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WINTER SHOWING

‘I FREELY ADMIT THAT THE BEST OF MY FUN I OWE IT TO HORSE AND HOUND’ Whyte Melville

VET CLINIC Would swimming help or hinder your horse?

EVERY WEEK 20 FEBRUARY 2020

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Natives special The delights of a Dartmoor, Welsh obs and New Forests from the wild

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20 February 2020 Volume CXXXVI Issue 8

‘I FREELY ADMIT THAT THE BEST OF MY FUN I OWE IT TO HORSE AND HOUND’ - Whyte Melville

Pictures by Getty Images, trevor-meeks-photography.co.uk and Will Buckley

Kindness

AFTER speaking to New Forest commoner Lyndsey Stride for this week’s “All in a day’s work” (p16), I’d like to move there. The idea of nightjars flying round the house catching moths in an evening, and walking the children to school through the forest rather than dodging buses, checking the ponies en route, sounds like a lifestyle from another era. Hard graft no doubt, but seemingly idyllic.

It’s interesting how we seek escapism through anything from horses to mindfulness. The pressures of today are different from those of 50 years ago, but no less real. Some want to get away from life’s stresses by escaping to the country. Others see no escape but to take their own life.

We’ve talked about the part social media plays in that pressure. It shouldn’t take a top rider or celebrity’s death for those on social media to start suggesting we be kind. The attacks need to stop, which is something riders including Carl Hester have called for in these pages in recent weeks.

Four-year-olds can recite the school mantras: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything,” and, “Don’t hurt anyone on the outside or on the inside.” Life knowledge there that social media trolls have shrugged off.

Why on earth anyone sees fit to rip someone’s character, ability or life’s work to pieces online is beyond me.

If there is a welfare concern, we must bring it to the attention of the governing bodies and organisations whose responsibility it is to police. The vilification of individuals on Facebook does nothing to affect welfare change.

It is ignored by abusers and instead affects those under too much strain.

Let’s have education, debate and action without attacks and vendettas. As a community we can choose that path.

NEWS 4 Shows stripped of points after FEI blunder 5 Alleged fraud by We Support Australia Charity Auction investigated 6 HS2 fight continues despite green light 8 Horse falls are down but more work to do

NATIVE SPECIAL 24 Horse hero Superstar Dartmoor stallion Shilstone Rocks North Westerly 26 A breeding legacy The three pioneering women behind Llanarth Stud Page 58: Jonjo O’Neill Jnr and Copperhead win at Ascot

FEATURE 30 Pivotal moments When the horse world changed forever

53 Showjumping Jennifer Donald 63 Point-to-point Darren Edwards

REGULARS

HUNTING

16 All in a day’s work The New Forest commoner 18 Vet clinic The benefits of equine swimming 20 H&H interview Countryside Alliance chairman Nick Herbert 22 Life lessons Dressage rider Richard Davison on science in schooling and more 78 Goodnight Tessa Waugh’s hunting diary

34 A day’s hunting with The Kildare Hunt Club and the Melbreak 42 Hunter of a lifetime “Darling mare” Serena 43 From the field Enjoying a day out on a borrowed horse 44 Legends of the chase Squire Farquharson

Page 20: we talk to CA chairman Nick Herbert

OPINION 14 Letters of the week 41 Hunting Andrew Sallis 49 Dressage Anna Ross

EVERY WEEK

VET CLINIC Would swimming help or hinder your horse?

WATERSHED MOMENTS 16 things that changed the horse world forever

RSE BUYING

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Page 34: H&H checks out the huge banks hunting in Kildare

COVER Dartmoor stallion Shilstone Rocks North Westerly (horse hero, p24).

Credit: Lucy Merrell.

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Edited by Eleanor Jones

Share your news story Call 01252 555021 Email eleanor.jones@ti-media.com @ eleanor_jones_

World number one showjumper Steve Guerdat had flagged irregularities

Until a successor is appointed, FEI secretary-general Sabrina Ibáñez will oversee jumping’s day-to-day business. Capt Roche’s deputy, Deborah Riplinger, also due to retire in August, will remain till the end of 2020. Two new positions are being recruited, department manager and manager of officials, to support the director’s revised role.

‘STUPID’ RULES

FEI acts to correct ranking blunders Shows have been stripped of points after schedules were approved mistakenly TWO international showjumping tours held in December and January have been sensationally stripped of Olympics and Longines world rankings points after the FEI admittedthat some show schedules were mistakenly approved.

The decision means that Sri Lanka’s Mathilda Karlsson loses her individual place at the Tokyo Games; it has been restored to the original contender, Hong Kong’s Kenneth Chen.

H&H reported last month that multiple December showjumping fixtures held at VilleneuveLoubet, France, and Damascus, Syria, included Olympic and Longines world rankings points classes with entries confined to just a tiny handful of riders (news, 30 January).

In January, Villeneuve staged further shows with drastically limited invitations.

Several riders significantly improved their Longines world 4

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

By PIPPA CUCKSON rankings before the launch of the new FEI merit-based CSI invitation system this month (3 February).

The FEI ordered an investigation and on Monday (17 February) the federation announced that, contrary to the FEI general regulations, two competitions counting for the Olympic and Longines rankings were added at six shows during December and January at Villeneuve-Loubet, after definite entries deadlines.

The updated schedules were submitted by the French national federation and “mistakenly approved” by the FEI.

EXCESS PRIZE MONEY INVESTIGATORS decided shows in Damascus between October and December did not breach entries regulations, but there was “irregularity” involving excess prize money at three shows also “erroneously approved” by the FEI. One competition per show has been annulled to bring prize money within the specified limit.

This means that Syria’s Ahmad Hamcho and Jordan’s Ibrahim Bisharat retain their Olympic tickets.

Days earlier, world number

one Steve Guerdat had called for the annulment of these rankings points, claiming he alerted an “FEI representative” to concerns back in December, but the fixtures continued to run.

Before Monday’s decision, Guerdat said: “The FEI needs to take their responsibility. They have approved the schedules for these events.

“The FEI general regulations clearly state that athletes should be competing against each other under fair and equal conditions.

This has not been the case at these events. Should a grand prix with five riders competing really be counting for the world ranking and the Olympic ranking?”

International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC) director Eleonora Ottaviani wants an urgent review of the formula, saying these incidents highlighted the rankings’ vulnerability to “skulduggery.”

Last week, the FEI announced that jumping director John Roche will retire at the end of February.

Capt Roche, 65, had been understood to be retiring after the 2020 Olympics. The FEI declined to comment on whether this was connected to the rankings dispute.

A FEI spokesman told H&H discussions about restructuring his department started last year, owing to its heavy workload.

VILLENEUVE-LOUBET owner Andre Herck, who spoke to H&H before Monday’s announcement, insisted that his shows did not break any rules. Since buying the venue with debts of over €1m (£833,000) in 2008 he has felt unfairly treated by the French jumping community.

He says full ranking points have been awarded at other under-subscribed venues; critics had not noticed such scheduling was achievable under the FEI’s “stupid” rules.

He said: “In all activities, if you respect the rules perfectly, everybody [should] say ‘congratulations, you found a hole,’ and not just try to create trouble because they are not happy that somebody has been clever.”

A key flaw in the rankings formula is that points are awarded down to 16th place irrespective of the number of starters. Kevin Staut, the president of the IJRC, has asked for an urgent meeting with the FEI in order to review the formula.

H&H has been unable to establish whether any amendments can apply immediately or whether they would have to wait until 2021.

LONGINES WORLD RANKING POINTS COMPARISON

Total points won in December 2019 At Villeneuve Loubet 2* CSIs Mathilda Karlsson (Sri Lanka) 360 Mandy Mendes Costa (Portugal) 325 Andrea Herck (Romania) 315 At Damascus 2* CSIs Ahmad Hamcho (Syria Amre Hamcho (Syria) Ibrahim Bisharat (Jordan)

495 640 570

By top riders at 5* CSIs and World Cups Steve Guerdat 185 Martin Fuchs 360 Daniel Deusser 130 160 Ben Maher Scott Brash 397.5 Robert Whitaker 190

Police investigate Australia auction fraud allegations

HORSES IN THE NEWS

Officers are looking into whether money raised from the online charity sale was kept for personal use instead POLICE are investigating allegations that money raised through a charity auction in aid of those affected by the Australian bushfires was kept by the auction’s organiser.

H&H reported last month (news, 9 January) that one of a number of initiatives set up by the UK equestrian community, a group called We Support Australia Charity Auction, had some 4,000 members. Lots offered included semen from top stallions and equestrian items and crafts.

Bidding was to close on 11 January and the money was to go to various Australian charities.

But, a spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police told H&H last week (14 February): “On Saturday, 1 February we were contacted with reports of fraud in

By ELEANOR JONES Peterborough. It has been alleged that a woman set up a charity via an auction site and kept donations for her own personal use.

“No arrests have been made at this stage and an investigation is ongoing.”

Kerry Louise Palin, who had been posting in the auction group as an organiser, released a statement on 8 February saying she wanted to address “rumours and nasty malicious posts”.

“I can confirm I reported an incident on Sunday, 2 February after hearing rumours money wasn’t received by a charity from the auction page,” she said, adding that police have full access to her accounts, emails and documents

Pictures by Saeed Khan, Brian Lawless, Peter Nixon and trevor-meeks-photography.co.uk

The auction was held to raise money for those affected by serious bushfires in Australia

while they investigate.

“I have nothing to hide but I have followed police advice and haven’t addressed the matter, however, this incident has had such a profound effect on my wellbeing I feel I have had to address this.

‘I’m keen to resolve this’

DARGUN The 12-year-old gelding, now owned by the Dargun Syndicate and who was campaigned up to CCI5* level by Emily King, has joined Piggy French’s string ahead of the 2020 season.

KERRY PALIN

“The police have just been to my house to give me an update, which isn’t much. The officer in charge hasn’t been working office hours and is a response officer so he is doing what he can. He has said my next update will be next Thursday [and] they will then contact Action Fraud to find out how their investigation is going and work together.

“Please stop the online abuse and rumours. These are incredibly damaging both mentally and physically.

“If you have your own concerns I advise you call 101 or Action Fraud. Facebook is not the place to do your own investigation; this is why we have trained professionals.

“I am as keen as you all are to sort this matter.”

Action Fraud confirmed to H&H that it had received the case and it was being assessed by the City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.

TIGER ROLL The back-to-back Grand National winner shares the top weight of 11st 10lb for the 2020 race (4 April) with stablemate Delta Work.

The Gordon Elliott-trained 10-year-old is yet to qualify as he needs to run in a chase before Aintree.

Tokyo 2020 team line-up is confirmed THE line-up of teams due to compete for dressage medals at the Tokyo Paralympics has been confirmed.

As well as Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany, who qualified at the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG), the USA, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Singapore, Denmark, Belgium, Australia and Austria will be competing. These places were on offer to the top seven FEI-ranked nations, apart from the three that

qualified at WEG, and the top countries in Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

Host nation Japan will also field a team and while Russia has qualified, its participation is yet to be confirmed owing to the country’s doping scandal (news, 9 January). Each country may send up to four riders to Tokyo.

Britain has won at every Paralympics since dressage was introduced in 1996. But they will face tough competition from

world leaders the USA, European and world champions the Netherlands and a host of other strong contenders.

Other nations have gained slots for individual riders: South Africa, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Latvia, Brazil, Norway, Finland, and Mexico will all be represented.

More individual places will be confirmed this year.

The para dressage competition runs 27-31 August. EJ

JUS WITH GENOA The dam of five-star medalwinning eventer Winsome Adante, and who was the backbone of Julia Hodkin’s Future Sport Horses stud, has died aged 32. The mare leaves a dynasty of competition horses.

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

5

NEWSInsider IN BRIEF Fight continues against ‘mad’ High Speed Two CONTAMINATION FEARS PUT TO BED

AN END TO OUR CLOCK CHANGES? THE EU is proposing an end to seasonal clock changes.

The plan would mean a permanent shift to the winter or summer time clock.

A House of Lords subcommittee published its report on the proposal on 11 February.

Baroness Donaghy, chair of the EU internal market sub-committee, said the government has “stuck its head in the sand… hoping that it goes away”.

“If it doesn’t, we could be caught unaware and unprepared to make a decision,” she said, adding this could leave Ireland with two time zones at different times of the year.

“This is a complex issue with a range of consequences for different industries and people in the UK.”

FREE ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP OFFER THE British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is offering free membership to veterinary students to help encourage more vets into equine practice.

As fewer than 10% of vet students specialise in equine, BEVA hopes the scheme will “open eyes to what’s great about being an equine vet”.

Association of Veterinary Students president Katie Roberts said it is an “exciting opportunity” that allows students a taste of the equine world, which some can feel daunted by if they are not from an equestrian background.

6

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

The rail link has been given permission to go ahead, but campaigners say it does not make economic sense CAMPAIGNERS are continuing to fight the “madness” of High Speed Two (HS2), despite its winning over the prime minister.

Boris Johnson gave the highly controversial rail link the “green signal” on 11 February. H&H has reported on its effect on the equestrian community, with some evicted with no assurance of when they will be given compensation (news, 19 December).

Campaigner Lizzy Williams told H&H the project, the cost of which was about £56bn in the 2015 budget but an estimate has recently put at £106bn, makes no economic sense.

“The £56bn approval is also based on things that won’t happen,” she said. “It was based on 18 trains an hour and now that’s going to be 14, so the number of passengers decreases. It should go to the public accounts committee,

By ELEANOR JONES which scrutinises government spending, as it’s madness.”

Lizzy said her priority is working with landowners such as Ali Nicola, who runs a Riding for the Disabled Association group in Warwickshire and whose home now belongs to HS2. She will also support those affected by later phases of the project.

Louise Nicholson told H&H phase 2b will cut through her land: her Grade II-listed property, 12 acres and seven stables.

“We lived in a caravan for three years while we renovated this property,” she said. “We had to jump through hoops to do anything; they had to approve the colour of the cement we used.

Now they can just knock it down for a train. It’s heart-rending.

Acres of grazing and pasture land will be lost for HS2

“We’ve done it through hard work and they’re taking it away. If it was for something worthwhile, you might have to think, ‘Don’t be selfish,’ but the area won’t benefit and the sums don’t add up.”

Mr Johnson said: “You can’t say HS2 has distinguished itself in its handling of the local community.” He also admitted “cost forecasts have exploded”.

But Ms Williams said the costs will not just be financial.

“I’m hearing about fodder shortages because grazing and pasture land are affected, so farmers can’t make hay,” she said.

“And it won’t stop here. They’re talking about lines to Bristol, the expressway between Oxford and Milton Keynes, rail links to Heathrow; all these areas will be affected. It’s terrifying.”

An HS2 spokesman told H&H the Nicholsons’ land has been “safeguarded” for 2b, so they can apply to the “express purchase” scheme, to get full market value plus 10% or £64,000, as well as moving costs. Should parliament agree this section and no agreement were reached, they would be subject to a compulsory purchase order.

He added: “HS2 will relieve pressure on our overcrowded rail network and transform the economy by helping bridge the gap between London, the Midlands and the North. Getting more people and freight on trains will take cars and lorries off our roads, reduce domestic air travel, and help the UK reach our net zero carbon target by 2050.”

FEI’s warning over herpes virus THE FEI is urging riders to be vigilant for the signs of equine herpes virus (EHV) after cases of the neurological form of the virus have been confirmed in multiple continents.

Four horses died in the outbreak of neurological EHV-1 at Crofton Manor, Hampshire, last month. But in total, more than 70 cases of this form of the virus have been reported — in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden,

Switzerland, Norway and the Czech Republic, as well as in Canada and the USA — since 1 January last year.

The neurological form is considered by the FEI to be “a significant threat to equine health and events”.

“Changes have been made to 2020 FEI veterinary regulations so horses that show clinical signs or have been in contact with affected horses will not be allowed to access FEI events,”

an FEI statement read, adding that horses may not enter events until they have met FEI health requirements.

“In the event of a horse developing clinical signs, [it] must be placed in isolation, strict biosecurity measures implemented and samples taken for diagnostic testing.

“In-contact horses must be identified, placed under strict biosecurity measures and monitored.” EJ

Pictures by Pauline Harkin

AN assurance scheme aiming to minimise the risk of prohibited substances occurring in equine bedding has been launched by the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA).

The BETA NOPS code for bedding will “bring peace of mind to equestrians” by ensuring bedding products are manufactured and packaged in ways that conform to best practice.

A three-month consultation will be held for manufacturers interested in joining the scheme.

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Horse falls drop, but more work to be done Issues with qualification and reporting horse injuries were considered at the FEI eventing risk management forum HORSE fall rates at FEI events were the lowest on record in 2019, but more is to be done in reducing these and collecting better information on equine injuries.

FEI eventing committee chair David O’Connor presented the 2019 statistics for eventing falls at the FEI risk management seminar at Aintree (24-26 January). “[The number of ] horse falls has to be how we judge ourselves,” he said, adding this is owing to risk of injury, to horses and riders.

In 2019, horse falls as a percentage of starters was 1.36%, with the chance of a rotational fall at 0.12%. In 2009, these figures were 1.72% and 0.23%.

“This is in the right direction, with rotational falls more than halved in 10 years,” he said. “These are encouraging numbers.”

But Mr O’Connor said there remains a spike in the risk of horse falls at five-star, higher than the increase between the other levels.

“Maybe progression between four- and five-star isn’t totally correct or maybe five-star has become a different sport,” he said.

He added the global aim has been to reduce horse falls at five-star level to 4% of starters, which the sport is “close to, but we haven’t got there yet”. In 2019, this figure was 5.15%, compared to 4.25% in 2018 and 6.63% in 2017.

Olympic eventer Vittoria Panizzon asked if qualifications for five-star are where they should be, given the rise in risk.

“Obviously look at frangibles, course design, but qualification seems a key thing to look at,” she said, adding she would be wary of asking for too many long-format classes as qualifying criteria owing to the mileage this adds to horses.

“Not just add more, but look at the type of qualifications, and the

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

8

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

By LUCY ELDER level of courses.”

She also asked whether frangible pins allowed horses who would have fallen to continue, then have a fall later on course.

“Should we be looking at whether horses need to be pulled up if a pin saves a fall?” she asked.

There also remains a greater chance of a fall at an international event compared to a national class at the same level, which has left experts scratching their heads.

The average fall rate of horse and/or rider at international events is 5.57% — Britain’s national event fall rate is 2.26%.

Mr O’Connor said it is believed the answer may be psychological, in terms of pressure felt by riders, as often international classes are run over the same courses as

national sections.

“We still don’t think we’ve wrapped our heads around the question between international and national classes — why is that such a difference?” he asked.

‘UNDER-REPORTING’ PROFESSOR Tim Parkin, of the University of Glasgow’s veterinary school, stressed better information is needed about injuries horses sustain at events.

Reviewing FEI data, he said there is “quite a lot of variation” in information sent in, and outcomes and types of injury were not always well described.

Professor Parkin believes there is an “unknowable degree of under-reporting”, so the injury rate is likely to be around one in every 1,000 starts.

He suggested focusing on detailed reporting of injuries

that are likely to impact a horse’s return to competition, are fatal or career-ending.

“Overall, the number of injury reports might reduce, but that’s because we are only focusing on things that have a really significant impact,” he said.

Looking at FEI data compared to National Hunt racing, he said the risk of issues such as tendon/ ligament injuries, lacerations, bleeding from the nose and other lameness in racing is far greater than in eventing.

“But we have to remember we probably see greater underreporting in eventing than in National Hunt racing, where the system has been set up for a long time to ensure as much as possible injuries are reported on the day.”

The discussion moved to how difficult collecting accurate data can be, with injuries showing up later, or horses transported to vets directly from the event. But experts agreed finding a better way to collect data is important.

“Collecting data from injuries will benefit the sport in the long term,” said FEI vet and trainer Staffan Lidbeck.

Mr O’Connor said the issue comes back to racing’s message about being on the front foot when it comes to equine welfare and why our horses have a better life because of the job they do.

The risk of falls is higher in FEI classes than in national classes at the same level

British dressage rider Sonnar Murray-Brown scored his first international win in the CDI threestar in Le Mans, France (13-16 February), with Erlentanz. Sonnar said he was “over the moon”.

Jockey Paul Hanagan fractured a vertebra in a fall from Requinto Down at Newcastle. The former two-time British Flat champion was waiting to hear if he will require surgery.

FEI jumping director John Roche will retire at the end of February.

John has had responsibility for all aspects of FEI showjumping since the position was created in 2007.

Pictures by Peter Nixon, Steve Dawe, Clint Hughes, Kevin Sparrow, Sarah Farnsworth, Steve Dawe/Real Time Imaging and trevor-meeks-photography.co.uk

NEWSInsider

Pony showing world recognises stalwarts The British Show Pony Society has revealed its 2020 award winners

By ELEANOR JONES

Sharon Thomas was among those honoured by the BSPS

A COUPLE who met while stewarding and an eventer were among the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) award winners.

BSPS council member, judge, steward and show director Sharon Thomas won the outstanding personality of the year award, as she “always makes showing fun and enjoyable for members,” said BSPS vice-chair Paul Cook.

Former BSPS Area 6 chairman Mary Allison, also a panel judge and steward, was given a long service award, in recognition of her service to the equestrian world as well as BSPS. Ms Thomas said: “Mary is one of our many stalwart volunteers; always there whatever the weather, with a smile.”

Long service awards also went to Tony and Alison Georgakis, who met while stewarding at a BSPS event 20 years ago.

The stars of the future award went to Hayden Hankey and Jasean Spraggett.

Hayden enjoyed long success as a pony rider, and won the 2019 Australian carriage driver Boyd Exell won his ninth World Cup final in France, and announced the retirement of team wheeler 23-year-old Demi. Boyd said she had “given everything”.

working hunter championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) on Heads Up, but has moved on to eventing and producing young horses. Jasean, who won the 2019 HOYS lightweight show hunter title on Noble Queen Bee, was also a successful pony rider, who now trains working hunters.

