Indholdsfortegnelse for 16-Oct-2025 i Horse & Hound

WELL done to all those who triumphed at Horse of the Year Show last week - or simply made it to the event, which is a huge achievement in itself. We see the passion that drives riders to reach these championships, the early mornings and long journeys in pursuit of a ticket, the heartbreak when it doesn't come off and the intense joy when it does. It's great when we see huge effort rewarded, particularly for those who have overcome adversity on that journey (report, p40). This week, we also have a fascinating and frankly hopeful account of the “social value” of equestrianism in the UK (news, p4). Experts explain that “social value” means the benefits from a specific activity that affect the welfare and wellbeing of a population. It…

QUAKER The 15-year-old Household Cavalry horse, who made a “remarkable recovery” from injuries he sustained while loose on the streets of London, has retired to The Horse Trust. CHIANTI CLASSICO Sir Francis Brooke and Richard Pilkington's Cheltenham Festival winner, trained by Kim Bailey to eight wins including the 2024 Ultima Chase, has retired at eight. MIKS MASTER C Boyd Martin and the 13-year-old gelding, who was produced to top level by Liz Halliday, won the first CCI4*-L US Equestrian open eventing final in Virginia.…

 ▲ THIEVERY The letters of an 18th-century horse thief have gone on display; Margaret Catchpole was transported to Australia for her crimes. If stealing horses meant a trip Down Under these days, a few more might go missing…  ▲ NAMES The Isle of Man Railways is asking the public to name its new horse, from a shortlist. Sadly, Horsey McHorseFace isn't one of the options. Which seems a strange omission.  ▲ TERMS A report on the Isle of Man story contained the explanation: “The word Bay is horse speak for ‘brown’ and is the right hand horse in the photo”. Thanks so much.…

Edited by Bethan Simons bethan.simons@futurenet.com OPINION THIS was my 55th consecutive year attending the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) as a competitor, spectator or judge. Dreams were fulfilled and hopes dashed, together with successful first-time visits, final rides, family triumphs and dual winners. The highlight of the week for me was the historical show pony championship on Saturday evening, which was one of the most exciting for some time. The Harker family proved invincible yet again, but this time secured both places on the podium. Emma Harker was champion on her 148cm victor Rotherwood Fantasia, while her sister Victoria's 138cm winner Stanley Grange Crescendo, ably piloted by Matilda Holmes, was reserve. This is the third time in four years the Harker team has triumphed, as Ardenhall Blenheim – owned…

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HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW 8–12 October Edited by Bethan Simons bethan.simons@futurenet.com Horses Horse of the Year Show, NEC, Birmingham JAYNE ROSS punched the air as she landed her eighth Supreme Products supreme horse championship on Lucy Cameron and Diane Stennett's inimitable KBF Lucia (Poppy). “You never get used to something like this,” said Jayne. “It's so special.” With several Royal International (RIHS) victories to her name and an enviable tally of five Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) wins, Poppy looked a picture of elegance executing a beautiful show in the preliminary judging. “She felt amazing,” said Jayne, who has produced Poppy since a three-year-old. “Quite often she's so laid-back about it all – we call her Perfect Poppy – but today she picked up and went. It was…

THE NPS/Supreme Products mountain and moorland Welsh section A pony of the year title went to an emotional India Latter-Sears aboard the Powys Sprite son Glebedale Jumanji (JJ; pictured, above). The seven-year-old stallion, who is on lease to India, is only in his first open season. India competed here seven times with his sire – winning twice – and admitted that she put a lot of pressure on herself at HOYS this year. IN THE GENES “It's a really special win because we lost Sprite this year and we knew JJ was good enough to come here and win,” said India.…

BRINGING VAULTING TO A NEW AUDIENCE URSULA LEVETT was watching her event rider father Bill on TV at the 2014 World Equestrian Games when vaulting caught her eye. “I thought it looked really cool and told my mum I wanted to try it – she bought me a lesson for my birthday and that was it!” she said. Ursula has competed on the British team at numerous World and European Championships, and was part of the squad bringing vaulting to a new audience at HOYS. “Our display theme was ‘in harmony with the horse’. We really want to show how vaulting is all about really feeling and vaulting with the horse – we're not using them as machines.”…

