Indholdsfortegnelse for 18-Dec-2025 i Horse & Hound

THE horse world can be a wonderfully sociable place full of kindness and goodwill whatever the time of year; there are kind words and small talk aplenty. In contrast, you can walk the streets in towns and suburbs without as much as a “good morning” from anyone you pass – unless they have a dog, dog walkers know a good morning – and the only day of the year a stranger in London might greet you with a friendly smile is Christmas Day. It makes sense then that levels of friendliness are exacerbated among equestrians over the festive season too. In this week’s issue we celebrate that goodwill and find out how yards and homes around the country will be coming together to spend quality time with their horses and…

IN THE NEWS GREYA US Showjumper Kent Farrington rode the 11-year-old mare to win the Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva. It was her eighth international win in 2025. Report, p53 SEA WARRIOR The seven-year-old gelding, who was 2025 HOYS working hunter pony champion with Izzy Mason, has a new rider. “Hugo” has joined teenage influencer Harlow White. DON JOHNSON German dressage rider Isabell Werth’s ride, owned by Madeleine Winter-Schulz, has died aged 24. They had 55 FEI wins, plus European team gold and bronze medals.…

HOUSEWORK To Australia, where an MP checking his home camera while out to dinner saw his dogs had opened the back door – and his horse and bull (called Sue) were in his living room. Apparently they liked the air con. Nothing to see here, folks. SPRING Attention, all readers. We have now officially had the earliest sunset of the winter. Which means it’s very nearly spring. Doesn’t it? SHENANIGANS A moment of solidarity please, for riders of eventers who have had a holiday, been clipped and brought back into work, especially on a cold/windy day. Hold tight. FANCY DRESS Overheard in the warm-up, from a rattled rider: “I’ve never known him do that before!” After a pause, she added: “But I suppose I’ve never ridden him as Buzz Lightyear…

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. A SPECIAL MEMORY I WANTED to share a memory of when my niece, Vicki, met Valegro. She’d always been a fan of Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester, and was lucky to bump into Charlotte, who took some time to talk, shortly before her freestyle at Olympia. It was shortly after Vicki received a breast cancer diagnosis. There were tears of pure joy when she watched Valegro and Charlotte that evening. “There were tears of pure joy that evening” CHARLI OKEY Vicki’s dream was always to own her own dressage horse. After her diagnosis she started a GoFundMe page and thanks to people’s generosity was able to buy Blitz. She fell in love with him and he with…

My father owned a stud farm in the Caribbean in Trinidad. He used to travel to the UK to buy horses and bring them back to Trinidad where he’d breed them and race them. I used to spend a lot of time with my dad and I was hooked on it from a very young age. We had a really vibrant racing community in Trinidad. It was hugely popular. Despite the population being tiny, just one million people, there were three racecourses. There were lots of horses that came from the UK. It was such a strong industry, but sadly it’s downed tools since they switched from turf racing to dirt racing. If I could recreate anything in my racing life, it would be Christmas race meetings at the racecourse…

WINTER temperatures will reach us all soon enough, with consequent different demands on management and exercise routines. Mitigate these by: ● ensuring pipes are lagged to maintain a reliable fresh water supply ● having some means of warming water should horses not wish to drink very cold water – a kettle, if not mains supply ● soaking hay becomes impossible in freezing conditions – save a couple of high-quality bales for those horses who usually have soaked hay for respiratory reasons, or consider haylage if appropriate for your horse ● double-checking that field shelters are in good condition and any necessary repairs have been done ● if there is a danger of the yard being cut off, ensure at least one person will be able to have access ● having…

SOME of the key points from VAWM’s Hunting with dogs: natural and humane: ● Hunting is natural because the wild animal is hunted in the environment that it knows. It is used to hunting and being hunted. ● Hunting is also natural since it does not use any alien technology, such as guns or traps, for which the wild animal has no natural defence or coping mechanism. ● Hunting is humane since, unlike shooting, it leaves no wounded survivors. The kill, if it occurs, is almost instantaneous and, above all, certain. ● Hunting is also humane since it culls the weak, the sick and the wounded in direct relation to their debility, the chase being the test, as it has been for millennia in the predator/prey relationship. This selectivity therefore…

