Credit: Brett D. Cove/Silverhub Media/REX/Shutterstock
Television presenter Lorraine Kelly has thanked the NHS staff who helped her recover following a serious riding fall that left her leg “de-gloved”.
The ITV star recently visited St George’s Hospital in London, where she received emergency treatment following the fall in 2012.
Lorraine’s visit was aired on her daytime show on 21 May.
“In 2012 I saw the very best of the NHS after a serious riding accident,” she said.
“It was only the second time I’d been on a horse for a charity event.”
Lorraine fell from the horse and was trodden on, leaving her with a serious wound to her leg.
“After losing three pints of blood, I needed urgent medical care, without it I would have been close to death,” she said.
“I was rushed to St George’s A&E due to the severity of my injury and it’s thanks to the amazing treatment I received that I’m here today.
“It’s strange to be back, I don’t remember a great deal about it but I do know medics were incredible and looked after me so well.”
Lorraine added that she didn’t look at her “de-gloved” wound “for ages” after the fall.
She underwent surgery and was off work for eight weeks while she recovered.
“It was like an out of body experience on that trolley [going into surgery],” she said.
“I could see lots of flashing light and I remember saying, ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to go to work tomorrow’.”
Lorraine recovered on the Gunning Ward, where she said the staff reassured her that she “would be just fine”.
“I owe an unpayable debt to everyone at the NHS who saved my life, but I’m just one of many people that are saved on a daily basis,” she added tearfully.
Hannah Sue Burnett (USA:#) riding HARBOUR PILOT in the cross country phase of the CICO*** section at the Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International Horse Trials on the Houghton Hall Estate near King’s Lynn in Norfolk in the UK between 25th-28th May 2017
The three riders — Hannah Sue Burnett, Jennie Brannigan and Alyssa Phillips — were all tested at the Ocala Jockey Club International in Florida last year (16-20 November), where Hannah Sue won the CIC3* on Harbour Pilot. All three recorded a positive result for the prohibited substance amfetamine, with Alyssa also testing positive for canrenone and Jennie for methylphenidate and ritalinic acid.
Amfetamine and methylphenidate are listed in the stimulants category of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2017 prohibited list, as is phenethylamine and its derivatives, which include ritalinic acid. Canrenone is included in the diuretics and masking agents category.
Under the terms of the agreements between the FEI and the riders, the trio are suspended from competition for a year from the date of the sample collection (18 November 2018), have to pay the fine and are disqualified from the competition. The parties each bear their own legal costs.
The riders also have to support the FEI’s anti-doping campaign and engage in athlete education, including providing testimonials for FEI education material. They also have to complete an anti-doping education course within a year of the FEI Tribunal decision.
Athletes can apply for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) if they need to use a prohibited substance to manage an illness or condition. The riders all applied for a retroactive TUE after the tests, which were rejected, but they have all been granted TUEs for the same substances going forward.
“All three athletes were able to prove no significant fault or negligence and the circumstances of the cases show that none of them had the intention to dope,” said FEI legal director Mikael Rentsch. “In light of this, and the fact that the athletes have subsequently been granted Therapeutic Use Exemptions for these medications, the parties agreed that the period of ineligibility should be reduced to 12 months [from a potential four years], and the FEI Tribunal has approved that.”
Hannah Sue requested the analysis of the B sample after her positive test, which confirmed the A sample analysis and the presence of amfetamine.
The FEI Tribunal reported Hannah Sue has had a “genuine and documented history of ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] since childhood”, the condition being so disruptive she dropped out of school at 12 years old and was home schooled and subsequently dropped out of college. Amfetamines are commonly used to treat this condition.
“There was no intent by Ms Burnett to cheat or enhance performance and she was granted a prospective TUE for her ADHD condition,” continued the document. “Therefore, Ms Burnett’s fault lies not in taking the medication, but in failing to file a timely TUE application.”
The report also said that Hannah Sue has committed herself to educating herself about ADHD and starting psychotherapy for behavioural support around organisational skills and time management, as well as taking her prescribed medication.
Hannah Sue, who told the FEI she cannot recall receiving any human anti-doping education for at least five years, said after the Tribunal decision: “It is with the upmost passion and commitment that I will be returning to the competitive world of eventing. I have taken full responsibility for my actions and am grateful for the opportunity to return to the sport I so deeply love.
