The leaderboard of the 100cm championship at the Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing, run in association with KBIS, had a huge shake up on the final day today (28 May).
Eventual winners, Julia Dungworth and the eight-year-old Gortmore Ballyneety, enjoyed a meteoric rise thanks to a clear showjumping round, climbing from eighth after the cross-country to take first prize.
“This event has done ‘Gala’ the world of good and it has been a brilliant experience for him,” said Julia of her Irish-bred gelding. “I can’t recommend this competition enough to other riders.”
Julia has owned Gala for just under a year after one of her teaching clients brought him for a lesson.
“He bucked his old owner off in the lesson and I said ‘I like that horse’,” admitted Julia, who finished on her dressage score of 33.25. “He’s really sharp — he’s not spooky at fences, but if someone took their jumper off by the side of the arena, he would bugger off with me! I couldn’t let the rosette be pinned on his bridle today as I would have gone through the hedge.
“Gala is a diamond in the rough and I have high hopes for him for the future — he will get it but just needs this sort of competition to help give him some grounding.”
Learn more about the new 90cm champion who has some interesting breeding
Second place went to Emma Freeman and Quick Dolla Bill, who also flew up the placings from ninth thanks to a clear showjumping round. While another to benefit from a clear round on the final day was Helen Fraser and Justanumber, who rose from 10th to third. Overnight cross-country leaders Doriel Watson and Claude II dropped out of the top 10 after an expensive showjumping round.
Don’t miss the full report from the H&H Festival of Eventing in Horse & Hound magazine — on sale Thursday, 7 June and follow online at www.horseandhound.co.uk
Judge Norman Williamson gets a good gallop from Sizing Australia which won the Racehorse to Riding Horse championship at Balmoral (Horse is a former Cheltenham festival cross country winner and Punchestown banks course winner)
The 150th Balmoral Show (16-19 May 2018) in Northern Ireland saw visiting horses and riders winning several championship titles, while a Cheltenham Festival-winning racehorse bagged the Racehorse to Riding Horse title.
But who else turned heads at this annual show?
1. Retaining her crown
Robert Fallon’s Frederiksminde Mellow II retains her Connemara mare championship.
2. Elegance
Robin Catterall and Carnsdale Irish Times on their lap of honour after winning the side saddle championship.
3. Royal Encounters
The Princess Royal congratulating Dessie Gibson, who was in-hand hunter breeding champion with his yearling, Legacy.
4. Picture perfect pair
Overall coloured champion is Courtney Stuart on Helens Gypsy (right), while reserve is Bethany Murray on Teeshan’s Blue.
5. Flying high
Paulette Cooper’s MJM Laslo continues his winning streak by adding the working hunter title to his already impressive 2018 tally.
6. Horse and hounds
Declan Feeney and the East Down foxhounds treat spectators to a parade.
7. Leaping to the red
James Hogg and Intuitive winning the Dengie six-and seven-year-old showjumping championship.
8. Lovely Cassanova
Rachel Moore and her small hunter winner Birchill Cassanova.
9. Tough decisions
Youngstock judges Anne Leaver and Simon Somers deliberate.
10. A grey affair
Judge Sam McAteer with his champion and reserve cobs Randalstown Cromwell (left) and Randalstown Raffles.
11. Who needs a horse?
The donkey display provides a spectacle of bygone days.
12. Galloping to victory
Judge Norman Williamson gets a good gallop from Sizing Australia, who won the Racehorse to Riding Horse championship. Sizing Australia is a former Cheltenham Festival cross-country winner.
13. Quality Clydesdale
Julia Wilson and Roeview Andrew land the ridden Clydesdale class.
14. We did it
Phoebe Beaumont and Edie, who have qualified for HOYS, had two wins and also stood working hunter pony champions. (Credit: Prime Photography)
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.
Twelve months ago, Georgie Siggers was at the Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing grooming for her daughter, Rosie, before setting herself the challenge to return in the saddle this year after a 30-year hiatus.
“My daughter was doing the 90cm class and we had a brilliant weekend, but I kept wishing I was here doing it,” says Georgie, who now fits in riding around her full-time work as a consultant paediatrician.
“I had brought Rosie to Keysoe so many times for British Eventing (BE) events and always wondered what it would be like to ride down the centre line — now I am actually here, I can’t believe it.”
Georgie is partnering 14-year-old Roy The Rascal in this year’s 70cm class and has bounced back from confidence issues over the past year.
“I bought Roy in January last year, but when I walked the cross-country course here in 2017, I thought ‘there is no way I can do that’ because we were only jumping tiny crosspoles.
