Innehållsförteckning för 22-Jan-2026 från Horse & Hound

JANET HODGE THE lifelong horsewoman, highly respected in the equestrian world, passed away on Christmas Day, aged 77. Janet lived in West Sussex, teaching and influencing generations of riders. Aged 16, Janet left home to pursue her passion for horses. She was a groom for the Hall and Woodhouse family in Dorset before moving into teaching, alongside Sybil Smith at the Maidenhead branch of the Cadogan Riding School. During these formative years Janet developed the skills, principles and practices that shaped her life’s work. She was a founding force behind the Hope in the Valley Riding for the Disabled Association centre in Lewes, East Sussex, where she helped create a supportive, accessible environment for riders with disabilities, something she was immensely proud of. Janet’s impact on the Pony Club was…

A PILOT scheme to boost participation of young people who did not have access to horses has been successful, and could be a way of highlighting future career paths. Last year Aberdeen Riding Club (ARC) launched Project Mario to increase participation of 11- to 16-year-olds from low socio-economic households. The initiative was part of the British Horse Society’s (BHS) Everyone Welcome strategy, in which 12 centres developed ways to increase participation in under-represented groups. Project Mario involved five young people, with no or little horse experience, having 11 weekly riding and horse management sessions. The initiative was funded by ARC and a club member donation. “We’re only just getting started” JAMES HICK, BRITISH HORSE SOCIETY CEO The project was deemed a real success; there was 90.58% average attendance, participants’ “soft…

ROCKSTAR son Rock Angel (pictured) excelled at Newbold Verdon EC, Leicestershire, winning the novice 4 outright and finishing second in the novice 5 with two percentage scores in the mid-70s. Rider Alex Chick, who is producing the British-bred gelding for his owner Lorraine McGowan, said: “Lorraine bought him last year as a green seven-year-old and he’s perfect – a very genuine horse who’s nice to work with. He’s not only super-talented, but he has an amazing brain. I think he will be really smart.”…

Small pony premier, Aintree International EC, Merseyside ANYA DEWEY CLARK, who landed a record-breaking five major championships last year, began the new year on the same trajectory as she exited the old, winning the first winter 128cm and 138cm qualifiers of the season. Anya, who turns 12 this week, piloted Kilcreene Snapdragon to a commanding victory in Saturday’s winter 128cm qualifier, posting the fastest of two double clears to take the top ticket over Alfie Bailey (Ice Queen TW). She then doubled down to deliver the quickest of eight double clears in a very hot 138cm qualifier, pipping Alex Leggott (Blossom’s Letterkeen Bettyn) by 0.72sec aboard the classy French-bred mare Fredaine De Blonde. “It was a bit of a shock but fantastic to qualify both of them,” Anya’s mother Anna…

“IT was a very, very special day,” smiled Camilla Murphy, who enjoyed a memorable first pointing success as an owner/trainer when Linelee King (pictured) landed the mixed open at the South Wold fixture under James King. The 11-year-old French-bred gelding by Martaline had previously shown ability under Rules, recording four wins and four second placings, but this marked a special milestone in Camilla’s first season training. “He was my first runner, so to have my first winner as well was amazing,” said Camilla. Previously trained by Camilla’s husband, Olly Murphy, Linelee King had contested hunter chases last season before switching to the pointing field. “We thought we’d start him off in point-to-points this season,” Camilla explained. “He’s had a few issues along the way, which is why I’m lucky enough…

CHARLIE MARSHALL partnered Follow My Order to victory in the 5yo&up maiden at Larkhill, riding the six-year-old Order Of St George son for trainer Michael Felton and The Wishful Thinkers syndicate. It was just the gelding’s second start in point-to-points, having made his debut at Dunsmore in November. “He’s a young horse who’d had a few runs in Ireland and was always hitting the crossbar,” said Michael. “He needed a bit of TLC, and the owners have been very patient with him.” A promising run on heavy ground before Christmas suggested that improvement was likely to come. “He ran a nice race at Dunsmore and gave me a great feel, but he was always going to come on for the run,” he continued. “He’s done plenty of work since and…

THE team behind the new age of frangible fences, as seen for the first time in Britain last season, are travelling the world to share their knowledge and learn new ideas. A range of traditional-looking cross-country fences, which incorporated a frangible “parallelogram” chassis, were seen for the first time at Thoresby 2025 (news, 27 March and 3 April). Course-designer, organiser and chairman of the FEI risk management steering group Stuart Buntine, Swedish inventor Mats Bjornetun, who is behind MIM clip frangible technology, and members of Mr Buntine’s course-building team worked together on the designs. One of their main aims was to design classic-looking cross-country fences that happen to be deformable, rather than jumps that stood out as being frangible due to their “space age” appearance. The team, which includes course-builders…

