Innehållsförteckning för 29-May-2025 från Horse & Hound

IN this week's issue we ask what showjumpers are looking for in the summer circuit, and which shows are giving riders enough to keep them competing on home soil rather than heading across the channel (feature, p34). There is appeal in county shows, and those events over which riders feel a fondness or nostalgia. Beyond that, the going and prize money are key and can be competitive overseas. But what about those shows in the UK that are seemingly providing everything riders want but not getting sufficient entries to be viable? It's a quandary. Showjumping editor Jennifer Donald introduces us to a few horses we can enjoy following this year who stand out for their unique looks or behaviour (feature, p38). In a warm-up packed with bay warmbloods – and…

TWINSHOCK WARRIOR Rose Bailey's heavyweight hunter has died, aged 13. He and Jayne Ross stood supreme hunter at the 2024 RIHS, a title he also won in 2019, and supreme horse at HOYS 2019. COLBEACH MARK OF DISTINCTION Georgie Steele's 22-year-old retired having won the Windsor side-saddle concours d’élégance. He was also a HOYS and RIHS campaigner. ALFIE XI The pony with whom Bubby Upton won team and individual eventing pony European silver in 2014 has died, aged 25. He also won team silver with Eloise Carter in 2016.…

▲ MARKETING A sanctuary in need of yard rehomers asks: “Are you looking for a cat who won't love you?” It lists many feline demands, and tells you in return you'll get hissing and people made to feel unwelcome. Where do we sign up? ▲ TEAM MEMBERS A US riding school has, on its website, pictures of staff, including Chief Vermin Control Officer (CVCO), Rue, the cat. Surely never has a bio page been so clicked… ▲ AI A riding school owner was delighted when ChatGPT designed a perfect graphic for rider weight. “Shame it can't do the mucking out too,” she sighed. Next step?…

A RIDER who ended up in a ditch under her horse after he was spooked by a car passing too fast is backing a new road safety campaign. Alyson Lock said she and Mylo were lucky not to have been more badly hurt. Incidents such as this inspired welfare charity Blue Cross to launch its “Blue Cross Code”. Mylo jumped in the ditch two years ago when a driver ignored Alyson's pleas to slow. She ruptured a hamstring and Mylo hurt his back. “We were lucky that day,” she said. “But not everyone is. Greater awareness for riders and drivers is vital.” The Blue Cross Code “offers essential safety tips for both horse riders and drivers on sharing the road responsibly”. TV presenter Ben Fogle, who has also had near-misses…

OPINION Edited by Bethan Simons bethan.simons@futurenet.com ROYAL WINDSOR (RWHS) 2025 did not disappoint on so many levels and we were treated to the most magnificent week of showing this country could offer. Throughout the event we were blessed with amazing weather and it is a testament to Nick Brooks-Ward and his team that the rings were perfect following an extended period of dry conditions. I have been the RWHS chief showing steward for 12 years and 2025 was truly one of the best, with many remarkable performances and wonderful championships enjoyed by both spectators and competitors alike. To me, showing is all about family involvement. Much has been said about the Walkers’ achievements with Robert and his 12-year-old daughter Izzy winning two outstanding championships each. A chip off the old…

FIND MORE GREAT PRODUCTS ONLINE For more examples of safety stirrups, visit horseandhound.co.uk/safety-stirrups FLEX-ON SAFE-ON Steel, with ergonomic features. The outer branch opens in the event of a fall and can be reattached with a tool. Inclined tread angle. £254 flex-on.fr VEREDUS VITA STEEL1 With a steel frame, the outer arch flexes 360 degrees for a quick foot release. Sloped eyelets and grip rings for added stability. £249 veredus.com OPHENA S MAGNETIC Steel, with an open design. Includes magnetic boot insoles to generate a connection between your boots and stirrups. From £289 ophena.com JIN AIR Aluminium, with a safety arm that flexes to release from any direction and returns to its original position. Wide, anatomic foot bench. £229 diclass.co.uk SPRENGER AERO Aluminum, with an 180-degree movable arm to release the…

SOMERFORD PARK HIGH PROFILE & PREMIER LEAGUE 23–25 May Edited by Oscar Williams oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscarw_dr Somerford Park High Profile & Premier League, Cheshire IN his first appearance in more than four years, crowd favourite and British dressage legend Erlentanz (Erly) made a triumphant return, winning the Premier League grand prix with Sonnar Murray-Brown on a score of 71.98%. “I was just very grateful and pleased to be back with him,” said Sonnar. “He's 18 now and feeling good. I didn't have any expectations of him – I came here to enjoy the run and he's been amazing.” There were a couple of small errors in the test, which Sonnar put down to Erlentanz's familiarity with the work. “I came round to do the one-time changes, and he thought we were…