HIGHLIGHTS 24 November–7 December Sparsholt College, Hants “HE makes me feel a million dollars,” said Leah Beckett of Atterupgaards Capirossi, after a 70.59% prix st georges (PSG) win with the Caprimond gelding. “He’s an absolute gent, a pleasure to ride.” Leah, who restarted competing “Rossi” this year for Linda Weston, was last in the arena with him in 2020. “I was five-and-a-half months pregnant then; he was the last horse I competed before I had my son,” she said. “Linda offered me the ride for Rossi’s ‘swansong’ year – hope to get him to an international. “I give full credit to Linda, who does most of the work and then hands over the reins and trusts me,” added Leah, who scored second at advanced medium gold with Rossi at Parwood…

FULL MOON SHINES AT Peelbergen CDI, the Netherlands, Laura Tomlinson enjoyed a brilliant run with Issey and home-bred Full Moon II. Issey led the way in the grand prix, taking fourth on 70.02%, while Full Moon posted a solid 67.7%. The roles reversed in the special, in which Full Moon stepped into the spotlight with 69.38% to win, before Issey returned to claim third in the freestyle on 74.79% – a big result in top company. “I’m so very happy and proud,” Laura said afterwards. Charlotte Dujardin also impressed, piloting Ellie McCarthy’s Brave Heart to two strong seconds: 72.80% in the grand prix, then 69.02% in the special, just behind Laura’s winning “Moony” .…

THE CHRISTMAS MEETING 12–13 December jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald The Christmas Meeting, Cheltenham, Glos GLENGOULY gave trainer Faye Bramley the biggest win of her career, as racing united to honour the Hunt family. Champion jockey Sean Bowen partnered the 33/1 hope to victory in the £125,000 Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup. The nine-year-old gelding led throughout, securing the goods through an impressive jumping performance. Racing commentator John Hunt and his daughter Amy set up the fund in memory of John’s wife Carol, and their other two daughters, Hannah and Louise, who were murdered in July 2024. Its aims are to raise funds for charities that help and inspire young women, reflecting the love, care and positivity that Carol, Hannah and Louise brought to the world during their lives. The…

IDOUBT these facts are ever cited in the climate change debate, but I’d like to add them to the mix anyway. It’s widely reported that sustained periods of dry weather have not been helpful for trail-hunting this season, but the holly this year is bounteous. I’ve been spotting bushes laden with dense clusters of berries while exercising the horses since the beginning of November. Just recently, when the temperature dropped, the birds began tucking in. I set out to cut branches to bring into the house. This single exercise was enough to ignite any latent joy in the season. “I feel really Christmassy this year,” offered Emily, who works here, as we tacked up one morning and I had to agree. BUT before the festivities commence, there is some porcine…

Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ EQUESTRIANS returning from the Continent have been urged to be vigilant after migrants got into a horsebox in Belgium and emerged at the rider’s home in Essex. Showjumper Alex Bishop was travelling home on his own, with five horses, on 7 December, when the incident occurred. Alex stopped for fuel about an hour’s drive from Calais and drove on without realising five people had climbed into the trailer towed behind his lorry. “I do not frighten easily, but that frightened the life out of me,” Alex told H&H. “On the Eurotunnel, when you’ve got horses, you have your own section, shut in. I was in my own section with them; I went to the toilet and walked straight…

The Armed Forces Equine Charity has appointed Dame Sue Gray as CEO. It supports personnel, veterans and their families through equestrian sport. Vet Tim Mair received the American Association of Equine Partners’ lifetime achievement award for his contribution to equine veterinary medicine. World number two showjumper Scott Brash won the Rolex IJRC top 10 final at CHI Geneva with 12-year-old mare Hello Chadora Lady on 13 December. Retired Grand National-winning jockey Rachael Blackmore is getting married to her fiancé, jockey Brian Hayes, next month. Rachael retired in May. Jockey Billy Loughnane, 19, landed his 200th British winner in a calendar year, with Dandy Khan for Jim Boyle at Lingfield Park on 8 December.…

