A second senior figure in Middle East endurance has been provisionally suspended by the FEI in connection with the “phantom rides” scandal.
Abdul Aziz Mohd Yasin Sheikh, head of endurance at the UAE Equestrian Federation, has, according to the FEI, been “consistently failing to observe the FEI rules and regulations at a number of events”.
The scam unravelled earlier this year when H&H was tipped off that a 21 January qualifier may not have taken place. Its detailed horse data was lifted from an earlier ride. Volunteer researchers found 12 further rides going back to 2012 with duplicate results.
An official enquiry by the FEI Equine Community Integrity Unit found a total of 16 “phantom” rides. In most cases, a ride had taken place but no timing system was employed and the results were fabricated. Dr Sommerseth and Mr Sheikh officiated at the majority of these rides, occupying the roles required to submit reports to the FEI.
More than 500 combinations were listed in the results, though their punishment seems likely to stop at disqualification.
A FEI spokesman said: “Disqualification is sufficient in these cases, as it is not the fault of these athletes that the proper timing systems were not in place.”
Late admission to the FEI calendar was a feature of the “phantom rides.”
The FEI has now tightened up its schedule approval process and has supervised the UAE’s new online entries software. Ride results must be delivered to the FEI within one hour.
Last week, nearly 1,500 riders, trainers and officials attended educational workshops in the UAE, a condition of reinstatement following the federation’s suspension for “major horse welfare” issues back in March.
A member of the public who saved a police horse from a savage dog attack “was overwhelmed” to be given an award for his bravery.
David Wilson received the British Horse Society’s Sefton award earlier this month (12 October).
Mr Wilson was working in Greenwich Park on 22 January 2014 when he saw the incident happen.
The young police horse called Quixote was in training with the Metropolitan Police when he was attacked by a loose French bull terrier cross Staffordshire bull terrier.
Mr Wilson ran over and “rugby tackled” the dog, holding it to his own chest until the owner put it on a lead.
“It was a situation that needed stopping. No-one was doing anything at the time and I felt I had to do something,” he said.
“I was just doing what felt right at the time, so it’s really nice to get some appreciation for it.”
Quixote needed veterinary treatment for the puncture wounds to his chest.
The attack meant his training took longer to compete but he is now a fully-fledged police horse stationed in Whitehall.
Mr Wilson was reunited with Quixote when he was presented with the Sefton award at the Household Cavalry’s mounted regiment’s barracks in Knightsbridge.
“Considering what could have happened to him — he could have been completely traumatised — it’s fantastic to see him out on ‘the beat’ and doing so well,” he said.
Alistair Blamire, a horse trainer for the Metropolitan Police who was riding the horse when the attack happened said: “It is superb to see Quixote here today, as it is to see David again and to have the opportunity to thank him.”
Nuala Preston from Pembrokeshire also received a Sefton Award this year for her hard work and dedication to improve equestrian safety across Wales.
The Sefton Awards were set up by the BHS in 1990 as a legacy to Sefton, the Household Cavalry horse who survived the IRA bombings in London in 1982.
Trevor Breen (IRL) & Master Daragh - Sky Sport Speed Classic - Longines Royal International Horse Show - Hickstead, West Sussex, United Kingdom - 03 August 2013
Trevor Breen’s ride Master Daragh has been put down following ongoing injury complications.
The tough decision was made by the Irish rider and his parents-in-law Heather and Ian Black, who owned the 10-year-old gelding known as ‘Buzz’.
Trevor found the Irish-bred gelding as a seven-year-old.
The son of Master Imp, who jumped at CSI5* shows with Trevor, had not been seen on the showjumping circuit since 2014, due to a serious tendon injury.
“I have a feeling he picked up the injury at the back end of 2013 during a grid work session, when he landed awkwardly, but I can’t be sure,” Trevor told H&H.
“At the time, the vets and physio couldn’t find anything wrong him, but he just wasn’t jumping the same. He started losing about 10cm of scope, having fences down and sometimes taking off a stride early.
“At Vilamoura in 2014 I knew he wasn’t the same horse I had ridden five months ago — he wasn’t lame, but I knew he was a better horse than that. I came home determined to find out what the problem was because I knew there was one.”
The gelding was admitted to Newmarket Equine Hospital where it was discovered he had a 6cm vertical tear in a front tendon.
“Afterwards he went in the field and we spent a year trying to get him back. But the leg just got worse in the field because he was too active. He was never going to make it back jumping. He was a sharp horse so we couldn’t have sold him as a happy hack,” added Trevor.
“We struggled with the call because he was a nice horse, but it was the best decision for him. There was no point putting him through a hard winter in the field and then deciding to put him down next summer.”
We talk you through the dos and don'ts of feeding the performance horse for optimum condition with the help of Saracen Horse Feeds nutritionist Lizzie Drury
Feeding correctly can be a tricky business on its own. But if you factor in a competition horse who has to cope with the vigours of life on the road while still being required to perform to a high level, it can become even trickier.
To help you out we have compiled a list of factors to remember to help ascertain a suitable feeding regime for your performance horse.
1. Preparation is key
Start by condition scoring your horse every three to four weeks. This is an easy and accurate way to work out what sort of feed your horse might need with regards to energy balance. This enables you to make any dietary adjustments before a problem has actually occurred.
Digestible energy (DE) is key. DE is the number of calories absorbed into the body of your horse as it passes through the digestive tract.
You will need to increase DE via your horse’s feed to meet the demands for warmth, activity and general body condition maintenance.
It is worth bearing in mind that harsh weather will increase DE requirements by 40% and any heat loss from your horse, stress or travelling they undertake will all result in wasted energy.
Implement winter feeding strategies early to help avoid any loss in condition as the weather deteriorates. This can be achieved by providing ad lib quality forage, which will increase fibre fermentation within your horse, acting like a central heating system.
2. Forage
Never underestimate the power of forage! Feeding hard food stuffs only will not do the trick when it comes to maintaining the condition of your horse. You need to know exactly how much forage your horse is eating on a daily basis to prevent hunger or wastage and be sure to encourage trickle feeding behaviour.
If your horse is prone to dropping condition easily, warning signs to look out for include loose droppings and irritable behaviour. Possible solutions for such a problem include “super fibre feeds” which contain yeast and pre/probiotics.
Find out what small things can make a big difference to your show day success
3. Conditioning feeds
Only start using conditioning feeds once you have got the forage intake correct for your horse. You need to carefully consider the raw materials within the feed that are likely to affect performance and behaviour.
If you have a “hot” horse it is preferable to feed a diet based on digestible fibre. For example a conditioning product should include sugar beet, alfalfa, soya hulls, a high level of oil and a low starch formulation.
Whereas if you have a “cool” horse you would want to ensure there is more cereal and a higher starch level within the formulation of the feed.
Saracen Horse Feeds’ nutritionist Lizzie Drury says: “Feeds will not turn horses something personality-wise they are not.”
4. Oil and fat supplements
You would need to feed a great deal of oil on its own to improve performance and condition. The amount of oil required to do this would in turn make the feed unpalatable.
A high oil diet runs the risk of increasing free radicals in the body which damage healthy cells and can cause problems such as muscle soreness.
Rice bran is a good source of oil and fat and 2lbs of good quality rice bran packs the same nutritional punch as feeding a whopping 750ml of oil on its own.
5. Protein
It is all about feeding quality not quantity when it comes to protein. Horses need protein for optimum functionality of their muscles, cell renewal and tissue repair and renewal.
6. Trace elements, vitamins and antioxidants
These are all important for maintaining the health of your horse, his metabolism and recovery rate.
Feed balancers are great when it comes to containing these ingredients which makes them a suitable feed if you have a good doer as you don’t need to feed large quantities.
However you must feed balancers strategically as horses are unable to store excess vitamins and minerals.
The British showjumper fell unwell and was unable to compete in his classes as planned.
Robert had high blood pressure but told H&H he is now feeling in good health and is back in training as usual.
“I’m fine, I’ve started riding again now,” he said on 21 October.
“I just had a high blood pressure for some reason, but it seems to be ok now.”
Robert, whose father is John Whitaker, was due to jump in the Addington Manor talent seekers and Connolly’s Red Mills senior newcomers championship on 7 October.
John stood in for his son in the talent seekers riding Hold On Tight II, finishing fourth.
Phillip Miller rode Noble Warrior for Robert in the newcomers championship. The pair had four faults in the first round.
“It was absolutely fantastic. My job is made very easy by having a fantastic squad of riders, who were fabulous today,” said team performance manager Di Lampard at the time.
