Innholdsfortegnelse for 07-Jan-16 i Horse & Hound

@AimsMathieson DO YOU HAVE A NEWS STORY? Phone: 020 3148 4590 Email: amy.mathieson@timeinc.com THE FEI’s tight 30-minute deadline for lodging protests at competitions is unlikely to change, despite strong criticism from the lawyer supporting Bertram Allen after his disqualification with Quiet Easy 4 from the Olympia grand prix over the FEI “blood rule”. The 20-year-old Irish rider took the class on the final night of the London International Horse Show (21 December), but was disqualified when his mount Quiet Easy 4 was found to have blood on his flanks. Lawyer Mhairi Alexander accompanied Emma Phillips, Quiet Easy’s owner, to the show. After handling Bertram’s unsuccessful protest against the ground jury’s decision, she took to social media to raise awareness about the “extremely short time” for challenging decisions. The FEI carried…

THE Honourable Heather Galbraith (pictured, right) of Eglington Horse Trials was named MBE for her services to equestrianism in Ayrshire. “I’m absolutely thrilled and honoured,” she told H&H .“I’ve enjoyed running the horse trials since 1959 and the response from riders has been wonderful.” Two volunteers were honoured for their services for the Riding for the Disabled Association. Valerie Blake from the Arrow Riding Centre in Dartford, Kent, and Elizabeth Gibbons from south west Cornwall were both given British Empire Medals (BEM). Mary Thornley from Essex was also honoured for services to equestrianism with a BEM. The district commissioner for the Essex and Suffolk branch of the Pony Club is a listed British Dressage judge. Professor Nigel Gibbens, chief veterinary officer, DEFRA, was named CBE for services to the veterinary…

WILL stopwatches be a benefit to competitors at lower levels? Grassroots riders will be allowed to wear the devices at British Eventing (BE) competitions for the first time in 2016, writes Lucy Elder. The governing body will allow stopwatches at all levels for a trial period of four months from the beginning of the season, which starts on 5 March. Previously, they were permitted only at BE novice level and above. H&H blogger and four-star eventer Coral Keen said she can see pros and cons to the kit being allowed at lower levels. Shetold H&H that it could help grassroots and less experienced riders to judge their pace better. “Particularly with younger riders who haven’t ever used a stopwatch before, when they move up to novice or one-star it can…

FANCY a tipple? A cider pressed in the traditional way — using horses — has been made in Herefordshire. This winter, for only the second time in 100 years, a cider mill in Bacton is using a horse to press the apples. An eight-year-old gypsy cob stallion called Pye has been pulling the stone wheel to crush the apples to make the limited edition “Fair Oak Cider”. The former driving pony does around 15-20 minutes pulling the wheel before resting for half an hour. Alan McCardle of St Margaret’s Cider Company believes it is the only mill in the country using a horse. The apples are washed and fed by hand into the press, so that Pye can then use the wheel to crush them. “It’s nice to have a…

IT was heartbreaking to hear that showjumper Cameron Hanley’s ride Antello Z was put down following a freak accident competing at the Equestrian.com Liverpool International last week. Devastating for the rider and a sad start to what was otherwise a tremendous new fixture. This tragic occurrence gives perspective to the still understandable upset of rider Richard Howley, who was denied his under-25 win for leading his horse in a non-designated area (news, p4). Of course, there is good reason for disallowed areas — namely what treatment might a horse receive outside monitored zones — but they inevitably feel nebulous to a user who is unwittingly caught out. When a horse is eliminated for blood on its side, as was the case for unfortunate Bertram Allen at Olympia (news, p5), we…

Personal fitness • If I have time to build my personal fitness it’s because I don’t have as many horses to ride. I’ll get on the mountain bike, swim or do Bikram yoga. • I like skiing as part of a holiday and I’m not one for sitting around, so I’ll happily go out and cut the grass or tidy the yard. As long as you puff and sweat a bit, you are burning calories. Mental preparation • Before a test, I go back to the lorry, get dressed and sit down and go through the test in real time. • I’ll have seen the arena so that I can visualise exactly how the test will go. • I’ll even let myself get a little nervous and release adrenalin, which…