WHEN Alice Wharton went to tack up her Bovington (2) BE90 winner, No Tommy No, before her dressage, she discovered she had left her bridle at home. “I'm usually very organised, but I am not sure what happened,” said Alice, who works for a learning and development tech company. “Fortunately, my friend who was parked near me came to the rescue. “I usually ride Tommy in a metal lozenge bit, but the bridle I borrowed had a rubber snaffle on it. To my surprise, Tommy seemed to like it, so I'll be rethinking my bitting.” This was a first and last run this season for Alice, who shares the ride on Tommy with her sister, Tatiana Wharton. “This win was all down to my sister's hard work as she's been…

Edited by Catherine Austen catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 EVERY Boxing Day, the Blankshire huntsman stands in the town square, as his precious hounds enjoy fuss from the mighty crowd supporting on foot. He is acutely aware that some of the ashen faces around him aboard spritely horses are regulars regretting Christmas Day indulgence, but visitors perched aboard their starry-eyed horses on their only day's hunting of the season. “I hope they're good with hounds,” he mutters. Pushchairs and grannies, too. And that's all before the day really begins. Much is made, quite rightly, at this time of year of the need to enter young hounds correctly. It's a process that doesn't conclude with the opening meet, but continues until the following autumn, when they return to the hunting field to confirm their…

Edited by Eleanor Jones Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ EQUESTRIANISM generates £1.2bn social value annually - this is the headline from ground-breaking work it is hoped will help the industry grow and thrive. The results of research by British Equestrian (BEF) and social value experts State of Life were revealed by the BEF at an event on 3 October. “Horses change lives,” said BEF CEO Jim Eyre. “This is a truism for us but how do we prove and articulate it? Today we'll be putting the numbers and personal stories together, to give you that evidence.” As well as details of the social value figures and what these mean, guests including UK Sport, Sport England and government representatives heard from those whose lives…

Showing producer Jayne Ross claimed her eighth supreme championship at Horse of the Year Show, with KBF Lucia. Report, p40 Five-star event rider Lara de Liedekerke-Meier became the first Belgian winner of the Boekelo CCI4*-L, with Kiarado d'Arville, her 20th victory of the season. Ireland's Alan Wade has been appointed showjumping course-designer for the LA Olympics in 2028. Alan was assistant to Bob Ellis at London 2012. Belgian showjumper Gilles Thomas, 27, became the youngest winner of the Longines Global Champions Tour championship, with two legs to go. National hunt jockey Nico De Boinville made a winning return to the saddle at Stratford on 6 October, with The Expensive One. Nico was out for five months injured.…

 ▼ YOUTH Spotted, on a bargain website, a horse rug with “anti-aging” fastenings on the surcingles and front straps. One for the veteran horse owners? Maybe not for the foal rugs…  ▼ JUMPING Overheard at a show, from a trainer: “Everything was going so good…” after the slightest pause, he added: “Until you got to fence one.” We've all had rounds like that.  ▼ CHILDREN Overheard: “Does it not worry you that all your friends are getting married and having kids and you're still just training horses?” “Yes,” came the reply. “It does worry me but I don't know how to help them.” Get them horses too?…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. @ horseandhound instagram.com/horseandhound facebook.com/horseandhound SIDE-SADDLE FUN IN the 1980s, I took up side-saddle because riding astride was becoming too difficult due to my damaged hip. I was fortunate to be able to try it at the Riding for the Disabled Association Diamond Centre in Surrey. After a few lessons, I could do more than I'd ever been able to do astride – even jumping. So I found a side-saddle for my Connemara pony and enjoyed several years as a “happy hacker”. Valerie Millward, who then ran my local Side Saddle Association (SSA) branch, was very helpful and I enjoyed the SSA's fun events and entered Riding Club competitions alongside astride riders. “I did more than I'd been…