“I had quite a good draw today and it worked well for me. There weren’t many jumping clears in the jump off and it did take a bit of jumping,” he told H&H at the show.
“Today suited him as there were lots of tight turns there in the jump off and he’s so careful.”
Weight management is important at any time of year, but with autumn well and truly underway, many owners will be starting to think about their horse’s winter diet. Regardless of whether or not your horse is prone to losing or gaining weight, a proactive approach to diet and weight management is undoubtedly the best strategy.
Weight is just a number and when it comes to health and diet, body condition/fat covering is equally, if not more important, than knowing the horse’s exact weight. Monitoring your horse’s body condition score regularly will help you to assess his level of fat covering and consequently whether or not any dietary adjustment may be necessary. Alternatively you could try the new Body Condition Index (BCI), which objectively assesses body fat in a similar way to the human BMI.
Learn more on how to monitor your horse’s weight with this video series from SPILLERS on the body condition scoring method:
The Good Doer If your horse is prone to piling on the pounds, don’t be tempted to start increasing his feed, even if everyone else on the yard is starting to introduce winter rations. Winter provides a natural opportunity for horses to lose weight, so allow your horse to slim down over the coming months as nature intended to help prevent excess weight gain in the spring.
Balancers are the ideal option for horses and ponies that maintain weight easily on forage alone. When fed at the recommended ration, these small, nutrient dense pellets will top up the vitamins, minerals and quality protein lacking in forage, whilst providing negligible levels of calories, starch and sugar. Adding a low calorie chaff/ chopped fibre will help to extend eating time and make the bucket look fuller without affecting your horse’s waistline
Many good doers in light work will be able to winter out on grass alone except for in the coldest of weather or when there is snow on the ground. If this case for your horse, try to avoid turning him out with those that need ad-lib hay
Although ad-lib forage is ideal, this unfortunately isn’t always practical for good doers so some level of restriction may be necessary, even in the depths of winter. Individual forage requirements vary, but total intake should not be restricted to less than 1.5% bodyweight per day. As a guide, ensure you feed at least half of your horse’s minimum daily forage ration as hay, haylage or a hay replacer if stabled for 12 hours.
Feed approximately 25-50% more haylage than hay – this is necessary for any horse but particularly important for horse on restricted rations
Try dividing hay/ haylage between several, double netted, small holed haylage nets to help make reduced rations last longer
Provided you have sufficient grass coverage, grazing muzzles can be used in autumn and winter months too. In fact, research has shown that muzzles restrict in take by 80% on average, regardless of the season!
Soaking hay helps to reduce the water soluble carbohydrate (sugar) content and of course, less sugar means less calories! Soaking for 12-16 hours in tepid water has been shown to reduce WSC by up to 50%, so adding a few kettles of hot water to the tank in cold weather may be helpful. However, remember that results are variable and soaking does not guarantee suitability for laminitics. Alternatively consider a low calorie hay replacer approved by The Laminitis Trust.
The Poor Doer For poor doers, the aim should be to prevent excess weight loss before it starts. If your horse has maintained condition well on forage alone throughout the summer, start by introducing half of his winter ration (alongside half a ration of balancer) and increase as necessary.
Ad-lib forage is essential for poor-doers so where possible, provide hay or haylage in the field as well as the stable, particularly as the grass quality and in many cases quantity deteriorates.
Contrary to popular belief, haylage is not automatically higher in calories or nutritional value than hay. However if you have the option of more than one forage source, you may want to consider having some samples analysed to help choose which would be more suitable
Don’t be tempted to keep increasing the size of your horse’s meal to maximise calorie intake. Feed no more than 2kg per meal to horses and less for ponies
Although sugar beet is commonly fed for weight gain, the increase in volume after soaking makes it easy to over estimate how much you are actually feeding. In fact, sugar beet contains approximately 80% water once soaked which means a scoop of Horse and Pony Cubes could provide 3-4 times more calories than a scoop of soaked sugar beet!
If you are concerned that increasing your horse’s feed may affect his behaviour, avoid mixes and start by choosing fibre and oil based feeds containing less than 15%
Make sure your horse is suitably rugged as the temperature starts to drop to help ensure he doesn’t burn excess energy (calories) keeping warm
You have decided to buy a second-hand horsebox or trailer, but where do you start — and what questions should you ask?
There are two choices: buy privately or via a manufacturer or dealer.
The advantage of buying from a manufacturer is that you have a proper warranty, says Charles Oakley of Oakley horseboxes.
“You know that all the necessary checks will have been made,” he reasons.
Hilary Janion of Equi-Trek advises: “Wherever you buy, always make sure that whatever you’re buying has a full service history, and run an HPI check [www.hpicheck.com] to ensure that it doesn’t have finance owing or a chequered past.”
We pick the horseboxes that will keep you — and your horses — sane when you’re travelling far afield
Jon Phillips from The Organisation of Horsebox and Trailer Owners gives his tips on what to look out for when viewing second-hand horseboxes for sale.
Mechanical checks
Look for rust, damp patches and any rotting.
Check that the ramp woodwork, hinges and springs are all in good condition and that the ramp can be lifted by one person.
Check there are no oil leaks from the engine and that the oil light doesn’t come on when the engine is started.
Make sure the lighting in the living and horse area run from a separate battery to the main vehicle battery.
Check there is no damage to the tyres.
In the cab check the gauges, lights, indicators, wipers, horn and warning lights.
Road test
A road test is strongly advised so that you can get a feel for the lorry and the driving position. You will also notice any major faults when it is being driven.
Professional pre-purchase inspection
If possible try to arrange a professional pre-purchase inspection. Jon recalls a lady telling the examiner that all she could find wrong with her new horsebox was some fraying rubber around the driver’s door. The inspection showed, amongst other things, that the body was attached to the chassis with just two bolts.
Legislation
Always consider the legal standpoint when making your purchase.
The weight of your lorry and whether you use it privately or as a commercial operation, has a massive impact on how you can transport your horses.
Unless you want an HGV, check that the weight of your lorry won’t be over 7.5 tonnes when fully loaded with horses, tack, feed etc.
To find out more about the legal implications of transport buying visit www.vosa.gov.uk or download the user-friendly Guide for Horsebox and Trailer Owners (www.vosa.gov.uk).
There is also a VOSA hotline offering free advice, tel: 0300 123 9000.
With so many areas to consider, it’s worth taking your time over buying a horsebox.
And make sure you take someone knowledgeable with you to give your prospective purchase the once-over.
“This might cost you at the time, but in the long run it could save you thousands,” says Whittaker’s Mark Nicholson.
For more information from The Organisation of Horsebox and Trailer Owners visit www.ohto.co.uk
Don’t miss the transport special in this week’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine (22 October), where we look at all the latest gadgets on the market to make transporting horses less stressful
A former four-star eventer has died due to a field accident.
Deltry Connoisseur, known at home as Nano, was put down on 10 October aged 26.
The gelding had been bred in Australia by Ron Delforce from Deltry Lodge Stud and was produced by Matt Ryan up to three-star level.
He then completed Badminton, Burghley and competed for Italy at the World Equestrian Games under Giovanni Menchi.
Nano was taken on by Sorrel in 2004 — after she spotted an advert in H&H.
“He was galloping around a huge field with his buddies that were turned out with him. He very sadly fell and broke his leg and pelvis,” his owner Sorrel Porteous told H&H.
“He was my first event horse. He took me from my first event to my first international. I was just somebody who dreamed of eventing one day.
“We only had one blip in cross-country in six years. But he hated dressage with a passion and I once ended up in somebody else’s dressage arena.
“He was as brave as a lion and taught me everything.”
Nano was retired in 2009 and lived at home with Sorrel.
“I was his last event rider and he retired with me. We both needed each other and it was the perfect story. I will miss him every day,” she added.
“Shortly after losing my horse in an accident I was reading through the horses for sale in H&H and for some reason his advert jumped out at me. I wasn’t looking for a horse and I hadn’t evented before apart from once many years previously.
“The advertiser was Didi Verdina. She explained that Nano needed a special home as he could be a little tricky on the flat and needed a sympathetic rider.
“She loved him and wanted him to go to a five-star home. He was owned by Giovanni, but now Nano was a little older with a settled tendon injury, their hope was to find him somebody who would want to do a lot less but wouldn’t mind him being a little quirky. When I tried him I loved him.”
The pair had training with William Miflin and began to compete. She then bought the horse from Giovanni, with the promise she’d give him a home for life.
