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.
Racing at Cheltenham, hopping Leicestershire hedges and competing at a three-day-event — while it reads like a bucket list, this is actually the CV of star 13.2hh Little Sundance.
The pint-sized equine is contesting the 90cm class at the Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing (26-28 May), run in association with KBIS, with owner, 13-year-old Poppy Field.
Known as “Sunny” to his friends, the pony’s arrival was a complete surprise to the owners of his dam, a riding school pony, who was not known to be in foal.
“One morning, his then owner looked out into the field and he was there — skipping around in the August sunshine, which is how he got his name,” said Poppy’s mum, Fleur Field.
The family bought Sunny, who they fondly refer to as a “British sports pony”, as a recently started four-year-old and he has turned his hoof to everything they have asked of him.
Poppy took part in a Pony Club race day at Cheltenham racecourse aboard Sunny in March, finishing sixth in the novice 138cm and under division.
Poppy, a member of the Meynell Hunt branch of the Pony Club, said the feeling of speed and galloping past the world-famous winning post was “brilliant”.
She added cross-country is her favourite phase and is particularly looking forward to tackling Keysoe’s water complex.
The pair compete in all Pony Club activities and are looking forward to camp this summer.
Polly suffered a nasty fall last year while doing arena cross-country
Poppy and Sunny made their British Eventing debut this year and finished ninth at Solihull BE80(T) in April.
The pair jumped double clear, but picked up 4.8 time faults for going too fast, so are hoping the move up to 90cm — and a stopwatch — will help with their timing.
The also pony hunts with both Poppy and Fleur and over the winter can be found following hounds with the Readyfield Bloodhounds as well as the Quorn and Meynell.
“He is the boss of the yard,” added Fleur.
“Out hunting he thinks he can keep up with the 17hh horses — and he does — he has also been known to give leads to them as well!”
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday
The full report from the H&H Festival of Eventing in Horse & Hound will be in this week’s issue of the magazine — on sale Thursday, 7 June and follow online at www.horseandhound.co.uk
Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing competitor Kerry Lockwood was actually looking for a donkey when she ended up with a yearling 10 years ago.
The retired police officer had wanted a companion for her horse at the time and was planning on buying a donkey.
“A friend of mine is a farrier — he was driving near the M25 when some people flagged him down and asked him to tend to their horses’ feet,” explained Kerry who rides Boxer V in the 80cm class.
“They gave him Boxer and another pony in lieu of payment.”
Kerry added she took Boxer on and “never thought” he would be big enough to ride.
However the horse kept growing and blossomed from a nervous youngster into a smart 15.2hh cob.
With the help of her trainer Lisa Clarke-Spence, Kerry has brought on Boxer and the pair enjoy eventing and hunting.
In a bid to try and find out more about Boxer’s origins, Kerry had the gelding DNA tested.
She found he shares bloodlines with a traditional gypsy cob stallion named King Arthur, who has won numerous titles including the 2011 supreme champion traditional of the year at the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association National Championships. Article continues below…
Take a virtual walk around the 80cm cross-country course at the 2018 H&H Festival of Eventing. The cross-country of this…
The pair have hunted with the East Essex since 2007 and their aim for 2018 is a double clear at British Eventing BE80(T).
“He is intelligent — a cob with a brain,” laughed Kerry, who also runs her own herd of pedigree Aberdeen Angus Cattle in Suffolk.
“My trainer is always pushing me to do things that are out of my comfort zone, I was terrified before the dressage, but after that it was a big relief and now I can enjoy it.”
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday
The full report from the H&H Festival of Eventing in Horse & Hound, run in association with KBIS, will be in this week’s issue of the magazine — on sale Thursday, 7 June
Although she is currently smack bang in the middle of her GCSEs, 16-year-old Nieve Baker, is making the most of her time at the H&H Festival of Eventing, run in association with KBIS.
Based in Hertfordshire, Nieve was riding Marley Blaney, who she found four years ago in Maidstone.
“I went to try another horse but saw Marley in the stable and we just clicked,” explains Nieve. “He was so nervous to start with and we couldn’t even get a headcollar on him, but I’ve produced him up to 90cm/1m showjumping.”
Nieve said she almost sold Marley, but navicular diagnosis prevented this from happening.
