leads to prayer or painkillers, but… IDENTIFICATION A rider who swiped up on an iPhone snap of her Shetland was surprised to see him identified as a “common warthog”. “I know his forelock needs a trim, but still,” she sighed. SCAMMERS This week's award to one who, when busted on a saddle she was selling, apologised. Asked how much she had made, she replied: “I've just started, haven't made anything yet.” That's something, I suppose.…

Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @ jen_donald OPINION THE good, the bad and the ugly faces of racing have been seen over the past couple of weeks. Let's deal with the good news first. Last weekend, we enjoyed the hugely popular Dublin Racing Festival held at Leopardstown. This festival has grown and grown and not only hosts some of the best jump racing of the season – albeit mostly Irishtrained horses – but it has also become a must-visit meeting for a huge number of English racing fans. We saw an emotional and impressive win by the reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, Galopin Des Champs (report, p50). This monster of a chaser made it three Irish Gold Cups on the trot and if there was any doubt about him not…

Bishop Burton College Winter Area Festival, E Riding of Yorks “THE good bits were really good – and that shone through,” said Emma Dale after a medium bronze win with her 15-year-old gelding Lowlands Rolling Stone. “We made three errors, so there's definitely room for improvement, but we can iron those things out for the championships.” Bought a decade ago, “Rolo” has proved testing for Emma while she's produced him through the levels. “He's grumpy in the stable and a lazy character, but he can be sharp when he wants to be,” she explained. “But I haven't given up. We know his quirks and he's enjoying the more challenging work. “He definitely has the scope to go further,” added Emma, who trains with Heidi Hutchinson and is chief finance officer…

LAURA RENWICK won the Blue Chip Dynamic B&C qualifier at Bury Farm, with seven-year-old home-bred NFS Top Gun (pictured). The gelding is out of Laura's great mare Beluga and by characterful chestnut Top Dollar VI, whose victories included the puissance at Olympia and Rouen. He is one of just two foals by Dollar, who was gelded as a five-year-old: “We took semen off him before we cut him and we did use him a couple of times, on Beluga and another mare, so Top Gun is a proper home-bred,” Laura said. “Top Gun is polite and rideable. He's taken a bit from his mum and his dad – he's got ability and a good brain, and he's naturally quick, which comes from his mum. “If he does half of what…

FOUR-YEAR-OLD show hunter pony Linsop Playing With Fire (Marvin, pictured) delighted his connections as he struck gold on his debut. Tracy Turner's big-moving 133cm contender headed the young show hunter ponies before taking the section tricolour, expertly piloted by 14-year-old Milly Philipson. The gelding, who is by Jackets Shades Of Blue and out of Brookhall Miss Milly, is produced by Emma Burrow. He joined her team in October to be backed and he has gone from strength to strength since. “He's such a good type of pony, the sort you don't often find these days; he's got loads of bone and he really moves,” Emma explained. “He is intended for Tracy's daughter, Charlotte, when she's old enough and he's having an educational year before she takes over the reins.” ONE…

OF all the Cheltenham Festival clues to materialise over the weekend, it was Majborough's (pictured) commanding success in Saturday's Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase that most whetted the appetite. It has now set up a thrilling clash between the Mullins five-year-old and Nicky Henderson's huge young talent, Sir Gino, at the English equivalent in March. “Majborough has such natural talent, size and scope and is a fabulouslooking horse,” commented Mullins of last year's Triumph Hurdle winner. The Arkle takes place on Tuesday, 11 March.…

YOU might think that here in Northumberland we would suffer less from the pressures hunts face in busier places. Sadly, this is beginning to change. In a sobering sign of the times, our neighbours at the West Percy are amalgamating with the Morpeth at the end of this season in a joint endeavour to pool country and resources. Meanwhile we have faced changes in the Scottish side of our country. The change in the law means we can use a couple of hounds to flush foxes to guns and we hold four or five of these meets per season. It's a weak simulacrum of what we did before and hard to summon the enthusiasm for it, if I'm honest. On the plus side, the Scottish government acknowledges that foxes need…

SENIORS’ CLUB FOR VETERAN HORSES A NEW “super seniors’ club” on social media is aimed at keeping veteran horses happy and healthy. Following its successful equine slimmers’ group, feed brand Spillers has launched a Facebook group to share information and advice about looking after veteran horses. “Caring for senior horses is a journey filled with love, dedication and unique challenges,” said Claire Dyett, marketing manager at Mars Horsecare, home of Spillers. “At Spillers, many of us have had experience with precious golden oldies and we understand the special place our older horses hold in our hearts.” ● Visit: Super Seniors’ Club on Facebook FREE STREAMING OF HORSE FORUM THE 2025 National Equine Forum (NEF) will be livestreamed free on 6 March. Tickets are available to attend the non-profit event, at…

Paralympic dressage rider Natasha Baker and her husband Marc Jaconelli are expecting their second child. Natasha said they are “so excited”. Top rider Gareth Hughes is in a new FEI group to develop a “strategic action plan for dressage”. He joins others including Kyra Kyrklund. Chinese Olympic event rider Alex Hua Tian has returned to the saddle three months after a shoulder operation. He is now aiming for Badminton. British Horseracing Authority chair Joe Saumarez Smith has stepped down owing to health reasons. David Jones has been appointed interim chair. Champion trainer Willie Mullins saddled six Grade One winners at the Dublin Racing Festival including three-time Irish Champion Hurdle victor State Man.…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. @ horseandhound instagram.com/horseandhound facebook.com/horseandhound OVERCOMING NERVES YOU ask for the best advice for overcoming nerves in the saddle. I would suggest seeking a reputable hypnotherapist. A few years ago I was approached by a new client who had been traumatised by an accident while out riding. She had young children she wanted to encourage to ride and was being held back by a fear of even handling their ponies. “Never underestimate the power of the subconscious” GILL POWELL In trance, and through visualisation and positive reinforcement, she was able to reconnect with the joy she had when riding as a child before she had her accident. There are also subtle nuances that can be put in place…