ALFIE BRADSTOCK describes his CSIYH* six-year-old final winner Balou's Boy Terma G Z (pictured) as “the best horse I have ever ridden”. He bought the Balou Du Rouet x Guidam gelding from James Wilson, who had sourced him as a foal, at the end of his four-year-old year, and he is co-owned by Peter and Tina Walker. “Last year he had only two jumps down in the entire year. We took him to Spain in January where he jumped 11 out of 12 rounds clear. He makes my life very easy,” said Alfie, who also jumped the five-year-old final with him in Lanaken last year. ONE TO WATCH “He is amazing, he can do it all – he's careful, fast, has a massive stride and is really athletic, so he…

Edited by Catherine Austen catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 HUNTING isn't a hobby. It's a passion, a way of life, an obsession. When the season ends, those in its grasp experience a sense of loss and disorientation when their week is no longer shaped by the days they are going hunting, thinking about it or preparing for it. During the season, if you miss a day you will know where they are meeting, fight with FOMO (that is, the fear of missing out) and pounce upon the first person you see afterwards to find out how it went. No surprises that your social life is full of people who feel the same way. Why, at a party, would you talk about President Trump when earlier that day you enjoyed the hunt of the…

Edited by Eleanor Jones Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ A RIDER who suffered lifechanging injuries when her horse was spooked by dogs out with a professional walker hopes her legal case may help prevent other such situations. International grand prix dressage rider Melissa Smith suffered a smashed pelvis, broken back and head injury when Lorentina reared and fell on her, on a bridleway in Surrey in December 2018. The case concluded this month; Judge Simpkiss had found that the walker, who had four dogs, had been negligent and was liable. “IT'S DEVASTATING” MELISSA, a trainer and coach, had operations, spent months in a wheelchair and was told she might not ride again. She is back on board but classified as a grade V…

Olympic medallists Laura Collett and London 52 won the Bicton CCI4*-S for the third year running, and helped Britain win the Nations Cup. Report, p44. The European Equestrian Federation's second vice-president, Frenchman Quentin Simonet, has been elected president for a 16-month term. Batsford Stud's Alan Varey received the Queen Mother's Silver Salver at the Thoroughbred Breeder Association's National Hunt Breeders Awards. Iraqi international dressage rider Zara Murad has been named a guest speaker at the Iraq Britain Business Council conference on 3 June. Eventer Elizabeth Barratt, 19, was crowned British young rider national champion at Bicton; she and Big Boss Melo won the age-restricted CCI3*-L.…

▼ BRIDES To a wedding photo shoot in which a bride was persuaded to mount a horse in a large dress. The horse bucked. If only her pals had held tighter and if only we hadn't used the bridle/bridal joke the other week… ▼ SELECTION A nutritionist points out that horses should not be allowed to select what to eat. A rider replied: “I can't trust myself as I'd always select biscuits – I don't think my ponies would do better!” True. ▼ ADS Oops of the week to the brand that used a picture of a model by a horse. That was fine. But the horse was clearly mid-wee (the stream itself edited out). Not the look they were after, one assumes……

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. @ horseandhound instagram.com/horseandhound facebook.com/horseandhound FLAGGING THE ISSUE I AM a lifelong participant, rider and spectator, who witnessed the fatal impalement of French horse Icare D'Auzay at the Vicarage Vee, at Badminton 2007, by a wooden flag, after which rules were changed so that flags at certain fences must be shatterproof, and with no sharp corners. But perhaps a further redesign is in order, which would also make it clearer to judge whether or not a flag penalty should be imposed – especially given recent discussion following Badminton (report, 15 May). “On every horse he rides, Harry Meade is within the time” HOPPER CAVENDISH There is no rule, I believe, that the flag must be vertical for its…

WHILE Patrick Mullins certainly wasn't the first amateur jockey to win the Grand National – partnering the 33/1 shot Nick Rockett – he might well be the only one to arrive via piggyback into the parade ring. He explains with a laugh when we catch up: “Nick Rockett was pretty tired; it was a warm day and he went to cool off. Stewart Andrew, his owner, offered me a lift in!” Patrick thought beforehand that he had “a great chance, without a winning chance”, elaborating: “I thought he'd get me to the last fence and the weight [11st 8lb] would probably tell, but I thought he had a great chance of being in the first four, which is like a winner anywhere else.” Retired jockey Davy Russell, who won back-to-back…

ANY horse that moves between locations and interacts with unfamiliar groups poses a greater risk for exposure to infectious diseases. New arrivals to a yard are particularly high risk, as they may have recently come from another population, shared transport with unknown horses and experienced stress from the move – all of which can increase susceptibility to infection, including from reactivation of latent EHV-1 infection due to stress. Although such reactivation is known to occur, it is usually not obvious when it does, and the factors that contribute to it are believed to be highly variable between individual animals. All horses are at some risk of EHV-1, but identifying those at the highest risk and taking targeted precautions can optimise control measures and reduce the likelihood of disease spread.…