“Abiding by the rules that have been placed to ensure fair competition within the sport of eventing is important to me. While I am taking a doctor prescribed medication, I acknowledge and regret that I began taking the medication before submitting a Therapeutic Use Exemption. I have since gone through the FEI process and been granted a TUE going forward.
“I am humbled by the support and forgiveness of those closest to me despite my mistakes. To everyone who fought for me and believed in me when I couldn’t do so for myself — from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I know it will take time to rebuild the trust of many of my fans and supporters, but I am committed to doing exactly that.”
Jennie did not request the analysis of the B sample. The Tribunal report said she had “struggled with depression, attention issues, as well as ADHD symptoms for her entire life (as they are quite prevalent in her family history), but did not seek help through medication until she sustained head injuries / concussions in the past two years.” It also said that she provided documentation showing her concussion history “at times makes her forgetful and impulsive”.
Jennie, who had never previously been drug tested, was initially treated for depression and attention issues with Wellbutrin, which is not prohibited, but was moved onto Concerta and Vyvanse after Wellbutrin did not resolve her issues. Her Concerta and Wellbutrin use were declared on her doping control form.
“Ms Brannigan’s use of these medications was unrelated to her sport performance, but rather, was to treat her ADHD symptoms as well as depression. Ms Brannigan promptly admitted her anti-doping rule violation, promptly provided an explanation as to the cause of her positive test, and waived the testing of her B sample,” said the report, which added that: “Other tribunals have also held that depression is a factor that can lead to a reduction in a sanction.”
Jennie said: “I’m incredibly happy to know that I will be able to come back to compete again this November, and while this situation has been tough on my sponsors, students, owners, and support team I am truly thankful that I have learned how to love the sport even from the sidelines. I am grateful to everyone who has stood by me and I am extremely sorry to have let our sport, country, and my supporters down.
“That being said, I am appreciative to the FEI for recognising I wasn’t taking the medication to try to improve my performance and that indeed I will be allowed to compete on this medication going forward. I know I have learned a lot from this experience, and I hope it has helped others be more educated on anti-doping as well.”
Alyssa did not request the analysis of the B sample. She declared the two substances — canrenone and amfetamine — on her doping control form at the time of the test, which is seen as “a mitigating factor that weighs in her favour when assessing her degree of fault”.
The Tribunal also took into account Alyssa’s youth (she is 21), the fact she is an amateur rider and full-time college student and her lack of anti-doping education — “before she was tested she had no idea an anti-doping programme even existed for riders and this was her first ever doping test”.
The report added that the positive test was caused by medications for ADHD, for which Alyssa has a valid medical prescription and which she believed she was permitted to use. “Ms Phillips’s use of these medications was unrelated to her sport performance, but rather, was to treat her ADHD symptoms,” it said.
Alyssa said: “Today FEI made public that I have been given the minimum sanction possible of 12 months for my ingestion of two prescribed medications, that are banned substances. As most of you may recall, I tested positive for the two prescribed medications at a competition back in November. At the time, I didn’t understand that riders were subject to an anti-doping programme, I thought only horses were.
“I should’ve known to apply for a TUE for my two medications, but I was not aware I needed to. However, I have since applied and both medicines have received a TUE. With that being said, the FEI understood I was not trying to enhance my performance in any way and has granted me a sanction of 12 months backdated to when I was tested in November. So, I will be eligible to compete again on November 18, 2018.
“Despite my ineligibility to compete, I am grateful to be surrounded by people that have supported and continue to support me during this time, along with three happy and healthy horses. I have taken advantage of my time off to really focus on the training and ride-ability of my horses. I am staying positive and using this unfortunate situation as an opportunity to learn and grow as a rider.”
World Horse Welfare field officer Rachel Andrews worked with the RSPCA to assess the pony and organise temporary accommodation for him, before taking him to the charity’s Penny Farm rescue and rehoming centre.
The colt has been named Mr Melvin Andrews, after the field officers that visited him, and has already become a favourite among World Horse Welfare visitors.
“Melvin was understandably a bit subdued when he arrived, but he’s come out of his shell a bit and shown that he’s a very sweet little pony who has a bit of a cheeky side,” said his groom, Katie Grimshaw.
