Innholdsfortegnelse for 6-Mar-2025 i Horse & Hound

THE subject of cloning is fascinating, if at times contentious, and this week Pippa Roome investigates the success story of Chilli Morning’s three clones – beautifully named Deuce, Tres and Quattro (p38). If the stars align, these three eventers will all be taking on the eight- and nine-year-old class at Blenheim this September with their respective riders Julia Krajewski, Alex Hua Tian and Gemma Stevens. Gemma backed all three as three-year-olds, and notes their similarities and differences. What an incredible and interesting legacy for the Stones’ superlative stallion who was ridden to tremendous success by William Fox-Pitt. Also in this issue, Pippa caught up with young eventing medallist Saffron Creswell who is looking with positivity to the future following a fall that resulted in serious spinal injury (p18). “I’m still…

A HERD of state-of-the-art horse mannequins will be delivered to British racecourses to help train medical and veterinary teams. The 10 “horses”, funded by a £50,000 donation from the Racing Foundation and £15,500 from the Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons (ARVS), will be accessible to all British courses. The first was delivered to Cheltenham to allow training before the Festival (11–14 March). The initiative is a collaboration between British racing’s Horse Welfare Board (HWB), the ARVS and the Racecourse Association and will allow enhanced training for emergency teams. “We’ve always done training of this sort, but maybe not as coordinated with the vets,” said Cheltenham’s chief medical officer Andy Simpson. “Having a mannequin like this makes the scenarios so much more realistic.” The Resquip models are designed to match horses’…

bethan.simons@futurenet.com WITH the qualifying season so close, we have been trying to plan the ideal route through the spring fixtures for our horses. It seems that we have fewer opportunities than ever to prepare youngsters and give our more experienced horses a trip out before Royal Windsor and the county show circuit begin. We are left wondering why young horses find it hard to cope at such a crucial time in their career. The South of England Spring Show is the latest event to fall victim to the lack-of-numbers crisis, and those of us in that area have lost yet another calendar date. Could creating smaller area committees from our horse societies be the answer? This is where the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) and National Pony Society (NPS) have…

RIDER MARI DURWARD-AKHURST “ATHENE is a dream to ride. The moment we go down the centre line, her ears prick forward and she’s completely in the zone. One judge even told me she looks like she’s smiling during her test – and I love that! “I remember when her co-owner Di Redfern first asked if I’d like to ride her in 2023. Being local to South Bucks RDA [Riding for the Disabled Association] where Athene is based, and having long legs, it felt like a great match. The first time I got on, she just lolloped around with me, completely unbothered by the fact that I couldn’t use my legs at all. “The Paralympics had been my dream since London 2012, but for a long time, it felt out of…

WHEN my grandfather first set up, workshops were sociable places, with people dropping in to talk while he worked at his bench. One day, a delightful local chap called Joe Vickers came in. During World War I, he had been sent to fight in the Dardanelles in Greece where he was badly injured, but the military had patched him up before deploying him to the Somme. Surviving two of the worst campaigns in military history had left Joe physically unable to return to farming and he talked about his concerns in finding work. My grandfather told him to “pull up a chair and we’ll give you a go”. He worked for us for over 60 years as a highly valued member of staff. Even as an old man, Joe used…

THE clones’ owner, Chris Stone, says: “We had a number of elements to think about in choosing riders – it started with it has to be a really good rider and someone who produces horses well, with time and effort.” It was always clear that one clone would stay with Gemma Stevens, who is based at Chris’s yard and has ridden for him for more than two decades. “I didn’t want another Brit – we support Team GB, but my wife Lisa and I also set a personal goal of going to more Olympics, so with only three to a team, we had to spread across nations. It had to be riders from nations likely to qualify and a rider likely to be picked. Then the horse has to stand…

THE SHB(GB) Spring Show is scheduled for 27 April, while the National Hunter Supreme Championship will take place on 12–13 August. Both events will be held at Addington Equestrian in Buckinghamshire. The National Hunter Show will feature qualifiers for the Burghley young event horse final, HOYS and RIHS. Offering a broad selection of ridden and in-hand classes, the championship provides competitors with the chance to showcase horses at all stages of development. With sashes and generous prize money up for grabs, the event promises to be both a celebration of top-tier breeding and a rewarding experience for participants.…