“These riders prove the BSPS is a great stepping stone for a wider career in equestrianism. We look forward to following their progress,” Ms Thomas said.

Chloe Lemieux and Coco Bongo took the outstanding achievement award, after a year in which they won the 133cm HOYS working hunter championship, following this up with the working hunter pony title and standing HOYS supreme pony champion.

The outstanding pony and producer award went to Rotherwood Rainmaker and Katy Carter. Ms Carter, who took titles and championships at HOYS, Olympia and the Royal International, has since produced 27 HOYS winners and five RIHS supreme champions. These include Rotherwood Rainmaker, who was RIHS supreme champion twice and spent his showing career with Ms Carter until his retirement last year.

“She has taken so many children and ponies to the top and is especially known for buying unbroken youngsters and bringing them on with help from her father Rod, taking them forward to win at the very highest levels,” Ms Thomas said.

Ruby Ward, Alice Cowie, Suzie Eddis and Daniella Johnston were honoured as the winning team from the working hunter pony international team event at the David Broome Event Centre, Monmouthshire, last August.

Olympic dressage rider Laura Tomlinson won her first international with Rose Of Bavaria in the grand prix special at Le Mans, marking her first international win since 2016.

NEWSInsider

TAFFECHAN MISS MONEYPENNY Georgia Rhodes’ Welsh section D has died age 13 after colic. The mare was a HOYS, RIHS and Olympia finalist and champion at the Great Yorkshire with her partner Lauren Beaumont.

KACHY The sprinter was fatally injured at Lingfield on 15 February. The Tom Dascombe-trained sevenyear-old, owned by David Lowe, won nine of 28 starts including the all-weather sprint championship final.

Chris House was a champion for equine welfare

CHRIS HOUSE THE respected vet and former British Equestrian Veterinary Association (BEVA) president died on 11 November 2019, aged 65.

Mr House qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 1978 and founded the veterinary practice House and Jackson in Essex in 1980. The business was awarded hospital status for equines by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2016.

Throughout his career, Mr House was a champion for welfare; he was a member of the National Equine Welfare Council and was involved in the reform of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

He served two terms on the BEVA council and was president of the association in 2008 to 2009. He was also appointed to the Farriers Registration Council, leading the disciplinary committee from 2013 to 2018.

In 2014, Mr House was elected chairman of the Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management (VAWM). He was an avid horseman, and hunted with the West Kent and later the Essex.

“He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him,” said Lewis Thomas, VAWM secretary.

Mr House leaves behind Jane, son Graham, daughters Thandi and Becky and two grandchildren.

on the Arthur Stephensontrained Rainbow Battle in 1964, the Mackeson Gold Cup on Pawnbroker in 1966, and the Princess Royal Hurdle on Easby Abbey in 1972.

His most famous wins were with the Peter Easterby-trained Night Nurse, on whom he won the Champion Hurdle in 1976 and 1977.

The latter was widely hailed as one of the greatest hurdle races ever.

Paddy rode Night Nurse to victory in a total of 18 races, including the 1977 Templegate Hurdle, now known as the Aintree Hurdle, in which he had a deadheat finish with Dessie Hughes on Monksfield. On 26 December 1977, Paddy and Night Nurse fell in the Christmas hurdle at Kempton with Paddy ultimately retiring from the saddle after that race, owing to the injuries he suffered.

Former champion jockey turned trainer Jonjo O’Neill, who later rode Night Nurse, described Paddy as a “top man, tremendous jockey and one of the hardest men to beat on the track.”

BOB ORDIDGE THE pioneering veterinary surgeon died on 22 December, aged 74.

Mr Ordidge was a founding member of North Yorkshire-based Rainbow Equine Clinic, now known as Rainbow Equine Hospital, with Ieuan Pritchard in 1988, having started out as equine practice Ordidge and Pritchard.

Over his 50-year career, Mr Ordidge was known for his contribution to the field of equine surgery. A spokesman for Rainbow said his pragmatic and intelligent

Bob Ordidge was a pioneering veterinary surgeon

approach hugely benefited owners from racing, hunting and the general horse population. He was known to be “self-effacing” about his incredible surgical skills and was always ready to “push boundaries”.

“A part of the team here at Rainbow Equine Hospital all through his life, Bob will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege of working with and alongside him throughout his amazing career,” said the tribute.

“We know that his legacy lives on in many of the veterinarians who had the benefit of his keen mind and practical, no-nonsense truly ‘Yorkshire’ approach.”

Clients and associates described Mr Ordidge as an “innovative” vet and a “true gentleman”.

PADDY BRODERICK ZUCCHERO OLD The 2019 world young horse champion six-year-old has died following colic. The dressage stallion, owned by Star Horses, won gold under Germany’s Frederic Wandres at last year’s championships in the Netherlands.

10

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

THE dual Champion Hurdlewinning jockey has died, aged 80.

Starting his career on the Flat in Ireland, Paddy won on his first ride Pipe Band in 1954 before moving to Britain.

Paddy enjoyed much success throughout his career, winning the Welsh Grand National

Paddy Broderick and Night Nurse won the 1976 Champion Hurdle

Pictures by Sport & General, Picasa, Tristan Fewings, Dirk Caremans and anthony-reynolds.net

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NEWSInsider How analysing showjumping faults could help performance Studies into how and where faults are accumulated in competition could be of benefit to riders’ results

▲ LOVE (FOR HORSES) Spotted on Facebook on Valentine’s Day, a rider professing her undying love for her husband. All fine, until it turned out it was he who had written it. “I got bored while you were with your true love, the nags,” he said. Men, know your place!

▲ JOURNALISTS Ah, the annual Grand National weights announcement press lunch.

Always a joy, although as one hack suggested this week, possibly it should be limited to 40 journalists as a safety measure. And as a pal chimed in, maybe there shouldn’t be a starter…

GOOD WEEK BAD WEEK CASH Talking of racing, trainer Fergal O’Brien seemed spot on when he suggested Boris Johnson, the HS2 rail link fan, would be a good owner to take to the sales.

“So your budget’s £400k?

Yes. How about this one for £800k? Just write a cheque for £1.2m then?” Sounds about right…

AUTOCORRECT Oops of the week to the trainer who texted a young pony’s owner to say she’d been “hitting her every day and I think she’s starting to accept it.” A pause, and then “BITTING! I promise I have not been hitting your pony!”

Phew.

JACKETS A dressage rider thought she’d be the nattiest in the warm-up when she spotted a striped burgundy “tailcoat” and topper for sale online, until oh. It was a Willy Wonka outfit. Could have been worse though, it could have been an oompah loompah…

12

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

One study looked into Nations Cup competition faults

ANALYSING faults incurred in showjumping could have a performance advantage, research has suggested.

Study “Faults in international showjumping are not random”, by veterinary scientist David Marlin and Jane Williams of Hartpury University and published by Wageningen Academic Publishers, looked at 250 combinations in 2017 Nations Cup legs. They found riders are nine times more likely to have faults during the second part of a course, 49% of knockdowns occur at vertical fences and a straight approach to a fence reduced the chance of faults by 48%.

A second study yet to be published, “Analysis of faults in amateur showjumping”, by Dr Marlin, Ms Williams and Merlin Perlo, looked at 11 classes at a British Showjumping (BS) event and found riders were nearly six times more likely to have faults

BY BECKY MURRAY jumping off the wrong canter lead, and faults were more than 98.8% more likely at a vertical fence than at an oxer.

Dr Marlin told H&H he believes by looking at performance objectively, riders have the potential to improve.

“Some might say this is stuff we’ve known — but we’re putting numbers to it. There’s further information we can get from this, but we have to look at the basics and see they make sense before we look at more complex things such as rider position, speed, colour of jumps,” he said.

“Where this is interesting is not the results as such, but how riders can apply analysis to gain performance advantage. For example, if you follow a horse and rider over a season and characterise their faults, you

might be able to see patterns developing or changing. When margins are so small, anything you can use to have one less pole down or be two seconds faster is a massive influence.”

Dr Marlin added performance analysis has been used successfully in other sports.

“Many athletes keep notes of their performance but in equestrianism we don’t seem to be as good at doing that — it’s an area where we could do better. It can be pretty simple, such as keeping a diary of your faults or having someone video your round.”

International showjumping coach Corinne Bracken told H&H performance analysis has “endless possibilities”.

“It can not only help a rider perform better, but also allows them to seek professional advice in whichever area is needed according to the analysis — for example, it might identify the need for a vet or rider physiotherapist,” she added.

“As our sport becomes more about technical performance, analysis has to be taken into consideration as one of the key factors that will help give us marginal gains.”

BS course-designer and coach Gillian Milner told H&H performance analysis could be beneficial for higher-level riders.

“You have to look at the level and ability of riders for analysis to work, and I feel at lower levels it could be harder to digest — it’s important they can take the information on board and understand it,” she said.

And finally... cleaning up HE’S a 14.2hh mule who was scared of raincoats — he’s now a Welsh waste-busting warrior.

Marty and his owner, Sari Maydew, go litter-picking weekly in Carmarthenshire.

Sari told H&H Marty came into her life six years ago.

“I couldn’t catch him and he didn’t like some noises,” she said.

“I couldn’t wear a raincoat as he didn’t like the rustle, so I’d have to strip off in the rain to catch

him, but it was so rewarding.”

She persevered, and on in-hand walks, noticed all the rubbish, and thought she could do something about it.

“If everyone did a little bit, it would be so much nicer,” she said. “And Marty loves it. From a mule who was terrified of raincoats to one who will stand while I stuff rubbish into bags on his back, he’s done really well.

He’s taught me a lot.” EJ

Pictures by Sari Maydew and Peter Nixon

▲ MYSTERIES Just how did a brand-new chimney-sweeping brush end up in a bag of shavings?

The rider who opened it wasn’t too bothered though, as it was probably worth more than the contents and it beats finding a mummified lizard in the hay.

“It is vital for my horses” Jamie Gornall, International Showjumper

“Dengie Performance Fibre is vital for my horses.

When they’re fit, travelling and competing they can be a little fussy but not when this is in the bucket; it gives me peace of mind to see them enjoying their feed.” Jamie Gornall, International Showjumper

Straw Free - Tempts Fussy Eaters - Soft Fibre Discover more at www.dengie.com

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LETTERS

Email to hhletters@ti-media.com Name and address must be included. Letters may be edited.

MY SHORT STORY

Galloping along Rotten Row may have been strictly forbidden, but it was so much fun for horse and rider

ROTTEN ROW REBELS YOUR feature on Hyde Park Stables (23 January) prompted me to send this photograph of my mother (on Winnie, the black horse) and Lilo Blum from Grosvenor Crescent Mews stables, galloping — which was strictly forbidden — in the 1940s on Rotten Row. Mum found the

to ride when I was about 12, then about two years ago we took my daughter to retrace our steps.

Mum was then 94 and we finished the day with a surprise lunch at The Dorchester, one of her favourite wartime haunts. Lovely, lovely memories.

Anne Cooper Hook Norton, Oxon

horse in Yorkshire where she was stationed during the war and brought her down to London.

As a child, I was told that we had two foals from her, one of which went to Wembley (probably White City) as a show hack.

Winnie was a truly beautiful horse and won a lot in her own right.

Mum took me back to Lilo’s

FURTHER to your website feature about tall riders (5 February), I ride a hairy Highland mare but standing at under 5ft, my legs barely reach halfway down her sides. It makes me laugh when I’m told to wrap my legs around her — but how, is the question?

Hacking in the beautiful countryside around me is great, until I arrive at a gate. A lovely swinging gate with easy catches to undo while aboard? Of course not! More of a workout to heave it open from the ground, then there’s the problem of finding a natural mounting block to get back on.

I have to say that recent developments of riding tights have sorted out the problem of multiple folds at the bottom of jods, but jackets still drown me and I’m sure I look like I’ve borrowed my big sister’s.

However, would I change things? Not one bit — life wouldn’t be the same without a wee challenge.

Anne Taylor Glenesk, Angus

Pictures by Peter Nixon, The Jockey Club and Liz Neville Photography

NEXT WEEK SHOW GUIDE THE BEST SHOWS IN BRITAIN PLUS WHERE YOU’LL SEE AND RIDE AGAINST THE ELITE IN 2020

TRAINING

LOTTIE FRY

WITH WILLIAM FOX-PITT, SIX-TIME BURGHLEY WINNER

AT HOME WITH THE BRITISH OLYMPIC CONTENDER

PLUS H&H interview with champion trainer Paul Nicholls, dressage regionals from Merrist Wood, Myerscough and Easton College, and behind the scenes at the Beaufort

@ horseandhound

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LETTER OF THE WEEK I WAS delighted to see Pat Shaw’s letter extolling the virtues of native breeds as efficient converters of poor-quality forage and being effective conservation grazers (30 January).

In addition to Suffolks and Exmoor ponies highlighted on the BBC’s Countryfile, their calendar features another rare native breed on the page for June — a beautiful Eriskay pony, demonstrating its ability to survive on what the local habitat provides in marram grass on Luskentyre beach, Isle of Harris.

As a keeper and breeder of Eriskay ponies myself, I am amazed at the wonderful job they have done in clearing nettles, thistles, willowherb and rush from areas overrun with weeds — and at the lovely mixed grazing sward that eventually emerges.

Ruth McMinn Inverurie, Aberdeenshire

The writer of letter of the week wins a bottle of Champagne Taittinger

NO TO WHITE BANDS I HAVE to agree with S Edmunds’ dislike of white elastic bands in National Hunt horses’ manes (30 January). I’d go one further and say how much I hate to see a plaited tail, which makes the tail look thin, bony and unnatural.

Grooms only plait tails because they think it will help them win the best-turned-out prize. I find from experience that the act of plaiting makes a horse nervous in anticipation of the action to come.

Caroline Clark Malton, N Yorks

experience to execute the finesse of contact without being taught how. Thus, many will take a hold on a powerful or big-moving horse. Sadly, this invariably leads to too strong a contact, which should be actively discouraged.

The main purpose of all my teaching and writing has been to encourage a global understanding of the humane classical principles in all training. I will continue to promote this ethic for the rest of my life.

Sylvia Loch Sudbury, Suffolk

FOR THE RECORD

HUNTING MEMORIES

THE recent dressage special article (Classical or competitive?, 6 February) in which I was quoted has unfortunately been misinterpreted by some. May I put the record straight please?

My objective, over 50 years of riding, training and writing, has always been to school a horse to be light in the hand, well balanced on his hocks and happy in his mouth.

It goes without saying that I have campaigned vigorously against any form of rollkur and low, deep and round (LDR) for decades.

As this was not the focus of the article, I didn’t reiterate here.

My intention was to point out that the average rider does not always have the knowledge or

HOW lovely to read about the Dulverton Farmers hunt (6 February). Many years ago, we stayed at a farm belonging to Mr and Mrs John Milton, jointmaster Banger’s parents.

They invited us to a foot meet and we had a most enjoyable time.

Thank you for the memories.

Rosemary Batten Wellingborough, Northants

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ALL IN A DAY’S WORK and bridge, like Mallards Wood, Mouse's Cupboard or Stinking Edge, which doesn’t smell. There is a clump of trees we call Paradise Lost, which was named by soldiers based there before D-Day. When I ride across the forest I often think of those who have been before me.

Each pony has a haunt where they live — we say they are haunted. In summertime they go and seek shade; that’s when it’s easiest to find them. They’ll find shade in the same place for generations; a tree slightly out in open where the wind takes the flies away, or a dark spinney out of sight. In days gone by, commoners would hide in the shade trees and wait there to catch a pony from the branches.

H

NATIVE SPECIAL 2020 varies in a natural way so they go into winter fat. I’ve never had a pony with colic, though I’ve heard of it when ponies have eaten litter.

Each morning I walk the children through the forest to the school bus, check our forest ponies and Granddad’s, then hay our cattle and riding ponies. I

‘The art of colt hunting is to outwit the ponies’

Lyndsey Stride on catching wily ponies, keeping up the breed’s quality and the joy of seeing the next generation emerge At the heart of the New Forest is a core of large commoning families — around 700 commoners who have rights to graze their animals in the forest.

Commoners come and go, but nobody starts alone.

My granny was a romantic, a Londoner who cycled all the way here and camped in the New Forest. She didn’t have a clue when she moved here in the 1930s. She was helped

by Charlie Penny, who was my husband Robert’s greatgrandfather.

16

Horse & Hound 20 February 2019

There is nothing lovelier than going out into the forest and seeing your ponies — especially when they’ve had a foal. It’s magical. Riding in the forest alone a hobby hawk will fly by, or you’ll hear a nightjar. When we open our windows at night they fly round the house, hunting for moths.

It’s rare to see a mare foal in the forest. They disappear for a day or two and come back with their foal.

Commoners have a name for every group of trees, green

talk at schools and have produced a commoning education toolkit as well as curating an exhibition called “Commoning Voices”.

I love helping Robert with the cattle, calving and getting our pigs out in autumn to eat the acorns.

Some ponies get acorn poisoning so we’re on alert then.

Verderers oversee the forest and employ five agisters who support the commoners. In the autumn, ponies are rounded up into wooden pounds. At that point some commoners take home their mares and foals or ponies to be sold. When you go to Beaulieu Road Pony Sale there are wooden pounds on bare earth with ponies standing happily — they’re familiar with that environment having been rounded up for generations.

The worst thing is seeing your animal in a traffic accident. In the past 15 years we’ve only lost one pony, but it happens. And it feels bigger than losing one pony, it’s those bloodlines from ponies that Robert’s grandfather gave him. It’s lasting.

Before the ponies are turned back out their tails are marked, which shows the owner has paid their commoning fee of £24. You can tell which agister’s area a pony’s owner is from by the tail cut — it might have one or two notches to the right or left.

Only quality stallions go out, up to 15 of them for six weeks.

When I was a child it would have been more than 100 all year round. They were restricted for welfare reasons so we don’t have early or late foals, or too many. It’s improved the quality of the ponies and the prices, which helps to keep commoning viable.

They don’t get laminitis. They eat a natural diet and their weight

We’ve bred ponies like Cuffnells Goldenrod, who was second at Horse of the Year Show in 2018, and Cuffnells Royal Fern, with whom my daughter Milly won last year’s Pony Club junior novice national endurance championship.

They learn to be ponies in the forest in a herd; they are level, rounded ponies, so when they leave they can be good performance ponies.

Robert was out riding this winter with our son Ted on Fern and they caught their first mare and foal. I saw the sense of satisfaction on Ted’s face and Fern was pleased with herself, too.

It’s the next generation coming through. H&H ● As told to Sarah Jenkins

NEXT WEEK

International dressage judge Stephen Clarke

Picture by Daniel Gould

The New Forest commoner

The ponies aren’t easy to catch.

Some are elusive and they’re the ones my husband likes best; he calls them woodland dwellers. The art of colt hunting is to outwit the ponies, letting them think they are escaping when really they are heading towards a wooden pound where they can be handled safely.

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VET CLINIC

benefits of equine swimming is deepening, discovers Andrea Oakes

W

HEN it comes to equine swimming, it seems we’re awash with anecdote and opinion rather than hard evidence. Working with the science available, however, experts agree swimming can play a part in conditioning and rehabilitation.

“The main perceived advantage is minimal musculoskeletal stress,” says Patrick Pollock FRCVS. “Objective data on this is noticeably lacking, with no evidence to support the claim that horses which are regularly swum have greater cardiovascular fitness.

“However, there is evidence that concentrations of muscle enzymes may be a little lower for horses in training that regularly swim, versus those with no access to a pool, suggesting that Swimming can be beneficial to horses with soft tissue injuries 18

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

there is less muscle damage and inflammation than with highintensity, land-based exercise.

“Results of studies on the equine airway during swimming suggest that horses can be put under significant stress,” explains Patrick, referring to the considerable energy required for a horse to propel himself through the water.

Dr Susanna Ballinger MRCVS

believes swimming can enhance a training programme.

“Swimming helps maintain aerobic fitness, reducing the impact of stress-loading of limbs while increasing muscle strength and range of motion of joints,” she explains. “Water provides buoyancy and resistance, which can aid muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory conditioning.

“In racing and competition

horses, swimming may complement regular training and, without the concussive forces present with repeated ridden exercise, may be particularly appropriate with an underlying injury such as subchondral bone pain, certain osteoarthritis presentations or a tendon injury.

“However, swimming does not improve bone density, or conditioning or strengthening of

Pictures by Amy Lanigan/Alamy Stock Photo, Higher Spen Equine and Amy Mundell

Swimming may not help a horse achieve greater cardiovascular fitness, but it can enhance a training programme, increasing muscle strength and range of motion of joints

tendons, so should only form part of a varied training regime”

TOTAL IMMERSION “IN terms of rehabilitation of soft tissue injuries, there are major advantages of working a horse in a low-weight environment,” says Patrick.

But unlike other forms of hydrotherapy, such as static spas or water treadmills, swimming involves immersion and exertion, which rules out certain cases.

“While swimming can be valuable during rehab for all types of horse and pony, in all disciplines, it is not suitable for every injury or where there are skin sores or open wounds,” explains Susanna.

“Horses are not natural swimmers and in water adopt a posture which is different to that for ground movement; they extend the neck and back and rotate the pelvis, while using the forelimbs to maintain balance and the hindlimbs for propulsion. It’s not usually suitable for animals exhibiting neck or back pain, or upper limb and pelvic lameness.

“The respiratory effort required makes swimming inappropriate if there are respiratory function concerns, or a history of bleeding from the lungs at exercise,” she adds. “It should also be used with caution with any history of exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying up) — a horse who ties up may be reluctant to move. If this happens while he is swimming, there is a risk of drowning if he cannot be removed quickly from the water.

“However, regular, lowintensity swimming can aid weight loss in the obese horse, and will benefit those with insulin dysregulation such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS).”

NEW EVIDENCE DR FLORENT DAVID, of the Equine Medical Centre based at the Al Shaqab Equestrian Complex in Doha, Qatar, uses the extensive facilities available for rehabilitation of horses with various medical and surgical conditions. He also believes that swimming has a place in diversifying a horse’s training programme.