Their first event was Tweseldown and then the pair were well on their way.
The horse was quite the character. As well as being a big fan of jam doughnuts, he reared every time Sorrel brought him in.
“If he was plaited then I couldn’t catch him,” she added. “I made the huge mistake of turning him out plaited the night before our first three-day so that he could get some time outside. I went out to catch him at 4am and it took me three hours. We were so late for the trot up. I also learnt not to wear heels at the trot-up. Even at 20 he still reared and thought the trot-up was very exciting and used to drag me along behind him.
“Thanks to him, I am involved in a sport that I love and I have met so many amazing people. He looked after me every day in so many ways and he taught me everything. I am so grateful to have had such an amazing opportunity and so many adventures.”
Leading equestrian retailer, Countrywide, will be holding a weekend of equestrian events across its network of country stores and online on Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October.
The event, which is timed to offer everything for horse and rider preparing for winter, will provide customers with the opportunity to take advantage of special discounts and gain expert product and animal health advice from in-store equine specialists.
Countrywide’s equestrian product manager, Sara Blackshaw, said: “Winter is an exciting and busy time for horse enthusiasts as we prepare for dark nights and the extra work that bringing horses in every day presents.”
“Countrywide’s equine events are designed to make things that little bit easier for horse owners by offering great products, advice and guidance at a key time of year.”
Countrywide’s three-day event will include offers on feed, haylage and shavings; great deals on stable equipment, field mats, NAF products; half price rugs and boots and 20% off all riding hats and body protectors.
It was an early wake up call yesterday morning at 6am (well 5am British time actually) to get Boz mucked out and ready for a rather dark ride.
I wanted to give his legs a stretch and make sure he was loosened up nicely for the trot-up at 8.15am. The British team vet Liz Brown and Yogi Breisner were on hand to give assistance if required and it was great having them there, as I was on my lonesome. Bozzie trotted very well for the ground jury and passed with flying colours, as did all the Brits.
Trot-up complete, times were then available and we were set to perform at 14.27. I took Bozzie for a canter past the racehorse training ground. He cantered well, but we did manage to wind up one racehorse in particular that was walking innocently up the gallop. The chap did incredibly well to stay on!
I popped Bozzie away for a couple of hours and prepared everything for our dressage. I worked him about an hour and a half prior to his test, then put him away for 25min before bringing him back out for 10 minutes for his final preparations. A long-winded process, but it worked really well because it stops him getting bored and trying to find things (naughty things that is!) to entertain himself. We pulled off a personal best score of 50.8, and I couldn’t be happier. He’s such a star.
After much congratulating of ourselves, my mum and stepfather arrived, sadly just missing the test — but it’s so lovely to have them here supporting!
I walked the cross-country course with Yogi this afternoon, and it is certainly a serious, serious track with very little let up. I’m excited at the prospect of tackling it with my wing man Bozzie. If anyone can do it, Bozzie can! I’ll keep you posted!
H&H reports the passing of individuals who have made a significant contribution to the horse world. Funerals and memorial details will be included where possible
Diana Pullein-Thompson
Diana Pullein-Thompson died aged 90 on 21 October after a short illness in hospital.
The author of more than 30 pony books, Diana was the last of the three Pullein-Thompson sisters surviving her twin Christine and younger sibling Josephine.
Diana’s first book “I Wanted a Pony” was about a girl’s struggle to buy a pony. Her last was “Fair Girls and Grey Horses” a joint-autobiography written with her two sisters.
The book charts the girls’ country upbringing at The Grove in Peppard, Oxfordshire where they started a riding school after leaving school aged 14.
Diana, like her sisters loved horses and hunting. All whipped in to the Woodland Hunt, which they founded, and was later amalgamated into the Garth and South Berks.
The other inspiration for the girls’ pony writing was their mother Joanna Cannon, who started the whole genre of pony books starting with “A Pony for Jean”.
Diana married Dennis Farr a director of the Courtald Institute in London and used his name for her non-equine books, but will always be best remembered for her erudite real-life tales of pony-mad children.
Ronnie Massarella
Former team manager and chef d’equipe of the senior British showjumping teams Ronnie Massarella has died aged 92.
Ronnie, who led Britain to victory many times around the world, died on 18 October due to ill health.
He managed the team for 30 years and under his leadership the Brits won silver at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics at Rotterdam and Los Angeles.
Ronnie was also at the helm when the team won gold at the 1979 World Championship and the 1985 European Championships. The team also took silver at the 1983 Europeans.
In 1982 he was appointed OBE for to services to British showjumping.
He retired from his role in December 2000 after the Nations Cup final.
Brian Armstrong
H&H’s long-standing point-to-point correspondent Brian Armstrong has died aged 62. He had been suffering from cancer.
Brian joined as a correspondent covering the Wessex area and provided reports and photos, as well as features for the magazine.
“Brian has been the lynchpin of point-to-pointing in H&H for years,” said point-to-point editor Aimi Clark.
“His passion for the sport was infectious; he had excellent rapport with jockeys, owners and all connections, and really was a font of knowledge.
“Brian will be sorely missed by me, and all at H&H.”
Johannes ‘Hansi’ Wallmeir
Long-serving judge and FEI steward Johannes “Hansi” Wallmeir died on 8 September aged 73. He had been suffering from cancer.
He started his career as a Flat jockey before competing in both dressage and showjumping.
In 1970, he switched his focus to judging and, eight years later, became director of the German Association of Judges in Warendorf.
After 50 years as one of the longest-serving officials in the National Federation, he retired in 2007.
He was chief steward at the 2006 World Equestrian Games and a strong advocate for clean sport.
“Hansi was a great horseman and a true role model for the entire equestrian world,” said secretary general of the German National Federation Soenke Lauterbach.
Joan Harris
A keen equestrian and dedicated riding instructor has died aged 85.
Joan Harris died on 13 August at St Nicholas House Care Home in Dereham, Norfolk.
Mrs Harris was born in Sussex and her passion for horses began at an early age.
By the time she was 20 her equestrian experience included training racehorses, point-to-point racing, showing, hunting, assisting an equine vet and backing and training.
She was sponsored by the Pony Club to take an intensive training course at the Fulmer School of Equitation, where she worked towards getting her British Horse Society (BHS) certificates.
Mrs Harris married her husband Kenneth in 1951 and established herself as a racehorse trainer. She took in boarders for lessons and training, while also competing in dressage and eventing.
With this experience she was invited to give clinics and conduct examinations for the British Horse Society.
In 1983 Mrs Harris moved to the USA to become dressage and eventing coach for Lake Erie College in Ohio. The following year she became the director of the college’s equestrian centre.
She held this post for four years until she had to resign due to her husband’s ill heath.
In 1988 she accepted an appointment to serve on a national committee to develop an American certification programme for dressage instructors for the United States Dressage Federation.
“Joan will be sadly missed, especially in the horse world,” said her son David.
“She had a unique way of reaching out to people while she was teaching, giving them confidence and making them feel they could conquer the world. She touched so many hearts in England and the USA.”
Mrs Harris’ funeral will take place at 3.15pm on Thursday (27 August) at Mintlyn Crematorium, Kings Lynn, PE32 1HB, and afterwards at the Sandboy, Gayton Road, Kings Lynn.
Karen Stives
Olympic eventer Karen Stives has died at the age of 64.
Karen died on 14 August from lung cancer.
In 1984, Ginny Elliot and Karen made history at the Los Angeles Olympics by becoming the first women to win individual Olympic eventing medals.
Karen won silver on her mother Lillian Mahoney’s Ben Arthur and Ginny took bronze.
She rode for the US in numerous internationals on her thoroughbred eventer, The Saint, including the 1982 World Championships in Lumühlen.
After retiring from international competition, Karen became an FEI judge and chairman of the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation’s selectors.
Last year, she gave $1million to the USET which was used to set up a competition grants fund for high performance eventing.
Karen is survived by her partner, Bob Hutchison, sister Linda McCabe and three nieces and nephews.
Patricia Leitch
Patricia Leitch, author of some of the best-loved pony books, has died aged 82 (July 28).
The children’s novelist wrote the popular 12-book Jinny series from 1976 to 1988.
The stories were set in the Highlands and centered on Jinny, an adventurous girl who rescues Arab mare Shantih.
Ms Leitch wrote many other stories and her last work, The Mystery Horse, was released in 1997.
She had a great love for horses and enjoyed trekking in the Highlands.
Before her writing career, she had also been a librarian at the University of Glasgow and then trained as a primary school teacher.