PERCY 15 February catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 Percy, North Lyham, Northumberland TWENTY-SEVEN members of the RS Surtees Society, both mounted and on foot, attended a Valentine’s Day meet of the Percy at Neil and Emma Howie’s welcoming North Lyham Farm near Alnwick, home to the hunt kennels and staff and their splendid old English foxhounds. Organised by Surtees Society chairman and former master and huntsman, Rob Williams, the visitors were guests of society member Sir Humphry Wakefield at medieval Chillingham Castle, one of the 10 most haunted houses in Britain. Dinner the night before hunting was held at the sporting and homely Tankerville Arms in Wooler, once the venue for the somewhat raucous annual Glendale Shepherds’ Suppers, where shepherds would come off the nearby Cheviot Hills for an annual “blow out”. This…

HIGHLIGHTS 15–23 February oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscarw_dr Little Mill Equestrian Winter Regionals, Carmarthenshire DESPITE the best-laid plans going awry, Darren Hicks and Sir Robinson kept their cool to head the prix st georges (PSG) gold. “I didn’t find out until Saturday morning that Sunday’s classes had been moved a day earlier,” said Darren, who admitted he was “the only competitor not to read the email” sent out with approaching bad weather. “Someone said, ‘I’ll plait, you pack,’ and we were on the road by 10.30am.” Arriving with just 20 minutes to warm up, the pair found the necessary focus to win with 74.07%. “He was thrown in at the deep end,” said Darren of the 14-year-old Sir Donnerhall I son. “But he’s lovely in the contact and tries his heart out. I…

career success for jockey Benjamin Macey, who landed the Kelso opener on Saturday riding the Sam Drinkwater-trained Gallic Geordie 13 THE AGE OF THE ANTHONY HONEYBALL-TRAINED SAM BROWN, WHO TRIUMPHED IN NEWBURY’S 3M 2F VETERANS’ CHASE WITH CHAD BAMENT IN THE SADDLE 50/1 The odds of rank outsider Senecia, who defeated 2023 Arkle winner El Fabiolo at Navan; the Willie Mullins runner has now been ruled out of Cheltenham 146 SEASONAL WINNERS FOR SEAN BOWEN, WHO CURRENTLY LEADS THE JUMP JOCKEYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP, 20 CLEAR OF NEAREST RIVAL HARRY SKELTON 33/1 shot Moroder (James Best) wins the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase at Doncaster for trainer Seamus Mullins, regaining the title he last won in 2023 for 91-year-old owner Ann Leftley…

Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ RESEARCHERS have raised “considerable welfare concerns” related to double bridles, with evidence they say suggests “winning performances in dressage subject horses to significant pain”. The group – professors and other experts from universities in Australia, New Zealand and Finland, and photographer Crispin Parelius Johannessen – has submitted photographs of horses at two World Cup dressage events in Europe this year. The riders include Lottie Fry, Isabell Werth, Ingrid Klimke and Patrik Kittel. In a letter, the researchers say they are preparing a report but “in the interest of transparency and ensuring evidence of potential horse abuse is provided expeditiously… we have made it available as photographs, with metadata to confirm that they are temporally linked and not simply…

GROUND To the US where a dust devil, or whirling tornadolike column of spinning dirt, appeared in the arena during a dressage test. One reason to be glad of the mud here? BREEDING To Australia, where an amorous Shetland mare escaped into the path of a Clydesdale stallion. No one scanned as no one thought it possible – and now a Shetdale exists. And we want him. GOOD POINTS Overheard, a trainer asking a young rider if he’d washed his horse’s backside. To a sheepish “no”, he asked: “How does it feel when you don’t wash yours?” Lesson learnt, one assumes. KEEPING SECRETS Football legend Harry Redknapp revealed on radio he’d bought another horse – and he hoped his wife wasn’t listening as she didn’t know yet. A lot of…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. A SNAPSHOT IN TIME READING Rowland Fernyhough’s article about the vetting process being increasingly stacked against vendors (20 February) reminded me of when my father bought a six-year-old gelding in 1986. The horse duly received a less than favourable vet report, for reasons that seemed speculative rather than substantial. My father decided to take his chances, but four years later the horse was diagnosed with early stage navicular disease. Nevertheless, clever shoeing kept him going: it was William Fox-Pitt’s ride Chaka, who retired in 1995, aged 15, as the Burghley and British open champion, and with more than 1,000 eventing points. “Grassroots members aspire to ride at ‘the big Bs’” HELEN M B WHITE Thankfully my father…