Florent and Dr Renaud Leguillette of the University of Calgary, Canada, are conducting ongoing research into the effects of the activity.

“We’re still looking at the data but already we have some interesting results,” he says of the as-yet unpublished findings. “We know that breathing patterns are very different. A horse going into water typically enters a phase of

Horses swim with a pacing movement, and studies show 10 minutes of swimming may be equivalent to two hours of walking

‘apnoea’ — similar to the diving reflex in mammals — where he holds his breath. In our swimming corridor, which allows almost 70 metres of active swimming, horses were holding their breath for nearly 17 seconds.

“We also wanted to find out whether the exercise is aerobic [with oxygen] or anaerobic [without],” he adds. “Most horses show a short inspiration of air followed by an explosive expiration; this is probably because the nose is so close to the water and, being an obligate nasal breather, the horse has no means of breathing through his mouth and absolutely needs to prevent water from entering his nose.

“A research group in Australia had already looked at the function of the nasopharynx when horses swim, using an endoscope,” he adds. “It would be interesting to see if swimming could be used to correct the muscling of the pharynx, perhaps using horses with swallowing issues.”

Florent explains that little is known about VO2 max (maximum oxygen uptake),

when a horse is in water — for example, how much the heart rate climbs and any changes in terms of cardiac electrical activity. The researchers fitted the horses with VO2 masks to measure maximum oxygen consumption during swimming.

“Surprisingly, the swimming effort was not as high intensity as thought before. For the horses used (elite endurance athletes and regular swimmers), the data showed that it was totally aerobic and low intensity.”

SWIMMING STYLE USING surface and underwater cameras, along with markers on the horses, the team assessed the kinematics (properties) of the equine swimming motion.

“We knew that horses swim with movement similar to what standardbred pacers in harness racing show, but we examined the amplitude [extent] of the movement and the use of joints and muscle groups,” says Florent.

“Some horses seem to experience back pain when they swim, so we explored whether the

back is under more pressure in the pool. Some horses swim with a high head carriage, forcing the back into a full extension that can aggravate kissing spine problems, but I’m not sure we can say that swimming induces back pain.

From observation, this depends on individual swimming style. There appears to be a huge variation in how horses tolerate this exercise.”

Additional findings may shed further light on swimming for rehabilitation.

“For horses with EMS and laminitis, nothing is better in terms of burning energy,” adds Florent, explaining that 10 minutes of swimming may be equivalent to two hours of walking on land. “As long as the laminitis sufferer is over the acute phase, the activity is not stressful on his feet.

“I also have a feeling that swimming has a beneficial effect on bone healing,” he says. “After fracture repair, we put most horses in water as soon as the wound has healed and the stitches are out. With most fractures repaired surgically, the fracture line disappears more quickly on the radiographs with swimming.

“I don’t yet know if this is due to an overall reduction in bone density or a true acceleration of the healing process, but something definitely happens.”

More questions than answers, maybe, but Florent sees there is great potential.

To ensure swimming is safe and beneficial, work with your vet and choose a well-established pool with experienced operators. H&H NEXT WEEK

Treating horses at the trackside

TAKING THE PLUNGE

WHEN driving pony Penwarne Banjo Boy sustained a muscular niggle last summer that required a short period of rest, Chris Ainscough was obviously keen that his 13.1hh gelding maintained his cardiovascular fitness.

“The injury was minor, but it coincided with our individual selection for the British team at the FEI world driving championships for ponies last September,” said Chris, who sent “Joe” to swim at Higher Spen Equine in Lancashire.

Over six weeks, the spotted pony built up to four sets of 10 laps of the 25-metre pool per session, totalling 1km of swimming each day.

“Joe became incredibly fit and developed so much stamina,” said Chris. “He always had a bit of a tummy but he shed around 20kg, without losing any of the topline muscle he needs to work in the correct, rounded outline for driving.

“We were delighted with his performance at the championships and decided to keep up the swimming at Higher Spen — Joe really took to it.”

Swimming pays dividends for Penwarne Banjo Boy at the FEI driving championships in Hungary y

THE INTERVIEW

‘It is core to the mission of the Alliance to promote and defend hunting,’ says Nick Herbert, new chairman of the Countryside Alliance

Nick Herbert

Catherine Austen talks to the Countryside Alliance chairman about where hunting lies in the political landscape and what can be done to secure its future

“

Nick with the Newmarket Beagles at their opening meet in 1987 — Nick founded the pack and hunted them for 14 seasons

W

E need to be clear about this: it can’t be ‘business as usual’,” says Nick Herbert, the new chairman of the Countryside Alliance. “We can’t spend the next five years waiting for the next hiatus. We have to use this time profitably, and that is about getting on to the front foot in terms of the promotion of our country sports. You can’t do that unless you are sure the sports are in shape to promote properly.”

Nick, a former minister of state for policing and criminal justice who stepped down as a Conservative MP at the last general election, does not mince his words when asked what hope there is that the Hunting Act 2004 could be altered in hunting’s favour, or even repealed.

“The Conservative Party’s manifesto was clear — there would be no changes to the Hunting Act,” he replies firmly. “For us this is a double-edged sword; it means there will be no measures introduced by the government to change the Hunting Act in a way that [hunting people] would like to see, but it also means that there will be no government measures to tighten up the act. We have to see the upside of that as well as the downside.

“It became clear at the last election that [repeal] really wasn’t on anyone’s political agenda any longer — far from it; the real danger was a tightening up of the Hunting Act that would actually make hunting impossible.

“One of the things I started communicating urgently when I took over the chair of the Alliance in October was the danger I thought we faced then, which was that the Labour Party was saying it would remove the exemptions on the Hunting Act and tighten it up in a way that I think would have made going out with a pack of hounds and trail-hunting impossible. And I’m not sure everybody fully understood the grave danger we faced.

“While for many of us the [Countryside Alliance’s] long-term objective would still be to deal with an act we thought was capricious and not evidence-based, we have to recognise that there is no political appetite for that legislation.

A short-term objective is to ensure the Hunting Act is not further amended in a way that would stop hunting altogether. I would not underestimate the work the Alliance did to ensure that, to this point, has been the case.”

‘Giving up the hounds was the saddest day of my life — I could acquire the bug again very quickly’

N

ICK has a very clear understanding of the issues surrounding the Hunting Act and what led to its formation. Not only was he director of political affairs for the British Field Sports Society from 1990-1996 and played a large part in the foundation of

‘We have to uphold the highest standards across our sports,’ believes Nick (right)

Pictures by trevor-meeks-photography.co.uk

WHO IS NICK HERBERT?

NICK, 56, grew up hunting with the Essex Foxhounds and the Cambridgeshire Harriers. While reading law and then land economy at Cambridge, he hunted the Trinity Foot Beagles.

On leaving university he worked for the Conservative Research Department on the environmental and then agricultural desks — “a job of extraordinary interest for a young person because you are working with ministers”.

He spent six years at the British Field Sports Society as director of political affairs, and founded and hunted the Newmarket Beagles.

“The hounds were too big,” he explains. “They were almost harrier-sized at the shoulder.

When you are young and fierce and can run like a stag, you think that’s tremendous. When you are in your 30s, it is less fun. So after 14 seasons I realised it was time to give up.”

He joined Business for Sterling in 1998 as chief executive, where he led the “no” campaign against joining the Euro, and then founded the think tank Reform in 2001. From 2005-2019 he was MP for Arundel and South Downs.

the Countryside Movement, which became the Countryside Alliance, he also hunted hounds (the Newmarket Beagles) for 14 seasons.

“Giving up the hounds was the saddest day of my life,” he says. “It’s still in my blood and I could acquire the bug again very quickly.”

It is this direct knowledge of the nitty gritty of hunting, alongside his obvious political experience, that gives weight to his appointment to the Alliance chairmanship.

He says: “It is core to the mission of the Alliance to promote and defend hunting. What I have set out is an agenda for country sports as a whole, that is the way in which we approach the promotion and defence of these sports over the next decade relies on the three ‘S’s — science, standards and social licence.

“We have to demonstrate the science and evidence that lies behind the case for these sports; the environmental and economic credentials that they bring.

“We have to uphold the highest standards across our sports, and be ready to lift these standards where necessary and ensure they are adhered to. That is important because of the third ‘S’, social licence. That we understand we have to hunt with public consent, and we can’t just conduct our activities in spite of our links with our communities and the public. We need to ensure people accept that what we are doing is proper, and properly conducted.

“The hunting world needs to ensure it is regulating and conducting itself properly, and in turn the job of the Alliance is to ensure there is a strong political representation and strong promotion of hunting. I think we will be in a better position to do that when we can demonstrate hunting is properly conducted, and the same argument applies for shooting.”

His message is unequivocal. The five years of this parliamentary term are crucial to hunting’s future, and it is up to hunting people to ensure we do not jeopardise that. H&H NEXT WEEK

Reigning champion National Hunt trainer Paul Nicholls 20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

21

LIFE LESSONS

Richard Davison

The four-time Olympian reveals his pre-flight checks, why he uses science in schooling and why he believes it’s important to keep learning about his horses

‘Everyone can help in the quest for ethical and evidence-based management and training’ RICHARD has represented Great Britain at four Olympic Games, including London 2012 riding Hiscox Artemis.

He is also a European medallist, a former World Class performance manager and British Dressage team captain.

22

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

Richard Davison aboard Hiscox Artemis, on whom he represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics in the individual dressage competition

quest for ethical and evidencebased management and training.

BEFORE TAKE-OFF I AM fortunate to have an experienced travelling groom in Heidi Troniseck. We know each other well and both respect what is needed to do our own tasks. The evening before an international class, Heidi and I discuss how the timing of the competition day will work. We agree what time I’ll get on, and that means I will arrive at the stables about 15 minutes beforehand. I don’t hang around the competition stables as I

respect the need for grooms to do their job undisturbed.

Before I get on, though, I check the fitting of the bridle with Heidi, a bit like doing pre-flight checks, and I undo the girth and refit the saddle. I do the latter for no logical reason — it’s just a ritual I’ve done for the past 50 years.

I’ve found that almost every horse I’ve ridden changes from the warm-up area to the competition arena, especially at big shows. So just before going into the arena, I remind myself to “stay in the moment and read my horse” and be quick to adjust accordingly.

I don’t ever like to dwell on what might have been, and I don’t compare the horses I have had.

I’ve enjoyed and learnt something from all of them.

I have too many equestrian idols to mention — and from various disciplines. I have respect for every good horseman or horsewoman; not always the most famous, but those who are the most natural, thoughtful and humble. H&H NEXT WEEK

Leading showing judge Stuart Hollings

Words by Polly Bryan. Pictures by trevor-meeks-photography.co.uk and Peter Nixon

I

N our family, there’s a saying: “They can who believe that they can.” I first saw it at my grandparents’ house, framed at the top of the stairs. One day it was missing. Apparently the cleaner slipped while dusting it and broke the frame. I came across the broken pieces in the attic and have decided to have it repaired. But this time, I might hang it on the ground floor.

When it comes to training tips, the one I live by is to treat every horse as an individual and work within its own strengths and weaknesses. I also think it’s important to keep learning about horse anatomy and function; it will support your riding and training efforts. When I started to learn about neuromuscular and motor control, everything fell into place, especially the role of consistency when trying to embed pathways for equine behaviour and horse sport.

My quest for learning was triggered when I joined the Pony Club. It has continued through studying for the BHS exams system. I am a visiting fellow of Nottingham Trent University, and I try to support many equine educational institutions and steer them into relevant and practical research. I like the studies carried out by the International Society for Equitation Science into horse learning theory, and believe we can all pull together to help in the

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HORSE HERO

Shilstone Rocks North Westerly The superstar Dartmoor stallion with both looks and attitude “SOMETIMES you just know it’s meant to be,” says Lynda Calcutt, owner of Shilstone Rocks North Westerly (Windy), one of the most prolific Dartmoors of all time.

In December, he made his ridden swansong at Olympia. Two months earlier, Windy — who is best known for his partnership with his long-standing jockey Chloe Chubb — made breed history when he won the small breeds ridden final at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) for the third time. As well as being a seven-time Royal International (RIHS) finalist and twice Olympia best of breed recipient, Windy is also a multiple in-hand supreme champion and has contested the Cuddy in-hand final twice with Oliver Burchell.

But Windy’s road to the top would not have happened had he not had a determined team behind him who understand — and adore — his quirks.

“He’s such a character and always has been,” says Lynda, who first spotted Windy when she was showing for his breeder Elizabeth Newbolt-Young.

“When I first saw him in the field as a foal, he was the biggest by a mile; he was so pretty and

By ALEX ROBINSON correct, and had so much attitude.

It took two years of pestering Elizabeth to sell him to me.”

Windy was broken by Team Hillyard and as a five-year-old he went to Oliver and Jo Burchell’s yard. Windy and Chloe were first acquainted in 2012, the start of a multi-garlanded partnership.

“He’s an extraordinary pony,” continues Lynda. “He loves an atmosphere; the bigger the better.

He comes alive at HOYS and it’s as if he thinks everyone is there to see him. But he’s cold-backed and if you put a saddle on him after a short break, he virtually has to be rebroken. When Chloe gets on at a show, we face him uphill and she gently gets on without her feet in the stirrups. He’s had a few stand-in jockeys off before.”

Windy — who only has eight foals on the ground — has also achieved premium stallion status with the Dartmoor Pony Society, a major recognition that can take a lifetime for a pony to reach.

“He’s just an absolute bloody legend,” says Lynda. “And the partnership he has with Chloe is unbelievable.” H&H

13-year-old bay Dartmoor stallion, 121.9cm

Shilstone Rocks North Countryman

Langfield Canth Shilstone Rocks Country Bunch

Picture by Lucy Merrell

(Shilstone Rocks Fury)

24

Shilstone Rocks Rainstorm II

Teignhead King Of Clubs Shilstone Rocks Rain Again (Whitmore Arbutus)

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

Stable name: Windy Breeder: Elizabeth Newbolt-Young Owner: Lynda Calcutt Rider: Chloe Chubb Best results: five-time HOYS finalist (winner in 2016, 2018 and 2019); seven-time RIHS finalist; four-time Olympia finalist (best of breed in 2017 and best of breed and fourth in 2019); twice Cuddy in-hand finalist (third in 2015); supreme in-hand M&M at Herts County, South of England, Bucks County, NPS Spring Festival and Ponies (UK); twice ridden and 11-time in-hand silver-medal winner.

H

NATIVE SPECIAL 2020

BREED TYPE AND MOVEMENT “He is very true to type,” says judge Paul Brightwell from Cosford Stud. “He screams Dartmoor at me and couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. I think some of the natives have been altered too much for the ridden job. People are breeding them up to height and thereby losing limb and type, but he is undoubtedly a ‘Dartie’.”

Judge and Dartmoor pony breeder Madge Taylor adds: “He represents well the characteristics of the Dartmoor breed in that while he is at home in the show ring, he could easily be envisaged running free on the moor, moving easily across rough terrain.

“This would be reflected in his movement — fairly low and athletic but without any exaggeration. The overall picture suggests a scaled-down middleweight hunter, but with pony characteristics and a flowing mane and tail.”

HEAD AND NECK “He has a typical Dartmoor head; small and handsome as opposed to pretty, with a fairly strong jaw set cleanly on to his neck,” says Madge, who bred Windy’s grandsire Langfield Canth. “His eyes are generous without any protrusion and his ears are small and alert.”

Paul adds: “While he is masculine and is undoubtedly a male, he comes with quality.

For a stallion, he is clean through the gullet. He has a lovely front.”

BODY AND LIMBS “If you threw a saddle at him, it would land in exactly the right place,” says Paul. “And he has a terrific forearm with lovely, short cannons. He has tremendous, strong hocks and he also boasts good bone just below the hock.”

Madge adds: “His body suggests strength and ruggedness with powerful, slightly sloping quarters that are required in our natives.

“He has a good straight leg supported by a strong forearm,” she adds. “He has big flat knees and lovely short cannon bones. The gaskin on this pony is well muscled and his hocks are in optimum position, providing the power to move correctly behind.”

PERFORMANCE Paul awarded the stallion a mark of 48 for his show at HOYS last year.

“He was extremely well schooled and just got on with the job asked of him,” says Paul, who saw 185 ponies on the day. “He didn’t go behind the vertical and was free and forward, going exactly like a native pony should. On the go-round, he stood out to me and my co-judge; we both spotted him and picked him out the moment he walked in the ring.”

A BREEDING LEGACY

Llanarth lives on W

HEN the striking dun mare Llanarth Fair Lady topped the Brightwells’ Autumn Cob Sale at £25,500 last year, the prolific Llanarth Stud was thrown into the spotlight once again; another star to come from Len and Ann Bigley’s Herefordshire operation. Rewind more than 80 years, however, and the future of Welsh cobs looked considerably more precarious. At the time of World War II, the breeding of cobs was at an all-time low as financial strains took their toll and motorised transport replaced horsepower.

26

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

But the formation of the Llanarth Stud, pioneered by three trailblazing women, was about to help change the breed’s fortunes.

“The partnership formed by Pauline Taylor, Barbara Saunders Davies and Enid Lewis at Blaenwern, which established the Llanarth Welsh cob stud, meant that things would never quite be the same again in the Welsh cob world,” wrote William Lloyd, former president of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society, in the foreword to Teleri Bevan’s 2010 book The Ladies of Blaenwern, which charts the stud’s history.

Together the women were known as the

Dorian Trio, a musical partnership who travelled around schools in Wales performing and educating children, but by the outbreak of World War II — and now middle-aged — they had embarked on a joint farming venture in Llanarth, eventually settling at Blaenwern.

They began breeding a variety of Welsh native breeds from cattle and corgis to sheep and pigs, with a particular focus on the Welsh cob. But it was not without controversy; they were encroaching on the closed and male-dominated world of cob breeding in Cardiganshire and raised eyebrows with their opposition to docking, penchant for palominos

Pictures by Lucy Merrell and Sydney Pitcher

Behind the world-famous Llanarth Stud were three pioneering women who put Welsh cobs on the map after World War II, and their legacy still endures today, discovers Madeleine Silver

The Llanarth name is synonymous with Welsh cobs worldwide — one of the stud’s current stallions is prolific county champion Llanarth Prince Of Wales, a two-time Cuddy finalist

7 of the stud’s section D stars LLANARTH FAIR LADY The dun mare (pictured), a Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) finalist in 2019, was sold for £25,500 at the 2019 Brightwells’ Autumn Cob Sales.

LLANARTH BRAINT “Llanarth Braint is himself undoubtedly an unusually prepotent sire and stamps his type, action, stamina and temperament on his stock to a marked degree in successive generations, thereby giving unity and character to the stud,” wrote Pauline Taylor about the stud’s grand champion in 1964.

LLANARTH FLYING SAUCER The chestnut roan mare,

by Llanarth Braint out of Llanarth Rocket, produced 19 foals between 1954 and 1976 and is considered to have had a notable influence on the Welsh cob breed.

LLANARTH FLYING COMET

By Llanarth Braint and out of Llanarth Flying Saucer,

Flying Comet was champion at HOYS in 1975 and supreme champion in 1979 and 1980.

He was also never beaten at the Royal Welsh Show, where he won the show’s prestigious The George, Prince of Wales Cup on four occasions in the 1970s.

LLANARTH PRINCE OF WALES One of the stud’s current senior stallions, he qualified for the Cuddy in 2013 and 2018 and has been champion at nearly every county show

narrow Cardiganshire lanes, and then to handle and control them. The old breeders found these farmyard scenes of procreation handled by two women quite embarrassing and totally unacceptable.”

★

NATIVE SPECIAL 2020 and open-mindedness to part-breds.

“The ladies were all ahead of their time and were very intellectual,” says Ann Bigley.

“But the cob breeding world thought they were funny old dears — I remember my grandfather, who was a breeder himself, saying it to me.

They were women in a man’s world. At that time, women would never even have been on the yard if there was a covering, and my grandfather would never have covered on a Sunday for example. It was a different time.”

As Teleri writes in her book: “It was no mean job to load and unload strong, frisky stallions and drive them along the

U

NFAZED by any disapproval, Pauline and Barbara — who harboured the equine interest, while Enid’s later involvement was financial — had the foresight to realise that for cobs to prosper in this new era, their role needed to be redefined; in addition to driving and harness work, they needed to be suitable to be ridden.

“We like to think that our cobs and ponies today are performance animals,” says Ann, who runs the stud with her husband Len, breeding sections A, B, D and part-breds, and traces this emphasis back to the women’s breeding ethos. “I know they look lovely and we can run around a field with them in hand, but they’re also broken in and you can ride them. At the end of the day, any pony has to have a job and be ridden, so they need the right conformation and the soundness. And that’s come through from the ponies and cobs that were being developed at Llanarth all those years ago.”

Judge, breeder and former editor of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society journal David Blair adds: “The Llanarth cobs are conformationally correct animals and their attributes make them ideally suited to riding. They are active, free-moving cobs, without excessive knee action, combined with the much-needed trainability essential for success in the modern performance world and something witnessed in Fair Lady [at the 2019 Brightwells Sale].”

in the country. His stock are now winning both in-hand and under saddle.

LLANARTH SELDOM SEEN A stallion shown successfully both in-hand and under saddle, he qualified for the Cuddy in 2011 and for HOYS under saddle three times.

LLANARTH FIERY JACK The bay qualified for the Cuddy in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. Already a champion sire, his first produce is out under saddle this year.

The stallion Llanarth Braint, bred in 1948, marked a turning point for the stud, with a movement that showcased the Llanarth cobs’ quality, and one that can be seen in the stud’s current progeny.

“Braint really was quite prepotent in that so many of our animals have this fabulous action, where they use themselves behind and in front, and it comes through from him,” says Ann. It was not until Pauline and Barbara ventured beyond the confines of Cardiganshire, however, that his quality was recognised.