“IT’S a bit like being at your own memorial service; there was a film and everyone said how wonderful I was,” Brough Scott says, when I congratulate him on his prestigious Award of Merit. It was given to him at the 2025 Cartier Awards in honour of his many decades’ contribution to racing, from jockey, to journalist and author, broadcaster and co-founder of the Racing Post. He adds, “It makes you feel frightfully old. I am old but I don’t like being patted on the head.” Why would he? He’s phenomenally bright and energetic both mentally and physically, with honed anecdotes and considered views on everything, all available at the drop of a hat, as I find out when we walk the entire one mile five furlong course at Sandown…

ALTHOUGH beloved of such horses’ keepers, the luxuriant flowing “feathers” typically found on the lower legs of certain breeds such as Shires, Clydesdales and many traditional cobs are unfortunately also often host to some unwanted “passengers”. These are the mites of the species Chorioptes bovis. In horses the mites are often described as Chorioptes equi, but it is now thought that a true equine mite species does not exist, and consequently cattle may infect horses and vice versa. THE PARASITE THE mite is a parasite of the heavy breeds of horses, and the assumption has been that the skin surface microclimate (protected, warm and humid) and the accumulation of scales under the long hair on the lower legs due to the presence of feathers, favour its survival and proliferation. But…

AN athlete’s diet is the keystone of high performance. Without appropriate fuel, horses will not be sufficiently equipped to train, compete and recover to the best of their ability. But however much we know this spiel, there are certain competition horses for whom feeding is a delicate art, whether they’re prone to conditions such as ulcers or tying-up – or they’re just picky. To tackle this, Britain’s top feed companies shared their advice on how to feed horses with sensitive guts, without compromising competitive performance. In all cases, the underlying problems should be investigated and diagnosed by vets, with each horse taken on a case-by-case basis. Forage, as always, should be the cornerstone of a horse’s diet, but what we put in their feed bucket can help or hinder. Here,…

Hartpury College, Glos HANNAH JONES’ second-generation home-bred mare Party Lass (Edith) continued her competition comeback with a double novice silver section win. The Party Trick daughter, now eight, sustained an eventing injury as a six-year-old that required lengthy time off and rehabilitation. “We spent most of last year walking her in long-reins,” said Hannah, a small animal vet. “We started taking her out to dressage shows last autumn, and she’s been really good. She has nice paces and she’s more on board with the idea than I thought she might be. “Edith has come back stronger, and I’m excited to see what she’ll do,” added Hannah, who credits Vittorio Caramello at Three Counties Equine Hospital, along with water treadmill work at Hartpury, for helping get Edith back on the road.…

INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS 12–18 January CSI2* FBMA, Al Forsan Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, UAE FOR the first time in his stellar career, William Funnell landed a grand prix without having to jump-off for the honours. Riding the 14-year-old Equine America Billy Picador (Billy Mexico x Animo), the British rider and UAE chef d’equipe produced the sole clear in round one to claim the €7,050 (£6,100) top prize. “It’s always nice to have a win, but it’s even nicer not to have to jump off!” said William. “The time was tight and it was quite a tricky course for a two-star grand prix – there were some difficult lines. “Picador felt great. She seems to thrive on the warm weather out here and was placed three times out of three in the…

HIGHLIGHTS 17–18 January South Wold, Revesby Park, Lincs LOUIS HADFIELD marked a memorable return to this Lincolnshire course by partnering Coeur Serein to success in the PPORA club members’ conditions (level three) for novice riders, with the 12-year-old Irish gelding by Fame And Glory prevailing at 9/2. “He’s a very good lad,” said Louis. “I’ve had him since last May. My first ride on him was here last year, and we didn’t do very well, so it was nice to come back a year later and be a winner.” The pair arrived off the back of a solid prep run at Chaddesley Corbett in December, where they finished sixth in a strong field. “He ran really well last time in a big field, but it was just too fast for…

A METHOD by which horse manure can be converted into a sustainable product that could be a substitute for some plastics is in development – and the early signs are very promising. Perry Robinson, who removes equestrian muck heaps, is working with Professor Mohan Edirisinghe OBE of University College London (UCL), and researcher Mehmet Aydogdu, to produce cellulose from manure via a “pressure spinning” technique Professor Edirisinghe invented. Mr Robinson told H&H he took over the family muck heap business about 10 years ago. “Four years ago, we ran into trouble with the Environment Agency; they wanted to stop muck-spreading in autumn, the only time we could drive on fields with a spreader,” he said. “I couldn’t collect, and the yards were getting full. “I realised there’s a large amount…