“He’s already popular with visitors to the centre — everybody seems to have heard his story and people especially love his name.
“Our first priority was giving him a thorough bath and clipping his hair so we could properly assess his condition and treat him for lice.”
World Horse Welfare fears the incident could be the start of a new trend
She added the pony’s skin was in a “terrible state” and he was very underweight.
“We will be building him up slowly to help him regain his strength,” she added.
“We’re looking forward to working with him over the next few months to get him fit and healthy so that he can find the good home that all horses and ponies deserve.”
Ms Andrews added every equine “deserves responsible ownership”.
“[This] includes responsible breeding, selling and rehoming,” she said.
“We’re just glad that Melvin has settled in well at our Penny Farm rescue and rehoming centre and has already shown himself to be lovely a little pony.
“We hope in time that we can find him a good home.”
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
In this week’s edition, out on 24 May, don’t miss our “cob special”, including how to find the perfect cob, meet champion cob Our Cashel Blue and more.
The Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing, run in association with KBIS were a runaway success for the second year. We’re sad it’s all over now, so to reminisce, here’s just a few of the things we learnt at Keysoe over the Bank Holiday weekend (26-28 May)…
1. The prizes were awesome (again!)
80cm winner Beccy Belcher’s prize haul
This wasn’t an ordinary unaffiliated event, this was an unaffiliated event boasting thousands of pounds worth of prizes. To give you an idea, here’s what you won if you scooped first place in any of the four classes:
£250 from KBIS to be redeemed against an insurance policy
NAF goody pack made up from
1 x Ice Cool
1 x Superflex 800g
1 x Cooling Wash
1 x Show Off
1 x Leather Cleanse and Condition
1 x Recover
Bates eventers pack
1 x dressage saddle cloth
1 x polo wraps
2 x jump saddle cloths
1 x stall guard
A pair of Ariat long boots
A pair of Icevibe boots
Winner’s rug
A pot of Sliverfeet liquid hoof oil
A Likit
Even better, the excellent prize haul awarded those all the way down to 10th place.
2. One competitor was supremely cool in the face of a adversity
One rider was faced with a bit of a problem when facing a bridle malfunction while going through the water complex on the cross-country, but she remained calm and both horse and rider escaped from the incident unscathed.
3. Age? It’s just a number
Whether you are 11 or 72, age really doesn’t matter. Competitors as young as 11, such as Frankie Fox who was second in the 70cm class, gave the grown-ups a run for their money. While Sally Pidsley, last year’s 70cm winner, who finished a highly creditable third in the same class this time around, is 72. Aaron Clark was also another 11-year-old competitor, who is pictured having a whale of a time below.
4. All shapes, sizes and colours of horse and pony were welcome
Large, small, bay, grey and everything in-between — all sorts of horses and ponies gave the competition their best shot. In fact, of the four classes, two winners were riding coloureds and one was on a dun. And then there was this one — a real life My Little Pony!
5. All was not lost if you didn’t make it round the cross-country
Those that didn’t complete the cross-country phase were allowed to trot-up and complete a consolation showjumping round on the final day.
6. The commentator was brilliant…
Nick Woods deserved a medal for his brilliant commentary throughout the competition. He made the event feel like Badminton and so many were full of praise for his hard work — not to mention his unwavering enthusiasm during nine hours (!) of cross-country action.
7. …As was the catering team
There were no greasy burger vans in situ at Keysoe, just delicious, fresh food, all day every day — take a bow, catering team — you were ace (as was your macaroni cheese)
Polly suffered a nasty fall last year while doing arena cross-country
8. Takeaways do deliver to Keysoe
But if you did fancy half a duck and some crispy seaweed, the sight of one group of riders in the lorry park tucking into a Chinese confirmed the local takeaway does deliver to Keysoe.
9. Fun was had by all
From a drinks party with endless bottles of fizz to a live band and insightful demos, there was never a dull moment at the H&H Festival of Eventing, and the competitors and their supporters sure knew how to have fun!
Don’t miss the full report from the Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing in the 7 June issue of Horse & Hound magazine
For those of you who have been around for a while, you know that Horse and Man has helped The Golden Carrot almost every December. TGC takes in the old and special needs horses – the group that usually always ends up down the long road to nowhere… Casey showers the 40+ old timers in her care with love, great feed, supplements and meds, if needed.