Catnip publishing began reprinting the Jinny series in July 2010.
Richard Kinsley
Richard Kinsey, who ran Tetton Hall Horse Trials with his late wife Frances, has died aged 90.
He died peacefully on Monday (10 August) following a short illness.
Frances died on 12 March 2013 aged 88. The pair last ran the event in Middleton, Cheshire, in 2009 when they were both 82.
“It is with great sadness that I have to pass on the news that Richard (Dick) Kinsey of Tetton Hall in Middlewich has passed away,” said a spokesman for British Eventing.
“He will be sadly missed and remembered fondly by all who knew him,” added the spokesman.
Mr Kinsey’s funeral will be for family only but a memorial service will be held on Thursday 20 August at 12 noon in St Leonard’s Church, Warmingham, Cheshire.
Donations in his memory can be made towards St Leonard’s Church.
Chris White
A former British Horse Society (BHS) bridleways officer has died.
Chris White died on 3 July aged 79.
She was responsible for creating many circular riding routes in the South East.
One of her triumphs was preventing an existing bridleway from being diverted by several miles.
She pressured the Department for Transport to build a bridge over the M25 near Sevenoaks in Kent to stop the diversion.
An active member of Endurance GB, Chris used to ride long distances to visit her family and also took part in the Golden Horseshoe Ride in Exmoor.
Chris was an accomplished musician and played both violin and piano.
She also volunteered with Riding for the Disabled.
Chris leaves behind her husband Alan and children Maggie, Helen and Neville.
Gerry Tribe
The Horse Rangers Association (Hampton Court) has paid tribute to one of its longest serving members.
Colonel in chief Gerry Tribe died on 3 July at the age of 92.
He became involved with the group in 1968 when his nine-year-old daughter Tina started riding there.
He was made commanding officer in 1977, retiring after 26 years in the role. In 2004, he became colonel in chief.
A statement from the Horse Rangers Association read: “Everyone recalls what a kind, helpful and caring man he was — rarely raising his voice and always willing to give a hand or show how things should be done.”
In 2009, the board of trustees made Gerry an honorary life member.
He continued to support the group and attended their Riding for the Disabled Association open day a week before he died.
His funeral was due to be held at South West Middlesex Crematorium, Hanworth, today (Wednesday, 22 July).
Dawn Wofford
Former leading showjumper Dawn Wofford, née Palethorpe (pictured, credit Kit Houghton), has died at the age of 79.
Her showjumping career highlights include winning the Queen Elizabeth II cup twice and representing Great Britain at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
Dawn met her American husband, Warren Wofford, at the Stockholm Olympics, where they were both reserve riders.
After becoming a mother to Valerie, John and Bruce, Dawn became re-involved with the Pony Club.
She became the organisation’s first lady chairman in 1991 and in 1997 she co-ordinated the rewriting of the Manual of Horsemanship.
“Dawn touched many lives, influenced many and was a dynamic and enthusiastic motivator,” said her daughter Valerie Cockburn.
“She was passionate about ‘putting back’ the fun she had had from horses and helping young people reach the best of their potential, whether they were riding hairy ponies or world class horses.”
Dawn died on 12 July. Her funeral is on Monday (27 July) at St Peter’s Church, Coughton.
Donations to Warwickshire and Northampton Air Ambulance.
Charles Hood
Charles Hood, Lincoln Horse Trials organiser, former show director and chief equine steward at the Lincolnshire Show and Burton Hunt chairman, has died age 64.
Charles, known to many in the eventing community as Charlie, was joint organiser of the event for 20 years and stepped down only a few months before his death on Sunday 12 July.
“Charles was renowned for being the most polite and charming man with a good word to say for everyone,” said long-time friend and colleague, commentator Robert Heneage. “Anyone who ever met him would have received a ‘thank you so much’ from Charles.”
In addition to organising at Lincoln, Charles was also a BE cross-country course designer and long-standing steward.
Charles leaves his wife Tessa and their two sons Thomas and James.
Thomas Capstick
Murthwaite Cloud was bred by Thomas Capstick
The founder of Murthwaite Fell Pony Stud has died.
He set up the stud in 1962, and its horses remained one of the few semi-feral fell pony herds running on the Howgills.
Murthwaite ponies have achieved a great many accolades —including wins at Horse of the Year Show and with ponies being ridden by The Queen.
The last pony to be registered under the Murthwaite prefix was born on the 8 June.
“Thomas will be missed not only for his wonderful ponies but for his generous spirit. Always quick to smile, he introduced a great many people to the fell pony world,” said friend Samantha McDermott.
“Friends will miss most his wicked sense of humour, his cheerful singing and of course his passion for his beloved ponies.
“Thomas gave many people fantastic opportunities — myself included. A true gentleman, he will be sadly missed by all who knew him.”
Geoff Charley
The founder of Townfields Saddlers died on 21 June at the age of 75.
Geoff was known to many in the equestrian and shooting worlds through the family business, which he set up with his wife Gill in 1963.
He leaves behind his wife, their children Adrian and Sarah and four grandchildren.
Sarah told H&H: “He built Townfields to what it is today because he loved horse sport and adored working alongside his family.”
A minute’s silence was held at Hickstead on Sunday (28 June) to remember him.
Dr Peter Lamont
The well-known eventing starter and owner Dr Peter Lamont has died.
Alongside Bill Allen, who died in April, Peter was a familiar face at horse trials, and as a starter officiated at hundreds of events including the Hong Kong Olympics and the 2006 Asian Games.
He was also involved in the sport as an organiser for Purston Manor Horse Trials and volunteered as a cross-country starter at a huge number of British Eventing (BE) fixtures including Tweseldown.
Peter also owned Beanie Sturgis’ four-star horse Lebowski.
The retired doctor died last week (2 June) and leaves his wife, Jill, a welll-known entries secretary.
BE’s David Holmes said: “This is deeply saddening news which will affect everyone in the sport. I know he was an extremely friendly and much-loved man in the community.”
Gerrit-Jan Swinkels
Gerrit-Jan Swinkels the president of Indoor Brabant, the famous show in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, has died while riding.
The 67-year-old died suddenly on Monday 25 April while riding on the Belgian coast at Knokke-Heist in West Flanders. The exact circumstances of his death have not been released.
Mr Swinkels became president of Indoor Brabant in 2002 and planned to hand over to his successor in 2017 during the event’s 50th anniversary.
He was also president of the board of directors of Springpaarden Fonds Nederland, which is dedicated to developing jumping horses.
“Gerrit-Jan was a wonderful person, and thanks to him the profile of equestrian sport has grown tremendously”, said John Roche, FEI jumping director.
“The sport has lost one of its greatest friends, enthusiasts and supporters, and an immeasurable void has been left. We will all miss him greatly.”
Allan Middleton
One of dressage’s most valued supporters, Allan Middleton, died on 7 May after a long illness. He was 62 years old.
Through his wife, Anita, an event rider and List One dressage judge, Allan used his technical skills to improve early dressage technology.
“Allan with his technical know-how maintained and looked after the innovative headphones which provided commentary at all the big dressage championships for members of the British Dressage Supporters Club [BDSC],” said Anita.
The BDSC commentary sets were regularly serviced and looked after by Allan, who worked in the telecommunications industry.
Other shows could apply to use the headsets and Allan was in charge of sending them out to show organisers.
“Nobody had seen anything like this before. It helped open up dressage to so many more people,” Anita told H&H.
“The current commentary system evolved from this original idea.
“He was totally non-horsey when we met, but supported me throughout my riding career and was a great BDSC supporter and enjoyed going to the dressage championships abroad.”
Daphne Lakin
The Hon Mrs Daphne Lakin who started Iping Horse Trials over forty years ago died peacefully at home after a short illness on 29 April aged 96.
She had been involved with horses all her life, firstly on the polo field where she was encouraged by her husband John and his brother, who are both international players. Daphne was also involved with the Pony Club and used to run ‘pony parties’ to entertain her son Michael and his friends.
Daphne ran Iping Horse Trials with a committee of friends for many years. More recently she dedicated her time to the design and the building of the cross-country fences and course.
She was to be seen out on the course as recently as last year with her hammer and nails.
Bill Allen
Eventing stalwart Bill Allen died on 4 April. He had been suffering from cancer.
Alongside his wife Ann, a British Eventing scorer and event secretary, Bill was well-known on the eventing circuit. The pair officiated at the 2008 and at 2012 Olympics.
“Bill was involved in the sport for many years as an organiser however he was also very well known for his work as a starter and volunteer at a great number of British Eventing (BE) events,” said a BE spokesman.