FARRIER Loti Innes-Parry was elated to bring home the SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse sash on her own former racehorse As I See It. The 13-year-old King's Theatre gelding was in training latterly with Harry Fry during his racing days and Loti has owned him for four years. “He went in there and felt like he was saying, ‘I've got this,’ and he took me round. He's an incredible ride. He was amazing today.” He has been produced by Jo Bates for the past year. “He's such a special boy,” said Jo, who produced his paternal half-brother, Minella Rebellion, to the same title with his owner Katie Dashwood. “They've got very similar attitudes – they're winners and they want to win.” In reserve was Diane Wilson's lightly shown grey, Scots…

SANDY MCLEAN has a phenomenal partnership with Gino F, the horse who has played a huge part in helping to launch this young rider's career. They say it takes a village, and the horse's return from a leg injury he sustained a little over 12 months ago shows just how much love and care he has had from the whole team. “He sustained a bad injury and had to be on box rest for five months – we didn't know if he'd jump again. So to be back at this level again with him a year later is unbelievable,” said Sandy. Vet Peter Schofield was key in getting to the bottom of Gino's injury. His team, Sandy, the children in Sandy's mother's riding school and daily trips to Dunbar beach…

THE NEC turned to the world of dressage during the Thursday evening performance when Becky Moody claimed her third dressage Future Elite Championship title, scoring 78.33% aboard the eight-year-old chestnut mare, Magic Dream JB (pictured, right), co-owned with Jo Cooper. The pair embraced a Halloween theme, riding to a moody mash-up inspired by the Netflix series Wednesday. The choreography, which included crisp shoulder-ins and sweeping half-passes, was praised by the judges. Stephen Clarke, the judge at C, called the artistic side “just fantastic,” helping Becky earn a trio of nines for music and interpretation. “Magic Dream is only eight, so that was a big ask for her to go into that arena, but she coped amazingly well,” she said of the Governor daughter who is out of a Swarovski mare.…

ASPEN COOLING OSBERTON 2–5 October Edited by Pippa Roome pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Aspen Cooling Osberton, Notts “TIME and trust” paved the way for Katchafire and New Zealand's Ginny Thomasen to secure a well-earned victory in Osberton's competitive Rathbones CCI3*-L. The 10-year-old gelding, who Ginny owns with Phillippa Levy and Ross Milne, added nothing to his dressage score of 25.8 to win in the ring. “We have always thought he was super-talented, but he's just taken a little while,” said Ginny, who was cheered on by her five-month-old daughter, Isabel, and husband, Mitch. “He's a slightly sensitive soul but it feels like all the pieces are starting to come together. He really trusts me now and we're finally getting some good results. “Some just take a little longer; he's a bit sensitive,…

WELLINGTON CPEDI/CDI 6–12 October Edited by Oscar Williams oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscnwilliams Wellington CPEDI/CDI, Hants CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN and Ellie McCarthy's 11-year-old gelding, Brave Heart II, made a strong start to their international partnership with two fluent tests, scoring plus-72% in both the grand prix and the special. Charlotte showed no sign of being ring rusty and the tests flowed well. Brave Heart has been competing at this level with Ellie since April 2023 and enjoyed a freestyle win at this venue last year. The pair also represented Great Britain in the Nations Cup at Compiègne earlier this season. “I look forward to seeing this new partnership prosper,” said Judy Harvey, British Dressage's international director. “He shows a lot of talent and is an exciting horse for the future. Charlotte's wealth of experience…

SHOWJUMPING mare Monmore Beatrice smashed her British Dressage debut, winning the novice 1 outright with a plus-75% score at Vale View Equestrian Centre in Leicestershire. FIRST WIN Her owner-rider Blaine Cooper-Jones explained: “Steph Gunn is jumping 1.05m with her and they're ready to start newcomers. They just came second in the Arena UK discovery grand prix. “I started as an eventer, but I'm fussy about flatwork and have always produced ‘Beetroot’ with that in mind,” added Blaine, who bought the Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan daughter, now seven, as a three-year-old from an Irish breeder. “She's a laid-back, accepting mare and the dressage and showjumping seem to run alongside one another at the moment. ”…