Over the weekend, Casey’s home and all the horses’ feed/supplements/medications BURNED to the ground. It was terrifying. Casey made it out with only the clothes she was wearing. The fire was so hot, it burned completely before the Fire Department arrived.
The Golden Carrot lost all of the horse feed, the water well pump, all of the horses’ meds (previcox, bute, banamine, penicillin, SMZ, gentacin, etc,,,), supplement, feed, tack, halters, lead ropes, saddles, etc. EVERYTHING.
When you shop @AmazonSmile, Amazon will make a donation to Horse And Man Inc.
Supporting The Bucket Fund through Amazon Smile is HUGE for the horses. Please choose HORSE AND MAN when you make your Amazon purchase through this link. THANK YOU!
GBR-Emily King (BROOKLEIGH) INTERIM-3RD: CCI4* CROSS COUNTRY: 2015 FRA-Les Etoiles de Pau (Saturday 24 October) CREDIT: Libby Law COPYRIGHT: LIBBY LAW PHOTOGRAPHY
Eventer Emily King is looking forward to her move to Cheshire, to base her operation with her boyfriend, fellow event rider Sam Ecroyd.
Since making the decision to ride professionally, Emily has been based with her mother, top rider Mary King, in their Devon yard, but she is due to make the “big leap” this summer.
“He’s got a business up there so I’m setting up at his yard,” she told H&H. “I’m going to be taking on the northern circuit!”
And although Emily said the change will be a big one for her, she explained that she and Mary have always done “everything separately” with their horses in Devon, despite the fact they share the same yard, so it will not be as much of a difference as some might have thought.
“The only real change is that we won’t be travelling together to competitions any more,” she said. “Everything will be the same at home and we’ll still be at all the same events. It’ll be a different location, but everything else very similar!”
Emily said the aim is to make the move towards the end of July.
The Badminton debutant talks about the pressure of being Mary King’s daughter and her ride’s peculiar jumping style
Sam, 21, has enjoyed international success up to three-star level, including riding on teams for Britain.
He was on the gold medal-winning team at the 2010 pony European Championships, following this up with team bronze and individual silver the following year.
Emily cited the move as one of the reasons the previous owner of Langford Take the Biscuit had to sell the six-year-old gelding, which sparked Emily’s successful crowdfunding campaign. Donors contributed the £40,000 necessary to buy the horse to allow Emily to keep the ride.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
In this week’s edition, out on 24 May, don’t miss our “cob special”, including how to find the perfect cob, meet champion cob Our Cashel Blue and more.
Chiara is now on a three-week break whereby she enjoys her time in the field with regular grooming and pampering in the form of massages and physio.
One serious issue came to light at Windsor which was that neither her numnah nor her girth was doing her any favours with rubs in strategic places. This is not as easily rectified as it might seem; everything will now have to be checked, the saddle refitted, new numnahs (pure orthopaedic wool, of course) and establishing why her very expensive girth rubs and what the solution would be. She is so fine skinned that perfection is really the only option and these issues only show up after she has covered a considerable distance.
Pretty Chi at Windsor
Last weekend I helped at the iconic Golden Horseshoe ride on Exmoor. This time last year, I was at the same place but the difference was immeasurable. The biggest factor to cause this difference was the weather (pictured top in the rain in 2015). Last year was typical ‘Horseshoe weather’; rain and wind and not very warm. But this year it was like being on another planet with warm sunshine and a light breeze, perfect conditions for endurance.
The largely dry weather leading up to the event meant that the going on Exmoor, often really difficult, wet and deep; was pretty much as good as you can get, resulting in several of the coveted ‘Golds’ being awarded in both the main 160km Horseshoe class and the 120km Exmoor Stag class.
For me this weekend was a chance to give a little back to our sport and do what many of us endurance riders do; volunteer to help the busy, overworked organisers. Actually it was fun! I got to do car parking (again), help with the very large pleasure ride class and actually judge for an award as well as covering the Facebook feed. It was almost a holiday with the aroma of sunscreen prevailing over the usual smell of eau de horse!
