Innehållsförteckning för 23-Dec-2025 från Horse & Hound

HPOWER put on a Christmas cracker of a show at London, and H&H was proud to support the FEI World Cup dressage qualifier for the 21st year. The biggest talking point was Charlotte Dujardin's comeback - London marked the Olympian's highest-profile appearance since returning to the sport. She rode her test as impeccably as ever for second place in the grand prix. The pair's freestyle had some mistakes - as you might expect of a mare with relatively little experience so far, and no doubt there's more to come. It was the super-established partnership of Lottie Fry and Glamourdale who put in a faultless round for victory – their third win in London. Lottie drew applause for her charming “airline”-inspired music, and “Glammy” really does fly across that arena. Perhaps…

RENKUM JITTERBUG The nine-year-old has joined medal-winning eventer Kitty King. He was produced by Phoebe Locke and came 10th in the eight- and nine-year-olds at Blenheim 2025. BLOWERS The Nigel Hawke-trained five-year-old was the longest-priced winner in UK history when he won a maiden hurdle at Exeter on 18 December at 300/1, with James Best. LORDSHIPS GRAFFALO Michle and Archie Saul's 13-year-old double Badminton and Burghley winner, ridden by Ros Canter, was chosen as EquiRatings’ 2025 horse of the year in a public vote.…

▼ STYLE An article in a fashion magazine gushed: “Equestrian style is eternally chic.” Yes. Wellies with three inches of mud, trousers held up with twine and a bale's worth of hay in one's knickers is timeless haute couture. ▼ PANTS Comedian Sarah Millican reveals that a guest at one of her shows, asked what type of knickers she had, said she wasn't wearing any as she'd just come from the yard. Is this a thing? Surely not in winter, at least. Thermals! ▼ WINTER Overheard, in a discussion on riders’ top tips for surviving winter. “I find not having a horse any more is the best way to cope,” one quipped. Possibly, but still……

Email to hhletters@futurenet.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited. @ horseandhound instagram.com/horseandhound facebook.com/horseandhound MEMORIES OF VALEGRO I HAD the privilege of seeing Valegro on a number of occasions at Stoneleigh and Hartpury. I saw his last outing before the Rio Olympics, performing his gold medal-winning routine at Hartpury and, again at Hartpury, watched him return triumphant after the Olympics and absolutely revel in the standing ovation that welcomed him into the arena as the “special guest”. “Sleep easy Blueberry, you were one in a million” HELEN GILBERT But the memory of Valegro that stands out is when Carl Hester brought him to a lecture demo with some of his young horses. We were all seated on the arena floor, nice and close, as Carl introduced them. He…

I MAGINE a film today in which Harry Meade, Laura Collett and Yasmin Ingham doubled for Hollywood stars. With London 52 and Lordships Graffalo taking centre stage, and the action unfolding at the likes of Hickstead and Badminton. No H&H reader would miss it. Roll back nearly 50 years and this is almost exactly what happened. International Velvet, released in 1978 and broadcast on BBC1 on Christmas Day in 1982, is a big-hearted eventing fairy tale with real riders, real horses, and a level of equestrian authenticity that films rarely come close to matching. It might not quite be festive viewing on the level of Home Alone, but for horse lovers it's a belter. Where else would you have a horse prevailing in a chase with a Mini Cooper that…

CHRISTMAS is upon us now, but preparations have been under way in College Valley country since early November. I have mentioned this before, but there is real musical talent within the members of our small hunt. In chairman of the supporters’ club Paul, we have our own Gareth Malone – the slightly younger, Geordie version. Paul trained as a concert pianist and runs two choirs of 120 or so people in Newcastle. He can also play by ear any tune from Sam Fender to Schubert. Naturally, Paul has been in charge of galvanising the foot soldiers for the annual hunt carol service, ably helped by Julia whose lusty alto is another cornerstone of these occasions. The music has been chosen and rehearsed, the readers primed. The stage is set for…

Edited by Eleanor Jones Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ TACKLING variation in riding schools’ licensing fees is key to their future, it is agreed, after a local authority claimed centres could turn over £7,200 per day. A Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) committee discussed licensing fees at a meeting on 25 November. The issue was raised again at a full PCC meeting on 12 December. At the first meeting, councillors considered a report on fees. PCC charges £583 per year for centres with up to 10 horses, £766.50 for 11 to 30, £1,112 for centres with more than 30. Each must also pay “about £300” for a vet check. “Licensed businesses typically charge around £80 per rider for a two-hour session,” the report stated.…

Captain Mark Phillips was given the 2025 lifetime achievement award by the British Equestrian Media Association for his contribution to the horse world. Olympic eventer Sandra Auffarth and Quirici H have been named on the German equestrian federation's pure showjumping B squad for 2026. Horse Sport Ireland has appointed former Olympic rider Jessica Kürten high performance jumping manager ahead of the 2026 World Championships. British Eventing board director Jan Cottam has been re-elected for a second four-year term. Jan “brings extensive experience across the sport”. Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons president Tim Parkin chose World Horse Welfare to have the college's £4,000 Christmas charity donation.…