MATTHEW WRIGHT: “It was all about success; winning and being competitive. As long as I was winning, then that drove me forward.” CARL HESTER: “I had two choices: work with my father on his building site, or ride on the farm. I still can’t even change a tyre, so I made the right choice.” MICHAEL EILBERG: “You’re the only boy in a girls’ world — what is better than being surrounded by loads of girls?” OLIVER TOWNEND: “The feeling of winning and then not being able to stop until I had the feeling again. Then later on it felt like winning was the quickest way to progress my life in every direction I wanted to go. Then once I progressed further, winning felt like it sorted out any problem I…

I certainly overindulged over Christmas — too much food, too much wine, and I spent too much money. It was time to join the gym, but I soon realised that the extra pounds on my hips and the fewer pounds in my pocket did not correlate in my favour. This, combined with working in London, owning a horse and January’s limited daylight hours, means I’m finding it hard to stick to my New Year’s resolution of getting fit. ActiveRider’s fitness programme has been developed for those who struggle to find the time to go to the gym, but still want to work on their strength and fitness in order to improve their riding ability — without leaving the yard. WARM-UP 1 Shoulder mobiliser SLOWLY lift your hands straight up to…

HORSES are changing hands ahead of the 15 January cut-off for rides to be registered to the nation under which they will compete at Rio. A number of high-profile international grand prix horses have new homes with fresh nations. Fixdesign Eremo Del Castegno (above, by Rohdiamant x Weltmeyer), who was ridden to individual 15th at London 2012 by his long-time partner Valentina Truppa, has been sold to Brazil. Italy’s number one grand prix horse will be campaigned by his new owner, 70-year-old Jorge Ferreira da Rocha, with a 2016 Olympic place firmly in their sights. The horse has been at top level since March 2010, and his scores have climbed to 84.25% in the freestyle with Valentina. They also finished on the podium at the 2012 World Cup final. Two…

TONY HOLDSWORTH has been one half of hunting’s best-known double acts for 15 years, first as kennel-huntsman and whipper-in, and latterly as huntsman of the Beaufort, when joint-master Captain Ian Farquhar handed the horn over to him to hunt these renowned hounds. In partnership with the Captain — and his fellow joint-master, the Duke — they have steered a steady course through troubled times, producing championship-winning hounds and tremendous sport for legendarily huge fields. Sitting at Tony’s kitchen table devouring post-hunting teacakes courtesy of his wife Sandra, as he and Ian discussed hounds — and pinched each other’s cigarettes (actually, that was mainly the Captain) — I was sad to reflect on the end of an era, as Tony retires from the pack at the end of the season. But…

BRUSH STROKES taught me that you should always stick with your instincts. I first saw him at Milton Keynes Eventing Centre, where I was having lessons and he was being broken. I just fell in love with him straight away, but he failed the vet because he had a hernia. We scoured the countryside but we couldn’t find anything we liked better than Brush Strokes, so we bought him anyway. Everyone told us we were mad. He was a 15.2hh grey intermediate show hunter, by the thoroughbred Neltino out of Lady Tamarisk. He was an ugly bugger when we got him, but he never stopped winning — he won everywhere, including five Royal International (RIHS) qualifiers on the trot, Royal Windsor twice, and at the RIHS in 1997. I also…

SEEING this situation develop — and quickly snowball — on the ground in Liverpool, its complexity became clear. The decision to eliminate Richard and card him was taken by the FEI ground jury, not the show team. Are over-zealous FEI rules overtaking common sense? Eliminating him from the whole show was in accordance with FEI rules, but the ground jury could have opted for a 24-hour ban instead, which would have meant that he retained his under-25 class win. What’s also tricky to fathom is the dishing out of the yellow card, instead of a verbal warning — a less severe reprimand that was also at the officials’ disposal. Did the punishment fit the crime? The FEI’s own guidelines state: “Before issuing a yellow warning card, the ground jury has…

ANTELLO Z Cameron Hanley’s 13-year-old showjumper was put down after suffering a leg injury at the LIverpool International horse show. Cameron was uninjured in the fall. “He will always be in my heart, I loved him so much,” said Cameron. HIGHLAND LAD William Fox-Pitt’s former four-star ride has died aged 21. The gelding, owned by Carole and David Hudson, won Burghley with William in 2002. He went on to have a short dressage career with Catherine Cawdron before retiring fully nine years ago. TORNESCH Swedish rider Malin Baryard-Johnsson’s one-eyed showjumper has been retired. The 16-year-old stallion by Lux Z x Libero H competed with Malin at two European Championships and three World Cup finals. LORENZO Michael Lewis’ ladies’ and middleweight show hunter has died due to colic. He was 15…