“Bill was one of the great personalities within the sport and a friend to many, he will be very sadly missed by all those in the eventing community.”
Tony Cavendish Cooper BHSI
The showjumping trainer and owner has died aged 68.
He passed away on 28 February.
Tony was “horse mad” from an early age and owned and trained showjumpers.
“His family have had some wonderful responses from hisfriends and he will be greatly missed by all those who knew him,” said a spokesman for the family.
Norah Machattie
The breeder and organiser has died aged 85.
Born in Glasgow in 1929, Norah lived for all things equestrian and was there at the beginning of Aberdeenshire’s North East Riding Club in the 1940s.
During her life, she bred many sport horses with her business partner Liz Davidson — the most famous being the horse that launched Ian Stark’s career Oxford Blue, a team silver medal winner at the LA Olympics.
Norah was pivotal in the organising of Royal Deeside Horse Trials for many years and then, along with her great friend Joan Weir, set up the Dietsmann Dressage Festival in Scotland.
Together, Norah and Joan set up Gordon Dressage Group, which still continues and carries on their legacy of bringing top judges to the area for its monthly competitions.
Following the onset of Alzheimer’s in 2007, Norah and her husband Keith moved to New Zealand to be near their daughter Clare.
Norah is survived by her husband, her daughter, her two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Maureen Walton
The keen eventing supporter died on 2 March, aged 82. She had been suffering from cancer.
Maureen was instrumental in devising the scoring system for three-day events, her written notes being used for many events, until technology came in.
She was joint chairman of Windsor Horse Trials with Peggy Maxwell of when it was a two-day event on Smiths Lawn and she was joint chairman with Col. Frank Beale of Windsor Park Equestrian Club in its early days, and subsequently scored dressage on Club days for many years. She also, until very recently, did the dressage scoring for Bookham Riding Club.
Lord Waterford (11 February, 2015)
Polo stalwart John Hubert de la Poer Beresford, the 8th Marquess of Waterford, died earlier this month (11 February). He was 81 years old.
Lord Waterford’s love for equestrianism started at Eton where he rode the first of many point-to-point winners and went on to be the youngest ever member of the Irish Turf Club.
He later turned to polo and was a member of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Windsor Park team, winning the Gold Cup at Cowdray Park on two occasions — in 1966 and 1969. He was also captain of the All Ireland Polo Club from 1960 to 1985 and its highest handicapped player.
His love of polo has been passed on to his grandson — Richard Le Poer — who is a six-goal professional.
Janet Elliott (21 February 2015)
Former showjumper and hunting stalwart Janet Elliott (nee Smith) died last month (21 February). She was 70 years old.
Janet had a successful showjumping career and trained with Hans Günter Winkler in Germany. She rode on the British team for thirteen years and won the U21 class at the Hickstead Derby Meeting consecutively for three years.
“Laterally, Janet has enjoyed seeing two generations of her family excel in the hunting field,” a family spokesman said.
Hugh Condry (27 February 2015)
Hugh Condry and Brian Lee. Credit: Brian Armstrong
He was a key member of staff at H&H for 32, and spent 14 years as deputy editor. He was also point-to-point correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, and latterly for the Racing Post and Racing Post Weekender.
Hugh leaves behind his wife Sue, two daughters and ten grandchildren.
A thanksgiving service will be held at Dulverton All Saints Church, Somerset at 2pm on Wednesday 18 March.
Brigadier Peter Marzetti
A great huntsman and sportsman, Brigadier Peter Marzetti, has died aged 82.
His hunting career started at the age of 14 years, a young boy on a rough pony with the Enfield Chase, and continued throughout his 82 years.
As an army officer, he always ensured his postings were in the UK, giving him the opportunity to hunt both harriers and foxhounds across England and Ireland.
He was the field master of the Staff College Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Drag Hounds in the early 1970s, and for the last 25 years of his life hunted with and supported the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale where he was a Joint-Master of Foxhounds (1990-1995) and hunt secretary (1996-2000). In the later years he enjoyed attending the meet, supporting the Countryside Alliance and socialising with his many friends and fellow huntsmen.
He died at home after a fall from one of his horses in November. He leaves a wife, four daughters and seven grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at St Peter’s Church, West Lydford, Somerset on Friday 27th February at 2.00pm, no flowers donations to the Hunt Staff Benefit Society.
Lucy Diamond (17 February 2015)
The former four-star eventer turned dressage rider lost her battle with cancer at the age of 43. Having successfully ridden around Badminton in 2006 on Carousel VI, Lucy later turned her attention to pure dressage.
Lucy won the elementary regional championship last summer at Keysoe riding Argentus (pictured, top), just 48 hours after coming out of hospital for treatment. This determined lady continued competing alongside her treatment, and said it was “a myth” that people couldn’t keep fit while having chemotherapy.
Our thoughts are with her husband, champion farrier Billy Crothers, and her two daughters, Emily and Olivia. The date of her funeral is still to be set.
Belle Leggat (29 December 2014)
Equestrian stalwart Belle Leggat died on 29 December 2014. She was 97 years old.
Her equestrian portfolio included showjumping, pointing, hunting, showing and, alongside her husband, Tannny, breeding more than 35 racehorses.
“One of Belle’s great passions was hunting,” said a spokesman for the family. “She was a bold and fearless follower of the Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire in the early days and the Lauderdale.
“She was once asked to showjump for Britain in Paris but did not go as it was going to interfere with the cubbing season.”
Belle’s riding career continued until she was 80 and she passed her passion onto future generations including her daughter Jane Fitzgerald who died in 2002.
Joan Gray (29 January 2015)
Riding instructor, showjumping owner and all round horsewoman Joan Gray died on 29 January aged 84.
She was the proprietor of Greatstone Riding Stables from 1950 – 1979.
Following her early years of winters spent working with hunters and summers spent with her own horses, Joan had a promising showjumping career. However, competitive career was ended by lupus in 1980. Through determination she did ride again and even drove her horsebox, enabling Joan to give a younger generation trips to the shows and allowing her to pass on her skills.
Her funeral takes place on Friday 20 February 11am at The Romney Marsh Community Church, North Street, New Romney.
June Darby Nuttall (12 June 1921 – 20 December 2014)
The honorary vice president of British Showjumping (BS), June Darby Nuttall, died on 20 December aged 93.
Born at Colshaw Hall in Knutsford, Cheshire, June was riding her Shetland pony before she could walk.
She started course building in the 1960s and became involved with the All England Jumping Course where she designed courses in the Foxhunter ring.
June became BS regional representative for the south west for almost two decades. She was also a registered BS judge and showjumping runs in the family, with her granddaughter Harriet competing on Nations Cup teams last year.
“She knew the sport from every angle and was extremely passionate in the way that it progressed, giving her time freely and never missing a meeting unless it absolutely unavoidable,” said a spokesman for BS.
She had been honorary vice president since 2000.
David Lloyd-Thomas (3 January 2015)
Leading pony judge David Lloyd-Thomas died at his home in Northamptonshire on Saturday 3 January. He was 85 years old.
David was a leading judge for the British Show Pony and National Pony Society for many years, judging at all major shows, including the Royal International Horse Show and Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).
David’s initial interest in judging started when he won the gold medal for stock judging at Smithfield at an early age.
A farmer, but with always a keen enthusiasm for breeding, showing and eventing; David bred and owned the successful eventers Milton Tyson, General and Tin Man, the former two being ridden by Mark Todd and latterly David’s son Roland.
Among others David also bred Milton Pageboy who won the 128cm Show Pony Class at last year’s HOYS.
Our sympathies go to David’s wife Estelle and children, Roland and Harriett.
Johnny O’Shea (12 January 2015)
Johnny O’Shea, former huntsman of the Cheshire Hunt from 1966-1991, died on 12 January, aged 77.
An exemplary horse and hound man, Johnny was married to Anne and the father of James and the late Maureen.
Following his retirement to Moss Cottage on the Cholmondeley Estate, Johnny inspired great confidence in the young to keep hunting and continued to follow hounds regularly.
A man of great character, he also achieved success as a greyhound trainer, including victory in the Waterloo Cup.
The funeral will take place at St Wenefrede’s Church, Bickley Cheshire on 26 January at 1pm.
Virginia Anne Pritchard (29 May 1932 — 24 December 2014)
Showing judge Virginia Anne Pritchard has died aged 82, on 24 December 2014.
Anne, as she was affectionately known, was a respected horsewoman and produced many winning show horses from her home Ryalls Stud in Dorset ridden and produced by both her children.