I ALWAYS insisted on the owner holding the horse if it was difficult to shoe. Some people think it's the farrier's job to make them stand still. You've got to remember we've probably only got an hour – the price doesn't include schooling! I also insisted on being paid the day the horse was shod – my attitude was, it works for Tesco, why not for me? A valuable lesson I learnt from my old boss was – don't underprice yourself or you'll end up working like the clappers and cutting corners to make ends meet. Go with the going rate.…

SOUTH NOTTS 23 January Edited by Catherine Austen catherine.austen@futurenet.com @ cfausten123 “We're a very welcoming hunt who have a lovely, varied country” DANIEL MOTTISHAW…

HIGHLIGHTS 20–26 January Edited by Oscar Williams oscar.williams@futurenet.com @ oscarw_dr HAVE YOU WON A BD CLASS? DO YOU OR YOUR HORSE HAVE A GREAT STORY? Email dressagehighlights@yahoo.com within 24 hours of your win for a chance to feature on these pages Amsterdam CDI-W, Netherlands BRITS reigned supreme at the eighth FEI Dressage World Cup qualifier in Amsterdam, where world champions Lottie Fry and Glamourdale claimed the grand prix and freestyle ahead of their Paris 2024 Olympic team-mates Becky Moody and Jagerbomb. Bringing the crowd to their feet with their “Best of Britain” freestyle routine, Lottie and “Glammy” were victorious with a score of 89.84%. “He was already incredible, but he keeps getting better,” said Lottie, who is building towards this summer's Europeans with the Van Olsts’ 14-year old KWPN stallion.…

Merrist Wood College, Surrey RIDING school horse Balmoral Golden Silver claimed prelim and novice bronze section wins. Bought 18 months ago as a “very green” youngster for Merrist Wood College, Irish Draught gelding “Buzz” stepped aside from his day job to take to the arena with college staff member Ruth Orrell-Harris. “When my own horse had retired and I needed something to keep me occupied, I started dressage with Buzz,” explained Ruth. “He's an absolute gentleman, willing to learn and with the patience of a saint – able to go from being sat on by a beginner to being asked to use his hindleg and move forwards. “We train with Eloise Mayhead, who has been pivotal in our progress,” added Ruth. “We qualified for the Associated Championships last year and…

Bury Farm Equestrian Village, Bucks CONNOR MCLAREN collected his first national championship qualification when he picked up the top Blue Chip ticket in the 1.25m winter qualifier with Noble Warrior mare Moonlight Warrior I. “There were seven through to the jump-off, so we'd all qualified; I had nothing to lose,” said Connor. “It was only my second proper jump-off with her, but she's such a brave mare, she'll go off any stride.” Connor and Anfisa Ershova's 10-year-old mare also won a 1.20m open, finished second to Laura Renwick in a 1.30m open and made their 1.40m debut for just four faults. “She came to me on competition livery after having time off,” said Connor, who is based with Ben Dunne in Hemel Hempstead. “It's been my dream to be a…

HIGHLIGHTS 27 January–2 February Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @ jen_donald Dublin Racing Festival, Leopardstown IN another mighty training performance from the maestro Willie Mullins, his Closutton team celebrated success in six of the eight Grade Ones at the Dublin Racing Festival. The accomplishment may not have matched last year's clean sweep, but it was spearheaded by Galopin Des Champs’ joyous round of jumping, complete with stamina-defying acceleration, for a third successive victory in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup. “He is a real champion,” said the trainer after Paul Townend piloted the nine-year-old to his 11th Grade One victory at a track he appears to relish more than any other. “There was this wave of noise – that was special” PAUL TOWNEND ON HIS RETURN TO THE WINNER'S ENCLOSURE Galopin…

TWO young chasers – Handstands (pictured) for trainer Ben Pauling and jockey Ben Jones, and Jango Baie for Nicky Henderson with Nico de Boinville in the saddle – battled for the Grade One Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown. Victory came for Tim Radford's six-year-old Handstands with just a bob of a head and it was a gutsy performance, taking his unbeaten streak this season to three wins in three months. “He's a real star,” said the owner. “We bought Handstands at the Cheltenham sales, as a points winner from Ireland. He's not the best looking – he's got a bit of a roach back – and he's by an unfashionable stallion, but he's got an engine. He's gorgeous. Who knows where he could end up next season?”…

South Dorset, Milborne St Andrew, Dorset WHEN a hunter chase at Hereford was abandoned earlier last week, trainer Myles Osborne rerouted Take All to this meeting and the 10-year-old gelding, owned by Martine Scott, duly won the men's open under Martine's son, Sam. This also provided Sam with his first-ever pointing winner. “Our Irish agent Neil O'Donnell bought him privately for us last summer - he'd been in training with Shark Hanlon,” said Myles. “He's enjoyed a change in scenery and today's race looked good on paper. He won quite impressively in the end – he's the best horse we've ever had. “He's a lovely character at home but wouldn't be the easiest ride in a race as he's keen. Sam did a great job with him today and hopefully…