RACING is to be broadcast by ITV next year, writes Amy Mathieson. The broadcaster will take over from Channel 4, airing the sport from 1 January 2017 after it won the tender process for a new four-year term. ITV will show almost 100 days of racing annually, with the major events, including the Cheltenham Festival, Grand National meeting, Derby Festival, Royal Ascot, British Champions Day, Goodwood, York’s Ebor and the St Leger, on the main channel. Niall Sloane, ITV director of sport, said the broadcaster was “delighted” to become the home of British racing. “We want our coverage to reach not only racing’s loyal, core audience, but beyond, by capturing the full enjoyment of this wonderful sport,” he added. ITV will show a minimum of 34 fixtures on the ITV…

GB STUDENTS Great Britain took combined individual gold and team bronze at the AIEC Student Riding Nations’ Cup World Finals in Germany (29 December – 1 January). The team consisted of Beatle Payne, Jess Campbell and gold medal-winner Alicia Wilkinson. MAKING HISORY Brian Meehan made history on 29 December when he became the first European-based racehorse trainer to saddle a winner in Qatar. Perkunas, ridden by Jamie Spencer, took the $100,000 Al Rayyan Stakes in Doha. LADY GAGA The Just Dancehitmaker was given a grey mare for Christmas by Interscope Records. The popstar posted a picture of the horse wearing a pink ribbon on Instagram. NEW ARRIVALS Racehorse trainer Jim Boyle and wife Pippa had the “best Christmas present ever” on 21 December with the birth of their son, Alfred.…

IRELAND has failed in its mission to secure a place at Rio for its showjumping team. Rider Cian O’Connor and Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) appeared at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last month (16 December), lodging an appeal against a decision made at the 2015 Europeans. “I tried everything possible and left no stone unturned in trying to seek fairness for what I feel was an unsporting decision made by the ground jury,” said Cian. At Aachen Cian was riding Good Luck when a member of the arena party dashed across his path (pictured, right). Cian said the distraction caused Good Luck to fault. Ireland lost out on a Rio place to Spain by just 0.38 of a fault. On the day, HSI’s protest and appeal were dismissed.…

My secret weapon… I have a great team around me, which makes my job a lot easier. How well the horses are looked after is reflected in my results. My favourite event… On the indoor circuit I love Geneva. It’s a great arena to ride in with a fantastic atmosphere. My favourite outdoor competition would have to be Aachen (pictured, above left) because it’s just an incredible place with amazing facilities. And of course I love jumping in front of a home crowd too at places like Olympia. The best after-event party… I’m not a massive party animal as I try and stay focused on my job. But if a Global Champions Tour competition finishes on a Saturday it’s nice to go and chill out at the party for a…

ERUPTION times vary from breed to breed, making ageing by dentition (the arrangement or condition of the teeth) an inexact science. As a rough guide: Incisors emerge first. The central deciduous incisors appear within days of birth, followed by the middle ones within the first few weeks and the corner set by six to nine months. Permanent incisors appear in the same order — the central ones at two-and-a-half years old, the middle ones a year later and the corner ones another year after that. Canines are the corner hooks. There are no baby canines — the permanent ones come through at four to six years old. Wolf teeth also skip the deciduous stage, appearing in permanent form at between six months and a year old. Pre-molars, three upper and…

FROM start to finish this inaugural CSI4* show entertained crowds with top-class jumping, stunning displays, excellent continuity and an abundance of razzmatazz. The grand prix provided a fitting climax to a memorable three days as Billy Twomey and John Whitaker fought out the closing stages. Billy produced an absolute flier at the last to win with Terry Payne’s Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) grand prix winner Diaghilev. Course designers Bob Ellis and Liverpool-born Kelvin Bywater earned lavish praise over the weekend and their final track posed questions everywhere. Ten contested the final round, in which Billy made full use of his penultimate draw. Crowd favourite John Whitaker looked to have set his following six rivals an impossible target after scooting across the ground and angling fences at every turn…

• Tony started, aged 21, with the Eglinton in Ayrshire, as kennelman, terrierman and whipper-in. • After two seasons he moved to the Dart Vale as full time whipper-in under Jim Broom. • Two more seasons later he accepted an invitation to be whipper-in to the East Devon, where he stayed for three seasons, working under Michael McNulty. • Tony’s next move was to the Tiverton, again as whipper-in, before being promoted after one season to huntsman. • In 2001 he decided to relinquish the horn in order to join the Beaufort as kennel-huntsman, with Captain Farquhar hunting hounds. • In 2010 he took over as huntsman.…