BICTON (1) 22–25 May Edited by Pippa Roome pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle Bicton (1), Devon TWO riders and a trio of greys tussled it out at the top of the Succeed British young rider national championship, with Elizabeth Barratt claiming the title on Big Boss Melo. “I never expected that I might win. I knew I had two very capable horses, but the competition has been strong this year with all the young riders. It hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm proud of my horses,” said Elizabeth, 19, who is on a gap year and considering continuing with horses professionally. Elizabeth led the dressage on 25.3 on her other ride, Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau, who was an Olympic team silver medallist for France last year before being sold. Not knowing the…

SOPHIE WALLACE enjoyed a standout performance, winning both the young rider individual and team tests with scores of 71.13% and 69.61%, respectively. She rode Fallatijn Van Kairos, Laura Tomlinson's former grand prix partner. “I was really pleased with how he went,” said 18-year-old Sophie. “He's an incredible horse, and I'm very fortunate to be riding him. We've been a combination for three months now, so he's still quite new to me, but I'm really enjoying learning everything with him – he's teaching me a lot.” “He gave me an incredible feeling from the first minute he stepped into the arena, and we managed to improve on our pirouettes from our last competition together. “We had a slight wobble in the second test on the last four-time change, which was a…

VIKKI PENGILLY'S Florencio mare Indianna (pictured) headed the inter I with 71% – a personal best – at Wellington Riding, Hampshire. With recent selection for an international at the venue in June, the rising 12-year-old is climbing towards grand prix. ONES TO WATCH “We've spent time with our trainer, Andrew Gardner, to keep the power and energy with the relaxation,” said Vikki. “The main thing is keeping her confidence in the ring, but the harder work seems to suit her – she's taking it all in her stride.”…

DEVON COUNTY 15–17 May Edited by Bethan Simons bethan.simons@futurenet.com Devon County, Westpoint Arena A SPORTS horse broodmare surprised all connections after winning the Price Family supreme in-hand qualifier and will make her first-ever trip to Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in October. Woodlands Be Individual, a 10-year-old chestnut mare, won the sports horse breeding title on the first day of the show, led by owner Lesley Gundry who was oblivious to what their win signified. “When someone told me you'll have to come back for ‘The Price’ on Saturday I replied, ‘The Price? What's that?’” said an elated Lesley, who was joined by her daughter Jess leading the mare's foal Virtually Identical – a filly by the late Tony Wareham and Ann Bassett's stallion Virtual. The daughter of Billy…

EX-RACEHORSE specialist Sarah Llewellyn and her two nieces enjoyed a flurry of rosettes at British Show Pony Society Area 13B. Riding her own Deep Challenger, Sarah stood champion Retraining of Racehorses and reserve supreme of show. She was beaten to the overall sash by her niece Jasmine Barclay, nine, who had won the Royal International (RIHS) 122cm show hunter pony class and section championship with Gryngallt Picture Frame (Lolli). “We've been fortunate to have had Lolli on loan for the last four years,” said Laura Barclay, Jasmine's mum. “She's a pony of a lifetime, not only in the show ring, but she drag-hunts, showjumps and takes part in all Pony Club activities.” Older sister Imogen – who formerly rode Lolli at Hickstead and HOYS – was also in contention for…

THE travelling roadshow that is British Eventing was at Belsay this weekend with the exciting addition of its first four-star. This was double Dutch to Adam who, despite a lifetime's proximity to horses, is not a follower of their sports. He was happy to come along because a friend, Lucinda, had kindly invited us to the sponsors’ lunch. The last day was well under way when we arrived, parking in the same field that's used for the Tynedale Hunt's ladies’ day and the Belsay Bounce. Both of these offer mere mortals the chance to jump around the estate with its castle and illustrious horse history. The famous stallion Whistlejacket, he of the Stubbs painting, was bred at Belsay. “I got stuck here after ladies’ day and had to be pulled…

EVENTING AND THE FEI HEAD TO COURT THE dispute between the International Eventing Officials Club (IEOC) and the FEI will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). H&H reported that the FEI had terminated its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the club, so it is no longer recognised as the official organisation representing eventing officials’ views (news, 21 March 2024). The MoU was temporarily reinstated by the FEI Tribunal, but since August 2024 the IEOC has not been a recognised stakeholder of the FEI. IEOC chair Andy Griffiths said: “While we regret the need to pursue this case, we are committed to doing whatever is necessary to ensure the continued reasonable representation of officials in the governance of eventing.” The case will be heard by CAS this…