“I signed up to the Wobbleberry Challengeand I was supposed to do it in September, however, when I started jumping bigger fences I was falling off a lot — I had five falls in succession and it knocked my confidence,”explains Georgie.
“So, I thought I should be kinder to myself and stick to the flat over the winter and aim for the H&H Festival of Eventing in the spring.”
Georgie rode as a child but then didn’t get back into it until her daughter started riding and she credits Roy for getting her back in the saddle.
“When I went to try him, I had to get Rosie to ride him in canter because I was too nervous to do so — I was a real beginner,” reflects Georgie.
“After last year’s H&H Festival of Eventing, I thought I’m nearing 50 and if I don’t do this now I never will. I had taken my daughter to events all over the place, and now I really wanted to do it.”
The Kent-based rider, who lives near Sevenoaks, has had a great preparation ahead of this year’s H&H Festival of Eventing having competed at the Riding Club Championships last weekend in the combined training class.
“My friend sadly couldn’t go having qualified in a team, so I stepped in as the wildcard, but I got there and took one look at the jumps and thought I couldn’t do it. However, people told me I would regret it if I didn’t.
“Someone told me to go in and ride like I had been eliminated at the first fence, so I was really determined and jumped a clear round,” she adds.
“I haven’t had much time to fit cross-country schooling in and I was worried about my fitness too — knowing I need to ride every fence — so I set up jumps in my field and did about 15 laps!
“I will be nervous before the cross-country tomorrow (Sunday, 27 May), I didn’t walk the course before my dressage because I didn’t want to be worrying about it all through my test. My daughter has been really supportive, sadly her horse is injured so cannot be here competing — I was really hoping we’d be riding here together.”
Don’t miss the full report from the H&H Festival of Eventing in Horse & Hound magazine — on sale Thursday, 7 June and follow online at www.horseandhound.co.uk.
Preparing for a three-day event can be quite daunting, with so much to remember aside from your dressage test! To help ensure your event goes as smoothly as possible international event rider Alice Pearson has shared some of her top tips for a three-day event. Alice has many years of experience competing international events; she was the best British rider at the Junior Europeans in 2005 and went on to compete successfully at several high profile events, including going clear around both Badminton and Burghley.
Tip one – Lists Go through in your head what you will need for every day, from schooling on the first day to each competition day and write it all down. Write it well in advance as you will suddenly remember things you need at 4am! Simple things like a quarter sheet (if it is raining or freezing cold) or an extra bridle (if you need to work your horse in in the morning so that your pretty dressage bridle stays clean for the test) are really useful. Don’t forgot your boot polish.
Tip two – A wheelbarrow is essential Bring a wheelbarrow to take to the cross-country finish. Be well prepared on cross-country morning and get your wheelbarrow down to the finish so that you can wash your horse off straight after cross-country. Water is usually supplied so pack your wheelbarrow the night before or first thing in the morning with the usual things like buckets, sponge and a sweat scraper. I also love an Equi-N-ice cooling rug and bandages as they are simple and easy to put on and do not slip whilst walking back to the stable. Remember your headcollar and a drink for the rider too! The wheelbarrow can then be used to take all the tack straight back to the lorry.
Tip three – The trot-up For the trot-up make sure you wear shoes or boots you can easily run in! White jeans can look very smart, but make sure you do not get them dirty before you present your horse to the ground jury. It is easy to look at the forecast and think “Oh, it’ll be raining” only for the sun to make a surprise appearance when you haven’t ironed your shirt so be prepared for all weather eventualities.
Tip four – Ice If you have space for a freezer in the lorry it is a godsend. If you can get hookup not only can keep all your food in there for your stay, but you can also keep your cool boots and ice in there for putting on any knocks or bangs after cross-country. Ice is also useful for putting on tired legs the night after cross-country in preparation for showjumping the next day. I use tubigrip folded up and then fill with ice. This can be useful on banged knees as well as tendons. It is also good to have some spare for a well-earned post cross-country G&T!
Tip five – Watch others If you are not one of the first to go, then watch some other riders. In all three phases it is vital to see how the course is riding. You may have walked that combination on four strides but actually it is riding better on three or five. Get out early and have another course walk whilst its being ridden; go and watch some dressage tests (mainly to make sure you really know the test!). If you are first to go cross-country and cannot watch anyone else, trust your instincts and be brave; after all you know your horse better than anyone else. Don’t listen too much to people who do not know you or your horse well, but try to walk the course with people who do know you both. Take all the advice you can, but remember you are here to enjoy it and you know your horse the best.