The tort-up at the Golden Horseshoe
With being away three weekends in a row, the washing builds up and the heap on the chair gets correspondingly deeper; you know when you have a pile of clothes which you’ve worn perhaps an hour and then needed to change for a different task. These clothes, while not really dirty enough to warrant a trip to the washing machine, are not clean enough to return to the depths of the wardrobe or over-stuffed chest of drawers. This is something I have always struggled with and, as I look at the heap of clothes on my chair, I am beginning to wish that I could just stick to one colour scheme because none of these items can be worn with another one: orange is the competition colour, grey is my sponsor’s colour, red and navy some of my favourite Team GBR kit and deep pink which is my best colour (yes, I have had my colours done, darling!): decisions…
A competitor at this year’s Golden Horseshoe in the sun
Today I was a little short of time and decided to take Dilmun and Fantom out together, riding Dilmun and leading Fantom. About a mile or so from home I had an incident with a horse lorry. These are very narrow, very quiet Cornish lanes and this lorry drove to within a metre of us, tailgating us down the very steep lane even though they could see I was going to pull into a driveway some 20 metres away. We shot in sideways while said lorry roared past hooting and this was a HORSE lorry. What is wrong with people?
Training has now focussed on Fantom in an effort to improve his strength and fitness which, despite his successful completion of a 40km ride, still leaves ongoing work if we are to contest a one-star towards the end of June. This competition in Norfolk is intended to be in part a test to see if he has overcome his ‘tying up’ problem and partly to just enjoy for its own sake and be competitive. I have now added an ulcer remedy to his diet as it is probably the only thing I haven’t done as a tying up prevention. He does, however, appear to be having a little ‘down’ patch at the moment and has reverted to his ‘super slug’ status and training sessions are a bit of an effort. However, it is extremely hot and humid here in the far west and I am hoping this is just due to the weather.
Annie has been busy packing, competing, unpacking and then re-packing for more competing
The dry weather has transformed daily life at Watergate Endurance mainly because there is no mud! However, instead of the obligatory mucking out of stables and field shelters, poo picking is now one of the largest tasks. I had a pleasant surprise this evening when I found that the ‘poo fairy’ had been and miraculously transformed one of my paddock areas into an almost manicured lawn (well, perhaps not quite manicured, but certainly an improvement): thank you Emily (Wiz’s jockey).
Annie
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
In this week’s edition, out on 24 May, don’t miss our “cob special”, including how to find the perfect cob, meet champion cob Our Cashel Blue and more.
A beloved veteran gelding has been put down as a result of injuries sustained while being chased by a dog.
Claire O’Kane’s two Arab horses and loan pony were turned out in their field in Bedfield, Suffolk, when the incident took place.
The dog, believe to be a bull terrier, entered the paddock and chased the horses for around 15 minutes.
Claire was working at the time, but her neighbour spotted the horses being chased and informed Claire later that day (19 April).
Although Claire checked the horses in the dark that evening, it wasn’t until the next morning that the full extent of the injuries became apparent.
Her retired Arab, Mirshid al Nowak, was left very lame and following a vet inspection it was decided it was kindest to put him to sleep.
Claire’s other Arab, Qasaria, and Welsh section A pony, Thistledown Emma, were not injured, but Claire is “worried sick” the dog will get into the field again.
“They’ve only got to be chased and run into a fence and they could be seriously injured,” she told H&H.
“My neighbour said the dog was so out of breath it was drinking from the horses’ drinkers. I don’t know what the owner was doing.”
Claire contacted police and hopes the dog’s owner can be traced.
She said Mirshid was “completely priceless and irreplaceable”.
The pair competed at the Arab Horse Society National Show, as well as enjoying dressage, long-distance rides and jumping prior to his retirement.
“He was a very good all-rounder and a best friend,” said Claire.
“He introduced my two children to horses and was so gentle and kind. I couldn’t have wished for a greater horse, he was the king of our yard.”
A spokesman for Suffolk Police has issued an appeal to trace the dog’s owner.
“The dog is described as brown/fawn bull terrier and was with a woman, thought to be the owner,” he said.
“Police are reminding dog owners to take appropriate steps to keep their pets under control as they are responsible for them and their conduct when out walking.”
From Broomstick the skinny thoroughbred who liked to take off, to the German-bred Kraut, some funny horse names are so bad, they’re unforgettably good…
1. Houdini
Obvious reasons, found wandering around the stable yard.