“SHE’S a once-in-a-lifetime horse, with a temperament second to none. She’s the kind of horse who, if she backed into you by mistake, would say, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry!’ “I’ve been volunteering at South Bucks RDA since I retired some 20 or 25 years ago, so I’m getting a little long in the tooth, as they say. I’ve known Athene for years, but she’s been under my care specifically for the past 14 months. “After she came back from stud, Di Redfern felt Athene was wasted in the field and asked me to get her fit – and that’s where it all began. She lives out, which makes keeping her clean a challenge! But Di and I believe a grade I horse shouldn’t be stabled too much. They need movement…

THE tragic loss of a mare is the most common reason for hand-rearing or fostering a foal. This can happen immediately post foaling or from other unrelated injuries or disease. However, it is not the only reason. It is not uncommon for a maiden mare to reject her foal, and she may even attack the foal when it tries to nurse. Or, if a mare is suffering or recovering from debilitating illness or disease, her milk production can be much reduced. Hand-rearing an orphan foal is a big undertaking and extremely time-consuming. There is a risk that the foal will become excessively bonded to humans, resulting in behavioural issues. In the long-term it may be more beneficial to foster the foal to a nurse mare, as in addition to meeting…

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AVIVID rainbow arches over the Danestown yard of racehorse trainer Gavin Cromwell on a squally February morning. A pot of gold must be somewhere within the expanse of stables, lush pastures and pristine gallops but actually this quiet corner of Co Meath is already enjoying a wealth of riches as the former farrier and his industrious team continue to fire out winner after winner. The team smashed their previous seasonal record of 72 winners the day before our arrival. They have enjoyed success in major prizes in recent years including the Champion Hurdle with Espoir D’Allen, back-to-back Stayers’ Hurdles with Flooring Porter, the Welsh Grand National with Raz De Maree and they’ve even tasted Royal Ascot success. The rainbow’s arrival must nevertheless serve as a good omen for the forthcoming…

POPLAR PARK 1–2 March pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Poplar Park, Suffolk “THE day made the whole winter slog worthwhile,” declared David Doel, after a successful outing to Poplar Park. Top riders and horses enjoyed their first runs of 2025 in chilly sunshine, after early alarm clocks for most to travel to East Anglia for the traditional season-opener. Three British championship gold medallists divided the open intermediate and intermediate victories between them, with Oliver Townend claiming two of the four sections and taking second in a third. “All three horses led the dressage, jumped well and have come out of the run very well. The ground was second to none and I was very happy with the horses’ performance,” summarised Oliver, describing this as a “box-ticking exercise” on the way to bigger targets.…

VERITY PERRY took medium silver at Prestige Winter Area Festival, Gloucestershire, with Bianchi, the first foal from her inter I mare, Armani VI. “While Armani was an extrovert, Bianchi is very shy and it’s taken until now for him to become brave enough to take me,” said Verity, who also competed Bianchi’s baby brother, Vogue II. “But while his mother was hotter and trickier to train, Bianchi is very chilled – he’s every middle-aged woman’s dream. “It was a bittersweet win, as I’ve been holding off treatment for a sarcoid on his sheath,” she added. “He has also qualified for the British Riding Clubs music championships. Whether we can attend either championships depends on how the treatment goes.” IN THE GENES…