“There is no doubt that Braint was viewed with suspicion, as he was the only cob stallion at that time not docked,” adds Ann. The women had a vision to showcase the breed beyond Wales, however, and it was in England that Llanarth Braint garnered the praise he deserved, standing supreme at the Ponies of Britain Show at Harrogate in 1958.

“In the early 1950s the women set their goals at a high level, but the market was

The ‘Dorian Trio’ — Pauline Taylor, Barbara Saunders Davies and Enid Lewis 20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

27

A BREEDING LEGACY

limited because few people outside Wales realised or understood the merit and quality of Welsh native breeds. It was imperative to put the emphasis on promotion and to show breeders outside Wales the quality and distinctiveness of their product,” writes Teleri.

They travelled across the country from Ascot to Edinburgh with the cobs and, by the late 1950s, they had become well known and respected. Back at home the estate had expanded to 300 acres, but in 1961, despite the prosperity, Barbara decided to leave Blaenwern for London, prompted by her mother’s ill health. It was at this stage that Enid retired from her professorship at the Guildhall School of Music, sold her house in Regent’s Park and moved to Blaenwern, investing in the farms and stud.

In October 1964, Pauline turned her attention to bringing people to Llanarth, with the first sale of Welsh cobs at Blaenwern — and the only one of its kind.

“That first sale was Miss Taylor being very forward-thinking,” says Ann. “She had a very broad vision and wasn’t at all parochial.”

Llanarth Braint, one of the stud’s early stallions, ‘stamped his type, action, stamina and temperament on his stock’

‘It was imperative to show breeders outside Wales the quality of Welsh native breeds’ TELERI BEVAN

For David Blair, Pauline was “the pioneering ambassador of the Welsh cob”.

“She campaigned the breed beyond the boundaries of the Principality [Wales] to places where the cobs were unknown other than by name, and the 1964 sale brought the people to the Principality,” he says, with subsequent sales flourishing in popularity.

In Pauline’s 1964 catalogue foreword it read: “Llanarth Stud is the largest stud of Welsh cobs and ponies of cob type in existence and was founded some 20 years ago. The aim was to breed a type which, while losing nothing of the true native pony quality, substance and stamina of the oldfashioned cob, would also have real riding quality and above all free forward action from the shoulder.”

These are qualities Ann hopes “we are striving to carry on after all these years…”

Left: a catalogue for the Llanarth Stud’s first Welsh cob sale in 1964

I

N 1964, Len Bigley had arrived at Blaenwern for a holiday job from Shropshire and never left. “He had a place at college and everything, and I don’t think his mother ever forgave him,” laughs Ann. His first day was not without incident; after failing to secure a stable door, a stallion made straight across the yard to fight with another through the top door.

“Never having dealt with stallions, I raced across and tried to separate them,” Len remembers in The Ladies of Blaenwern. “The stallion kicked out and caught both my knees. I caught the stallion but I was feeling very sorry for myself.”

By the end of the 1960s, however, this unpromising start was a distant memory; he’d become an accomplished handler and judge of cobs, the stud was producing a long line of champions and their cobs were being transported across the globe, with the 28

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

palominos in high demand in Europe’s circuses.

But with old age and retirement looming, by the 1970s the women began turning their attention to who would inherit the stud to ensure a secure future. It was eventually agreed in 1976 that the estate and farming enterprise would be gifted to the University College at Aberystwyth — a decision that was

ultimately to bring the stud to the brink of collapse. Just seven years later, the estate was on the market, there was unrest among the Cardiganshire farming and breeding community at the dismantling of the stud, and Len and Ann had started afresh at The Quakers Farm in Herefordshire, where they embarked on running a producing yard.

“It’s interesting how quickly downhill a breeding operation can go,” laments Ann with hindsight. “Len managed to survive for a year or two [under the ownership of the university] but he couldn’t stand it.

There were four years between us moving to Herefordshire and the university selling it all up, but already their breeding policy had gone a bit to rack and ruin.”

When the final lot of 14 cobs came up for sale, the Bigleys were able to buy them through a friend — “we knew the university would never sell to us because it had got very politicised,” says Ann — and the Llanarth prefix would continue in safe hands.

“It was very important to Len to continue Pauline’s legacy, because that’s the last thing he promised her when she was on her deathbed,” Ann adds. “She knew they’d made a terrible mistake and they were devastated that it was all going so wrong. Len had promised he would keep it going.” H&H The Ladies of Blaenwern by Teleri Bevan is published by Y Lolfa, ylolfa.com, £8.95

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PIVOTAL MOMENTS

16

moments that changed our world

From Xenophon to Charlotte Dujardin, the Byerley Turk to artificial insemination, Pippa Cuckson charts equestrianism’s watershed moments

Italian cavalry officer Federico Caprilli was instrumental in the development of the modern jumping seat

▼

CIRCA 431-354BC, XENOPHON

THE Ancient Greeks — who had already developed shoeing — realised they would do better in battle by developing trust with their horses.

Turning on a drachma or galloping from a standing start were taught by patience, repetition and reward. They also understood the benefits of balance and light rein contact.

Xenophon, a student of Socrates, recorded the system in his seminal tome On Horsemanship.

Enlightened riding — besides many other things — sunk without trace in the Dark Ages.

Xenophon’s philosophy, if not necessarily all his techniques, was revived in the Renaissance, most famously at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, founded in 1565.

30

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

‘Caprilli introduced a revolutionary idea, enabling horses to jump more freely by leaning forward’ Left: the Ancient Greeks realised they would do better in battle by developing trust with their horses — the start of enlightened riding

▼

C1680, FOALING OF THE BYERLEY TURK

▼ 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES,

INCLOSURE ACTS

HUNDREDS of Inclosure Acts divided up and removed the ordinary man’s rights to open common-land in England and Wales. Of course this had seismic social and economic consequences, but also the single most significant change for horses in sport: hunt followers had to teach horses to jump.

The earliest cross-country riders wagered each other to one-on-one match races over these new-fangled hedges and fence-lines, initially using church steeples as markers — hence “steeplechasing”.

The first recorded race took place between

Battle charger The Byerley Turk is one of the thoroughbred breed’s founding sires

Buttevant and Doneraile in Co. Cork in 1752.

This new sport gained respectability and regulation with the founding of the National Hunt Committee in 1860.

The Inclosure Acts also set the roadways we 21st century riders take for granted in the countryside — initially 60 feet, halved to 30 feet wide by the start of the 19th century for easier droving of farm animals.

19TH CENTURY, THE BIRTH OF SHOWJUMPING FRANCE further developed the new fad for obstacle jumping. At public gatherings, spectators complained there was no point just watching riders parade before they took

Early steeplechasing evolved as riders challenged each other to race between church steeples

▼

1598, CARLO RUINI’S ANATOMIA DEL CAVALLO (ANATOMY OF A HORSE) PUBLISHED IN BOLOGNA DESPITE Ruini’s absence of formal training, his Anatomia del Cavallo was a milestone for veterinary knowledge. Its woodcut images were plagiarised for decades.

A century and a half later, British portrait artist George Stubbs commenced his own programme of equine dissection, a practice far from generally accepted in his lifetime. Over 18 months he peeled away layers, sketching the animals at every angle and every stage.

Stubbs’ The Anatomy of the Horse, published in 1766, was another groundbreaking contribution to equine science. This systematic study is based on his dissections.

The artist George Stubbs’ The Anatomy of the Horse features 36 anatomically precise plates of the horse based on Stubbs’ own equine dissections

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

Pictures by De Agostini/Getty Images, Granger/REX/Shutterstock, Alamy, Eileen Tweedy/REX/Shutterstock and John Elliot

HIS birth was quickly followed by those of the Darley Arabian (c1700) and the Godolphin Barb (or Arabian) (c1724), the trio becoming the thoroughbred breed’s founding sires.

Of likely Persian Arabian descent, the Turk was seized either at the Battle of Buda (Budapest) in 1686, during the “holy wars” of the 17th century, or during the Battle of Vienna. Brought to England, he became the charger of Captain Robert Byerley during King William’s War. They made their name in reconnaissance and were never captured; Byerley “owed his safety to the superior speed of his horse”.

Many Byerley Turk offspring were, unusually for the modern thoroughbred, black.

31

PIVOTAL MOMENTS

off, unseen, across the country, so organisers clustered the jumps in an arena. This became “lepping”. In 1869, Dublin staged the first international “horse leaping” show. In 1900, the second edition of the modern Olympic Games introduced jumping (dressage and eventing joined in 1912).

1902, THE ‘CAPRILLI SEAT’ UNTIL the 1900s, riders lent back over fences and “hailed a cab”. In 1902 at Turin show, Captain Federico Caprilli introduced a revolutionary idea enabling horses to jump more freely by leaning forward. Caprilli was promoted to chief riding instructor of the cavalry. His concept soon spread beyond Italy’s shores. ▼

1914-18 AND 1939-1945

TWO World Wars saw millions of horses perish on the front line, and as food for starving civilians.

Unlike Britain, continental Europe had enjoyed state-owned studs for centuries. In peacetime, to recoup the horse shortage, countries at the centre of hostilities recommenced state-sponsored breeding on an unprecedented scale. Germany, France and the Netherlands imported British thoroughbreds to cross with indigenous types — this was the origin of the warmblood sport horse.

Millions of horses perished during the two World Wars, but this shortage brought about the origin of the warmblood sport horse when state breeding started up again

1950S, ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION APOCRYPHALLY, artificial insemination (AI) has been around since at least 1322, when an Arab chieftain stole the semen of a rival’s stallion to impregnate his prized mare.

AI techniques in cattle were pursued in earnest after World War II, to rebuild farming, before filtering into leisure horse breeding. This made bloodlines available around the world and saved stallions from intensive live covering in the spring. Today, the thoroughbred remains the only major studbook to reject AI. The first embryo transfer was performed in rabbits as long ago as 1890. The first successful foaling in Japan in 1970 paved the way for embryo transfer as a 21st-century norm.

1969, KONINKLIJK WARMBLOED THE Paardenstamboek Nederland (KWPN) launched, formalising the Netherlands’ fragmented studbooks. In just a few decades, the reputation of the Dutch warmblood, and the KWPN’s rigorous testing and selection procedures, left other countries trailing.

KWPN pedigrees became a no-brainer for ambitious jumping and dressage riders the world over. Dutch Courage was foaled in 1969, one of the first accepted by KWPN and imported to Britain by a visionary Jennie Loriston-Clarke. Milton (by Marius), Big Star (out of Jolanda) and Valegro (by Negro) all have a KWPN parent.

▼ 1952, FEMALE OLYMPIANS WOMEN were excluded from pre-war equestrian Olympic Games simply because competitors had to be commissioned military officers. From Helsinki 1952, equestrian Olympics were opened to civilians — and hence women, too. Danish dressage champion Lis Hartel won individual silver at both 1952 and 1956 Games despite partial paralysis from polio. This set equestrian as the one sport in which men and women compete on equal terms. In modern parlance, “gender neutrality” helps equestrian’s case to remain in the Olympic movement against ever-growing pressure from new sports.

Dutch Courage, an early KWPN imported to the UK by a visionary Jennie Loriston-Clarke 32

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

Pictures by Alamy and Peter Nixon

Gender neutrality: Stockholm 1956, where Lis Hartel won her second individual silver, four years after female riders were permitted to compete at the Olympics

s Alan Willis. Now there is ecognised technical standard.

‘HORSE DANCING’ N the noughties, the world was nchanted by Edward Gal’s bigoving Totilas, the first horse to score 90% in the kür. But their success e amid serious misgivings about Dutch-promoted rollkur technique, a public war of words with archGermany. So the unforced style of Hester and fellow Brits provided a y antidote, scooping up both fans marks — as manifested in Britain’s ressage team gold at the 2011 ns. More team golds followed at 2012, plus the first of two Olympic ester’s protégée Charlotte Dujardin (with a grand prix Olympic record 4%, which she broke at Rio 2016 5.071%). Valegro also inspired moniker for dressage from tream media — horse dancing. itain actually won the team contest e first European Championships 963, but no medals were awarded ecause only two countries fielded e minimum three riders.

WEG WOES

‘To recoup the horse shortage after the World Wars, countries recommenced state breeding on an unprecedented scale’

went underground.

1999, SAFETY FOCUS NINE event rider deaths in a single year — five in Britain — focused attention on safety and resulted in the creation of Lord Hartington’s radical-thinking working group. One member, Sydney 2000 Olympic champion David O’Connor, has made risk-management his life’s work; he now chairs the FEI eventing technical committee. Hartington accelerated development of frangible devices: the wooden-dowel prototype “pin” was devised by

HED facilities and organisational t Tryon’s World Equestrian Games mpounded concerns about WEG’s vincing the FEI that the eightne-place format is not viable. For e since 1990, there could be singlediscipline world championships in 2022.

Meanwhile, abandonment of the 2018 WEG endurance race shone a light on decades of weak officialdom and the lost ability to adapt to tough conditions. As a result, the global endurance community is deciding whether to “race” or “ride” — the discipline’s biggest decision since 1955, when Wendell Robbie challenged friends to ride 100 miles in a day over the Sierra mountains. That ride, now the Tevis Cup, spawned the classic sport of endurance: a far cry from long-distance flat racing popularised by the UAE. H&H

1970, DUST-FREE FORAGE DEVON farmer Mark Westaway consulted his vet about his eventer’s coughing and was told it would continue until someone invented a dust-free forage. Westaway decided to do it himself, developing HorseHage — and a new word. Westaway was awarded a Royal Warrant of Appointment in 1983: The Queen’s favourite horse, Burmese, thrived on HorseHage.

1980, BUTE FOR decades, countless veterinary papers queried the safety and ethics of antiinflammatory drug phenylbutazone (bute). Its use was so acceptable every yard kept some, simply to “take the edge” off after a hard day’s hunting. Bute was openly used the night after cross-country in eventing.

In 1976, Lucinda Green’s winner Wide Awake dropped dead minutes after the Badminton prize-giving ceremony. Although the cause was unproven, critics of bute seized the moment. In 1980 the FEI caved in, applying a threshold level in competition; some jumpers threatened to leave the FEI in the event of a ban.

Under the Princess Royal’s FEI presidency, the threshold was further reduced in 1989.

Despite successes, Tryon’s WEG showed the challenges of hosting the multi-discipline event 20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

33

HUNTING

KILDARE HUNT CLUB 9 January

y Catherine Austen e.austen@ti-media.com usten

Joint-master Paul Doyle, field master for the day, clears a metal gate Left: a sizeable mounted field of around 70 enjoy a thrilling day with the Kildare

A day to dream about A blur of fields galloped over and banks jumped, and an impressive ‘casualty list’, make for a memorable day with the Kildare Hunt Club

Pictures by Will Buckley

Kildare Hunt Club, Ballycutlane, Co. Kildare

34

SOMETIMES you just know you’re in for a good day. Though the mysteries of scent remain exactly that — mysteries — to most of us, there will be something indefinable in the air that tells you hounds might just go like smoke today.

The calibre of the horses at the Kildare’s Ballycutlane meet, the businesslike air of a field of nearly 70 riders, and the number of strange collars and buttons from other packs, including a group from the Myopia Hunt in Massachusetts, was enough in any case to tell me that a serious day’s hunting was anticipated.

The Kildare Hunt Club, as with so many Irish packs, emerged from amalgamations of private packs kept by Anglo-Irish landlords. The hunt officially Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

By LIAM CLANCY came into being in 1804, with Sir Fenton Aylmer of Donadea Castle appointed as the first master.

Sir Fenton divided the country into five districts, each a mini hunt country in its own right, furnished with its own club house with stables, kennels and a wine cellar. The hunt would move from district to district, hunting each for two or three weeks at a time.

The proximity to the national capital and the Curragh Camp — a dream posting for generations of British officers of a sporting bend — meant the Kildare was a fashionable pack right from its earliest days. Though its members no longer relocate en masse to far-flung club houses for three weeks of hunting and carousing, the “Killing Kildares” retain a smart, well-heeled air.

Joint-master Richard Sutton jumps off a double ba nk typical of Kildare coun try

Above: Brian Mullins comes a cropper at a bank IN KENNELS Joint-masters: Paul Doyle, Mary Healy, Gavin Nangle, Richard Sutton Huntsman: Peter Cahill Whipper-in: Eoghan McCabe President: Nick McDermott Hon secretary: John Dillon Hounds: 45 couple modern English foxhounds Hunting days: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Hirelings: Daragh O’Neill, 00 353 86 816 4130

Left: hunt chairman Charles O’Reilly greets hounds as he hosts the meet at his home

Most of the mounted field unboxed at the home of Mary Healy, who joined the mastership last season and whose motherly persona belies a fearless crosscountry rider. Mary is married to Tim Dooley of the Dooley Insurance Group, and her family laid on wonderful hospitality before and after the day’s hunting.

Their son Tadgh, a hard rider to hounds, was on his feet at the meet as he was preparing for an exam next day for his equine business degree, but we all knew what he’d rather be doing.

Once we were all in the saddle, we joined the hounds and hunt staff a hundred yards down the road at the beautiful home of chairman Charles O’Reilly.

Two of Mary’s fellow jointmasters were out, Richard Sutton and Dunlavin-based farmer Paul Doyle. Missing was Gavin Nangle, whose record as an MFH thus far reads like the Book of Job. He joined the mastership last season, broke his shoulder during autumn hunting, returned this season, and promptly broke his wrist.

Huntsman to this famous modern English pack is Peter Cahill, who cut his teeth hunting mink on the rivers and whippingin to his father’s foot harriers in his native Co. Cork. Peter is an affable character with a great way with a farmer — I heard him credited with opening up country that the Kildare hounds hadn’t hunted for 30 years.

For all that, he is not afraid to let fly at his hard-riding field when necessary. More than once in the course of the day ahead I was to hear his lilting Cork accent roaring, “Lads, would ye stay back out of the way, would ye!”

Liam Russell, huntsman to the Kilworth and Araglen in Cork, and Denis Gilmartin, who hunts the North Tipperary, were among the day’s visitors. When I suggested to Liam that Peter 20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

35

HUNTING

KILDARE HUNT CLUB 9 January

would have to look to his laurels today, he looked at me as if I’d been guilty of blasphemy.

“Sure, Peter’s like a god down our country,” he said. “We all look up to him.”

‘QUICKNESS AND DASH’ THE first draw was some rough ground a mere few hundred yards from the meet. Hounds began to speak in an unkempt thorn hedge almost immediately, and just like that they were away on a fox, with that quickness and dash that distinguishes the modern English hound.

With no time for a final tightening of girths, we found ourselves galloping in pursuit along the headlands of a field of new grass, in and out of a flooded stream and across the wideopen sheep-cropped pasture so characteristic of Kildare.

We checked momentarily in Peter Lalor’s farmyard — where the very sporting owner was there to greet us — until hounds pushed their fox out of a clump of brambles in a disused slurry tank.

He ran through some woodland and across the road towards the town of Ballymore Eustace, hounds fairly flying after him all the while and the field riding hard to keep in touch.

A pop over a hunt fence and a scramble over an overgrown bank brought us to a wide gravel pit on the outskirts of Ballymore, where some of the pack briefly split on to a fresh fox.

“Were we planning to be here?”

Pamela Braithwaite enquired of Paul Doyle, who was field master for the day.

“Hard to plan for a fox,” he replied, laconically.

Keen foot-follower Alan Tomkins spotted our original

Rosemary Rouse flies off a decent bank in style

Right: Daragh O’Neill, who provides hirelings for the hunt, jumps a gate

pilot circling back towards the road, with two couple still faithfully hunting him.

Peter patiently helped the rest of his pack back on track, but after some scrambling hunting over and back across the road it became evident that hounds could do no more with the line.

We hacked from Wellfield House to O’Sheas’, and Peter quietly drew what covert there was as we worked our way

Huntsman Peter Cahill, who is well respected locally 36

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

Phil Heavey launches off a bank with plenty of scope

across the Kildare farmland. This is flat, low-lying country, divided by drains such as I had never seen before, almost sheer-sided and wide as mini canals.

“Those Americans will lose their lives when they see this!”

Mary Healy laughed, as her big grey gelding inched down the take-off side of a great yawning chasm and launched himself at the other side.

Truth be told, the American visitors weren’t the only ones with misgivings, but I said nothing and followed, my little mare paddling with her front feet in mid-air to try to find some purchase on the far bank.

RUNNING HARD BEFORE long hounds began to speak again, on the boundary of a farm owned by Cyril Mongey, whose brother David is chairman of Punchestown Racecourse and a stalwart of the hunt.

They were running hard in no time, and we had to jump a series of post-andrail fences in Holmes’ to stay with them, then a yawner of a drain into Mongeys’. David Mongey’s hunter came galloping across the field, unfortunately unaccompanied by its owner.

“Mongey fell off on his own land!” Pat Murphy exclaimed delightedly, grinning through the blood that streaked his face.

David wasn’t alone. By the time our fox had shaken off his pursuers, the Kildare had a casualty list such as had not been seen in the locality since the Battle of Kilcullen in 1798. There were loose horses, bloody-faced riders and stranded followers on refusing steeds for fields and fields behind us. Daragh O’Neill, of Abbeyfield Farm in Clane, had provided mounts for the American party.

“They paid up front; that’s the main thing,” he grinned when I asked him if they were still with us. The Americans, it is only fair to say, held their own admirably, and will doubtless be telling stories about hunting in Kildare for the rest of their lives.

The day was but half halfway through. We drew an old quarry where a brace was afoot but hounds could do little with the scent. Another fox gave us a brief hunt from the commonage at Harristown. Hounds hunted a fox into Clanalway Wood and marked him to ground there, and we had to jump some huge banks to keep in touch.

By now the day was becoming a blur of fields galloped over, banks jumped and foxes hunted.