“SOCIAL value is the impact an organisation or activity has on society beyond its immediate financial, economic return,” explained social value expert Lizzie Trotter of State of Life. “We're not talking about contribution to GDP, we're talking about impact on society beyond that.” Social value is based on the principles and ideas of welfare economics. It includes all significant costs and benefits that affect the welfare and wellbeing of the population. The Office for National Statistics uses a scale of people's satisfaction with life from one to 10, and moving up one point on this is worth £15,090.…

NEW DEAL FOR RACING ON TV ITV has agreed a deal to continue UK racing coverage until the end of 2030. Free-to-air live action will be shown on ITV1, ITV4 and STV and streamed on STV Player and ITVX. The deal includes 117 days of racing including the Grand National, Royal Ascot and the Cheltenham Festival. British Horseracing Authority acting chief executive Brant Dunshea said the agreement is “excellent news for British racing”. “It is exciting to consider what the future can hold in terms of working around innovation in the broadcast experience, with growth in engagement and attracting and retaining our audiences being a core area of focus for the sport's strategy,” he said. COACH BURSARY SCHEME OPEN BRITISH EQUESTRIAN (BEF) has reopened applications for its coach bursary scheme.…

Edited by Pippa Roome pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle OPINION THIS week's Maryland five-star has a small entry, with just 25 on the list, despite the fact the US and Canadians have no end-of-year championship this season. The event had 46 starters for its first running in 2021 – probably helped by the fact US and Canadian competitors were unlikely to travel for a five-star that year, with Covid lingering and Bicton replacing Burghley. Since then, Maryland has not exceeded 26 starters. This year, there's just one Brit, Alex Bragg on Quindiva, compared to two to five British riders for previous renewals. Boyd Martin probably starts as favourite on the Kentucky runner-up Commando 3. US-based New Zealander Monica Spencer also has a chance on the consistent Artist, a goodmoving thoroughbred. Caroline Pamukcu has…

HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW Natives WINNING both her classes on her first visit to the show was not what 13-year-old Holly Smith expected with her charming Highland gelding Kincardine Uist, but that's exactly what happened for this pair from Forfar in the north-east of Scotland. On Wednesday, they lifted the National Pony Society (NPS)/Supreme Products mountain and moorland (M&M) ridden Highland final. However, come Friday, they not only scooped the Thor Atkinson Steel Fabrications Ltd junior M&M large breeds accolade – winning by an 11-mark margin – but went on to clinch the overall junior ridden championship sash. “It's absolutely unbelievable, if someone had told me on Tuesday that by now I would have won both my classes and taken the junior championship, then I wouldn't have believed them,”…

THE three-year-old filly Knutsford Monte-Carlo (pictured) followed in her dam's footsteps to land the Shire of the year title for owner-breeders Thomas and John Whittaker. Having contested just the final qualifier at Penistone Agricultural Show, this was a surprise win for the father-and-son team. “It was never the plan to bring her here this season because we didn't think she was ready,” said Thomas. “We just said we'd enter the last qualifier three weeks ago and she qualified, and now here we are.” Known as Monte at home, she is by Fellthorpe Fascinator and out of St Giles Morgana, who John showed to win here in 2018. “I thought when I won here seven years ago with her dam, it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I never expected we'd do it…

HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW 8–12 October Horse of the Year Show, NEC, Birmingham Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald CSI3* classes IRELAND's Trevor Breen and home-bred Kannoon Blue delivered the sole double clear to win the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) leading showjumper of the year title – a triumph that concluded with a three-Whitaker showdown. The nine-year-old grey gelding breezed over Alan Wade's intense grand prix track, seizing victory with scope to spare. “I couldn't have dreamt of this in the hospital bed” TREVOR BREEN “Kannoon Blue is a phenomenal horse. He's a half-brother to Highland President, who would traditionally be my best horse,” said Trevor, in reference to his European team silver medal-winning ride. “But this guy is really coming of age this year. He's just…

HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW Pony championships THE rub of the green that young showjumper Hollie Gerken brings to the arena of dreams is measured in purple rugs. Her success across the pony ranks is phenomenal – seven Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) titles, all on different ponies, and two European team gold medals are achievements to cherish as she now looks to a future on horses. The 15-year-old successfully defended the STX–UK pony Foxhunter and Blue Chip pony newcomers titles she won in 2024, finishing just shy of retaining the full hat-trick from last year, which also included the leading pony showjumper. “I can't believe it. Winning the classes last year was a massive achievement, and winning this again this year is just amazing,” said Hollie, after her…

ALL HANDS ON DECK SEVERAL hundred sandbags and an army of helpers kept Storm Amy's disruption to a minimum and ensured that the event could go ahead. Organisers kept a close watch on the forecast. They knew the tents were rated safe for strong winds, had multiple contingency plans in place – and let out a sigh of relief on the other side. “It was touch and go,” said Stuart Buntine, director of organisers BEDE. “But we held our nerve and went for it. The showjumping was a challenge trying to keep the fences up, and we've now got more than 250 sandbags we need to somehow work out where they need to go back to. But we've got an amazing team – no matter what, they just do it.”…

NEW ZEALANDER Samantha Lissington continued her stellar season with a one-two in the CCI4*-L in Strzegom, Poland, riding Lucas Stone and Delarado. “Pretty darn cool,” was how she described her pillar-to-post victory with the former, a smart nine-year-old gelding who she owns along with Neil Robertson, David Taylor and Emtec Laboratories. Delarado, who Samantha owns with Kate Maitland and Rachel Bessell, climbed from third place to the runner-up spot in the final phase, at the expense of four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Jung, who rolled a pole and so dropped down to fifth riding Fischersolution II.…

HIGHLIGHTS 29 September–5 October The Croft EC, Berks NUIT NOIR produced a confident performance to win the elementary 5 outright, before heading the elementary freestyle silver with plus-73%. Hayley Sykes, who bought Nuit, now seven, as a rising five-year-old, said: “He's a genuine sort, but when he worries, he tends to go into himself. At the beginning of this year, however, he sussed out what it's all about. He went flying down the centre line as if to say, ‘Here, Mum, hold my beer!’” “He's sussed out what it's all about” HAYLEY SYKES ON NUIT NOIR Hayley, who rides Nuit to a Tom Jones medley including Delilah and It's Not Unusual, added: “It's not unusual for judges to like it; it's a crowd-pleaser. We were in a Sara-Jane Lanning and…

Berkeley, Hystfield, Glos HAVING missed a year - incredibly, due to a deluge - the Berkeley made a return to the calendar. Held at Daisy Berkeley's Gloucestershire farm, spectators are treated to panoramic views of the course, with its long, galloping stretches and twists and turns, including a switchback in the final hedge-line. Team Ride Away I presented a strong line-up to take the open, with Roddy Stanning and Our Kaempfer (Milo) on lead duties. They set a strong pace and recovered quickly from a glance-off at the first twisty complex, where four hedges dissect paddocks ahead of a sharp right and left over two more. Susannah Stanning, who took up the lead on Bumble, said: “Milo's hard to turn and once he had run out, we didn't even try…

FOR the showing fans among you, the Horse of the Year Show would have been the highlight of the autumn diary. In this patch of the Cheviots, the Yetholm Border Shepherds’ Show is our seasonal marker as the nights draw in. It's a showcase of the best local sheep, shepherds’ sticks, Victoria sponges, dahlias, veg and a general get-together for everyone in the village and surrounding farms. The hounds are paraded in the afternoon, fitter folk compete in the hill run and many pints are supped in the beer tent afterwards. All this week, there was a pleasant sense of anticipation ahead of the weekend. Matthew, who works here, had the date marked in stone as a final outing for the prize-winning sheep he has taken to calling “The Gimmer”.…