Tip six – Insurance It is most important to remember that you are there to enjoy yourself, but it is worth making sure you have suitable insurance in place in case the weekend doesn’t go to plan. Check that your public liability insurance covers the activity you are doing so that you are protected in case your horse kicks a person or a car in the warm up or gets loose on the cross-country course and injures someone in the crowd, remember horses can behave differently when not in their usual environment. With that in mind insuring your horse should be considered just so that you can cover any veterinary fees if they are injured or fall ill whilst you are away. I think it is also important to have personal accident insurance too as if I was signed off work, I would need to pay someone else to help with the horses.
In conjunction with Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing sponsor KBIS, there will be a demo with Alice Pearson on the Saturday evening of the event, open to everyone to attend. It will be sure to offer you some valuable training advice, so do make sure you come along.
Essex-based rider Polly Godsafe has bounced back from injury having broken both her arms in a rotational fall last March and is partnering Rock The Casper — a horse who wouldn’t go near a showjump two years ago.
“I was having an arena cross-country lesson and he put in a huge leap, hit the fence and we landed in a heap on the floor the other side,” says Polly, who is riding in the 80cm class this weekend. “I was concussed, so I don’t remember much but I broke my right elbow and left wrist.
Polly was out of action for eight weeks while her bones mended, which also saw “Casper” have some down time.
“I had to get my strength back in my arms and I still struggle with the strength in my right arm a bit. It took a while to get Casper back in form too, he hadn’t jumped for a while and our progress had gone back a few steps,” says Polly.
A winter of dressage and jumping lessons with trainer Penny Brooks has paid off and they are regularly hitting the 70% mark in pure dressage.
However, when Polly took on the Irish-bred gelding it was a very different story and he knew very little.
“Two years ago I took him on as a loan and he looked like a big fat cob — he was something to have fun with over the summer, although I was told he wouldn’t jump showjumps at all, so I thought I would just be hacking him. But I’ve taken things very slowly with him and you have to let him learn things on his own accord,” says Polly of the eight-year-old.
“A friend of mine rode at the H&H Festival of Eventing last year and I really wanted to do it, but Casper was no where near ready for it — whereas he is a different horse now.”
Polly, who is an equine McTimoney Chiropractor, is looking forward to cross-country day tomorrow (Sunday, 27 May) because it is a discipline Casper enjoys.
“He’s an amazing cross-country horse and will jump anything,” she says. “He was a junior whips horse before I got him and I’ve taken him out a few times, but he can get himself in a bit of a state when standing.”
Don’t miss the full report from the H&H Festival of Eventing in Horse & Hound magazine — on sale Thursday, 7 June and follow online at www.horseandhound.co.uk.
Jayne Ackland-Snow credits her gelding Bincastle Lad (aka “Donny The Connie”) for helping her recover from a terrible illness that left her hospitalised.
The 62-year-old was struck down with a “very nasty and unusual form of bacterial meningitis” five years ago.
“It was on New Year’s Eve that I started to feel unwell,” remembers Jayne, who didn’t start riding until the age of 40. “I got a really bad fever that I thought was flu — I stayed in bed for a few days but it just got worse.
“I was taken to hospital and put on drips and antibiotics, I also had a spinal tap and various other things before they found out what it was.”
A ten-day spell in hospital followed before her recovery began at home.
“I gradually started getting better and got my interest in horses back. However, I had a very big horse at the time and I wasn’t finding it easy with him — tacking up and riding him was a struggle. So someone suggested I went and looked at Donny, who was for sale.
“My first thoughts were that he was too white, too small and too old! But it turned out he was perfect for me and, over the past five years, he has hugely helped with my recovery,” adds Jayne.
“It was a really tough time, but both Donny and my husband have been instrumental in helping me get back to full health.”
Jayne, who describes Donny as “the most super pony”, is hoping to improve on her performance at the H&H Festival of Eventing last year.
“He doesn’t really like cross-country and I’m hoping to improve on our elimination in 2017,” she says.
“I’m not the bravest rider and both Donny and I think ‘if you don’t want to do it nor do I! However, we have been doing a lot of training — riding is a real passion of mine and I’m lucky to be here.”
Don’t miss the full report from the H&H Festival of Eventing in Horse & Hound magazine — on sale Thursday, 7 June and follow online at www.horseandhound.co.uk.
Police are searching for a female motorist who verbally and physically attacked a teenage rider and told her she was “too fat” for the pony she was hacking.
Ruby Prowse, 15, was riding her grandmother’s Dartmoor Billy on a quiet country road near Truro when the woman stopped her car and started shouting at her.