Chairman: Leo Hickish Joint-masters: Diana Grissell (1993), Chris Parker (2003), Andrew Sallis (2007), Nigel Hacking (2011) Huntsman (amateur): Andrew Sallis MFH Amateur whippers-in: Ben Roberts, Jack Henty Kennelman/countryman: ‘Foxy’ John Bartley Kennel maid: Kerry Sheppard Hon secretary: Gabby Henty Type of horse needed: a three-quarter to thoroughbred that will jump hedges, gates, timber and, only for the brave, the notorious Pug’s Hole at Burwash. Quote of the Day: “Not a bad day’s hunting for the south-east of England. In fact, a very good one,” Nigel Hacking MFH.…

THE King George VI was a great race this year. Cue Card put in a brilliantly competitive performance to win. It was sad that his owner Bob Bishop passed away just four days after the win, but it was an amazing race for Bob to have seen, and for everyone to remember him by. Kempton is a fast track and you get racing a long way out. It’s a speed test, and very flat, and we saw some great finishes over the two days. It was a shame that it was slightly overshadowed by the whip bans [Paddy Brennan on Cue Card and Ruby Walsh on Vautour received fines and bans] but it’s always going to be a controversial subject. Both are experienced horsemen and knew that the horses hadn’t…

RIDERS and spectators alike praised the four-star show, masterminded by Bolesworth’s Nina Barbour, which boasted a prize fund of £200,000. “It’s been absolutely fantastic,” Nina told H&H.“It’s been a stressful six months, but it’s been worth it. We’ve had some great feedback, I’m delighted.” She added that the Echo Arena has given her the option of the venue for the next five years, and that the show will return. Olympic showjumper Peter Charles was thrilled to have a northern event. “We haven’t had a show start like this since Olympia — there’s nothing on this scale. It’s unprecedented,” he said. Grand prix winner Billy Twomey added: “The arena has been nearly full every day. To get a show kicked off in the first year and have big crowds is amazing.”…

BRITISH Showjumping (BS) celebrated its 90th birthday on 31 December. The organisation has grown significantly since it was founded under then president Lord Lonsdale. Over the years it has hosted events in iconic venues including Olympia, Hickstead and Wembley. “As the sport enters an Olympic year, the British showjumping team is well-set as reigning Olympic champions and including current world number one in Scott Brash,” said a BS spokesman.…

CAVALRY HORSES Four Household Cavalry horses (not pictured) became loose in Hyde Park on 29 December. The escaped equines were caught and returned safely to the barracks. A STUCK HORSE Firefighters rescued a horse trapped in a stream in Solihull (29 December). He is reportedly set to make a full recovery. AN ASPIRING ‘FIREFIGHTER’ A Trowbridge fire crew were left bemused after a miniature pony, named Harvey, arrived at the station. The equine and his owner were reunited following a Twitter appeal. LOST LUGGAGE A Shetland pony has made Travelodge’s list of unusual items left by guests. His owners left him with staff while they ran errands, but were hours longer than expected.…

SHOWJUMPING Go to British Showjumping’s Development Classic show at Keysoe, Beds, from 8-10 January. Classes include a national 1.40m open as well as qualifiers for various championships. www.keysoe.com NATIONAL HUNT Enjoy National Hunt racing at Kempton Park’s Lanzarote Hurdle Day on 9 January. kempton.thejockeyclub.co.uk POINT-TO-POINT Watch pointing at Sherriff Hutton in Yorkshire on 10 January. The Yorkshire Area point-to-point club’s meet features six races. www.pointtopoint.co.uk JAS The first jumping and style (JAS) competition of the year is at Bury Farm Equestrian Centre, Bucks, on 10 January. The British Eventing series runs ahead of the eventing season and the final is held at Hartpury College in February. www.britisheventing.com ARENA POLO Rugby Polo Club is holding a tournament from 8-9 January. The event features the New Year’s Cup (0-4 goal) and the…

I read with great interest and pride your article regarding the impressive work of the team at Oaksey House (Access All Areas, 31 December) supported by the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF). As a member of the freelance nutrition team working for the Professional Jockeys Association I have regular input at Oaksey House, providing nutrition advice to those jockeys on rehabilitation or attending the gym, as well as supporting young jockeys through the performance academy run by Michael Peacock. The team at Oaksey House embrace nutrition as a vital aspect to get right with jockeys, not only to help with weight management but also supporting injury recovery and the athletic demands of the sport. We have a long way to go in managing the physical and psychological needs of our jockeys,…