She was a highly-regarded judge and officiated on many panels including the British Show Pony Society, the National Pony Society, and the British Show Horse Association. She also judged the Search for a Star series many years along side Robert Oliver.
Her funeral will be held on 20 January 2015 at 12 noon at Bishops Caundle Church, Sherborne, Dorset.
The 8th Duke of Wellington Brigadier Arthur Wellesley (31 December 2014)
Guards Polo Club vice president, the 8th Duke of Wellington Brigadier Arthur Wellesley, died on 31 December. He was 99 years old.
The Duke was one of the founding members of the club and was its first chairman in 1955.
A spokesman from the club said: “Despite retiring from the game some years ago, he continued to take a keen interest in the sport at Smith’s Lawn, regularly attending matches including presenting his own Duke of Wellington Trophy every August.
“Guards Polo Club sends its heartfelt condolences to the Wellesley family.”
The Duke’s wife Diana Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington, died in 2010. The heir to the peerages is the eldest of his four sons, Charles, Marquess of Douro, a former MEP.
Jane Edwards (21 December 2014)
Showing rider Jane Edwards of Sarnau Stud passed away on 21 December. Before her marriage to Hugh in 1955, Jane worked at various stables, including the Lee-Smiths’. It was there that she rode two of the most famous ponies of all time in Pretty Polly and My Pretty Maid.
They soon established a leading Welsh pony stud at Sarnau, with their ponies having a big influence worldwide.
One of their homebred stallions, Sarnau Rheolwr (foaled in 1985), sired Cwrtycadno Cadfridog, whom they bought. They won major awards with him before selling him to Cottrell Stud, for whom he was Royal Welsh champion and HOYS qualifier in 1996.
The stud specialised in palominos and captured many Royal Welsh championships. They bought Sarnau Venus (daughter of My Pretty Maid) as a foal and bred some of the country’s top riding ponies, such as Sarnau Miss Mink, Sarnau Squirrel and Sarnau Royal Shrimp, who all won at Horse of the Year Show.
Horace Batten (7 December 2014)
The chairman of his family’s bespoke bootmaking business died on 7 December aged 102.
The fifth generation of his family to run the company, Horace took control in his mid-20s and oversaw a switch to making deck boots for submariners during World War II. After the war, the business concentrated on the custom-made hunting boot. It moved to Ravensthorpe, Northants, in the 1960s.
The Batten family has provided handmade boots to generations of hunt staff and masters as well as famous showjumpers, including Nick Skelton and Ted Edgar. Their boots are also reputed to have been worn by servicemen and women during many conflicts.
Horace is survived by his son Timothy, who has been running the operation since Horace reduced his involvement as he got closer to 100 years old. He made his last pair of boots aged 99.
Enid Whitaker (3 January 2015)
Enid Whitaker, mother of John, Michael, Ian and Steven and the matriach of the Whitaker dynasty, passed away on Saturday 3 January aged 85, after a short illness.
It was Enid, wife of Donald, who died in 2005, who passed on her love of horses to her four sons — and thus began one of the greatest equestrian families in the world.
“From the very beginning it was her that encouraged us all to ride – we owe her a lot,” Michael told H&H. “She was extremely proud of all her family and would come and watch us right until she was too ill to get about.
“She and my dad couldn’t get enough of it — she must have gone to every show in England. She’ll be a huge loss to the family.”
Her funeral will be held on 20 January.
Wojtek Markowski (1947 – 5 January 2015)
Five-star dressage judge and technical delegate Wojtek Markowski died from cancer on 5 January. He was 67 years old.
Mr Markowski, who was from Poland, judged at his first Olympics in Athens in 2004. He was a technical delegate at London 2012 and was due to perform the same role in Rio next year.
In 2012, he was appointed board member of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF), where he proposed the creation of the EEF Dressage Working Group — which he then chaired. He was also the Eastern and Central Europe representative for the International Dressage Officials Club.
“Wojtek played a central role in judging and developing international dressage in a career spanning over 30 years”, Trond Asmyr, FEI director of dressage and para-dressage said.
“He was one of our most active judges and had a brilliant statistician’s mind. Thanks to his sought-after expertise, he was due to head to his second consecutive Olympics as technical delegate in Rio in 2016.
“He has left a valuable legacy for international dressage, and his dedication and passion for our sport will be very sorely missed.”
Buying a horse can be a challenging time for buyers and sellers alike. Of course, this isn’t always the case and often the customer/vendor relationship is a harmonious one. But, if you are selling your horse, then keep an ear out for these key phrases as we take a tongue-in-cheek look what might follow…
1. I used to ride at four-star/grand prix/1m50 level
Did you really? Because by the look of it, you are barely ready to come off the lead-rein. Now please, please, please get off my horse.
2. My requirements are very reasonable
If the list is so reasonable, we would love to know where you can find a horse that has the potential to jump around Burghley, introduce your novice daughter to the Global Champions Tour, that your granny can take hunting and your baby can score 70%+ on at advanced medium level dressage.
3. My last horse took me to two-star/advanced medium/1m30 level
Well it must have been an absolute saint looking at the way you ride and your inability to see any sort of stride.
4. The horse will have a five-star home
Will it? Your interpretation of five-star might be very different to theirs, so if you’re concerned you might want to offer to deliver the horse to them, so you can check it out for yourself.
Finding the perfect horse is a long and challenging process. So, we're here to help with H&H's ultimate guide to More…
5. Six months after they buy the horse they want to send it back because it’s started rearing, bucking, napping and refusing to go into the horsebox
Obviously this is all your fault and you should give them a full refund and compensation. It’s nothing to do with how poorly they drive their horsebox and the drilling they give the horse each time they get on it.
6. They have an adequate budget
So you are looking for a potential junior and young rider horse that you can do small tour dressage with and your husband can hunt three days per week for around £1,000. Oh and it must be sound and very straightforward in all ways too. Best of luck with that search!
7. We want it on trial. For a year
Because that’s only fair…
8. We want to buy him — please don’t let anyone else look at him. We’ll be in touch to organise a vetting…
Is that the sound of tumbleweed I hear? It’s quite likely you’ll never hear from this potential buyer again.
9. We’re looking for a pony that my toddler can take up the gallops, that my 8-year-old can ride on area Pony Club teams, and with whom my 12-year-old daughter can become the next Charlotte Dujardin. Oh and we’d like the dog to hack it out
Perhaps a rocking horse might be a better investment?
The jockey will be put through his paces on Countryside Day (13 November) at the Open meeting at the Gloucestershire course.
“It was Yogi’s [Breisner] idea that it might be nice to get AP to have a sit on a dressage horse and see what he can do,” Carl told H&H.
“So we’re taking a grand prix dressage horse to the racetrack and will be riding round the paddock.
“I’ll talk Charlotte through a demo first — explaining to the crowd as runs through some movements, including piaffe and passage to get a feel for it. We’ll explain what we’re asking the horses to do.”
Then Charlotte will swap with AP and she’ll put him through his paces.
“The first thing he’ll need to do is learn to slow down and shift his weight in a different way,” said Carl.
“It will be interesting to see how he gets on as he’s such a talented rider. It will be fun and I’m pretty sure he’ll be one of those incredibly irritating people that takes to it straight way, and if he doesn’t I’m sure he’ll be booking some lessons!”
Carl added that they will be taking a “forgiving” grand prix horse, but haven’t decided which one will carry the most famous jockey in the world yet.
“It won’t be Valegro,” he added.
AP is not so sure about his skills though.
“Dressage takes a lot of patience and I’m not overly patient,” he said. “I like things to happen quickly. I don’t think I have the talent, patience or skills for this. I just hope I will not embarrass myself too much. I can’t dance myself so I’m not rating my chances of making a horse dance.”
The day is in aid of the Countryside Alliance and the British Olympic Team. There will be other demos and hunt parades, which will be confirmed nearer the time.
Michael Jung might be walking with an obvious limp, but Germany’s main man proved that he is still as effective as ever in the saddle today (23 October) when he piloted two horses to lie first and second after dressage in Pau’s CCI4*.
Michael is using a segway to get around Pau, in the south of France, and his ankle is firmly strapped and supported with a strong bandage.
“My ankle is fixed in place and I can’t move it — but I can kick,” said Michael, who chipped a bone above his right ankle in September when Fischerrocana FST fell in the first water at Burghley but the rider still went on to be crowned European champion a week later.
“I have to be careful how much walking I do for one more week and then I hope to have the bandage taken off.”