We had barely stopped since the first draw, and when hounds

From left: joint-master Mary Healy, Joan Mooney, Judy Moloney and Richard Wixted chat during the meet

Right: Taxi! Pamela Braithwaite sits tight as she negotiates a bank

began to speak again in a field of kale and went streaming across an expanse of stubble in front of us in full cry, there was a certain sense of “not again” among the surviving veterans of the field.

We bundled over a bank after them, jumped another gaping drain and hammered along an embankment until they hunted across a boundary ditch into Clarkes’ farm.

The last obstacle was a vertical bank six or seven feet high which our gallant horses jumped out of two feet of water, the sort of place that looks a lot better when you’re glancing back over your shoulder at it. Hounds struggled to hunt on in Clarkes’, and with the light fading, masters and huntsman took the decision to blow for home.

As we came clattering back into Mary Healy’s yard, glowing with that camaraderie the survivors of a red-letter day always share, young Tadgh Dooley was there to meet us.

“I don’t want to know!” he protested ruefully, as wellmeaning friends began to recount our adventures. He might as well resign himself to the fact that it was a day the Kildare will be talking about for a long time to come. H&H

Landowner David Mongey crosses the country with ease 20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

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HUNTING

THE MELBREAK 29 January

Admirable performers Ties with local hunting history and families are strong at the Melbreak

Pictures by Grossick Photography

The Melbreak, Ennerdale, Cumbria

THE Lakeland foot packs have their own unique history, set up as fox control organisations to help farmers protect their sheep.

The high fells are far too steep and precipitous for horses and the “in bye” fields in the valley bottoms are too wet and precious.

Walking after the hounds is the only option.

This lack of equine interest in fellhunting means followers focus on the hounds, which are counted individually, not in couples as in lowland hunts. There are six packs which represent the Central Committee of Fell Packs, their governing body. The Melbreak has

The Melbreak hounds have ‘absolute confidence’ in huntsman Edward Liddle, essential for hunting across the precipitous fells 38

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

By FRANK HOUGHTON BROWN a country that is only small but the most northern and perhaps the most rugged of them all.

The pack is named after Melbreak Fell, which stands on the western shore of Crummock Water and at the foot of which they were kennelled until 1928.

In 1906, when Sir Humphrey De Trafford wrote about this hunt in The Foxhounds of Great Britain and Ireland, he said that every flock in the area would lose between 20 and 30 lambs a year to fox predation. Such was the hardiness of fell foxes that he recounted a run in the early 1880s which took the hounds through three counties — Cumberland, Westmoreland and Lancashire — starting at 10am and finishing in Borrowdale at 3pm.

HUNT HISTORY AS with many hill packs, this area was first hunted by trencher-fed hounds, kept at local farms and

cottages. The huntsman would blow his horn and the hounds were released and would come running to him.

In 1807 the pack was formed as the Loweswater Foxhounds and the hunting was formally organised. The huntsman has never been a full-time position.

Stone-walling and shepherding have always been part of his alter ego. Most of the hounds return to their walkers at the finish of the season and the fell huntsman needs to find farm work.

Some of the earlier masters hunted the country at their own

Squire John Benson then took the hounds in 1865, a position he held for a remarkable 52 seasons. Jonty Banks served as his huntsman for the entirety of the Squire’s mastership and accounted for a huge tally of 1,800 foxes during that time, making him a local hero for his foxcatching prowess.

Another huntsman who was held in high regard was Willie Irving, who hunted the hounds for 25 seasons from 1926 to 1951.

He whipped-in to Willie Porter at the Eskdale and Ennerdale before taking the huntsman’s position

‘There is a strong tradition of using working terriers in these parts of Cumbria’ expense. Mr John Nicholson was one, and when he took the mastership in 1850 the pack was named “Nicholson’s foxhounds” for the 15 years of his tenure.

at Melbreak; his brother Arthur Irving became huntsman of the Eskdale and Ennerdale.

There is a strong tradition of breeding and using working

IN KENNELS Joint-masters: David Lister & Paul Glaister Huntsman: Edward Liddle Secretary: Belle Lister Treasurer: Hollie Liddle Amateur whippers-in: Rodney Jolly & Chris Nixon

terriers in these parts of Cumbria.

The Irving name was synonymous with excellent terriers and Willie’s famous terrier, Melbreak Turk, can be traced back in the pedigree of many Lakeland terriers. On Willie’s death, in true Lakeland tradition, a song was written about him, titled Gone far away.

Harry Hardisty had been

whipping-in to Willie Irving for four seasons and was put on as huntsman when Willie retired.

Harry’s brother Syd had whippedin to the Blencathra in the 1940s.

Ill health put an end to Harry’s hunting career after 22 seasons as huntsman. He then took the tenancy of a sheep farm and regularly won prizes with his Herdwick sheep. William Hill, the same bard who wrote the song in memory of Willie Irving, composed another piece to commemorate Harry’s career.

Pritch Bland became whipperin to Harry Hardisty in 1962 at the age of 23. Pritch married Harry’s daughter and when Harry retired in 1973, Pritch was promoted to

A Melbreak hound leaps over wire with plenty of room to spare

Pictures by x xxxxxxxxxxx

Above, left: Edward Liddle fulfilled his ‘lifetime ambition’ when he became huntsman at 23 years old Above: Ken Stephenson, Ray Edwards and Jos Teasdale keep an eye on the action

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

39

HUNTING huntsman. He held the position until his sudden and untimely death in the summer of 2007 in his 34th season as huntsman and 45th year working for the Melbreak.

Pritch was a local Lakeland man from Borrowdale and a relation of the famous Blencathra huntsman Johnny Richardson.

Pritch was succeeded by his son Christopher, but in his third season, and at only 36 years of age, he was diagnosed with cancer and died within a matter of days.

THE MELBREAK 29 January

Rodney Jolly walks five hounds for the pack at his house in Workington

BORN TO THE ROLE TO be the huntsman of a fell pack has always been a position held in high regard among the Lakeland farming and rural community. It is said that you are born to be a fell huntsman, and certainly many huntsmen over the years have been interconnected with family ties.

Edward Liddle was 23 years old when he became huntsman of the Melbreak.

“It was my life’s ambition,” he explained.

Edward was a shepherd and farm worker from Borrowdale whose grandfather Bill Porter was whipper-in to Johnny Richardson at the Blencathra.

“My grandfather used to come in to the kennels every day when I first started to show me how things should be done,” Edward remembers.

Bill Porter’s father Ronnie whipped-in to George Chapman at the Coniston.

Edward keeps 40 hounds in the kennels at Lorton and 20 of these go back out to walk when hunting finishes.

There are two joint-masters, David Lister and Paul Glaister, both working men who can usually only hunt at weekends.

Paul Smith follows the hounds with a brace of terriers

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Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

Longevity is vital in fellhounds, bred to be athletic across the slopes

My visit was on a weekday and the meet was in Ennerdale near the Ennerdale showground. This is perhaps the softest part of the Melbreak country, with gentle hills rather than sheer fell sides.

The river in the valley bottom is the hunt boundary, south of which is the Eskdale and Ennerdale country.

Ennerdale Water was in view most of the day, with occasional glimpses of the Irish Sea towards Sellafield and Whitehaven.

Thirty-four hounds came boiling out of the trailer and there was a gathering of 25 followers, most of whom had a keen interest in each individual hound.

Irving Wilson was driving the hound trailer and taking the cap money. Graham Hogg is a keen supporter and stone waller who walks two hounds,

Damsel and Ringwood. Graham provides much of the meat for the hunt breakfasts, which are an important fundraiser for the hunt. Irving and Graham are both relations of Willie Irving.

Athletic and elastic, these hounds are bred for climbing and racing across rocky scree slopes. Crafty, their double Rydal show winner, was among them but sadly last year was her sire Delver’s 10th and last season.

Longevity is a valuable trait in fellhounds, allowing them to bring years of acquired knowledge and hunting sense to the field. Delver was too tall a hound for many Lakeland hound aficionados, as Crafty is perhaps considered a bit weak in her hocks, but Rydal usually has a “south country” judge. No matter, because they have been great hounds in their work.

Walked by local farmer’s wife Karen Nicholson, Delver was used

‘This is the best season I have ever had’

HUNTSMAN EDWARD LIDDLE

very successfully by the Tynedale as an outcross and his progeny are proving to be good hunters.

“His son Denmark is the best hound in the pack,” says Karen’s husband, former master

Andrew. “He’s an absolutely outstanding dog.”

Richard Mawson with Roxy, whom his daughter walks

INDEPENDENT HOUNDS EDWARD took the hounds down the road a few hundred yards and they were running straight away in the gorse at Lansa. Fellhounds are used to hunting with no help from the huntsman and they sorted themselves out to run with great cry into the rushy beds below us and then up to the road.

As one, swirling around like a flock of birds when they checked and rushing back when a hound regained the line, the pack climbed out behind Croasdale village. We had a perfect view from nearly a mile away as they streamed through some sheep on the steep gorsey banks and then out on to the fell to “Pritch’s Pantry”, named after huntsman Pritch Bland.

The whole hunt had been in our view up until then, as pretty and foot-perfect as anyone could wish for, but then radios kept Edward in touch as hounds

circled Knock Murton Fell twice while out of our sight.

Molly Mawson walks a bitch called Roxy for the Melbreak and Mischief for the Eskdale and Ennerdale, and her father Richard got himself in to a prominent position from where he could see the hound work. Rodney Jolly had a couple of terriers on

couples running with him in true Cumbrian style and he walks five hounds at his home in the middle of Workington.

Hounds ran off the fell belonging to farmer Keith Ireland, back in to the low country and concluded their hunt at Mr Martin’s Beck Farm. Edward took his charges back on to the fell to

the gorse banks that stretched along to Ennerdale Water. They did hunt an old line away up the valley but a fine morning turned in to a miserable afternoon and torrential rain set in for the day.

We finished soaked to the skin in a roadside pen where farmer Tom Ireland had been watching proceedings with John Jackson, one of the stalwarts of the hunt.

John has served as deputy master, secretary and whipper-in and even hunted the hounds when Pritch Bland was taken ill.

The hounds had put on an admirable performance and were obviously in top form.

“This is the best season I have ever had,” Edward said with pride, and the way his hounds hunted completely unaided showed that they had absolute confidence in their huntsman.

These hounds have been bred over generations for this specific and unique type of hunting and there is still a passion for the sport in country folk of the Lake District. H&H

ONLY IN HORSE & HOUND

‘A very good job done by all’ It’s a time of reflection for Andrew Sallis as the season draws to a close OUR long-suffering vale farmers now bid us farewell as we head for the hills and woodland for the twilight of the season. Their relief is only matched by mine at not having to ask them again until autumn.

February also means the hunt AGM and the pantomime.

Contrary to rumour, these are separate events, and as I appear on stage at both, the tin hat might get two outings in a fortnight. By the time this column appears, both will be over, gloriously I hope — although with hindsight, the hundreds at the pantomime may be wishing they’d opted for last week’s AGM formality after seeing my efforts in the cancan.

Voluntary humiliation is par for the course for an MFH, but I am assured that by now the video will be locked in a secret vault, as I never want to see it.

MUCKING IN THE tally of eight field masters I have worked with this Andrew Sallis has just joined the Kimblewick as joint-master and huntsman from the East Sussex and Romney Marsh.

OPINION

season is only beaten by the 16 whippers-in and assorted assistants who have helped me since Ben, my kennelhuntsman, suffered an accident on Boxing Day: from top-class professionals and masters of hounds, past and present, to enthusiastic amateurs and my wife who, despite counting the hounds in singles not couples, has done a very good job. After all, she has hunted with me and witnessed our hunting journey and methodology for two decades.

However, she was most surprised that I didn’t conveniently vent any frustration on her out hunting, to which I replied that it wouldn’t do me any good in the long run. And if I did, she’d probably just go home, which would hardly improve the situation.

When normal service resumes next autumn and Ben is back in action, it may have done no harm for a bunch of our subscribers to have had to step up in the meantime and

help out hunting; to learn how to take hounds down the road or across a field, to go on point and “ride on” helpfully without getting in the way.

Good scenting conditions on most days since Christmas have aided my whippers-in and hounds have scored a number of super days, like many other hunts who have also hit a rich seam of good form.

FIELD MASTERING ISN’T THAT EASY AS anyone who has done it quickly realises, field mastering isn’t as easy as one might think and does require preparation as well as a hunting brain and

charm to pull it off successfully with benign, quiet authority; riding ability and horsepower are a given. It is particularly encouraging to have added some younger field masters to our squad and to see the fun people have had.

Field mastering in this, the wettest of seasons, continues to be a challenge, with “house rules” changing from farm to farm, and yet the field master is required calmly to make the day appear as seamless as possible.

Thanks to our grooms, our horses have held up well in the worst of conditions, despite me forgetting that you should never (kiss a girl leaning away from you nor) jump a gate leaning towards. Stevie — the horse — and I ended up in a heap together in a bog, but none the worse.

Hounds are running hard across the country, so be sure to get in as many days as possible before the very different delights of spring hunting are upon us. H&H NEXT WEEK

Belvoir huntsman John Holliday

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

41

HUNTER OF A LIFETIME

Serena

The ‘darling’ mare who ‘coped with everything’ during the Silverton’s golden era

F

EW know their hunt country as well as Pat Bromell, senior master of the Silverton in Devon, knows hers. Now 88, she has hunted there all her life and Serena stands out among her horses: “I’ve had several horses but she was the best ever — a treasure.”

Pat bought the 15hh mare at Exeter market in about 1982, aged five: “She looked nice in the ring, gentle. She was strawberry roan and our huntsman had one at the time, so she caught my eye,” she says.

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Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

Serena was good from the off: “She came from Cornwall and knew all about hunting.”

Pat was then hon secretary and her late husband, Norman, was an amateur whipper-in, “so I had to hunt twice a week”.

Norman rode her a few times: “He liked her, she was nimble — ideal for a whip. I just took the cap and then enjoyed myself!”

Silverton farmland has small fields and natural fences, with plenty of hedges.

“Serena was very sure-footed in trappy places. She knew exactly where to put her feet.

She coped with everything.”

It was a golden era for the Silverton.

“We had some great days.

Our huntsman, Fred Tucker, was really wonderful.”

One day is still talked about: “We met at Tedburn St Mary and hunted all up the valley, then found another fox and galloped for six or seven miles.

It was on the dark side at the end. I can see the fox now — he crossed the stream, slipped under the hedge and shook himself as if to say, ‘Catch me if you can.’ We didn’t — you never want to catch those ones.”

Serena was in her element.

“She loved it! She didn’t like poking about, she wanted to get on. She didn’t like tractors passing her hacking, but out hunting she was more interested in what was going on, always watching the hounds.”

An intelligent little mare, Serena knew what tacking up

meant: “She’d stay by her door, then when she heard the lorry, she’d start banging.”

Good to do, Serena was a “darling, easy to clip and shoe; you could do anything with her”. A “really healthy little horse” who was never lame, Serena retired at 20, after which she had three foals, but she missed work.

“I could see how bored she was, so I couldn’t let her stay like that.”

She was put down, aged 24.

Sadly, this is the only photograph Pat has of Serena, but the mare is remembered nonetheless.

“A lady spoke at our dinner recently — she had been a little girl when I had Serena.

She talked of me and my strawberry roan!” H&H NEXT WEEK

Dumfriesshire and Stewartry vicechairman Lady Ross

Words by Octavia Pollock

‘I’ve had several horses but she was the best ever — a treasure’

FROM THE FIELD

Down but not out

H&H’s hunting editor Catherine Austen’s horse is off the road, but friends come to the rescue and she enjoys an exhilarating afternoon hunt

E

VERY cloud, and all that. A rather large shade was cast over my hunting season when, after a pleasant day’s hunting on good ground last week, Molly had some heat and swelling in a foreleg.

She’s a tough old bird and, for her age, her legs are really very good, so we have a problem. I haven’t had it scanned yet, but that’s certainly it for this season. Fingers, arms and legs crossed that we can get her right for the autumn. She was going so well, looks great and I was so enjoying hunting her. I am trying to be matter-of-fact and grown-up about it, but…

However, my friend the lady master and her husband very kindly lent me Tommy yesterday — he’s another tough old hunter with a genuine love of the game. But I had to do actual work — which really gets in the way of hunting, don’t you find? — in the morning, so came out at second horses, which turned out to

T

HE ground was probably the worst I’ve hunted on this season; we were largely confined to tracks, but belting up and down muddy, slippery paths at full tilt and round the glassy contours of wet, sheep-grazed fields made it an exhilarating and occasionally terrifying ride. Because of the restrictions on where the field could go, it was a hard one to field master, and our senior master did a superb job to keep us right up with hounds. They were in plain view in front of us nearly the entire time for two separate, but immediately consecutive, good fast hunts for more than two hours.

A lot of very mud-splattered people had gone home at second horses, and we were a field of six for the majority of the afternoon.

‘Hounds were properly on fire’

We were grinning like mad at each other as we wheeled round another corner and kicked on again, feeling and knowing how lucky we were.

Five of us were very regular mid-weekers, and we were joined by a Hungarian diplomat, who was rightly thrilled by his afternoon behind our hounds. I hope he comes out again, as he proved something of a good luck charm.

The first hunt was looping and circular; the second nearly straight with the night falling around us. We finished, elated, in a farmyard with horses, hounds and humans tired, filthy and happy. If I don’t manage to get another day on a horse with these hounds this season, that will have been a wonderful way to conclude it.

O

UR senior master only had one horse yesterday, as the lorry that was to bring his second out broke down. It was hard going for the horses and they did a lot of work, but his horse was still as keen as ever after seven-plus hours. The horse hates other horses in front of him, wriggling and plunging and throwing his head around until he is quite sure he is absolutely ahead. But once hounds are hunting, he is quite brilliant.

I think the horse thinks he, not our senior master, is the field master; he absorbs what the hounds are doing and knows where he should go to be with them.

“He puts me right all the time,” said his rider.

It is the thing I love most about experienced hunters; they really do seem to “get it”. Their senses are different to ours, and it would be fascinating to know what information their brains receive and process during a hunt. I just hope my own dear, quirky horse is back in the field next season. H&H 20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

Illustrations by Emma Earnshaw

be incredibly fortuitous. We were hunting over a large shooting estate and the first 20 minutes were what I rather expected the whole afternoon to be — a nice wander over beautiful countryside in the sunshine with friends. In an instant, that switched to a really serious afternoon’s hunting.

Hounds were properly on fire, their voices ringing like bells up and down the valleys.

They’d check, noses to the ground, cast themselves and set off again like rockets. Our huntsman was there to help them with a quiet touch when needed, but they were confident and sure in their work.

43

LEGENDS OF THE CHASE

Squire Farquharson THE popular Squire Farquharson’s private pack hunted a huge country, entirely at his own expense, for more than half a century until 1958.

Squire Farquharson T

HERE can be few people who have given as much to hunting as James John Farquharson, who was master of his own hounds for 52 seasons (1806-58). The Squire’s hunting country covered all of Dorset and South Wiltshire, encompassing much of the country of five present-day hunts, the Cattistock, Portman, South Dorset, Blackmore and Sparkford Vale, and South and West Wilts.

His grandfather made his fortune as an East India merchant and his father moved to Dorset and bought the manor of Littleton, near Blandford Forum.

He died when young James was just 11 years old and his trustees bought Langton estate just across the river, to where the Squire moved when he came of age and built himself a mansion.

Peter Beckford, who wrote 44

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

the hunting classic Thoughts on Hunting, was a neighbour and instilled in the young Squire a keen ambition to be an MFH. He came straight from university to the mastership of a six-day-a-week hunting country, simultaneously buying his hounds and the estate of Eastbury, where he built kennels for 75 couple of hounds and stables for 50 horses.

Farquharson hunted hounds himself for two seasons before he realised he was unequal to the task. He hired Ben Jennings from the Essex as huntsman, about whom a prominent master of the day had said, “Had I been a fox, I would have chosen any other man in England to hunt me.”

Jem Treadwell, his most famous huntsman and who succeeded Jennings, caught 1,344 brace of foxes in 21 seasons.

The Squire acquired another

kennels, stables and hunting box at Cattistock, from where he based his establishment when hunting “the south country” as he called it. He kept another temporary hunting box for similar purposes at Buckland Newton.

The hunt was run solely at the expense of the master and he would take no subscriptions at all.

It was said that a century later, Sir Peter Farquhar once mentioned to one of the Squire’s descendants that he should join him in the mastership of the Portman, but he was quickly rebuffed, saying that his family had spent enough money on foxhunting.

In November 1808, they had a brilliant hunt from Pimperne Wood near Blandford Forum and killed the fox at Fifehead Neville, a 14-mile point. The pub at Pimperne is still named The Farquharson Arms.

An agriculturalist and countryman, he was hugely popular despite the agricultural depression that took hold after the Napoleonic Wars and the 1815 Battle of Waterloo.

Needless to say, with such an enormous country there were certain parts that were only visited occasionally. Some landowners from the west of the country were unhappy and there was no hunting body like the Masters of Foxhounds Association to arbitrate. A huge row resulted and eventually in May 1858 at the age of 74, the Squire wrote an open letter to the Dorset County Chronicle offering his resignation.

He auctioned off his hounds and horses and thus “the Meynell of the West”, as he was known, retired in to private life, farming with unabated zeal until his death in 1871 at the age of 87. H&H

Words by Frank Houghton Brown

With a vast hunt country to cover, Squire Farquharson’s self-funded pack produced some legendary points

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3-9 February

dited by Polly Bryan olly.bryan@ti-media.com @pollybryan

Dono Di Maggio may have ‘taken some getting used to’ for Greek rider Theodora Livanos, 18, but high scores for their piaffe-passage work earns them a grand prix victory

Dono Di Maggio steps it up Onley Grounds EC, Warks

WITH highlights including tempi changes and piaffe-passage work that earned them nines, a winning grand prix test represented a step forward for Theodora Livanos and Dono Di Maggio.

It was a year ago that the Greek rider, 18, teamed up with the Dimaggio gelding, who was ridden by Emile Faurie to a team bronze at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon.