Edited by Oscar Williams oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscnwilliams OPINION ANYONE who has horses - or any animals – knows that even when you see the end coming, it doesn't make it any easier. It's not only the horses’ owners, riders and grooms who have looked after them, but their vets who all have to come to terms with when the time is right. Many wonderful memories have already been shared in their tributes, but there are a few stories I'd like to tell in memory of our beloved Blueberry (Valegro) and Uti (Uthopia). One is a vision of Blueberry in New York's Central Park, standing in the midst of a crowd, a throng of adoring fans, which was one of the most surreal sights you could ever imagine. He was one in…

HORSERACING over the Christmas period is a hugely popular annual tradition enjoyed by families throughout the country. From the Boxing Day bustle at Kempton Park to the thrill of Chepstow's Welsh National, thousands of racegoers visit their local track to experience top-class racing – and an action-packed antidote to festive over-indulgence. And while the spotlight shines on the sporting drama, an extraordinary group of people works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the highest standards of equine safety and welfare. Every race meeting in Britain is supported by an expert team of vets, who work alongside other raceday officials to care for the horses competing that day. First, we have the British Horseracing Authority's (BHA) veterinary officers, who are responsible for overall horse welfare and making sure the Rules of…

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EVENTING H&H eventing editor Pippa Roome is awestruck by a record-breaking double, while under the radar a veteran scores his fourth five-star win ROS CANTER'S Badminton and Burghley double on Lordships Graffalo was a huge moment. He is the first horse to win both events twice. Ros's pregnancy meant Burghley was a particularly brave performance from a rider with total trust in her horse and their rock solid partnership. Scone Palace stepped into the gap left by the loss of Blair Castle with aplomb, with 27,500 spectators attending in total. The event is confirmed until 2031, giving the team scope to build. Bubby Upton scored a milestone Bramham win with Its Cooley Time. At 26, she was the youngest winner of this class in 25 years, showing just how hard…

LONDON INTERNATIONAL 18–19 December Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald The Horse & Hound Podcast Hear from puissance winner Rachel Proudley on the last episode of our podcast: horseandhound.co.uk/podcast London International, Excel RACHEL PROUDLEY repeated her 2024 win in the LeMieux puissance – and went higher than she and class specialist Easy Boy De Laubry Z have jumped before when they cleared 2.21m (7ft 3in). “He's so brave. I can trust him so much and I think that's all that matters, really,” said Britain's 20-year-old young rider European champion. “I didn't have to put too much pressure on him and he was actually a little bit brave in the first few rounds. In the last round, he really listened to me and that was definitely his best round.” This was…

MORE RIDERS GET TO BADMINTON MORE grassroots eventers will have the chance to ride at Badminton in 2026, as qualification has been extended for the British Eventing (BE) BE90 and BE100 Grassroots Championships. “We're delighted to broaden the qualification pathway,” said BE CEO Rosie Williams. These championships are the pinnacle for many grassroots riders, and we can't wait to see the event come to life in 2026.” At BE90, the top 12% from the regional and 20% from the Scottish championships and 12% from the BE903DE 2025 will qualify, alongside the BE90 opposition beaten percentage (OBP) league top 10. For BE100, it is 30%, 20% and 20% from the championships and BE1003DE, plus the BE100 OBP league top 10. • To find out more visit: eventingcheck.co.uk and bestats.equiratings.com IRISH FOXHUNTING BAN…

▲ HORSES Oops to she who misread the weight when ordering carrots for Christmas dinner and got 10kg sacks rather than the 1kg ones she wanted. We know some equines who'll be more than happy to help. ▲ LANGUAGES Spotted on Duolingo, the request to translate: “Willst du die Kekse vom meine Pferd probieren?” Clearly learning how to ask if someone wants to try horse cookies is the way to go in Germany… ▲ RESEARCH A survey found those who played the donkey in the school nativity are more likely to vote Reform. But it also found people who played the wise men were likely to vote Labour, so……

LONDON INTERNATIONAL 18–19 December Edited by Oscar Williams oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscnwilliams London International, Excel LOTTIE FRY and Glamourdale kept up their unbeaten record in the FEI Dressage World Cup grand prix freestyle at London, landing a third victory. Last year, Lottie and her own and Van Olst Horses’ 14-year-old black stallion won the freestyle in this pair of classes supported by Horse & Hound, but finished only third in the previous day's grand prix. This year they ruled supreme, with two virtually flawless tests that showed off all the Lord Leatherdale son's power and expression and garnered marks of 80.78% for the grand prix and 89.17% for the kür. “It was just an incredible feeling, and I think these are two of Glamourdale's best-ever performances. We both love to be in…

ROCKVIEW HARRIERS 8 November Edited by Catherine Austen catherine.austen@futurenet.com @cfausten123 Rockview Harriers, Pleberstown, Co Kilkenny “WE'RE an odd old club, but we accept that,” Johnny Dicker said, describing the Rockview Harriers with his habitual boyish grin. “This is very much a dictatorship. We have no committee, no masters, and we don't take any money.” If there was a master it would be Rory Dicker, Johnny's father and founder of the pack. Rory hails from Hampshire, where in 1969 he founded the Test Valley Bassets, redesignated as the East Lincolnshire Harehounds when he moved with them to Lincolnshire. Co Tipperary was the next staging point in Rory's peregrinations, again with five couple of bassets and outsize beagles along for company. There he met Mary Marshall, whose father hunted the Kilfeacle Beagles.…