“Marley was diagnosed with mild navicular so we decided to turn him out for a year and then see how he was,” says Nieve. “He ended up coming sound and so we brought him back into work, and he has been fine so far.”
But last summer disaster struck when Nieve fractured her lower back while competing in a showjumping class.
“I got back on as soon as I could and rode with a brace for a while,” says Nieve who is competing in the 70cm class this weekend at Keysoe with her 11-year-old 15.2hh.
“My granddad has inspired me this weekend, as he is 82 and has come over from Ireland to support me — he’s staying in the back of our lorry!”
Take a virtual walk around the 70cm cross-country course at the 2018 H&H Festival of Eventing. The cross-country of this…
Nieve says Marley “made up some of his own moves” in their dressage test, but stormed around the cross-country clear and inside the time.
“I was so proud of him across country — I just wanted to get round the course.”
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
This bit connector is an interesting alternative to traditional pelham roundings, commonly used to prevent a rider having to cope with two reins. The difference here is that it allows the rider to adjust the amount of pressure to the upper and lower part of the pelham, influencing the amount of curb action felt by the horse, while allowing the rider to use a single rein.
How can they help?
Walsh Harness & Saddlery is among those manufacturing these bit connectors. The company describes this piece of tack as “ideal for getting the response necessary from a two-rein bit without the hassle of holding two reins”.
Each leather connector has a few holes and a buckle so that you can adjust the amount of action you want on the curb. For example some people might tighten the bottom buckle and loosen the top for more leverage on a pelham, or you can leave them on both the same holes for equal pressure between the snaffle and curb.
Ema Odlin-Baxter, senior bitting advisor at The Horse Bit Shop, which supplies these connectors in the UK, explains why they are growing in popularity.
“Traditional leather roundings don’t provide a fixed position for the rein, which means they aren’t very accurate when it comes to how much curb action you would like on a pelham,” she says. “Bit connectors are more precise thanks to the double buckle system which means you can play with the strength of the curb action you require, gaining more accurate results with pressure down the rein.”
Scott Brash uses these roundings, as does event rider Pixie Thomas. She said: “They offer finer tuning than standard roundings as you can adjust how much you’re using the snaffle vs. curb action. I didn’t have an issue with rein position and they are an ideal alternative to going cross-country with two reins.”
These bit connectors can be bought online from a number of suppliers including British company The Horsebit Shop, where they cost £28 and are available in small, large sizes, in a choice of black and havana.
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
Vicky Davis, a competitor at this weekend’sH&H Festival of Eventing, run in association with KBIS, has endured an interesting past few years.
“I had a fall from a youngster three years ago resulting in a slipped disk in my neck and trauma to my left eye, which is being operated on next month,” says the mother of two, who describes herself as “the wrong side of 50”.
“I was told the injury might put a stop to my eventing but then Guss turned up.”
Vicky bought Guss without going to see him two years ago.
“I was tagged in a Facebook post advertising an unbroken Dutch two-year-old by Numero Uno,” explains Vicky, who ran a livery yard in Kent for 18 years before switching to a job selling stock of bankrupt companies on eBay. “He was up in York and I just didn’t have time to go and look at him, so the owner sent me lots of videos and pictures of his hooves. I decided to buy him and he turned up at my yard shortly afterwards.
“He was fluffy, wild and small and it took me three hours to catch him in the stable at first,” laughs Vicky. “He’s quirky but talented. He has a disgusting temper and I have to lull him in to doing what I want him to do and that it has been his idea.”
Vicky has produced Guss to now event and despite doing a quick U-turn when leaving the start box at Munstead Horse Trials recently — “Guss decided he didn’t want to go past some parked cars!” — they have enjoyed a great clear cross-country round in the 70cm class at Keysoe today (27 May).
“I’m absolutely thrilled with him,” says Vicky. “We got held at fence five for quite a while and the course had plenty to look at, but he was great.”
Meet the rider who has recovered from a broken back to return to competing
Vicky, who trains with Sharon Richardson and James Burtwell, says that she is keen to keep eventing to see how far she can get with Guss.
“In the long-term I will probably move to dressage, but until I’ve got the eventing bug out of my system, I will keep going.”
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