WHETHER you compete at a level at which pirouettes are a part of a dressage test or not, schooling your horse so that they are confident doing them at home teaches them useful skills. Introducing pirouettes may seem daunting, but breaking them down into simple steps helps. 1 “First the horse needs to learn to step under its body with its outside hindleg,” explains Ruth. 2 Make sure the horse is working actively forward and is schooled at a level at which he feels confident and is physically strong enough to engage the hindleg when you ask. 3 Ruth recommends building up to a pirouette by riding travers — in which the horse works with his hindquarters on the inside track — on a circle. 4 “When you put your…

NORMALLY we have a rest after Olympia and start competing again in February, so riding on New Year’s Day was a shock to the system, but what a way to see in 2016. The show has been absolutely fantastic and we must give Nina Barbour and her team full credit for making it happen. Putting on this show was a very brave thing to do but it has certainly worked well. The crowds were really enthusiastic, cheering as loudly for the winners and the losers. From the riders’ point of view the main ring and collecting rings were a good size and the going was superb. The stabling in the car park worked well, as did two rankings classes every day, and the hotel next door was a perfect choice.…

“WHAT section am I?” has been the woeful cry of British Dressage (BD) members this season, with the new structure going into place. I like it so far. It’s positive both for the horses and the horse market that schoolmasters can compete in the gold section at lower levels for as long as they wish. The silver section at small tour is a good idea too. I like the concept of “My Quest”, although I think the clue to the success of Team Quest is in the name. There are few team competitions at the higher levels, so in an effort to encourage camaraderie I have formed the Altogether Equestrian unofficial “Green Team” for the combinations at my yard new to the higher levels. They have been out competing weekly…

THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT’S is of course renowned for its hounds, as impressive in the field as they are on the flags, but has Tony any favourites among his hunters? “I’ve been lucky enough to have quite a few,” says Tony. “One brilliant horse who got me out of a lot of trouble was Fred. I rode him for nine seasons with the Tiverton, and he was a real old character, by a stallion called Golden Heather. “He was a palomino really, but he had one black hair so I called him a dun because I thought it was a bit poofy to have a palomino. “ “He was an awkward horse - he could nap, and had obviously had some beatings in his past. He once refused to pass…

BEN PAULING has made a terrific beginning to his training career since he started from scratch two-and-a-half years ago. The winners are flowing well — last season he cannot have been far off leading trainer at Towcester — but what a young trainer needs more than anything is a Saturday horse. In Barters Hill — last week’s Grade One Betfred “Goals Galore” Challow Novices’ Hurdle winner at Newbury — he appears to have just the ticket. It is ironic but when the trainer paraded the now six-year-old, bred by the Lady Fowler in Co. Meath and consigned to the Derby sales by her son Harry and his wife Lorna, at one of his early open days, there were no takers for him. So, a collection of his parents’ friends and…

TRAINER Philip Rowley made a superb start to 2016 with his in-form yard taking both open races in testing conditions. Philip was double-handed in the ladies open, but while his Siro Demur went off the well-backed favourite it was his second string, Khyber Kim, who triumphed. Ridden by Nicky Henderson’s daughter Camilla, the 14-year-old veteran was given a patient ride before being produced with a run from three out. “The plan was just to stay on and get round,” smiled Camilla. “I didn’t think he’d be this good on the ground, but he jumped well and he’s got such an engine. He is class.” Philip’s second victory came courtesy of Now Ben, intermediate winner at Barbury Castle in December, who beat the odds-on shot Consigliere to claim the men’s open.…

IMPACT AREA provided owner/ trainer Harriet Waight with an exciting victory in the men’s open at Larkhill (3 January), ridden by Louis Muspratt, writes Robert Bracher. The grey was upsides Templebraden (Peter Bryan) until the latter fell at the last, leaving Impact Area to repel a strong effort from Buck’s Bond (Will Biddick) and win by a short head. “Impact Area is still growing up and this was his first time out this season, so while I’d hoped that he was ready to run well, winning has exceeded my expectations,” said Harriet of the 10-year-old who is her sole point-to-pointer. The gelding is named after a live firing range and trained at Harriet’s farm a mile-and-a-half from Larkhill racecourse. Martin “Fly” McIntyre, a former conditional jockey and champion novice point-to-point…