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald WE are sticking too rigidly to tradition in the UK and falling short when it comes to making the best of our show system – for either competitors or spectators. Graham Fletcher pitched some great ideas recently on ways we can revitalise our sport for spectators, such as having a GB versus Ireland “battle”. These are the kinds of ideas showjumping needs to move forwards, but we’re facing organisation that is resisting change. For me, there should be far greater coherence in our system of qualifiers and finals. Why do we jump our Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers outside, have to jump an open water then have to jump indoors at the final? Then have indoor qualifiers to jump outdoors at Hickstead? It probably made sense…

HUNTING at Christmas is for many the high point of both seasons – the sporting and the festive. In an ideal world everything peaks for the holiday period; cooler weather heralds in a better scenting time, hounds are sharp, horses are fit and time off from school and work brings everyone home with time to get out and enjoy themselves. For many hunting people it’s not a case of fitting hunting in around Christmas but fitting Christmas in around hunting. The hardcore (and most organised) will consult the meet card in November to see how the main days fall and on which days the hounds will be out. For several years now Beaufort subscriber Milly Hodges and her family have had the same routine. “My father, two teenage sons and…

SOFTER soles put the hooves at a higher risk of puncture wounds, which can abscess. While you’ll still need to contact your vet if you suspect an abscess, it’s ideal to have a poultice ready to go. Vet Harriet Deeming’s poultice kit: ● a hygienic sponge and salt to clean the hoof or wound thoroughly prior to poulticing ● a licensed poultice, such as Animalintex, which contains an antiseptic to help minimise infection, and natural poulticing agent tragacanth, which, when it reacts with water, helps draw out infection ● a clean container, such as a shallow tray to soak the poultice in. Do not use a bucket unless it has been sterilised first ● veterinary gamgee to use as padding on top of the poultice ● a cohesive bandage to…

HIGHLIGHTS 24 November–7 December oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscnwilliams Netherton Equestrian, Perthshire “I FEEL like the luckiest person in the whole of Scotland,” laughed Liz Daniels, reflecting on her new ride, Irish-bred gelding Splash And Dash. Together for just three weeks, she and “Splash” scored a bronze and an overall elementary win at just their second show together. With her own 14hh mare Dunbog Justification also established at elementary, and heading classes over the weekend, Liz now has a second horse to campaign. “Splash is so genuine and willing,” she said of Liz Somerville’s 13-year-old former eventer. “I’m looking forward to developing our relationship. I’ve still got so much more to learn to get the best from him, but this seems like a strong start.” At novice, Emily Oakden dominated with her five-year-old…

Bicton College, Devon LOUISE CHRISTIE enjoyed a stellar week with her Oldenberg gelding High Hoes Dandelion. The six-year-old Danone I son followed an outright double prelim win at the venue with silver section and overall win at novice six days later. “He seems to love being plaited up and going out in the lorry,” said Louise, who bought Dandelion from his breeder, Nicky Callum at High Hoes Stud, and sent him to her trainer Calum Whitworth to be backed. “I have two children and work full-time, but Dandelion is really laid-back. He lives with us at home, and my parents look after him if we go away. “I’ve previously evented at two-star and would love to take him further than advanced medium,” added Louise.…

Rolex CHI Geneva, Switzerland SCOTT BRASH may not have secured a second consecutive leg of the Rolex Grand Slam, but his cresting form continued with a triumph in the prestigious €170,000 (£154,500) Rolex IJRC top 10 final. The contest pits the world’s highest-ranked riders in an intense two-round showdown, where world number two Scott piloted Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham’s nimble and quick-footed mare Hello Chadora Lady to a 0.16sec victory. A tight turn back to the third fence drew a gasp from the crowd and propelled him to an advantage that the USA’s Kent Farrington (Toulayna) couldn’t quite catch. “I was delighted to win at Calgary, you never get used to it, and I have three horses who are on very good form,” Scott said. “Obviously, I wanted to…