“He has taken some getting used to, but the test felt good,” said Theodora, who has based herself with Emile. “We had some ‘happy mistakes’, as I call them, a few little blips, but I’m really starting to get to know him now.”

Emile’s rider, Tom Goode, piloted five horses to win seven classes, with a clean sweep of plus-70% scores.

“It was cold, so it was good to keep moving,” said Tom, who 46

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

By ANDREA OAKES credited the smooth running of the day to groom Vikki Richards.

“After a winter of training, it was handy to see where we’re at.”

The younger horses, based

at Emile’s yard as part of a collaboration with Andreas Helgstrand, included double novice and elementary winners Atterupgaards Belafonte and Straight Horse De Milla, along with advanced medium winners Jaristo and Toronto Lightfoot.

‘RIDING HIM ALWAYS PUTS A SMILE ON MY FACE’ A FIRST outing with her four-year-old gelding Harvard JH reminded Holly Bates of the ups and downs of working with young horses.

The Governor son braved the blustery conditions to win a prelim with 73.54%, before wedging the front half of his body over the anti-weave grille of the horsebox she had borrowed.

“He didn’t panic — it was as if he tested it out and realised he’d made a big mistake,” said Holly, who is expecting her first baby in August and bought “Harvey” through Darren Mattia. “We have so many people to thank for helping him out.

“Harvey relishes his work,” she added. “Riding him ONE TO always puts a smile on my face, although I was crying WATCH as I went up the centre line — just because the wind was so strong!”

RESULTS ONLEY GROUNDS EC 4 Feb: prelim 15 gold (S Bullock).— 1, Harvard JH (H Bates) 68.4. silv.— 1, Ivan The Terrible (M Morgan) 63.2. prelim 19 gold.— 1, Harvard JH 73.54. silv.— 1, Ivan The Terrible 64.38. brnz.— 1, Caerini Chikateta (H Cart) 67.92; 2, Bungowla Captain Sam (J White) 64.58. prelim FSM brnz (K Bates).— 1, Caerini Chikateta 71.94. nov 23 gold.— 1, Atterupgaards Belafonte (T Goode) 71.67; 2, Ivanhoe (R Hughes) 71.25; 3, Rockwell Osmium (C Hutley) 67.5. silv.— 1, Crunch Du Magma (L Care) 65.83; 2, Brownscombe Francesca (K ArnoldHerrick) 63.96. brnz.— 1, Quinqaginta (J Beavan) 67.5; 2, Lismore Limerick (M Rendle) 64.79. nov 38 gold.— 1, Atterupgaards Belafonte 75.48; 2, SP Dakota (M Frewin) 69.68; 3, Ivanhoe 69.19. silv.— 1, Burlesque II (A Walker) 75.32; 2, Brownscombe Francesca 63.23. nov FSM gold.— 1, Centaurus (M Hackett) 82.22. elem 45 gold.— 1, Straight Horse De Milla (T Goode) 71.55; 2, Evaldi O (R Lee-Woolf) 66.55. silv.— 1, Harbouring (A Walker) 69.48; 2, Ipurus (L Roberts) 64.83. elem 59 gold.— 1, Straight Horse De Milla 72.97; 2, Evaldi O 67.97; 3, Totil Eclipse (E Murdin) 61.09. silv.— 1, Centaurus 68.59; 2, Harbouring 68.13. elem FSM gold.— 1, MSL Saltarello Hit (L Mills) 70.77. med 69 silv.— 1, Classic Conundrum (S Oldham) 65.61; 2, E Boy (A Walker) 65.15. brnz.— 1, Chopin S (S Benyon) 56.97. med 75 silv.— 1, Fire (R Lee-Woolf) 70.81; 2, Classic Conundrum 65.41; 3, E Boy 64.46. brnz.— 1, Chopin S 60.81. med FSM gold (C Ballantyne).— 1, MSL Saltarello Hit 64.67. silv.— 1, Daisynski (S Lee) 68.83. adv med 85 gold.— 1, Jaristo (T Goode) 71.03. silv.— 1, Daisynski 66.03. adv med 98 gold.— 1, Toronto Lightfoot (T Goode) 71.58; 2, Laerke Stensvang (R Edwards) 70.26. silv.— 1, Diva RW (R Lee-Woolf) 66.45. brnz.— 1, Piccola Diavola (S Cutts) 61.76. adv 102 gold.— 1, Piccola Diavola 61.76. PSG 98 gold.— 1, Sakira (T Goode) 73.42; 2, Classic Flamboyant (R Hughes) 69.21; 3, Diane (M Schleicher) 69.08. silv.— 1, Favory Gazdag (J Folman) 64.47. inter I gold.— 1, Diane 68.55; 2, Holme Grove Bernini (L Cartwright) 66.84; 3, Dragon Dancer (C Dorn) 62.5. silv.— 1, Favory Gazdag 63.68. brnz.— 1, Tomgarrow Teans (S Oldham) 62.24. inter I FSM gold.— 1, Holme Grove Bernini 65.63. GP gold.— 1, Dono Di Maggio (T Livanos) 71.5; Kom Ragdoll (N Nilosaari) 68.1; 3, Schattentanzerin (H Cheetham) 64.6.

Tom also rode Nini Poh’s San Amour daughter Sakira to head the prix st georges (PSG) with 73.42%, on her debut at the level.

“Sakira is a hot mare but a quick learner,” said Tom. “She’s blossoming with the work.”

Miriam Hackett and Centaurus scored a personal best of 82.22% to take the novice freestyle.

Performing to a soundtrack from the film Chicken Run, devised by Tom Hunt, the pair scored nines for choreography and harmony.

“The music is really jolly,” said Miriam, who rides “Obi”, a 16.3hh Irish-bred gelding, for Michelle Cooper. “It suits his personality.

“Everyone adores Obi,” added Miriam of the versatile 14-yearold, who previously reached the Horse of the Year Show in the maxi-cob and coloured classes, and next contests the Wellington regionals. “It’s such a privilege to ride him. Reaching the nationals would be the absolute dream.”

Pictures by hoofprintsphotos.co.uk and kevinsparrow.co.uk

DRESSAGE

HIGHLIGHTS

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

‘Things are improving fast’ Parwood EC, Surrey

DYLAN DEUTROM and Sunlit Uplands scored a confidencebuilding inter II win to further cement their partnership.

“We’re both new and still green at the level, but things are improving fast,” said Dylan, who rides the Hanoverian gelding

for Matt Hicks and Sarah Warry.

“We’re building on our work over the winter and taking each step as it comes. I’m excited for the future.”

Matt, who has trained Dylan since he joined Hicks Equestrian five years ago, added: “The horse is athletic but sensible and has an extraordinary talent

for piaffe and passage. We’re hoping that he and Dylan can do under-25 grand prix.”

“Stunned and amazed” was how Andrea Kirby felt after winning a novice with 76.3%.

Andrea, a stable manager for the Oppenheimer family, bought the home-bred mare Headmore Dramatica two Dylan Deutrom and the ‘athletic but sensible’ Sunlit Uplands shine to land an inter II win on their journey to grand prix

years ago from the Oppenheimers, and trains with Alice.

“I strive for these scores, as it means my training is correct,” said Andrea, a self-declared perfectionist who feels she learns at the yard by osmosis. “When I saw the photos from the show, Drama was uphill and light with

‘Things are improving fast’ DYLAN DEUTROM

real power from behind.

“She’s the loveliest mare, as safe as houses and very forgiving of my mistakes,” added Andrea, who last year rode the Dimaggio daughter to fourth in the prelim silver at the nationals. “I’ve taken her from her first competition and it’s been a long learning curve as I’ve tried to find the right buttons.”

RESULTS PARWOOD EC

A last-minute change NATASHA BAKER’S trainer Lisa Hopkins stepped into the breach — or should that be breeches — to ride Natasha’s Tokyo Paralympic prospect Keystone Dawn Chorus to a plus-75% novice win at Merrist Wood College, Surrey.

“Natasha had scratched her eye while removing a contact lens and came back from A&E on the morning of the show wearing an eye patch,” explained Lisa. “I had no competition gear with me when she rang to ask if I could ride ‘Lottie’, so I found an old

jacket and borrowed her breeches.

“I’m always happy to take the reins of this mare,” said Lisa. “She was a bit go-ey, but it was a good run-through ahead of Natasha’s regionals at the venue and the para winter championships at Myerscough College.”

6 Feb: prelim 17A gold (P Frankish).— 1, Strategy (J Walker) 78.45. silv.— 1, Kildedals Attention (F Clarke) 67.76. brnz.— 1, Woodlands BOB (L Harvey) 70.69; 2, Oxhill Bill (R Price) 67.59; 3, Newgrange Amber (C Caxton) 64.66. prelim 19 gold (H Wells).— 1, Strategy 69.58. nov 22 gold.— 1, Damosel (S Edwards) 71.21. silv.— 1, Headmore Dramatica (A Kirby) 70.52; 2, Pembridge Vitality (A Stonehill) 66.38; 3, Nextdays Harlequin (L Wright) 65.69. brnz.— 1, Honalulu (K Good) 68.28; 2, Penfull (K Lynch) 64.48; 3, Woodlands Be Comical (S Brooks) 63.79. nov 37 gold (P Frankish).— 1, Damosel 62.96. silv.— 1, Headmore Dramatica 76.3; 2, Hero (Huroos) (G Peckham) 71.11; 3, Pembridge Vitality 69.63. brnz.— 1, Honalulu 65.19; 2, Penfull 64.07; 3, Woodlands Be Comical 62.59. elem 43 gold (M Drewe).— 1, Spiderbaby (B Franklin) 71.55; 2, Go Rezzolux (A O’Neill-China) 66.03. silv.— 1, Helios (P Smith) 72.93; 2, Hawtins Fiorella (H Marcus) 72.76; 3, Piltdown Colours (G Durkan) 70.86. brnz.— 1, Cool Spring (L Westaway) 68.97; 2, Rainhill Merlyn (S Roberts) 68.97; 3, Kinard Frankie (J Nolan) 64.66. elem 59 gold (M Hollands).— 1, Spiderbaby 67.97; 2, Die Furstin (A Miller) 67.81. silv.— 1, Serendipitous (T Gormley) 71.09; 2, Go Rezzolux 68.44; 3 Helios 68.28. brnz.— 1, Cool Spring 66.25; 2, Kinard Frankie 61.56; 3, Sportsfield Top Knotch (S Johnson) 60.31. med 61 gold.— 1, Fine Fleur (N Wilson) 72.07. silv.— 1, Italian Clover (L Westaway) 69.48; 2, Dubai (K Monks) 68.62. med 76 silv.— 1, Portphilip Double O Four (R Gibbs) 69.39; 2, Serendipitous 65.91; 3, Santiago IV (A Jennings) 64.85. brnz.— 1, Billy Sykes (L Westaway) 67.58; 2, Dubai 64.55. adv med 85 silv (F Wilson).— 1, Pitingo II (S Malpass) 69.56; 2, Plains Timeless (M Turner) 68.68. brnz.— 1, Rain Dance (A Uden) 68.09; 2, Allahor (P Blazkova) 61.32. adv med 98 silv (D Wardle).— 1, Furst Love I (S Colborn) 66.97; 2, The Amazing Spiderman (J Whitehead) 65.92; 3, Tally It Up (R Gibbs) 65.39. brnz.— 1, Rain Dance 63.95. PSG gold (F Wilson).— 1, Genie I (A Gould) 74.08; 2, CasinoRoyale (S Dwyer-Coles) 68.82; 3, Adonis B (A Miller) 64.34. silv.— 1, Don Oro (M Hughes) 65.66; 2, Worldly Wise (O Moriano) 61.58. brnz.— 1, The Amazing Spiderman 65.26. inter I gold.— 1, Don Oro 66.97. inter II gold.— 1, Sunlit Uplands (D Deutrom) 69.21; 2, Blue Hors Dexter (A Gould) 68.82. silv.— 1, Euphoria E (S Mandy) 61.84. GP gold (D Wardle).— 1, Aquilino MK (E Thomas) 59.6.

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

47

DRESSAGE

HIGHLIGHTS 3-9 February

Freeman learns to chill ‘He is very sensitive with the biggest engine,’ says Hannah Biggs of Foundation son Freeman, as the pair graduate from young horse ranks to triumph at medium

TAKING a gamble with a horse she bought on the strength of a video is at last paying off for Natalie Widdowson. Her Dutch-bred gelding Ivan III may have tested her mettle, but he continues to win — claiming novice and AGAINST elementary victories THE ODDS at Port Royal EC, North Yorkshire.

“I saw him as an unbacked three-year-old and liked the way he moved,” explained Natalie.

“But he has proved tricky in training and I’ve had a few broken bones.

“He’s quite small but incredibly quick when he does go,” she added of Ivan’s sharp manoeuvres, which have knocked her confidence and prompted her to wear an air jacket. “But I’ve always had faith in him, even when a lot of people

Jenkins balances scales of success MATT JENKINS is back in business after an extended competition break, taking the medium 69 outright with Steigenberger at Mendip Plains EC, Somerset.

“I’ve been so busy that I had no time for my own horses,” said Matt, who was running a large livery yard. “I’m still teaching but I’ve downsized to achieve a better work-life balance.”

Matt enjoyed early success with “Stig” after buying him as a fouryear-old. Now 13, the Stedinger gelding is cracking on with the more challenging work.

“He finds all the advanced movements quite easy,” said Matt, who trains with Alice Peternell. “He has his changes and can go sideways in his sleep. It’s now a case of putting it all together.”

48

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

haven’t. At least he has the decency to go out and win classes — the judges seem to like him and his competition record is really good.

“I’ve tried every bit known to man, but after some work in a double bridle he has finally settled in a snaffle,” said Natalie, who trains with Becky Moody and was overjoyed with two scores nearing 73% — including a nine for a walk.

‘EVEN BETTER THAN I’D HOPED’ ON hearing about a dispersal sale at a breeder’s yard in Denmark last year, Bridget Tate went to see the 30-plus horses for sale.

“I had an unbroken mare called Maggie in mind, and when I saw her in the flesh she was definitely my favourite,” explained Bridget, whose top horse Hawtins Werona had just sustained an injury. “Her journey to the UK hit her hard, though. She was lying on her side and coughing when she arrived.”

The 17.3hh Dimaggio mare, called Dancing Magic, is now rising six and has been backed by Greg Sims and Stena Hoerner. After embarking on her competition career in January, she won three times in a week — heading both prelim and novice classes at Radfords EC, Powys.

“Maggie is amazing, better than I’d hoped,” said Bridget. “She was quite cold-backed to begin with and ONE TO has a quirky side, but she moves so nicely through the WATCH shoulder and always aims to please. We plan to take an embryo from her to produce a foal next year.”

Pictures by kevinsparrow.co.uk

‘I’VE HAD A FEW BROKEN BONES’

“HE moved through every inch of his body, as if he was made of liquid,” said Hannah Biggs of the first time she saw Freeman at the Westphalian Elite Auction. “He was so soft and supple.”

Hannah, who describes Freeman as the most talented horse she has ridden, has since produced him slowly — introducing him to young horse classes and winning the six-yearold national championship with him last year.

“He’s now seven and out in the big, wide world of normal competition,” she said of the Foundation gelding, who is owned

by Equine Construction and who headed both mediums at Half Moon Stud, Dorset.

“He is very sensitive with the biggest engine, but he’s now starting to chill and not trying to put the turbo button on all the time. We’ve been working with Claire Gallimore, using Tristan Tucker’s ‘TRT method’ groundwork system, which has really helped him to relax.”

‘She’s getting control of her body’

THE big-moving L’Espoir mare Wa’Spoir warmed up in the sleety rain at Radfords EC, Powys, to win both mediums.

“She hasn’t been out for a while, so there was a bit of air between me and the saddle at first in the medium trots,” said Tracy Tomlinson, who has ridden Nicky Owen’s eight-year-old home-bred

FREDDIE IS ON SONG

Tracy Tomlinson celebrates a double medium win with home-bred L’Espoir mare Wa’Spoir

since she was backed. “Once she softened, I could really sit into her.

“She has the most amazing trot, but with so much power behind she has struggled with the canter,” added Tracy, who trains

with Carl Hester. “But she’s now really getting control of her body. She has a good head and shows natural talent for piaffe and passage — there’s so much more to come.” H&H

A NOVICE double at Prestige Equestrian, Glos, sealed six high-scoring wins in a row for Daniel Bremner and Freddie Mercury KNM. “He takes everything on,” said Daniel of Eli and Geir Sætersmoen’s Metall gelding, who was bought 18 months ago. “If you ask him a question, he’ll give you an answer, even if it’s not the right one. He’s always trying to do the right thing.”

Impressed with the seven-year-old’s brave and honest approach, Daniel added: “Eli will be taking him on herself soon. I’m excited to see how AGAINST he develops THE ODDS with his owner this year.”

ONLY IN HORSE & HOUND

‘We must educate, not alienate’

Anna Ross on why ‘naming and shaming’ isn’t the way to stop horse abuse I FULLY support the sentiments of Carl Hester and Laura Tomlinson in their recent columns (opinion, 6 and 13 February) regarding online bullying. Real horse welfare concerns should be reported to British Dressage, but it should be remembered that some people feel simply riding a horse is abuse, some adamantly argue that the use of bits is cruel, while to others, riding a horse 1cm behind the vertical is tantamount to assault. There are many viewpoints.

Riders and trainers can best prevent unintentional horse abuse via education. Alienating riders by “naming and shaming” leaves the impression that this tactic is used to emphasise a person’s own virtue, rather than trusting their own performance to highlight the effectiveness of their training philosophy.

IMPRESSIVE RIDING THE recent Addington Premier League show had a Anna Ross is an international grand prix dressage rider who has represented Great Britain on numerous occasions.

on, and that she felt dutybound to relay these to all those around her. Such was her dedication to excellence that our top critic didn’t waste time in the class break.

“I need to learn my test, I’m competing tomorrow,” she declared, and asked one of her disciples: “Could you get my copy of intro C from the boot?”

OPINION

huge grand prix class with more combinations than ever before coming forward. Sadie Smith impressed with her lovely British-bred Keystone Dynamite, and at small tour Dannie Morgan was a class act with the gorgeous Knoxx’s Figaro, gliding through the trot work.

It was great to see former young rider team members out in force and impressing. Alex Harrison rode with great feel in the grand prix, asking just enough of his young horse, while Anna Jesty came second to Charlotte Dujardin at prix st georges (PSG).

There was plenty of action in the warm-up, too — my righthand woman Beth Bainbridge was dispatched very efficiently by an over-fresh Habouche, before going on to achieve a top-four PSG placing.

I enjoyed watching the developing horses in the grand prix, but had another sharp reminder of how differently people view our sport. My friends and I

A UNITED FRONT

were treated to a loud and uncomplimentary commentary from an onlooker sitting behind us in the stands. The details of each rider’s test were dissected and a strong critique administered; even our double gold Olympic medallist was not spared the rod.

I watched rider after rider gamely go down the centre line, blissfully unaware that our eagle-eyed evaluator was apparently spotting details that even our highly qualified judges had failed to pick up

FEW in dressage want to raise their heads above the parapet for fear of repercussions either on social media or via their results, but as we are asked to justify our sport’s place in the Olympics, our practices will come under scrutiny. Therefore, we should present a united, positive sport with our love of the horses at the centre.

The benefits to mental health of spending time outdoors in nature are becoming widely known — let’s not waste our opportunity to make the most of this by infighting and bullying. H&H NEXT WEEK

Renowned trainer Pammy Hutton

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

49

SHOWJUMPING

SOUTH VIEW SMALL PONY PREMIER 8-9 February

Unbeatable Bradburne Katie Bradburne and the ‘reliable’ Runaway Dolly top the opening 128cm second round

Katie Bradburne runs away with a one-two triumph, five fight it out for the winter 138cm qualifier and Tabitha Kyle continues her winning streak

50

South View Small Pony Premier, Cheshire

By MARGARET SHAW

KATIE BRADBURNE proved unbeatable in both winter 128cm second rounds, riding her mother Gee’s Runaway Dolly and AP McCoy’s Carrowvila Izzy. Katie fired a warning shot to her rivals on the first day when Dolly and Izzy took the top two places in the opening second round.

“I really trusted both of my ponies and tried to get everything right, so it’s nice when it all comes off,” said Katie.

With a mix of experienced partnerships and new combinations to cater for, coursedesigner Gillian Milner produced an up-to-height but flowing and encouraging course for the 21

starters. Five remained clear in the first round, of which three maintained a zero score to contest the deciding round, where Katie and Izzy opened with a sharp triple clear in 33.64sec.

Katie is just two months

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

with Runaway Dolly to win by almost a second.

“Dolly has taught me everything and she has taken me into the bigger classes. She’s so reliable and I know that even over the biggest tracks, we are always going to complete the course,” said Katie, who had already claimed her early tickets for the Royal

‘The main aim was to go clear, but I saw the turn and went for it’ SOPHIA ROGERS

into her partnership with Izzy, a former ride of AP's daughter Evie McCoy. However, she saved her best until last when returning

International (RIHS) at Keysoe.

Also producing an immaculate triple clear to clinch her ticket to the Hickstead championship

was Sophia Rogers, who took third place with Whinney Lass.

Nine-year-old Sophia took over Whinney from her older sister Izzy at Christmas.

After “giving the winter second rounds a go” at Keysoe, Sophia looked supremely confident in her three rounds here, even attempting a short cut to a sizable oxer.

“This was a nice course and I was keen to do it,” said Sophia.

“The main aim was to go clear again, but I saw the turn and went for it.”

Katie Bradburne again entered the winner’s enclosure when Carrowvila Izzy brought the second 128cm qualifier to a premature close as the only pair to produce a double clear round.

Edited by Jennifer Donald jennifer.donald@ti-media.com @ donaldjdonald

Isabella Saunders-Cook pilots Dycott Masterman to pole position in the 138cm second round

Izzy was rescued as a youngster with her foal in Ireland, and there is a note in her passport saying, “If this pony is ever in trouble, please ring this number.”