Edited by Pippa Roome pippa.roome@futurenet.com @pipparoomeorkyle OPINION WATCHING the Badminton cross-country was interesting; there were little mishaps in lots of places without any fence having too much influence. The track had walked like it was relatively straightforward, and riders talked about it as though it was, too. I thought many of them went a gear faster than normal, perhaps because the good but quick ground meant horses motored easily over it with fences that invited you to keep travelling right up to them, which then allowed mistakes to happen. The horses also finished quite tired: a lot of riders don't realise that the course is uphill all the way from the Vicarage Ditch to the top of the Quarry. It doesn't really feel like that when you walk it, but…

Neither I nor my husband David had a horsey background. My father had been a professional footballer and as I had three brothers, football was the only interest in my family. I loved ponies, but the only way to be involved was through my local riding school, where I learnt the basics and helped out at weekends and evenings, mucking out and riding ponies bareback to and from their grazing with just a headcollar. Later, I bought myself a hunter and rode for several seasons with the South Notts, and occasionally with the Quorn and Belvoir. I also competed a bit in dressage. David was a dinghy sailor – we used to race most weekends, but when we asked our eldest daughter if she would like a dinghy or a…

THE Great Yorkshire runs classes starting at 1.10m in its White Rose Arena, a grass arena with an all-weather collecting ring, which secretary Amanda Stoddart-West says has been a success with riders and the public. “Introducing those other classes has given people an opportunity to ride here and something to aim for. You hear from people that it's probably their only opportunity to jump at the Yorkshire, so it helps get amateurs and new faces into the show,” she says.…

AMELIA WINTER steered Jemma Kidd's seven-year-old “pocket rocket” Nyacinthe to a first affiliated BE100 victory. “Her stablename is Sparky, but she has lots of other nicknames – Princess being the one she gets called the most and the one she most lives up to,” said Amelia, who began riding the fiery 16hh mare two years ago. “Cross-country is her favourite thing in the world – she absolutely loves it.” Amelia, who runs a yard in Gloucestershire with her parents, five-star riders Mike and Emma Winter, has benefited from the Howden Way young horse pathway programme. “I'm 24, so out of the youth eventing bubble, and so to have access to top-class trainers like Chris Bartle has been hugely beneficial,” she said. FIRST WIN…

A MEDIUM freestyle bronze section win with Rathcline Kestrel (Timothy) held special meaning for Katie Stephens-Grandy. AGAINST THE ODDS “We've had a rollercoaster journey,” said Katie, who bought the dun Connemara, now 14, a decade ago and within hours shattered her leg in a fall from a young horse. “He had a later start but was eventing at BE100 and ready for go novice, in 2022, when he developed equine metabolic syndrome. I nearly lost him in March last year.” The pair performed their winning test at Port Royal EC, North Yorkshire, to a musical medley from The Lion King. “Timothy was very plain in movement as a young pony, and I didn't think he'd make a lot,” added Katie, who trains with Chris McGrann. “He now has expression in…

Ian Stark EC, Borders TARAN HANOVER scored an outright double novice win with showjumping mare Ilotte Van De Muggenhoek. “This was only her second dressage outing,” said Taran, who also competes in horse classes at the Horse of the Year Show, describing herself as a true “mixed discipline rider”. “She loves her flatwork, and she's forward-thinking and super-responsive. We're aiming to train her up the levels.” Taran also headed the prix st georges with Headmore Wimoweh, the 17-year-old gelding previously competed up to grand prix by Alice Oppenheimer. “He's a big horse for me, but our trainer, Paul Hayler, has really helped us,” she added. “We seem to have our partnership together now.”…

WELLINGTON RIDING CSI2* AND CSIYH* 22–25 May Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald Wellington Riding CSI2* and CSIYH*, Hants PETER MOLONEY and Nielson have already accrued two national grand prix victories since joining forces last autumn and they continued their trajectory with a first international win as a partnership in the gold tour CSI2* grand prix. “He's been knocking on the door of a bigger win. He had the last fence down at Chard CSI2*, so he deserved this one,” said the Irish rider. “He's very consistent and he tries his best for you every day.” When it goes right, this pair, who headed grands prix at Arena UK in January and the Welsh Masters last month, have already become tough to beat. Despite a competitive 11-combination jump-off they still…

HIGHLIGHTS 24–25 May Edited by Gemma Redrup gemma.redrup@futurenet.com @gemmaredrup Berks & Bucks Bloodhounds, Kingston Blount, Oxon COURSE specialist I K Brunel showed no signs of slowing down when the 11-year-old comfortably secured mixed open victory, despite carrying a 5lb penalty under Izzie Hill. “He's amazing – he's four from five around here – and loves it because it's a quirky course with some added bends and he loves slingshotting off the final bend to the last fence,” said Izzie of the Midnight Legend gelding, trained by Alan Hill and owned by the I K Brunel Partnership. “He jumped amazingly, winging the four fences on the back straight and just loves the spring season with the quicker ground and the sun on his back.” Gina Andrews enjoyed a successful day when…