HIGHLIGHTS 8–22 February bethan.simons@futurenet.com BSPS Area 14, Sands Farm Equitation Centre, W Sussex SAM ROBERTS was on top form at this busy show with two new novices, both of whom landed honours. First off the blocks was Amber Bradley’s home-bred Welsh B, Orlando Barn Owl, who, despite this being his ridden debut, won his pure novice and novice classes before standing overall novice Heritage ridden champion. The scopey five-year-old by Laithehill Jazz was shown in-hand as a yearling and three-year-old – unbeaten in the latter category – and then had last year off to mature. “He’s been super-easy and really laid-back,” said Sam, who took him over last November and backed him over the winter. “I really do think he could be a superstar.” Sam’s run continued when another new…

HIGHLIGHTS 24 February–2 March jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald Bet365 Morebattle Hurdle Day, Kelso Racecourse, Borders FOR the second year running, a local yard triumphed in Scotland’s most valuable hurdle race, the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle. The gutsy Cracking Rhapsody, representing Hawick trainer Ewan Whillans and ridden by Craig Nichol, clearly loves Kelso and dug deep in the final furlong of the two-mile contest to win from the Olly Murphy-trained Alnilam (Sean Quinlan), with Old Gregorian third for Lucinda Russell, with Conner McCann in the saddle. “He’s hard as nails,” said the winning jockey. “He’s got a brilliant attitude – you know you’ll get 100% effort from him, so he’s a pleasure to ride.” The trainer, who won Kelso’s feature race as a jockey 18 years ago for his father Alistair, declared himself “speechless”…

IN THE NEWS NEGRO Anne and Gertjan van Olst’s influential stallion Negro, one of the most significant sires in modern dressage and the father of Valegro, has died, a week before his 30th birthday. WYTCHWOOD LOVE POTION “Romeo” has died, aged 15. He was the winning mini show pony at HOYS with Cate Kerr, and the RIHS first ridden title with Betsy May Allen. DESPERADO The 17-year-old stallion, who won European team silver with Dutch dressage rider Emmelie Scholtens in 2019, has retired and sold to Hengstenhouderij Brouwers for breeding. IN THE NEWS BLUE MOVIE Australian showjumper Rowan Willis’s star mare has retired, aged 19, to the Billy Stud. The pair won grands prix and competed at the 2018 World Equestrian Games. GOSH The 2005 HOYS riding horse and 2006…

Showjumper David Broome, who represented Great Britain at five Olympics and won 12 world and European medals, turned 85 on 1 March. World champion eventer Yasmin Ingham was named Isle of Man sportswoman of the year for a fourth time. The annual awards celebrate Manx sportspeople. The British Racing School is “delighted” to confirm that The Queen has accepted the invitation to be its royal patron. The school said it is “incredibly lucky and proud”. Belgian showjumper Abdel Saïd won the €575,000 Longines Global Champions Tour grand prix of Doha for the second consecutive year. Report, p73. European jumping champion Steve Guerdat is recovering from emergency back surgery for a herniated disc. He will miss the World Cup Final in April.…

pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle IT’S the start of a new eventing season, and many of the professional riders were out competing last weekend. I always liked to get going at the very beginning of the year as March can often be a good month weather-wise, whereas the proverbial showers in April make cancellations likely. I have three young horses starting their careers at BE100 and one intermediate, so I’ll be out and about a bit – it keeps me busy! I’ve got a young French eventer based here who is hoping to ride at four-star; he rides very well. And my very first French rider pupil, Cedric Lyard, is now a coach for the French team. He came here for two years, then rode for France at the top level. I’m very…

Growing up in Ningbo, China, I had a huge interest in horses. Sadly, at that time, riding wasn’t popular in China and I didn’t have access to horses. Nowadays, equestrian sport is becoming more trendy – Alex Hua Tian, the eventer, is an icon – but before I moved to the UK, I always had the idea of trying it here. I moved to Southampton in 2018 for my film studies master’s degree at university there. When I graduated and moved to London for work, I kept seeing people riding in Hyde Park. I finally had my first riding lesson in 2022 as a total beginner and fell in love. I don’t have a fixed horse; I’m always travelling outside London or into Oxfordshire to ride. Some yards are really…