Katie still gives Izzy’s rescuer regular updates.

“I’m so pleased to have the ride on Izzy and yesterday boosted my confidence. She has plenty of scope and lots of stride and she was epic everywhere,” concluded Katie, who finished ahead of Lara Boman (My Little Liesel) and Connie Mensley (Madonna).

Pictures by Suzanne Jones

THEIR BRILLIANT BEST THE opening winter 138cm second round developed into a real thriller when five equally determined combinations fought out the final round. It was penultimate-drawn Isabella Saunders-Cook who found the shortest route home with Dycott Masterman (Nico) to finish on 38.88sec.

“Nico prefers a big ring and seems to like it here, as we were fourth in the 138cm grand prix at the home pony international,” said Isabella, who is in her final 138cm year. “As the timed jump-off is our favourite part and it has been my dream to ride at Hickstead, we made all the turns we could to try to win.”

Isabella and Nico pulled off an acute turn inside to the water tray at the halfway stage and smoothly executed a serpentine of turns over the final three fences. The pair had to be at their brilliant best to beat a fast opening third clear round by second-placed Tia Squibb and Drumaclan Flight, with next-placed Lucy Gilbertson and Airbourne Freddie also producing a third clear to claim the final ticket to Hickstead.

‘I GET EXCITED WHEN WE JUMP OFF’ TABITHA KYLE took the top two places in the Graham Heath 128/138cm handicap on both days — riding Playboy Van De Zoetewei and Lisduff Royal in the first competition and Lisduff Royal and Mister Proper in the second. The Leicestershire rider then produced the winning round in the second winter 138cm second round.

Riding the nine-year-old and already-qualified Playboy Van De Zoetewei (Bugsy), Tabitha produced the only triple clear round. She has produced Bugsy carefully over the past four years, achieving a grand slam of major 138cm championships last year including the RIHS, national championships, Horse of the

Year Show and Liverpool.

“These have been nice courses and Bugsy has jumped well all weekend. He continues to improve and feels confident and balanced on his turns,” said Tabitha. “I can get quite excited and carried away when we jump off, but we kept everything neat and tidy everywhere,” said Tabitha.

Taking second place was Olivia Sponer riding Top Silvio Hastak, who nudged a pole past the point of no return midway around the course. She has been riding the Irish-bred 11-year-old stallion for the past two seasons.

The pair were 138cm Hickstead and Birmingham finalists last year and they started their 2020 campaign by collecting an early return ticket to Hickstead with a win at Keysoe. H&H

SUPPORTING YOUNG JOCKEYS IT hasn't gone unnoticed by parents and trainers alike that the experience of ponies competing in the second rounds is doing a power of good for their young jockeys.

Although qualified ponies Playboy Van De Zoetewei and Top Silvio Hastak were notable exceptions at ages nine and 11 respectively, most ages here ranged from 16 to 29. It became a talking point that there were few rising stars on the horizon.

Gee Bradburne and Mark Kyle were just two parents who highlighted the difficulty of stepping up small ponies.

“Apart from the premiers, there are few small pony classes on offer,” maintained Gee. “Ponies and riders generally start in smaller height open classes where distances are set for 148cm ponies.

“Consequently, the more inexperienced riders and ponies can find it difficult to adjust when starting over correct distances for their pony’s TALKING height and POINT bigger fences,” she added.

RESULTS

Tabitha Kyle lands a one-two in both Graham Heath handicaps, topping the first aboard her consistent Playboy Van De Zoetewei

8 Feb: 90cm.— 1, Ellies Miss Chief (N Lock); 2, Take A Chance II (C Gaw); 3, Paulank Redbreast (T Travis).

BS 11yrs & under.— 1eq, 21 shared.

Graham Heath 128/138cm.— 1 & 2, Playboy Van De Zoetewei & Lisduff Royal (T Kyle); 3, Top Silvio Hastak (O Sponer). winter 128cm sec rnd.— 1 & 2, Runaway Dolly & Carrowvila Izzy (K Bradburne); 3, Whinney Lass (S Rogers). winter 138cm sec rnd.— 1, Dycott Masterman (I Saunders-Cook); 2, Drumaclan Flight (T Squibb); 3, Airbourne Freddie (L Gilbertson).

BS 128cm special h’cap.— 1, Little Turbo (M Smith); 2, Printers Assassin (O Anstee-Marriott); 3, Gelvin Castle Grey (F Marriott). 9 Feb: Graham Heath 128/138cm h’cap.— 1 & 2, Lisduff Royal & Mister Proper (T Kyle); 3, Coltstown Dun Cruiser (C Gaw). winter 128cm sec rnd.— 1, Carrowvila Izzy; 2, My Little Liesel (L Boman); 3, Madonna (C Mensley). winter 138cm sec rnd.— 1, Playboy Van De Zoetewei; 2, Top Silvio Hastak; 3, Quest Du Buhot (R Barr). BS 11yrs & under.— 1 eq, 17 shared. BS 128/138cm special h’cap special.— 1, Harri Potter (N Lock); 2, Cefn Sweetlife (B Wild); 3, Mr Dash (I Armstrong).

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

51

SHOWJUMPING

HIGHLIGHTS 3-9 February

‘I couldn’t ask for more’

By PENNY RICHARDSON

The Cabin EC, Aberdeenshire

WORKING mother Laura Lane enjoyed a great weekend at the Cabin Equestrian Centre, winning three of the four amateur classes she contested and finishing second in the other.

Laura’s main focus is on her nine-year-old daughter Lexie, who has just started her affiliated showjumping career, and this was

‘She’s one of those horses who keeps giving’ LAURA LANE ON ELECTRA VII

Laura Lane scores three victories with Electra VII

“I jumped ponies and then university, boys, marriage and my daughter meant that I stopped riding,” she said. “When I decided to start again, I couldn’t have found a nicer horse.”

Laura works full time in her family’s industrial boiler business, so time constraints mean she will

concentrate on a few big stayaway shows this year.

“I did the same last season, when I jumped at Bolesworth for the first time. I’m now working on getting my amateur double clears so that we can go back to Aintree, too,” she explained. “And because we live in central Scotland, we’re

very lucky because we have loads of good centres not too far away if we fancy going to a local show.”

Laura is a one-horse owner and Lexie has only one pony.

“Our horses and ponies are our family pets. I would hate to keep selling them if they didn’t come up to expectation,” she explained.

Underwood hits the right note Vale View Equestrian, Leics Sally-Ann Underwood and Zilandos Midnight Music storm around their qualifier to finish with three seconds to spare

52

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

SALLY-ANN UNDERWOOD and Zilandos Midnight Music scored a runaway win in the FMBs star qualifier at Vale View, finishing more than three seconds ahead of Amanda Routledge with her two rides, Violetta and Caloundra Van De Koekoek.

Sally-Ann is a busy lady. The mother of three has a full-time job as an advanced nurse practitioner at a local GP’s surgery and has a young horse to produce as well as her eight-year-old mare.

“When I’m not working, I’m with the horses,” she laughed.

Sally-Anne bought Midnight Music from her trainer Harriette Rushton more than two years ago. Vale View is one of her favourite venues, as it is a straight

60-minute run from her home near Lincoln.

“She’s a little star and my pocket rocket,” she said of her British-bred daughter of Zilando.

“She is very quirky though — an extremely typical chestnut mare.

You can’t do flatwork with her and you have to mount on the wrong side, but when she gets into the ring she loves her job.”

Sally-Ann is already working out the logistics of time off to compete at the Blue Chip Championships, while her summer aim is to move up to Foxhunter classes, as Midnight Music is now out of newcomers.

“We have two Foxhunter double clears already, so the plan is to get the other two and have a go at the second rounds,” she explained.

Pictures by Majestic Photography, Lew’s Photography, Zuma Press/PA Images and Rob Bayes Photography

her first outing since they won a class at Aintree’s national amateur championships in November.

“The schedule at the Cabin had pony classes, too, so it was ideal for both of us,” said Laura, who has had her mare Electra VII for three years.

“You can’t fault her. At the end of every season I think things can’t get any better, but she’s one of those horses who just keeps giving; I couldn’t ask for more,” said Laura, who returned to the sport after a lengthy break.

HAVE YOU WON A BS CLASS? DO YOU OR YOUR HORSE HAVE A GREAT STORY? Email jennifer.donald@ti-media.com within 24 hours of your win for a chance to feature on these pages

‘I went for it’

Rosie Fry and Arise Cavalier top the winter 1.25m qualifier

Chard Equestrian, Somerset

DESPITE being bucked off in the warm-up arena just before her class, international event rider Rosie Fry and Arise Cavalier produced a stunning round to win the DDS Demolition winter 1.25m qualifier at Chard Equestrian.

Rosie and “Archie” took the honours by more than two seconds from Ryan O’Sullivan on another Irish-bred horse, the already-qualified Balou Sea. “Archie’s very sharp and has a bad habit of bucking me off,” explained Rosie. “He’d already finished third in the Foxhunter and all I was doing was riding round the warm-up when I suddenly found myself on the

floor. I said to myself: ‘Right, he’s feeling well,’ so I went for it.”

Archie, an Irish-bred 11-year-old by Cavalier Two For Joy, was Rosie’s top eventing ride

until suffering an injury at the start of 2018.

“We gave him a lot of time and he missed two eventing seasons, but he feels fantastic and I’m

looking forward to starting with him again in March,” said Dorsetbased Rosie, who has up to 10 horses to compete this year.

Chard is a favourite local venue and Rosie returned to competition here with a 1m open win last October.

“It’s only half an hour from my home, so it’s extremely handy and the owners have done a lot of work on the facilities,” she said. “The only problem is that it’s on top of a hill, so when you’re jumping outside in February, it’s absolutely freezing. It’s a good job we riders are tough!”

Archie has a good showjumping record and although Rosie’s eventing season will be underway, she is tempted to take him to Hartpury for the Blue Chip finals.

“It’s always nice to take on the showjumpers. When I found out we’d qualified, I looked into it and the show actually falls between events. It would be great fun to travel there and have a go,” she said. H&H

ONLY IN HORSE & HOUND

‘An exciting year for British riders’ H&H’s Jennifer Donald discusses a boost to the sport in times of controversy OPINION

CONGRATULATIONS to the all-female British team in the Nations Cup curtain opener in Florida (see report, p54). The trio took the powerhouse US team — also all women — to a jump-off on their home soil and only just missed out on taking the honours, proving a timely boost for British showjumping at the start of the series.

In Olympic years, these competitions are a hotbed of intrigue. Which combinations are finding form? Which

nations look strongest? Which chefs d’équipe face a selection nightmare? With all roads leading to Tokyo, riders are in fierce competition for one of just three places on each of the streamlined Olympic teams.

But while those in Florida are displaying their potential team credentials in a seemingly honest and sportsmanlike manner, the “skulduggery” of a minority of riders, who are alleged to have earned world and Olympic ranking points through an unlevel playing field (news, 30 January), resulted in ripples of discontent around show rings.

The FEI’s clarification of Olympic allocations came at the time of going to press, but at least some common sense seems to have prevailed and those representing their countries at the greatest show on earth will have earned their slot through fair play.

for Tokyo in Scott Brash, Ben Maher and Holly Smith, but the performances from Alexandra Thornton, Amanda Derbyshire and Emily Moffitt in Florida proved that strength in depth is forming and every ticket to the Olympics will be hard fought.

With other riders from the Team GBR pool — including Ellen Whitaker, Jack Whitaker and James Wilson — being selected for the first time to jump on teams in this year’s Global Champions League (GCL), the door of opportunity

has certainly swung wide open for them.

The benefits of regularly competing at the highest level at some of the world’s top shows, where entry for your “average” rider is often hard to grasp, and experiencing the high-pressure environment of a big-money team competition cannot be underestimated.

This could be an exciting year for British riders. H&H NEXT WEEK

Guest comment from South View

An invitation to jump on the GCL gives Ellen Whitaker, and other Brits, a great opportunity

STRONG CONTENDERS Jennifer Donald is Horse & Hound’s showjumping editor, covering the sport from around the world.

GREAT BRITAIN may have three stand-out contenders

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

53

SHOWJUMPING Brits take it down to the wire PALM BEACH MASTERS

11-16 February

By NANCY JAFFER

The Brits and US fight to the end in the first Nations Cup of the year

Alexandra Thornton and Cornetto K go clear in the tie-breaker to put the British riders in second despite having no drop score

A THREE-MEMBER British team forced a jump-off with a strong four-member US squad in the Longines FEI Nations Cup. Each country fielded one rider to break the tie. Alexandra Thornton delivered a clear with Cornetto K, but finished in 36.34sec to put Great Britain second in the first Nations Cup of the year, unable to match the 33.11sec set by the USA’s designated rider, Olympic multi-medalist Beezie Madden on Darry Lou. Beezie was aware Alexandra was a real threat when she planned her jump-off strategy.

“I’d seen her do a few beautiful jump-offs with that horse. I wanted to make sure I didn’t get beat on time. I didn’t want to be too cautious and have a rail or leave the door too wide open,” Beezie noted.

Victory had been within Britain’s grasp during the second round after Alexandra and Emily Moffitt (Winning Good) went clear, leaving the team with just four penalties from a first-round knockdown by Alexandra.

The USA had eight penalties from the first round, but enjoyed three clean trips in the second, when designer Alan Wade raised two fences.

If the final British rider, Amanda Derbyshire, had finished fault-free on Cornwall BH, she would have clinched victory in the eight-team contest.

“We had it in the bag there,” said team manager Di Lampard.

Unfortunately, Amanda got deep to the second fence and dropped a rail, triggering the jump-off as Britain’s penalties rose to eight.

Unlike the other seven teams, Britain had no drop score.

“We had to be as perfect as we could be,” said Amanda.

Di was “delighted” to finish in second place, though of course a win would have been preferable.

Even so, the quality of the team was demonstrated.

“We have three confident girls 54

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

here. They were amazing. It’s early season. For me, it was important to put Alexandra in that position,” she said, explaining why she was the choice to handle the jump-off.

The team’s performance will “send a good message back for the rest of the squad. Everyone now has to be fighting for their place,”

“They overcame a lot of odds,” he pointed out. “It is really hard to go out there both rounds with just three, going into it knowing you have no discard score. Good for them. They truly deserve where they ended up.”

Mexico, last year’s winner, finished third on 17 penalties,

‘Good for them — they truly deserve where they ended up’ US COACH ROBERT RIDLAND ON THE THREE-MEMBER BRITISH TEAM

said Di, noting the set-up in effect was “trialling” for the Tokyo Olympics, where the teams will have only three riders.

‘TRULY DESERVED’ THE British effort was admired by US coach Robert Ridland.

with only one rider remaining from the victorious 2019 squad.

Canada was another penalty back in fourth place.

The Irish team was tied with Britain for the lead on four penalties after the first round, but couldn’t sustain that,

winding up tied for fifth with Israel.

The two riders who were fault-free in the first round, Capt Brian Cournane (Armik) and Paul O’Shea (Imerald Van’t Voorhof ) each dropped two rails in the second round. Cian O’Connor on Lazzaro Delle Schiave with eight in the first round and Darragh Kenny, a four-faulter on Romeo in the first round, both had four on their second appearance.

“We’re trying out a lot of new horses; maybe we don’t know them as well as we thought,” said team manager Michael Blake, noting they didn’t go with any of their strong horses.

“I’m not going to lose heart.

We’re experimenting at this stage of the year. Don’t discount us,” he advised.

“We’ll analyse it; it won’t happen again.” H&H

Picture by Kathy Russell Photography

Palm Beach Masters, Deeridge Farms, USA

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WHEN IT’S JUST FOR FUN

IF you ever find yourself moving someone else’s horse for payment, you’ll need a hire and reward policy. This isn’t limited just to transporters — it’s also valid for livery yard owners or similar if they use their lorry primarily in this capacity. This policy protects the lorry itself and does provide some cover for the horses inside it, but it’s generally wise to top it up with a care, custody, and control policy. This covers you in case anything should happen to your charge, allowing the horse’s owner to claim for damages and vet’s bills.

Self-hire lorries are an increasingly common way for occasional travellers to get out and about without building up unnecessary extra expenses. But for the owners of these lorries, it’s crucial to ensure the correct coverage is in place, rather than just a bog-standard business-use policy.

Self-hire insurance requires a specialist policy, so speak to your insurer to find out what is available.

A SOCIAL, domestic, and pleasure (SDP) policy adequately covers most horse owners.

This level of coverage allows the nonprofessional rider to get out and about with their horse to compete for pleasure, but it’s not likely to be the right choice for an amateur competing at major competitions with large prize funds. Regardless of whether you consider those prize pots a significant part of your annual income, they’ll likely push you into the professional category from an insurance point of view.

WHEN IT’S FOR PROFIT YOU may only ever move your own horses, but if there’s some financial incentive involved you’ll need a business-use policy. This generally applies to trainers and professional riders who take their horses out to compete for significant prize money. However, significant is the key word — taking your horses out needs

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You’ll need a business-use policy if you compete for significant prize money

WHEN YOU WANT TO BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING MOST insurance policies don’t automatically include breakdown coverage, nor will they necessarily insure the contents of the your lorry, so speak to your broker about adding these essential extras on. Similarly, if you want to travel abroad with your horses, policies and regulations are liable to change as Brexit unfolds — for your own peace of mind, call your insurer before you plan your trip.

WHEN YOU’RE A PROFESSIONAL A CERTIFICATE of professional competence (CPC) is an additional certification designed for professional drivers of lorries over 7.5 tonnes. You’ll need a CPC if you drive a lorry in any sort of professional capacity — for example if you transport someone’s horse for them for payment, or if the use of your lorry represents a significant part of your business. Professional riders generally need to ensure they have a CPC — after all, without a lorry, they can’t compete.

As such, their lorry is considered essentially connected to their income, and that makes them a professional driver in the eyes of the law.

You’ll also likely need a CPC if you’re under 21 and want to drive a lorry that’s 7.5 tonnes or higher.

In this case, the CPC effectively fills the gap created by a lack of on-the-road experience.

The fine for not holding a valid CPC is reasonably hefty at £1,000, but the good news is you only need to top up your training every five years once you’ve got it. H&H

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Pictures by Dan Baillie, Elnur and Claire Rossiter

Hit the road with confidence

SHOWING

WINTER HIGHLIGHTS 3-9 February

Edited by Alex Robinson Alex.Robinson@ti-media.com @AlexRRob

King gears up for best reign yet Dycott Welsh King secures his RIHS ticket as he stands working hunter pony champion with Ross Keys at the helm

(Ammy) landed their section on their first attempt at a qualifying track.

The 11-year-old Welsh section C by Tyreos More Fury was brought up through the ranks

by Jodie Haywood, who won at HOYS with him in 2017.

“We purchased Ammy from Jodie last November,” said Izzy’s mother, Ruth. “Jodie has owned him since he was a youngster and has schooled him into an amazing jumping pony.”

Ammy is currently stabled with Justine Armstrong-Small.

“We aim to do some plaited worker classes with him as well as

‘He jumped amazingly today; i’m our biggest critic’ ROSS KEYS ON HIS OWN DYCOTT WELSH KING

NPS Area 7, Bury Farm Equestrian Club, Beds

WHILE storm Ciara ensured most winter shows were rained off, the team at National Pony Society (NPS) Area 7 made use of the secure and dry indoor arenas at Bury Farm to host the first set of 2020 Royal International (RIHS) mountain and moorland (M&M) working hunter pony qualifiers.

Ross Keys secured an early ticket with his talented Welsh section D stallion Dycott Welsh King. The 13-year-old bay scooped the exceeding 143cm class before galloping to the championship.

“He jumped amazingly today,” enthused Ross. “I’m our biggest critic and anyone who knows King knows that anything can happen with him as he’s so opinionated.”

The duo have been at the top of the working hunter pony ladder for several seasons, but Ross says he plans for King to continue the season as he’s started it: “We’ve won the RIHS before and stood reserve, and we’ve also stood second with a pole. He’s been 56

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

By ALEX ROBINSON third at Horse of the Year Show [HOYS] twice, so this year I’d love to storm them both.

“King is standing at stud this year, so this will be a new

adventure for him as he gets bored of our own mares. At 13 you think he’d know better, but he’ll always be the same.”

FIRST-TIME SUCCESS IZZY SHARIFI and her new 133cm ride Glynceirch Amlyn

BROTHERS AND SISTERS THE Richardson family scored the mini M&M honours with their duo of Shetland ponies. The ultra-consistent snowwhite gelding Briar Snowman and Lilly Richardson, seven, won the first ridden en route to the championship, while younger sister Penny, four, and Joanne Howells Bevan’s newly broken lead-rein Briar Snowfox scooped reserve.

Six-year-old Fox, half-brother to multi-mini champion Snowman, was contending his first-ever ridden show.

“Fox has an amazing attitude to work,” said Lilly and Penny’s mother, Lucy. “He loves to please; he’s very like Snowman in his personality.”

“Joanne didn’t have the time to do much with him,” continued Lucy. “She asked if we’d like to have him for the girls, so we broke him in over the winter and will do some novices this year.

IN THE The judge was very complimentary of him GENES and it was lovely to finish the day with a brothers and sisters photo.”

arena eventing and cross-country to keep it fun,” added Ruth.

Heading the 122cm section was Elberry Suilen and Emma Atkins but the ticket went to Andrea Pearman and her own 10-year-old Pennal Sportsman.

The Tremymor Sportsman son has been with Andrea since he was a four-year-old. “He did well as a novice and then has been a field baby-sitter to my youngsters,” said Andrea, who owns The Jays Equestrian Centre, Suffolk.

“I sold my good pony 122cm worker in 2018 and we brought him back into work in early 2019. He qualified for HOYS and was sixth at the final.”