I was horse-mad as a kid and grew up in Sinnington, North Yorkshire, famous for the Sinnington Hunt. We didn’t have land, so I’d go pony trekking once a year and have the odd riding lesson. I got my first horse after emigrating to Australia, aged 40. She was called Secret, a 14.3hh dark bay stock horse with one small sock. I had lessons with an English lady called Jill Severn, who used to lease eventers, and I tagged along and started eventing, too. I studied French and German at university. The theory then was that if you could do foreign languages, you could do computer languages, which is how I moved into a career in computing. In 2000, they were looking for people who could speak foreign languages to…

A DEBILITATING and almost incurable condition caused by a build-up of lymph fluid in the lower legs, chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) results in gradually increasing swelling and the development of permanent skin folds, nodules and ulcerations. There is believed to be an underlying genetic predisposition to the disease, reflected in its prevalence in certain draught breeds such as Shires, Clydesdales, Friesians and Belgian Draught horses. In the latter breed 85% are reported to be eventually affected. The disease starts at an early age and progresses through the life of the affected horse, resulting in disfigurement (the lower legs become cone-shaped), lameness and, not uncommonly, humane destruction. While a recent study of affected Belgian Draught horses found feather mites in 94% of those over one year of age, it is important…

PART THREE “YOU NEED TO BUILD UP SLOWLY AND MAKE SURE ALL THE BUILDING BLOCKS ARE IN PLACE BEFORE YOU ASK YOUR HORSE TO MOVE UP A GEAR” NICOLA WILSON WATCH top riders and their established horses negotiate a water crossing or jump a fence in water and they will barely break their stride. But how do you teach a horse who is wary of getting his feet wet to keep up the forward momentum and stay in canter? The first stage to unpicking the issue is understanding why it happens in the first place. British eventing performance coach Chris Bartle and Olympian Nicola Wilson explain where to start. “Think about a row of children lined up on the edge of a swimming pool,” says former Badminton winner and European…

HAVE YOU WON A BD CLASS? DO YOU OR YOUR HORSE HAVE A GREAT STORY? Email dressagehighlights@yahoo.com within 24 hours of your win for a chance to feature on these pages Wellington Riding, Hants MILLICENT DETHICK enjoyed a convincing prelim 6 win with Rioja IV, landing a silver and overall win with 70%. “Rioja is a cracking mare and very mature for her age,” said Millie of the five-year-old My Vitality daughter – the first horse she rode after suffering a fall from another horse last year that left her in a coma for two weeks. “She’s expressive and can be quite a madam, but she knows her job in the ring. She really looks after me.” Bred at the Platinum Stud and co-owned by the stud and Louise Jenkins,…

HIGHLIGHTS 7–11 January Kelsall Hall Winter Classic II, Cheshire MARGINS could scarcely have been finer in the winter grand prix, in which James Smith found the necessary extra millimetres to clinch victory with the nine-year-old Astrade Z. William Whitaker had almost sealed the deal as first of seven to jump – he posted the fastest time, but a rail with Chef Of Flanders Z left the door ajar. Hot on his heels, James stopped the clock 0.01sec faster and left the fences upright to set a serious quarry. Alex Barr and Preben Van De Doornakers – who have finished first, second, third and fourth across their four winter grand prix starts this season – got within 0.10sec, while the ever-competitive Ryan Page and BP Ko Jax were a tight third.…

WITH the heart of a lion, 11-year-old Protektorat (pictured) battled back against high-calibre chasers Resplendent Grey and Handstands, to win the 2m 6f Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase at Windsor for the second year in succession. “He’s probably the hardest ride I’ll ever have as a jockey,” said Harry Skelton. “He’s hard to handle, he runs a bit with his head on one side, he’s got to go left-handed and he can be very keen early on. But he just has the constitution and the will to win.” Protektorat underwent wind surgery since his last start and won last year’s contest by a comprehensive 23 lengths. “He still thinks he’s seven years old,” continued the jockey. “He loves to run and the more jumps, the better. These horses are hard…

Royal Artillery, Larkhill, Wilts FOLLOWING on from his victory at Revesby Park the day before, jockey James King continued his fine run of form with a double on Sunday, headed by a mixed open victory riding Grace A Vous Enki at Larkhill. The 10-year-old by Dream Well, owned by Joan Hitchings and trained by Chris Barber, has been a model of consistency and is now four-from-four this season, taking his overall tally to 10 wins under James. “Grace is a bit of a special horse,” said James. “That was his ninth course win at Larkhill and the 10th win for us as a partnership. He’s been a great horse for me, and I’m hugely grateful to the Hitchings family for letting me ride him.” The second success came in the…