Halunke FBW, Michael’s European gold medallist in Malmo two years ago, leads the way on 34.5.
The 11-year-old is less than a penalty ahead of his stablemate, Fischerrocana FST.
“Fischerrocana has been good all season; every time we’ve done a dressage test she’s felt like this,” said Michael of the mare who won Kentucky CCI4* in April. “I was particularly happy with Halunke because every month he has been getting better to work with and using his whole body.
“He was nervous at the beginning of the test today but he still gave me a good feeling.”
It is tightly bunched at the business end of the leaderboard and the top 10 are separated by just 8.4 penalties ahead of tomorrow’s cross-country phase.
British rider Emily King (pictured above) is less than four penalties adrift of the leaders in third. The 19-year-old is making her debut at this level aboard Brookleigh.
“Brook warmed up well — he was relaxed and rideable — and he felt the same in the arena,” said Emily, who trains on the flat with Kyra Kyrkland.
“Brook can be jolly and squeal or buck, but today he kept his spark without losing any energy.”
Brookleigh, a 13-year-old former CCI3* partner of Clayton Fredericks, earned a nine for his first flying change, but marks dropped to four/three/five for the second.
“It’s a shame our second change wasn’t there or I might have sneaked ahead of Michael,” added Emily, who currently leads the CIC2* on Dargun.
France’s Astier Nicolas is best of the home side in fourth on Piaf De B’neville.
“He was consistent and rideable all the way through,” said Astier.
Kiwi Tim Price lies fifth on Wesko, who fidgeted in the second halt but recovered with mostly eights for his canter work.
“Wesko always gives 110% but there was a distraction in the background and he wavered in the halt,” explained Tim.
Great Britain’s Sarah Bullimore will be the first to negotiate Pierre Michelet’s cross-country track tomorrow. She will leave the startbox on Valentino V, lying 16th, at 2pm (1pm GST).
Get riders’ reaction to the “typically French” course on HorseandHound.co.uk later today
Pau Horse Trials: top 10 after dressage
1 Halunke FBW (Michael Jung, GER) 34.5
2 Fischerrocana FST (Michael Jung, GER) 35.4
3 Brookleigh (Emily King, GBR) 38.3
4 Piaf De B’neville (Astier Nicolas, FRA) 38.5
5 Wesko (Tim Price, NZL) 40
6 Entebbe De Hus (Karim Florent Lahouag, FRA) 40.6
Four cross-country fences have prompted plenty of discussion among seasoned four-star riders and first-timers alike at Pau horse trials today (23 October).
“It’s a typically French course with forward distances to skinnies and angles, so there are plenty of places to have a silly run-out,” said Mark Todd, who lies 14th overnight on NZB Campino.
There are 29 fences on Pierre Michelet’s course and 10 of these are combinations.
Three are water complexes, which are notoriously tough at Pau.
“All of the water fences will be influential,” said Paul Tapner, eighth overnight with Indian Mill. “I’m on a good horse and he’s up for the challenge. No one fence is concerning me; it’s technical and tough all the way home.”
France’s Astier Nicolas, lying fourth with Piaf De B’neville, concurred:
“It’s not a big course but a lot of thinking is required. I have been scratching my head a lot.”
These are the four fences that have caused the most debate:
8ab Le gue route de Bordeaux/Pau Pyrenees
8cd Le gue route de Bordeaux/Pau Pyrenees
Horses will see water for the first time at fence 8. After clearing an enormous oxer (a) there is a triple brush (b) under the shadow of trees, which takes horses into the water.
Then horses turn right to a slope out, where they are confronted by a large brush (c) and another skinny (d) sited on a diagonal line after.
Emily King, lying third after dressage on Brookleigh, flagged this as a fence to watch.
“If the water wasn’t there it would be straightforward,” she said. “The turn naturally backs them off and having the water there as well could make a few horses a bit looky.”
The second water is in the middle of the racecourse after some good galloping stretches.
A curved log pile (a) has a steep drop behind it into the water, where riders must be bang on line to avoid a glance off at the corner (bcd) behind. Horses will then do a U-turn to another narrow corner (20) on the way out.
“The first corner is a bit of a rider frightener because it has a curving outline,” said Tim Price. “It’s on a good distance but if the horse feels the rider doubting it might cause a duck out.”
24a Le gue des poissons — Simon Grieve demonstrates its size
24bc Le gue des poissons
An enormous rolltop (a) into the lake for the final time requires a leap of faith, but any huge jumps or uncomfortable landings risk overshooting the tight turn to a step (b) and fish (c) out. The latter are on a bounce distance.
“The waters are always difficult here and this is no exception. It’s a big effort with a big drop in and a bounce out,” said Mark Todd. “And then, just as you thought you were home, you get to fence 27 (below) — you can’t relax anywhere.”
27 Les pointes de haies
The downhill landing from this brush (a) could make it harder to keep a tiring horse on an exacting line to the corner (b) at the bottom. Not only is it narrow, but Pierre has cleverly positioned it on the edge of a hedge, which could cause horses to waver off their line or misread it.
“Running downhill on a committed line with a tired horse can cause issues,” added Tim. “Some might jump the first and land a bit heavy because they’re tired and won’t be thinking about something being behind it.”
Tom Rowland, another British four-star debutant, said he will be taking the long route here.
“My aim is to complete and I don’t want to risk a problem so late on,” he said. “There’s a similar theme of fences on mounds running down to an angled skinny on a forward stride. We need to be brave, but careful.”
Get the lowdown on how influentual the cross-country course is on HorseandHound.co.uk tomorrow.
Don’t miss the full Pau report in next week’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine, on sale 29 October.
Enjoy some of our favourite tweets from the past seven days. From super-competitive jockeys to arguably the best sight you could possibly see in London, it all happened on Twitter this week.
Don’t miss the exciting competition on this weekly page. Our favourite tweet each week will win either an Apatchy mini tablet case or an Apatchy cosmetic bag, personalised with your own initials.For more information about the competition and to find out who this week’s winner is, go to the bottom of this page.
Tweets of the week
Willie Mullins’ Melbourne Cup hope embraces summer fashion as he settles into his new surroundings Down Under
National Hunt jockey Aidan Coleman jokes to fellow jockey and rival Richard Johnson that he can ease off to give others a chance in the race to become champion jockey — nice try!
Well done on your century @dickyjohnson77 feel free to take a few weeks off to celebrate
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There had been rumours that the horse had been shot and mutilated, and the police originally said that the animal had “injuries consistent with an attack.”
The horse was kept in a field on Willis Lane in Four Marks in Hampshire.
A post-mortem of the horse was carried out today (Friday, 23 October).
“Following a forensic examination by a vet, it appears that the animal died of natural causes,” said a spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary.
“Other injuries which may have indicated that the pony had been attacked are thought to have been caused by other animals after the pony had died.
“We would like to thank animal owners in Four Marks for their help and vigilance following this incident.”
The police added the situation had been “very distressing for the owners”.
Top British eventer William Fox-Pitt“remains stable” while under “continued observation” in hospital in France after suffering a head injury in a cross-country fall.
This afternoon (Friday, 23 October) a spokesman for British Eventing told H&H there was “no change” in William’s condition and that he remains “under observation”.
The Olympic eventer suffered a head trauma when he fell at fence 20, an owl hole, on the cross-country at Le Lion d’Angers while riding Reinstated on Saturday (17 October).
The pair were competing in the seven-year-old CCI2* class at the FEI/WBFSH world championships for young eventing horses.
The horse, whom William first competed in May 2014 at Chatsworth, was not injured in the fall.
The course was held for more than an hour while William received medical assistance before being transferred to Angers hospital.
A statement issued at the time read: “William has suffered a head trauma, but is otherwise fine. He is comfortable and stable under sedation and will be kept under constant observation.”
His wife, Channel 4 Racing presenter Alice Plunkeet, is with him in France.
“On behalf of the Fox-Pitt family and their support team at home, William’s wife Alice would like to express her thanks to everyone for their support and well wishes, it means a tremendous amount to them all that everyone is thinking of William.”
Willliam, who currently stands at number three in the world eventing rankings, had already completed the course successfully on his first ride, The Soapdodger.
His last win was at the CIC3* at Hartpury in August with Bay My Hero.
We have completed four days in Australian quarantine. Today we saw temperatures of around 30 degrees. The day starts early at 6am when all horses are fed. The horses’ temperatures are taken twice a day religiously with a Head of Government Officer overseeing to make sure all is done correctly. The horses are being looked after extremely well and are turned out in small grass pens in the morning, before the heat of the midday sun sets in.