Bea Wheeler and the 14-year-old bay mare Charleville Farah were top of the 143cm qualifier. H&H

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RACING

ASCOT 15 February

Edited by Hannah Lemieux hannah.lemieux@ti-media.com @hannah_lemieux1

Sam Twiston-Davies pilots Riders Onthe Storm to triumph in the Betfair Ascot Chase

A dramatic victory Ascot Racecourse, Berks

RIDERS ONTHE STORM put himself right in contention for the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham despite, in the end, running out a somewhat fortunate winner of a dramatic Betfair Ascot Chase on Saturday, 15 February.

A four-runner race with a 4/11 favourite is not usually destined to provide such drama, but Saturday’s £150,000 chase 58

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

By MARCUS ARMYTAGE was full of it. Traffic Fluide, who looked to be coming to snatch victory off Riders Onthe Storm, was a last-fence faller, as was the odds-on favourite Cyrname, who looked booked to finish a tired fourth.

Both horses took horrid falls and while Traffic Fluide’s tumble may have cost him the Grade One

contest, for a while it appeared to have cost Cyrname — jump racing’s highest-rated chaser — a good deal more. But, after lying winded for five minutes, he received a great cheer from the crowd when he emerged from behind the screens.

Naturally, it diverted some of the attention from the winner, who is now three wins from three starts since joining Nigel TwistonDavies from Tom Taaffe in the

summer when bought by Carl Hinchy for £50,000.

Although the Paul Nicholls team believed Cyrname to be back in the sort of form he was when becoming the horse to end Altior’s run of 19 straight wins, that epic win now looks a bit of a Pyrrhic victory. However, Nicholls doesn’t believe his current problems stem from that hard race.

For a circuit, Cyrname certainly looked more like his

Pictures by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

With extremely wet conditions and two final-fence fallers, the Nigel TwistonDavies-trained Riders Onthe Storm takes an unexpected 14-length victory

Ballyoptic clears the last to claim the Keltbray Swinley Chase

old self than he had in the King George. He appeared to be taking Harry Cobden there but Sam Twiston-Davies, aboard Riders Onthe Storm, had no trouble laying up with him — they went past with some ease at the third-last.

In Saturday’s wet conditions, however, that was quite a long way out. Between the last two, Riders Onthe Storm started to tire while Traffic Fluide, a good 10 lengths down two out, began to stay on.

A good jump at the last would have taken Traffic Fluide past the eventual winner but he walked through the fence, leaving Riders Onth Storm to coast home ahead of Janika, the only other horse to stand up.

Possibly distracted by Traffic Fluide on the floor or just tired, Cyrname — usually the most solid

Jonjo O’Neill Jr rides Copperhead (far right) to take a 17-length victory in the Sodexo Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase

of jumpers — was still a relatively close third at the time, but also hit the fence halfway up.

“When he got up he got a great reception from the crowd,” said Nicholls. “That’ll be it for the season with him, something’s missing but I can’t put my finger on it. We’ll go back

to the drawing board.”

Nigel Twiston-Davies reckoned his seven-year-old, who is rapidly becoming his stable star, was a lucky winner on this occasion.

“Sam said he went to take on Cyrname and that tired him out a bit,” he explained. “Cyrname won’t be in the Ryanair and

‘I can’t put my finger on it’ PAUL NICHOLLS ON WHAT’S MISSING FOR CYRNAME

our horse was hanging today. So going left-handed at Cheltenham, on probably better ground, should be a good thing for him in the Ryanair.”

Josh Moore, who rode Traffic Fluide, was less certain about the outcome.

“Traffic Fluide travelled into the race lovely when the others got tired, but then he got tired himself coming to the last,” he reflected.

“It was a tired fall and I’m not sure he’d have won.”

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

59

RACING

HAYDOCK PARK NAVAN 15-16 February

Harry Bannister rides Smooth Stepper to claim the Unibet Grand National Trial

‘The icing on the cake’

Trainer Alex Hales steps up to claim his biggest win to date, while a former Grand National hero casts doubt on his racecourse future Haydock Park Racecourse, Merseyside

ALEX HALES saddled the biggest winner of his career when outsider Smooth Stepper stayed on resolutely to win Haydock’s Unibet Grand National Trial Handicap Chase on Saturday.

The outcome probably didn’t have much bearing on the big race itself because the winner is not entered and the runner-up, Lord Du Mesnil, will only run if it’s soft.

Yala Enki, who is going to Aintree under Bryony Frost, was about 20 lengths back in third, while former National winner

One For Arthur was pulled up after two-and-a-half miles with an irregular heartbeat. A decision about his future is expected to be made this week.

“We’ve had a great season and this is the icing on the cake,” said Hales, who has 25 horses at his Edgecote yard near Banbury. “We

TIGER ROLL’S NATIONAL CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF TIGER ROLL’S bid to emulate Red Rum by winning a third Grand National began at Navan in Ireland on Sunday, 16 February, when the 10-year-old finished fifth in the Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle, won by Cracking Smart.

Tiger Roll (pictured) was having his first start since Aintree last year, having also had a small chip of bone removed from a fetlock joint in the autumn.

He caused a surprise last year when winning the Boyne Hurdle and, having tanked through the race under Keith Donoghue, for a moment going to the second-last he looked like he would win it again.

However, having only started cantering on 1 January, he paid for his early enthusiasm and was just touched off for fourth — 14 lengths behind his stable companion, Cracking Smart.

“That was just what we wanted,” TALKING said Tiger Roll’s handler Gordon POINT Elliott, who also trained the winner.

“There are a lot of pluses to take out

60

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

of the race. He pulled Keith’s arms out and Cheltenham’s the plan now.”

The trainer will take him over to the Gloucestershire track for a pop round the cross-country course next week. Then give him a racecourse gallop somewhere to put him spot-on for what would be a third Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase and a fifth Cheltenham win in total — quite a feat in itself.

Having initially complained about Tiger Roll’s rating of 170 — which means he will have to carry top weight of 11st 10lbs in the Grand National — owner Michael O’Leary did not take too long to come round to the idea, having announced that Tiger Roll will definitely be bidding for another National title.

felt he wanted to step up in trip, and off a low weight we thought we’d take our chance. He ran well in a veterans’ chase and he’ll have an entry in the Midlands National.

We’ve had 20 winners this season but you need a big win. We haven’t done anything different, the horses are just healthy.” H&H

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POINT-TO-POINT

BROCKLESBY PARK 15 February

Andrews nails a treble

Gina Andews takes her career tally to 270, while one horse makes a winning comeback THIS WEEK’S WINNERS BROCKLESBY, BROCKLESBY PARK Saturday, 15 February Hunt members.— 1, C Pickering’s Nicki’s Nipper (C Pickering) A Pickering. PPORA club members’ conditions.— 1, The Armstrong Partnership’s Absainte (W Easterby) R

62

Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

By PETER BURGON Brocklesby, Brocklesby Park, Lincs

SIX-TIME national ladies’ champion Gina Andrews extended her lead in this season’s title race with a treble on Dubai Quest, Benefaktor and Striking Tate. mixed open.— 1, All For The Craic Partnership’s Duhallow Tornado (T O’Brien) O Pimlott. intermediate.— 1, The Oak Partnership’s Dubai Quest (G Andrews) T Ellis. restricted.— 1, K Loads, S Andrews, B Crawford & S Spence’s Benefaktor (G Andrews) T Ellis. Jockey Club open maiden for mares and fillies.— 1, T Lacey’s Gold Clermont (T O’Brien) S Lacey. open maiden.— 1, C Jones & T Ellis’ Striking A Pose (G Andrews) T Ellis.

A Pose, all trained by husband Tom Ellis, to take her career tally to 270.

Dubai Quest followed up last month’s Thorpe Lodge restricted success in great style in the intermediate. The seven-year-old had a prolonged duel with Omar Maretti (Dale Peters) on the final circuit before gaining the upper hand from two out and forging clear to score by 12 lengths.

“The sky’s the limit for Dubai Quest and I rank him very highly among all of our horses,” said Tom. “His main target is the intermediate hunter chase final at Cheltenham on 1 May.” Always prominent in the restricted, Benefaktor never looked like being pegged back by Classic Lady (Tommie O’Brien)

from five out and galloped on relentlessly along the home straight to prevail by 12 lengths.

The winner was bought privately last summer out of James Motherway’s yard in Ireland and runs in the colours of a syndicate that includes Gina’s father, Simon, and long-standing Garthorpe clerk of the course, Brian Crawford.

“He was hanging to the left at Cottenham on his first run for us and then jumped right when scoring at Revesby Park last time,” said Gina. “Claire Hardwick kindly loaned me a special bit to sort out the issue and it did the trick as he jumped much straighter here.”

A red-letter day was completed

by Striking A Pose’s debut victory

Pictures by Tom Milburn Photography

Gina Andrews rides Dubai Quest to a win ahead of the intermediate hunter chase final at Cheltenham in May

Edited by Hannah Lemieux hannah.lemieux@ti-media.com @hannah_lemieux1

in the open maiden. He was never far off the pace and, after tracking Master Thyne (William Easterby) from six out, he was produced to lead at the second last.

The youngster quickly asserted and drew right away in the closing stages to win by 25 lengths, with Gina punching the air in delight as they crossed the line.

“He’s a classy sort with a very good pedigree and one of the better four-year-olds in our yard,” add Tom. “He was bought for €32,000 [£26,700] at Goffs Land Rover Sale in June last year and will probably head back to the sales in the next few weeks.”

Absainte, ridden by William Easterby, cruises home with a 15-length lead

IN COMMAND THIRSK-BASED farmer and trainer Robin Tate, 82 — who rode between the flags from 1953 until 1998 — had Absainte, under William Easterby, fully tuned-up

‘The sky’s the limit for Dubai Quest — I rank him highly’ TRAINER TOM ELLIS

to win here first time out for the second year in a row.

The mare was in command from six out in the club members’

conditions and coasted home 15 lengths ahead of Squirrel Esquire (James Martin).

“Jumping has always been her strength,” said Robin. “I ride her out every day along with Mr Pepperpot, but I leave the three younger horses for my daughter, Fiona, to ride. Absainte runs next in a Catterick novices’ hunter chase on 4 March.”

The Olly Pimlott-trained Duhallow Tornado (Tommie O’Brien) defied an absence of 653 days to land the mixed open.

“He picked up a tendon injury at Cheltenham in May 2018 and I thought he might never race again,” said Olly. “All roads now lead to next month’s Cheltenham Foxhunters’ Chase.” H&H

Duhallow Tornado returns from injury to take the mixed open

ONLY IN HORSE & HOUND

‘No one-size-fits-all approach’ Darren Edwards reports back from the race-planning committee meeting I AM probably a sucker for punishment, but I recently attended the biannual gathering of the race-planning committee for pointing, which took place earlier this month at Huntingdon.

The committee was formed a few years ago and is responsible for reviewing race conditions, as well as the opportunities for horses and riders coming into the sport. Summing up the committee’s purpose, it involves the reviewing of and advising on potentially the single utmost important ingredient of pointing — if race planning Darren Edwards has ridden over 250 winners and works full-time as a partner at property consultants Fisher German. Darren is a Point to Point Owners & Riders Association (PPORA) committee member.

OPINION

and conditions are wrong, everything else around it starts to fall apart.

There is no getting away from reality, the committee was introduced in response to declining numbers in pointto-pointing — both equine and human. In essence, the “powers that be” recognised action was needed to stem the downturn.

The statistics show 51% fewer hunter certificates and 45% fewer riders’ qualification certificates have been registered this season, compared to 10 years ago.

GETTING DOWN TO THE DETAILS EVERYONE has their opinion

on what should or shouldn’t be done to improve uptake in the sport, attract new entrants and ensure that those currently involved continue to return. It was evident from the meeting that the committee members

acknowledge and respect those opinions. However, when the discussion gets to the detail of utilising these statistics, it is clear that there is no one-sizefits-all approach.

There are regional variations to consider; the south-east and north-west are experiencing especially difficult times, but Devon and Cornwall, Wales and Wessex continue to receive good levels of support. Plus, there are external factors outside the control of the sport’s governors — not least, action being taken in National Hunt and pony racing to buoy their own participant levels.

There is no overnight or single solution. However, the fact the committee is focusing on this key ingredient means at least there is hope. H&H

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

63

Le Bamba

Super mare

Height: 16.3hh Age: 15 years 10 months Price: POA Location: Bucks Description: German Rheinlander looking for a sharer 3-4 times a week. This gentleman would suit unaffiliated eventing, Dressage or a happy hacker. 07515879046 nataliecbond@gmail.com

Height: 16.1hh Age: 9 years Price: £5000 Location: Bristol Description: 9 year old, 16.1hh, hunted in Ireland, brave as they come, would do masters job.

07724218138 phillipcuthbert299@hotmail.com

Smart Dressage Prospect Height: 16.3hh Age: 5 years Price: £12,000 Location: Glasgow, City of Glasgow Description: Very smart 16.3hh rising 6yo gelding by Lord Leatherdale. Excellent paces and lovely temperament. Very trainable and not spooky. Brought on slowly to give time to mature just started competing and getting very positive judge comments along with good scores. Well behaved in the warm up and stands quietly on the trailer between tests. Travels well, good to shoe, catch etc. Great competition prospect for a competent amateur.

07775851537 kim.christie1@btinternet.com

SJ/Event Prospect By Diacontinus Height: 16.1hh Age: 1 year Price: £4750 Location: Alcester, Warwickshire Description: 2019 son of leading Hanoverian SJ sire Diacontonius. Dam’s offspring successfully eventing and county show champions. From a family of top sport horses. Absolutely stellar temperament, correct conformation, athletic, well handled. TM 16.1 - 16.2hh.

Can be seen in Warwickshire with the breeder.

07449324292 volatisstud@yahoo.co.uk

Show jumper

ISH Clover Hill lines

Height: 17hh Age: 8 years Price: £9000 Location: Chichester, West Sussex Description: Currently jumping 1.15 metre tracks with plenty of scope to go on, very careful, nibble, rideable and goes off any stride. Competing at Novice level dressage scoring 70%, schooling at home at Elementary / Advanced started changes and half past. Competed up to Novice level Eventing, but better suited to show jumping and dressage. Sire Ringfort Cruise, Grand Sire Cruising. Hunted, easy to do, box, shoe, clip, fit and sound.

07879842193 sophievandermerwe@me.com

Height: 16.2hh Age: 9 years Price: £5500 Location: Devon Description: Green passport ISH. Has hunted in Ireland and Dorset with previous owners. Done x country schooling, PC ODE, show jumping with young rider and Pleasure rides, Beach ride, Flat work clinics and schooling with me. Has potential to do lots more.

07922045893 ruthroe63@gmail.com

Young Dressage Mare

Flashy Allrounder

Height: 17.1hh Age: 5 years 9 months Price: £79,000 Location: Inverkip, Renfrewshire Description: Pipa is very talented mare who loves working.

She is turning 6 this year. Trained 2 years by English Olympic rider Emile Faurie and Grand Prix rider Tom Goode.

17.1- 17.2hh. Black with white socks on hind legs. DancianoDancier- De Niro - Donnerhall. She was invited for viewing to represent Team GB for Young Horses World Championships 2019. Was listed one of the 10 best dressage horses in UK in her age group 2019. For sale because she is a bit too good horse for me. 07534154115 kylmalaouti@gmail.com

Lavanta 8 Year Old Mare

ISH mare 15.1 age 10 Height: 15.1hh Age: 10 years Price: £6000 Location: Hampshire Description: ery low mileage, came over from Ireland as a 7 year old and has been at the same home for 3 years. Very sad sale as hugely outgrown - my daughter would happily keep her for ever! Willow has been with us for 3 years, and has done it all - showjumping up to 105, evented up to 100, hunted, competed for PC teams and gone to the PC eventing championships. She is talented with a scopey jump, and easily competes at 100 in both eventing and showjumping, excelling in these phases. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpyDZSCult4&feature=youtu.be 07720771113 owarham@hotmail.com

Height: 16.1hh Age: 8 years Price: £8000 Location: Surrey Description: Lavanta has done showjumping, cross country training and has hunted. Reason for sale is I dont have the time to bring out her full potential.

07923941899 leothelionheart.murrell8@gmail.com

Mega Hunter/ Allrounder Height: 17.1hh Age: 11 years Price: £8000 Location: Bristol Description: Gelding, easy straight forward hunter, awesome jumper, great with hounds, tidy over showjumps and can do lovely dressage test, hacks alone and company. 07724218138 henlytyningequestrian@gmail.com

Height: 16 hh Age: 6 years Price: £6,250 Location: Maidstone, Kent Description: A great looking mare that is a super allrounder.

Jumped at local shows, hunted, XC and good to hack.

Ideal for any RC or PC home.

07808965626

Heavy weight Hunter

Stunning gelding

Height: 17.3hh Age: 9 years Price: £10,000 Location: County Down Description: Winner heavyweight class Dublin ‘18 & amateur heavyweight Tattersalls ‘19 qualifying for RIHS ‘20. Has hunted. Scopey jump, schooling over 1.10m.

07831842317 judithmfjackson@googlemail.com

Height: 16hh Age: 5 years Price: £4000 Location: Norfolk Description: Absolutely gorgeous black 16hh 5yo gelding. Hunted, hacks, xc schooled, working in a nice outline. Been to 2 PC camps. A real star. No novices.

07738332518 abisgoddard@gmail.com

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

65

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Horse & Hound 20 February 2020

Perfect Gentleman Schoolmaster Height: 16.3hh Age: 14 years Price: £7000 Location: Swindon Description: Grey TB gelding. A schoolmaster and a gentleman!

George is the horse everyone needs. A true schoolmaster on the flat. 07791309011 indygogirl@gmail.com

Grey Mare - 14.2hh - 6yrs

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Mother’s Dream Pony Height: 14hh Age: 8 years Price: POA Location: Surrey Description: Fantastic winning pony. PC, NESA , PC Camp, County WHP, BE 90 (points). 1m Sj, Hunted.

Safest pony a mother could wish for. Could go right to top level. Safe in the heaviest traffic, farm machinery, flappiy plastic. A pony like this does not come round v often.

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Horse and Hound incorporating Horse Exchange, ISSN 0018-5140. Vol. CXVII No. 5039 (Est. 1884), 20 February 2020. Published weekly by TI Media Limited. 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP, United Kingdom.

Registered with the Post Office as a newspaper. Publisher’s annual subscription rates/information (52 issues) including postage: UK £159.05; Europe/Eire €264.40. USA: $342.30, Rest of the World £251.20 (priority mail). For enquiries and orders please e-mail: help@magazinesdirect.com, alternatively from the UK call: 0330 333 1113, overseas call: +44 330 333 1113 (Lines are open Monday-Saturday, 8am-6pm UK Time). Cheques payable to: TI Media Limited. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to HORSE & HOUND, Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA Subscription records are maintained at TI Media Limited, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent. Printed by Walstead UK Limited. Distributed by Marketforce (UK) Ltd, a TI Media Limited. company, 2nd Floor, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HU Tel: +44 (0)20 378 79001. Agencies for Australia and New Zealand: Gordon & Gotch Ltd. For South Africa: Central News Agency Ltd. Conditions of sale. This periodical shall not without the written consent of the publishers first given be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of Trade at more than the recommended selling price shown on the cover (selling price in Eire subject to VAT), and that it shall not be lent, resold, or hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated condition or in any unauthorised cover by way of Trade or annexed to or as part of any publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. Whilst every care is taken, Horse and Hound does not accept liability for loss or damage to MSS, photos and artwork submitted for possible publication. Every care is taken to avoid mistakes but the Publisher cannot accept liability for inaccurate information published in Horse & Hound. You are strongly urged to check details of all dates and other information published in Horse & Hound.

20 February 2020 Horse & Hound

77

GOODNIGHT

An ill wind bloweth HEN Mary and I set out for hunting on Saturday, my heart wasn’t really in it. We had high winds again, something that has blighted a number of days this season; they were whistling around the treetops in a menacing way, which could only bode ill for the day ahead.

Unboxing, it took all my strength to close the trailer door. I was clinging on like Mary Poppins with her umbrella, only with far worse language. Feeling defeated before we’d begun, I told Mary we’d give it a couple of hours and call it a day.

It was a lovely meet at a neighbour’s farm and afterwards we hacked up the road to a celebrated patch of gorse where, despite my gloomy predictions, hounds took a trail away with gusto. Off we went; a route followed many times before, up a gentle hill and down the other side, through large grassy fields with hounds on in front, going well.

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get off and see to Mary, I’ll hold ‘Mary catapulted the pony,” said Caroline, taking “ OU control in her ever-efficient way. out of the front door Mary was crying, very gently.

“My arm really hurts,” she said plaintively. at speed, hitting the Rachel, our unofficial paramedic, was asking all the right things like, “Can you move ground with a thump’ your fingers?” but I, to my shame, was still “I think we’re heading to Lanton [a farm some distance away belonging to two former masters],” I said happily, as we cantered downhill towards a wicket gate.

But it wasn’t to be. Just seconds after uttering these words, I noticed Mary’s weight shifting forwards up Rusty’s neck.

“Sit up,” I shouted, as she shifted uneasily in the saddle.

There was a tantalising moment when it looked as if she’d recovered her balance, before she catapulted out of the front door at speed, hitting the ground with a thump. They always say the worst falls come on the flat.

thinking, “Hounds, ahead, keep moving.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. We’ll soon get you back on,” I blustered, but when I tried to give Mary a leg up, she yelped horribly.

The penny finally dropped: it was blindingly obvious that our next stop was not Lanton but A&E. “Please go on, we’ll manage,” I said to the solicitous group that had gathered.

John, a new subscriber, stayed on to help while Scott and his brother on quad bikes gave Mary a lift back to the trailer. Having dropped the horses off at home, we were in A&E an hour later; the patient X-rayed (a broken wrist), bandaged and out again in another three. Say what you like about the NHS — the service was flawless. But next time an ill wind blows, Mary and I are staying at home. H&H

Picture by sarahfarnsworth.co.uk

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A great day following hounds is thwarted by a trip to A&E after daughter Mary endures a crashing fall on the flat, leaving Tessa Waugh contrite about ignoring her instincts