2. Bunny Killer
Real name Murphy but nick-named Bunny Killer as he trampled some rabbits to death in his field.
3. Badly
Always amusing to hear: “next in, we have Jo Bloggs riding Badly”…
4. Clear So Far
Talk about jinxing every jumping round and being condemned to a life of having the first fence down.
5. Prudence
She opened gates, her stable door, untied ropes, went into the feed room and flipped up lids, and even climbed through electric fencing. But she always weighed up the pros and cons of her actions so she never got hurt.
6. Bandit
A Shetland pony. He was very naughty and always up to mischief. A perfect match for his name.
7. Hannibal Lector
Used to kill rats in his stable. Also one day turned to the horse in the stable next door and bit its tongue out.
8. Snoreen
He actually snores when he’s asleep. It’s hilarious.
9. Puff
This little grey pony farted a lot at Pony Club.
10. Wotsit
We could never remember his name. We’d say “Y’know, what’s his name”, and eventually Wotsit stuck.
11. Lucky Strike
Turned out to be a ringer. Not such a lucky strike!
12. Trauma
He had a difficult birth. Life was a bit of an uphill struggle for him with that name.
13. Heidi
A 12hh Welsh mountain pony. She was palomino with long blonde locks.
14. Nipper
A 14.2hh New Forest/thoroughbred who used to mistake hair for hay.
15. Spirit Of Independence
She was born on 4 July… Independence day. But she was certainly a ‘free spirit’ and would ditch her rider at any given opportunity.
16. Pants
His actual stable name is Smartie, but somewhere along the line this evolved into Smartie-pants, then just Pants. Cue funny looks calling his name at shows.
17. Broomstick
A skinny bay thoroughbred who liked to take off.
18. Frog
He was imported from France.
19. Kraut
She was German-bred.
20. Treasure
A 12hh Welsh chestnut mare and a total pain in every way possible. Banned from Pony Club. Had a nasty rearing habit. Not a Treasure in any way, shape or form.
21. VIP
Which has, bizarrely, been elongated for his stable name into Very Important Peanut — or Peanut if we’re feeling lazy.
22. Hoarse
A Canadian horse with a minor respiratory problem. Bit of a cruel name, but also inspired.
23. OP
He’s ginger and it stands for Orange Pony. He is even freezmarked OP.
24. Horsey McHorseFace
A racehorse named after Boaty McBoat Face. He is now in training in Australia.
Teenage showjumper Olli Fletcher has soared into the record books as the youngest ever winner of an Area Trial.
These 1.50m classes are some of the most prestigious on the national circuit and always a highly competitive affair, so when 15-year-old Olli, son of the great showjumpers Graham and Tina Fletcher, was handed the red ribbon at Wales and West last weekend (18-21 May), it was a truly momentous moment for the whole family.
“The first round asked plenty of questions and it wasn’t over until you’d jumped the last, but the jump-off was smooth and flowing,” says Olli, who was riding the 15-year-old former eventer KBIS Caicos.
“He’s amazing, lovely to ride and has so much scope that every fence is like jumping a vertical.”
Olli would love to follow in his mother’s footsteps and win the Hickstead Derby, but his immediate aims are a place on the junior European jumping team and a tilt at the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at the Royal International.
“I’d love a crack at the Derby, but rules say I’ve got to wait three years until I’m 18,” says Olli. “Caicos has already jumped it with [former rider] Alfie Bradstock and although he’s 15 now, he thinks he’s seven.”
Olli’s father Graham reckons he didn’t win his first Area Trial until the age of 16, so son Olli is already giving him a very good run for his money.
“To win a Trial at his age is a great achievement,” Graham told H&H. “Your only hope as a parent is that your children do better than you, and, with the right rub of the green, I think he could go on to do very well.
“I’d say Olli is a pretty similar personality to me – a bit cocky and, like my Dad had to do to me, sometimes I have to keep him in check! But I would say his riding is a lot more stylish than mine was, but I think every rider has to be nowadays just because of the type of horses they’re riding. The courses back then were a fair bit gutsier and tougher, too — you had to ride with a bit more vigour, shall we say!”
A beloved veteran gelding has been put down as a result of injuries sustained while being chased by a dog.