Vet Andrew Argyle, who is looking after Hilly here in quarantine, is very happy with how he is coping and is impressed by his overall physical condition after such a long flight. Andrew even said he was in perfect condition, which made me smile a lot!
I would love to show you photos of our quarantine base, but the Australian Government forbids it and I don’t really want to get into trouble with them so you will have to use your imagination. But please don’t think it’s like a prison camp – it’s quite nice really!
Hilly arrived tired and I’ve been extremely careful with his routine. I’ve only been walking him in-hand during the past three days and today was the first time I lunged him in the lunge pen. I lunged him with just a bridle on – no side reins or roller – as I just wanted him to have a gentle jig jog round to loosen up. He had a 20min walk in hand and a 10min lunge this morning, then this afternoon a 15min walk and another 10min lunge. He looks a lot brighter today and even had a little buck. His temperatures have been good ever since he has arrived and the vet is happy with him.
Hilly has his own field that is a little bit bigger than some as he’s sensible to turn out. When he is turned out Jenny or I have to watch him as the rules are that no horse is ever unsupervised. I make sure Hilly has at least two hours of grazing each day. If they can be out for longer, then that’s better in my opinion.
The grass is somewhat different here and Hilly was not amused by this to start with, but now he is munching away happily. I wonder if the grass here is like Vegemite to Marmite or Tim Tams to Penguins? To be honest Hilly, I don’t blame you. I perfect Penguins too.
The staff here are friendly and have made Jenny and I feel welcome. Even the Government Officers are not as fierce as you might think! I had images of the programme Boarder Control Officers reducing you to tears because you forgot to declare a boiled sweet.
The routine is strict though and I don’t think I’ve had as many showers in my life as I’ve had in this last month during UK and Australian quaratine!
Life in quarantine
To try and explain how quarantine works, you have a clean side and a dirty side. The clean side is outside the perimeter fence of quarantine and the dirty side is within the permitter fence. You are able to bring clean clothing and items into the dirty/quaratine base, but nothing can leave until the 14 days have finished and everything has been approved.
Yesterday I walked through the clean side and signed in to the log book with the date, time, name, security number, my purpose for visiting (to cuddle my pony) and signature.
I undressed at my clean locker and left my vest T shirt on as it was such a hot day knowing that in my locker on the dirty side I only had a long sleeved T.shirt and my dirty jeans.
My afternoon was then spent cuddling Hilly on the dirty side (quarantine side) in jeans and the vest top.
We have to be signed out by 6.30pm as that’s when the Government Officers finished work and only they can sign you in and out. You are able to stay in quarantine later, but then you can’t sign out and you would have to stay in for the whole night.
I got undressed in the dirty locker side, left my clothes in locker and showered. As I stood in my towel, I unlocked my clean locker to only see a pair of jeans!
“Jenny!” I shouted above the noise of her shower. “JENNY!!” I screamed having images of myself walking out with the guards through Quaratine in just my jeans and a rather unsightly ageing beige bra (it’s comfortable!)
“JENN..”
“Yes Dunsdon,” Jenny interrupted mid screech. (Dunsdon is a name my friends nickname me and it’s kinda stuck.)
I explained to Jenny my dilemma about having no top and asked if she had a spare I could wear. Without so much of a twitch, she calmly replied: “No”.
My face dropped. My eyes widened like a rabbit in head lights. I’m going to have to walk out half naked. I’m going to be know as ‘The English Naked Girl’ and for years to come the officers will be telling the story of ‘remember that English girl who forgot to bring a clean top to wear and she walked out in the hideous beige bra!’
Jenny then burst out laughing.
“That was hilarious,” she said through breaths in her laughter. “Yes, I have a spare!”
Oh course Jenny would, she’s that type of person. She has a spare of everything! My relief was so great I could have kissed her. Instead I played it cool and said: “Whatever. I didn’t panic..”
So from now on I have a whole mini wardrobe in my clean locker.
Hilly’s day-to-day care
The accommodation is somewhat basic and after seeing two Huntsman spiders and a red back by the living quarters, Jenny and I feel much happier at our hotel 20mins down the road. If there was a problem with Hilly, of course we would stay, but I trust the experienced IRT grooms to check him through the night. Quarantine sign in is 6am. The IRT grooms feed Hilly in the morning so he is fed along with all the other horses and Jenny and I see to him otherwise.
Feed companies Mitavite and Keyflow are very kindly and generously supporting me through this epic journey. Hilly was gradually introduce to Keyflow feeds while he was back in England, which is very similar feed to the Mitative feed he is being fed now. The same family, the Prices, run both Mitative and Keyflow and it has been brilliant working with them. They are 100% behind what I am doing and the family are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to horses from all walks of life.
From the moment Hilly arrived, he has been eating well. From my point of view it’s a huge relief to know he’s enjoying his feed, which in my opinion is of the best quality. He looks amazing, the best I’ve had him looking, and I can only put this down to his feed and supplements. I use Lintbells for my supplements and they also sponsor me. I swear by their Yumega Oil and the gleam on Hilly’s coat speaks for itself. I also use their Active Joint and I believe Hilly really benefits from this too.
In quaratine we have two types of hay. One type is Lucerne hay (above); this is more like English haylage although it’s much greener and is very much like alfalfa. Alfalfa is native to warmer climates and it has been cultivated for livestock fodder since the era of Ancient Greeks and Romans. All the horses seem to love it including Hilly.
The other hay is not as green in colour so therefore not so rich (below). Hilly does have a tendency to bloat (just like a human) if he eats too much rich grass or hay. Also his legs fill with rich food. So I am feeding a combination of both hays and I wet the hay too just to keep Hilly as hydrated as I possibly can.
My aim for the next few days is to up Hilly’s workload very gradually. Longer walking out in-hand, lunging for longer periods and introducing canter work. I am not able to ride him at all him quarantine for their health and safety reasons. I am concerned about the effect this will have on his fitness, but there is absolutely nothing we can do.
At the moment Hilly is doing well and loving life. Meanwhile Jenny and I are getting used to the spiders and things are looking on track.
Until next time when hopefully we can see the light at the end of the showering in quarantine!
The competition will be run each Friday at GCT shows — which will take place in 15 cities next year.
It was intended to boost prize money to around €20m (£15.6m).
Club owners would field “star strikers” and two riders from a squad of four would be selected to compete at each event.
In June, the GCL filed a complaint with the BCA alleging the FEI had breached EU competition law by using its rules to prevent riders and horses from competing in events not approved by the FEI by imposing a so-called “exclusivity clause”.
In July the BGA said the GCL could go ahead in 2016, however this was challenged by the FEI.
Now the Court of Appeal said the FEI had failed to demonstrate the injunction “inflicted serious and irreparable harm” on the federation.
The court said the FEI had managed for more than a century without the clause and failed to show why it was indispensable.
“Momentum around the GCL concept has been rapidly gathering pace since it was conceived and we welcome the news that the last hurdle has been removed,” said Frank H McCourt Jr, co-owner of GCT.
“We now look forward to focusing our energies on building a new and exciting era for showjumping.”
The FEI told H&H it is “awaiting the written decision on interim measures” following the judgement.
“The FEI’s appeal on the merits of the interim measures decision will now continue before the Court of Appeal,” added a spokesman.
“We will use all legal means to defend the case.”
All vets, riders and FEI officials would now be able to take part in the series “without repercussions” said the GCL.
The GCL said it is committed to “improving standards for horses, riders, owners and sponsors in the sport and horse welfare will remain a top priority”.
It has invited the FEI to oversee horse welfare safeguards at the new-format competitions by inviting FEI officials to join its own top-class team of vets.
But an FEI spokesman told H&H: “Unsanctioned events are not subject to FEI regulations, and their organisers and participants are not accountable to the FEI for compliance with these regulations.
“As a result, the FEI has no way of safeguarding the welfare of horses and athletes participating in unsanctioned events, or of protecting the integrity of the events.”
Former team manager and chef d’equipe of the senior British showjumping teams Ronnie Massarella has died aged 92.
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The winner of the Horse & Hound tweet of the week competition can also be found by searching Twitter for #HHTweetOfTheWeek. The winner will receive an Apatchy mini tablet case (pictured left) or an Apatchy cosmetic bag (pictured below right), personalised with their initials.
travel and sports bags, which can be instantly personalised or customised without the need for sewing, gluing or ironing. To find out more about Apatchy’s unique personalised products and their wonderful gift wrapping service, visit 