Ruby’s mother Georgia described how the woman “gave her the v-sign” before telling her to get off the pony because she was too big.
“She got out of the car and grabbed her by the thigh and started trying to pull her off,” Georgia said. “Ruby hit her on the arm with her stick and then the woman started grabbing at the pony’s reins.”
Ruby told the woman if she did not let go of the pony, she would call the police.
“She replied, ‘no you won’t, you’re just a child,’ but with that she got in the car and drove off,” Georgia said.
Ruby’s first response was to dismount 13.2hh Billy — a rescue her grandmother acquired from a charity — and check he was unhurt.
“Because of that she didn’t get a registration,” her mother explained. “Her first priority was the pony but she did get a good description.”
The woman is thought to be blonde, in her 30s and was wearing a grey tracksuit and trainers with “big square sunglasses that covered a lot of her face”. She was driving an older grey Ford seven-seater.
“It was really bizarre,” Georgia added. “While Ruby is 6ft tall, she is built like a beanpole, there isn’t an ounce of fat on her. I’ve never come across behaviour like it.”
Ruby, who competes at BE100, had recently lost her eventer in a field accident and was riding the pony for her grandmother to help get him fit.
“He is only 13.2hh but he’s like a warthog, he’s a tank!” Georgia said. “We recently got a new horse but in a way it was a good job she was riding Billy when it happened as he is amazing in traffic and all sorts of situations. Another horse would’ve been an unknown quantity.”
Ruby was “initially angry” about the encounter — which happened at around 6.50pm last Monday evening (May 14) — but has since been reluctant to hack alone.
The leading dressage figure, who spent 12 years as president of the national federation, has been temporarily suspended due to…
Georgia said police had been informed, but they had been unable to track down the motorist without a numberplate.
“We’re just keeping an eye out for the car and making people as aware as they can be,” she added.
A Devon and Cornwall police spokesman confirmed the force is investigating.
Anyone who saw the incident or has any information is asked to email police on 101@dc.police.uk, quoting CR/041762/18.
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.
Being sidelined through injury gave me a new perspective on Royal Windsor’s supreme. It’s always interesting when you have judges from outside the discipline, but I think Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin were spot on — and, of course, Charlotte started her career as a show pony rider.
Rob Walker’s lightweight hunter winner would have been my choice, too. This horse has everything you could ask for in a show horse, and full marks to the judges for recognising that.
Walking into the ring with The Queen’s Barbers Shop to retire him officially was an emotional experience.
It was when we loaded him to come home and I realised he was saying goodbye to showing and all that goes with it that it really got to me.
He won’t be retired to the field, as many people have assumed. He will keep his main yard box, be looked after in the same way and enjoy hacking and schooling. If my rehabilitation goes to plan, then in November he will be the first horse I get on.
He looks amazing and is fit and enjoying life. I strongly believe that older show horses should retire from mainstream showing when they are at the top of their game, not when they start slipping down the ranks. I hope to do some dressage with him and I hope we’ll still be invited to raceday parades to publicise the work of Retraining of Racehorses.
‘Offer so much’
Royal Windsor is always a wonderful experience, which is why so many competitors and spectators flock there. Moving the riding horses to the last day was a good decision and I hope it stays in place, as it was a nightmare trying to organise hunters and riding horses on the same day.
It was encouraging to see so many contest the SEIB working show horse class. These classes offer so much to so many and I’d love to see more in the schedules.
Unfortunately, dates clashed with Newark and Notts and South Suffolk. I love South Suffolk, but haven’t been able to compete there for several years.
Can’t show organisers liaise and avoid clashes, not only to boost revenue but to safeguard qualifiers? We’re in danger of developing a vicious circle, because if qualifiers don’t get enough support, shows will lose them.
Get online
On-the-day entries have become essential. The argument that they must be made in advance to allow catalogues to be printed doesn’t work: for a start, how many people buy them? Everything else is online, from schedules to entries, so start lists should also be posted — and final, printed versions could be available on the showground.
Special shows do, of course, need souvenir catalogues. I struggled to find one at Royal Windsor and ended up buying one at the main gate on the last day. It was worth the walk, because there’s so much in it.
The moral of the catalogue story is that if you’re going to print one, make sure it’s worth buying and easy to find.
Wave goodbye to a summer of unpredictable British weather with this luxury villa for sale in Seville, Spain.
Owned by Joanne Hearst Castro, granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, the press baron who inspired the main character in ‘Citizen Kane’, this incredible villa is 15 minutes from Seville’s international airport, two hours and a half from Madrid by train, and two hours from Costa del Sol.