NEW REGISTER FOR NUTRITIONISTS A REGISTER of equine nutritionists and feed advisors has been created to give owners confidence that information comes from a trusted source. The British Equestrian Trade Association’s (BETA) Equine Nutritionist and Feed Adviser Register (ENFAR) has categories for advisers and nutritionists. Everyone accepted has committed to continuing professional development and ENFAR’s best practice. The term “equine nutritionist” has no protected status, so anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. “This means a lot of advice is of very poor quality, which has potential to be detrimental to equine welfare,” BETA said. ● Visit: beta-uk.org/enfar-directory EPIC CYCLE RIDE RAISES £30,000 THE Plumpton racecourse director Tom Savill has raised nearly £30,000 by cycling from Africa to his workplace. Mr Savill and his best friend Joe Lush were raising funds…

A MAJOR royal award given to the British Horse Society (BHS) is a “pivotal moment for equestrian safety”, it is hoped. The charity was highly commended at the 2025 Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards, in recognition of its Dead Slow campaign. “This acknowledgement is a pivotal moment for equestrian safety, reinforcing the significant importance of working collaboratively to reduce the number of incidents and injuries involving our horses and riders on the road,” a BHS spokesperson said. BHS director of safety Alan Hiscox said it was a huge honour to be given the award for the campaign, which launched in 2016. “It’s been an important collaborative initiative to inform and involve road users on how to pass horses safely,” he said. “We’re pleased HRH and the judges recognised our…

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✓ DO keep up a daily grooming routine, even if it’s shorter than usual. Laura Clegg says: “This not only lets you check your horse for anything you might not spot rugged up, but grooming also improves circulation by stimulating blood flow to the surface of the skin, helps reduce muscle tension, and releases natural oils. This helps keep the skin supple and promotes a healthy shine.” ✓ DO prioritise stable hygiene. Vet Harriet Deeming says: “A clean, dry bed gives hooves a break from the muddy conditions.” ✓ DO use a tail bag. Laura Clegg suggests: “Removing yellow stains from a white tail is a really hard task and the longer it goes unwashed the more the stain will develop. For those competing a lot, a tail bag will…

GRAFTON 22 November catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 Grafton, Rectory Farm, Northants WATCHING the rain lash the windscreen as we waited for our hirelings, we did wonder, as sportsmen have done since the first wet dawn broke, what we were doing. Half an hour later, turning into the first field to be faced with a substantial hedge, we knew: trail-hunting… and there is no better way to spend a wet Saturday in November. I had come to join the Veterinary Association of Wildlife Management (VAWM) for their annual weekend of hunting and discussion. The host pack on this occasion was the Grafton, where joint-master Tam Leeming is an equine vet with Towcester Vets. “I joined VAWM some 15 years ago,” said Tam, who has been recently elected to the committee. “It’s so important,…

SUN ROSE produced a confident advanced medium double win at Solihull EC, West Midlands, in the hands of Irish Olympian Abi Lyle. “These were two personal bests for her at the level,” said Abi, who scored 71% and 73% with Caroline Clarry’s eight-year-old Sir Heinrich daughter, known as Shirley. “She’s a nice mare, very correct, and she gives a lovely feeling. Every day she comes out with a smile on her face.” ONE TO WATCH…

Hunters Equestrian, Glos QUINET DU BUISSON Z scored his 100th grand prix point with a 66.63% win. Jane Morris, who has owned “Super Tig”, now 16, since he was three and produced him through the levels, paid tribute to her “truly special horse”. “I have a unique bond with him and feel honoured and privileged to have him in my life,” said Jane of the jumping-bred gelding, who has won eight regional titles and taken her to the championships at every level up to and including inter II. “He’ll happily hack through a herd of cows or give the big boys a run for their money at grand prix. He’s such a kind, generous soul.” Known on the circuit for his distinctive, oversized ears that flop out to the sides,…

AN initiative designed to support youth development in grassroots racing has become an official partner of the Pointto-Point Authority. The aim of JockeyStart, the brainchild of trainer and owner Will Ramsay, is to encourage more jockeys into pointing by providing more opportunities and ultimately boosting the sport. “We’re not just seeing fewer crowds, but fewer runners and fewer jockeys,” said Will. “Point-to-pointing is the grassroots of National Hunt and we must do what we can to keep the sport going. It plays a vital role in bringing on young jockeys and horses, as well as giving a second life to handicap chasers. “So far, JockeyStart has proved that we can help people who might not ordinarily have a leg up in the sport.” Candidates apply and JockeyStart matches them with…