IF a plan comes together – and we all know it doesn’t always, with horses – spectators at the eight- and nine-year-old class at Blenheim this year may think they are seeing treble. Entrants in the class could include all three clones of the Badminton winner and world and European individual bronze medallist Chilli Morning. The original Chilli belonged to Chris Stone and his wife Lisa, as do his lookalikes – officially Chilli Morning II, III and IV, known as Deuce, Tres and Quattro. “To be sure of getting one, we started three because all sorts of things go wrong – and all three worked,” says Chris. After being created (see box, far right), the Chilli clones stayed at Bruce Davidson’s farm near Philadelphia, USA, until they were 18 months…

IN-HAND showing has long been a cornerstone of British equestrianism, offering young horses the opportunity to gain valuable ring experience while showcasing the skill and dedication of Britain’s breeders. But as numbers in these classes dwindle, Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain (SHB(GB)) is stepping up to address the issue. With a history stretching back to 1886, SHB(GB) is the governing body for affiliated hunter and sport horse classes, and its commitment to supporting this vital area of equestrian sport remains steadfast. As the organisation works to ensure a bright future for in-hand showing, the challenge lies in adapting to a rapidly changing world while preserving the traditions at the heart of British horse breeding. SHB(GB), formerly the Hunter Improvement Society (HIS), was established to improve the quality of hunters…

MEGA MARE SIXANDAHALF THIS impressive Fairyhouse winner heads the betting for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in the silks of the Best Of The Rest Syndicate. “She’d be one you’d really look forward to riding,” says Keith. Gavin adds, “She’s a very good jumper. She’s only had the one run over hurdles, but is in great form. I think it will take a nice one to beat her.” CROSS-COUNTRY HERO STUMPTOWN THE eight-year-old is favourite for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, bidding for a Cheltenham-Grand National double, having previously finished second in the 2023 Kim Muir at the Festival. “He’s very laid-back, he just goes through the motions,” says Keith. “He’s not flashy but every time you squeeze him in a race, he’ll give you a bit more.” BREAKOUT STAR…

HIGHLIGHTS 22 February–2 March Kelsall Hill Small Pony Premier, Cheshire OAKLEY NASH made an incredible 128cm winter qualifier debut, with two wins on nine-year-old Sonic 1. “It’s just a dream come true,” said 10-year-old Oakley, who jumped her first 1m Graham Heath at Aintree only last month, also winning that, before taking the step up to big tracks here. “We didn’t have any expectations in the qualifiers at all, we just wanted to get round one.” The first day’s class ended in a tie when Oakley and Evie Whitaker (Barleyfields Button) – who had already won at Morris – jumped the sole clears of the first round. Three pairs jumped initial clears on Sunday, with Kiki Arthur (Longhey Confetti) and Alfie Bailey (Priestwood Special Edition) withdrawing after the first round;…

TENACIOUS little pocket rocket Bold Light (pictured, pink and green silks) was a £1,000 purchase who has richly rewarded owner James Scott for years of patience. The Scotsman bought the son of Leading Light for the knockdown price, after he was found to have “a hole in his tendon”. “The vet told me he was so bad, I should have him put down,” said Scott of the original leg injury. “I turned him out in Ruth Jardine’s field for three years and he’s won us £40,000 already this year.” His third win this season came in Kelso’s bet365 Handicap Hurdle under a super ride from Jack Power. I OWE IT TO… “It’s unbelievable,” added Scott. “We kept going with him and he’s justified it all. He’s very small, but he…

THE hunt curry evening has been around long before chicken tikka masala became one of Britain’s favourite dishes. It involves a village hall, bubbling vats of homemade curry and a talk by a speaker generous enough to give their time to support the hunt. Sir Johnny Scott did it one year, delighting us all with ribald stories about his TV co-host, the late, great Clarissa Dickson Wright. This year we had Jamie Blackett, Dumfriesshire farmer, author and country campaigner who stands up for the rural way of life in The Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Country Life among others. I was volunteered to interview him. Earlier in the day my mind kept returning to Bridget Jones’ speech at a book launch in the film Bridget Jones’s Diary. There was lots…