The impressive 3000m² cortijo was built in 1929 by Spanish architect Aníbal González and underwent some updates in 1999.
Offered for sale by Sotheby’s International, it is on the market for €13.5million (£11.8million)
Set in 376 acres, the estate has been home to a stud started in the 1980s, with a stallion from the Marquis of Salvatierra ranch and several mares from González-Barba.
At present, the yard features this large courtyard of stables, and there are currently nine employees working on the estate to help with the mucking out…
The horse-drawn collection includes the carriage used by the Infanta Elena, Spanish Emeritus King’s daughter, during her wedding day in Seville.
The estate also offers a bull ring with Mexican hand carved wood works as well as two other on-site dressage arenas.
Other fun features include a hermitage for religious celebrations, a leisure pavilion that includes a Mexican decorated bar, an Andalusian cellar and a large swimming pool.
The house has 15 bedrooms, a cinema theatre and a billiard are.
Dine in style in this grand dining hall…
…and make the most of the Spanish siesta with this plush living room.
Don’t forget, the price includes all furnishing, décor, livestock, saddlery, carriages, antiques, and costumes…
… what a bargain. When can we move in?
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday
Two Dartmoor ponies demonstrated their impeccable temperaments, helping a group of diasadvantaged teenagers to complete a 15-mile moorland trek when their team leader suffered a sudden leg infection.
George and Smartie, who belong to the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust, were taking part in the “Fresh Tracks” walk, which forms part of the British Army-organised Ten Tors challenge.
The Fresh Tracks programme caters for students who cannot tackle the full 35-55 mile, two-day hike but do not face the complex challenges of those taking part in the Jubilee Challenge, which is aimed at disabled teenagers.
“We were asked to set up the special Fresh Tracks category,” explained Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust spokesman Clare Stanton. “It runs as part of our Ponies Inspiring People programmes.
“We exist as a charity to promote and raise awareness of the ponies on the moor and show people why it’s important to keep them there and why we shouldn’t lose them.”
The programme invited 12 students from two local schools “with no pony experience or enthusiasm” to undertake a ten-week course in pony skills, moorland skills and first aid.
“We took 12 youngsters with no self-esteem, confidence or belief they could walk a mile let alone 15 miles across a rugged moorland landscape and also got them to camp out the night before,” said trek leader Dru Butterfield.
“Last Friday night (11 May) it was pouring with rain and cold and they were not in the best spirits. My night-before briefing was more of a bawling-out saying I was in doubt whether they were going to succeed.”
But it was experienced team leader Dru who nearly could not complete the challenge, as she nearly lost a pony and was then struck down with red and painful legs at mile four.
“We started out with helicopters giving us a wonderful display, eight paratroopers came down with Union Jacks and there was canon fire, and then nearly 3,000 very fit, well-trained and motivated teenagers leaving for the Ten Tors,” Dru said. “The two ponies had been incredibly well-behaved with all of that going on
“George did start side-stepping when the bagpipes started and I was thinking ‘I hope I can hold him’ when the halter decided to unclip. Fortunately with some help from our chairman Judy I managed to hold on and clip it back.
“We then led out the whole of the Jubilee Challenge with parents applauding, the local TV filming and bagpipes playing,” she said.
But as her students “started to get stronger”, Dru found herself getting increasingly weak.
“I know now I had a major infection in my legs,” she said. “Four miles in I had huge red swelling start but despite constant helicopters above us, the ponies kept us going.
“What we have on Dartmoor is a pony that evolved over many centuries a temperament and tenacity to deal with the terrain, an ability to deal with all sorts of environments and an ability to work with people. That particular day it got me ten miles in a lot of pain,” she said.
“I worked with a young man who held my hands last four miles while I was leaning across George and it got me through. I was in doubt if the kids would do it but on the day it was actually their trainer who nearly gave up. I’m normally chivvying them but in the end everyone was chivvying me.”
Not only did the normally tough Dru go down with an infection, but photographer Malcolm Snelgrove, who had been chronicling the programme, also suffered a low blood sugar episode.
“Malcolm had a stroke in November and it was his longest walk since recovering — he went low on sugar and had a blood pressure crash, so the two people who should know better made the whole thing much more dramatic!” Dru said. “He trains with the Bear Grylls team and is a real hard man and I’m usually pretty tough really!
An enterprising farmer is offering riders a taste of the cowboy life on his Dartmoor farm
“I just want to pay enormous thanks to the ponies.”
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.
