Even leading names like Laura Tomlinson (pictured above), Francis Whittington and Katie Jerram look up to people, and key pieces of training advice have helped them win medals and national titles. Here are the tips that 10 top riders credit with putting them on the road to success.

1. Laura Tomlinson, dressage rider

“The best piece of advice I’ve had is never to say, ‘I can’t’ or ‘The horse won’t’. If you have this in mind it forces you to look around and through a problem, rather than accept it’s not solvable. This is an adaptation of what I’m used to hearing from [German Olympian turned trainer] Klaus Balkenhol — he won’t ever accept you saying you can’t.”

2. Trevor Breen,  showjumper

“If at first you don’t succeed — work harder! The more effort you put in, the more you get out. If you take shortcuts in training during the week, it’ll show when you’re competing at the weekend.”

3. Katie Jerram,  showing producer

“Never use a gadget as a quick fix. I learnt this from [renowned trainer] Ruth McMullen — I never saw a gadget at her yard. I use a martingale on horses I’m breaking for a little extra security, and I may hack the babies in a Market Harborough, which is kind on the mouth.”

4. Francis Whittington, eventer

“Just keep it simple in every way. If it’s complicated, it’s probably not right. [Former British World Class Performance showjumping manager] Rob Hoekstra told me this and I keep it in mind all the time.”

5. Gemma Tattersall, eventer

“My mum used to make me ride come rain or shine. She said that consistency is the key to good training and it is something I have always carried with me. Horses need to have regular training and you need to be consistent in what you are asking them to do.”

6. Anna Ross, dressage rider

“[German Olympic team gold medallist] Ulla Salzgeber once told me that if you keep your hands still, you’ll start using your legs. A wise man at Goresbridge Sales also once advised me, ‘Never get back on for a third time’.”

7. Geoff Billington, showjumper

“[Multi-medalled British showjumper] David Broome told me years ago that you can’t put pressure on top of tension. So you must have a relaxed horse before you can ask any questions of it.”

8. Dan Jocelyn,  eventer

“When I first came to the UK in 1995, I stayed with Andrew Nicholson. Walking courses with him was invaluable. He said: ‘Dan, across country you just go between the flags’ and when showjumping, ‘Just leave the poles up’. This was the best advice ever, especially when others were trying to overcomplicate things. I still enjoy walking courses with him.”

9. Andrew Gould, dressage rider

“Don’t let your personal issues or emotions get in the way. This is something I picked up from [renowned trainer] David Hunt and I realise its importance even more now that I train lots of people. It’s hard if you’ve had a busy, stressful day at work — you want to ride to relax, but sometimes it is easier said than done.”

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10. Jessica Mendoza, showjumper

“Don’t try to win every class. My father, Paul, told me this and there are two lessons I have learnt from it. First, if I’m jumping at a three-day show, I need to save the horse for the class that really matters. Second, if you try to win a class by three seconds, you will often have a fence down and lose. So be cool and just do enough.”

Don’t miss this week’s special training issue of Horse & Hound magazine (31 May 2018), where we reveal the best trainers in Britain and find out how you can learn from them

This article was first published in the Summer 2015 issue of H&H Ask The Vet

Great Britain’s number one rider Ben Maher won his second Longines Global Champions Tour grand prix of the season in Saint Tropez on Saturday (2 June) riding Winning Good. The Hertfordshire rider pocketed a cool €99,000 in prize-money.

“Winning Good is only nine years old and I’m really lucky with the horses I am riding now,” said Ben, who also won the Madrid leg of the Tour with Explosion W last month. “It has been an amazing season so far.”

In a seven-strong jump-off, Ben and the well-named Dutch-bred horse, charged home to win by nearly a second. This was despite a heart-stopping moment at the second element of the double when the pair had to turn almost inside out to clear the top rail. Winning Good and Explosion W are both owned by Poden Farms.

“I just kept telling myself he is better the more he jumps,” said Ben. “I am very proud to be able to ride these horses. In Madrid everything went to plan. Today nothing went to plan at all, but I had a bit of luck. I knew I had to be quick. I saw my stride a very long way back. I don’t know how he jumped it but my luck was in today.”

Joining Ben on the podium for the traditional champagne shower was second placed Colombian rider Carlos Lopez (Admara 2), who delivered a great challenge from last draw, with Edwina Tops-Alexander third on California. Reigning European champion Peder Fredricson of Sweden took fourth as the only other double clear from first draw riding Hansson WL.

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Edwina now heads the LGCT championship race with 154 points overall, with Ben second on 143 points and his team-mate Scott Brash third with 131 points.

As Ben has already secured his spot in the Super Grand Prix in Prague in December — where the winner of every leg of the Tour goes head-to-head for a new end-of-season showdown — the second placed Colombian rider picked up the qualifying place instead.

LGCT president Jan Tops said: “In the [overall] ranking, Edwina has been very consistent. Ben has been fantastic, two times first and Scott is a little bit on the same level. Everything is still possible to the end. With the new Super Grand Prix everyone wants to qualify, and we have some amazing horses and riders already. It is going to be an incredibly prestigious class to win, as is the GCL Super Cup for the teams.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

This week’s edition (31 May) is a training special, including a look at the world’s top trainers and whether you should have multiple coaches. Also check out our summer clothing guide, interview with showjumper and recent winner of the Hamburg Derby, Matt Sampson and feature on health problems in miniature horses

The Pony Club efficiency tests provide a staircase of knowledge and progression when taken in sequence, starting from ‘E’ and going all the way up to the prestigious ‘A’ Test.

This quiz is to test your knowledge to see if you could pass your Pony Club C+ test.

The objective of the C+ Test is “to gain practical experience and knowledge of the care of a stabled pony and of a pony at grass”.

The minimum age a child should take the test be is 13 and if they pass, they are awarded with a turquoise felt to pin underneath their Pony Club badge.

Of course, this quiz is not exhaustive of the Pony Club C+ Test syllabus, and doesn’t mean you would definitely pass it in real life, but let’s see how you get on…

Don’t forget to share your result proudly with the world!

NB: The information used to create this test was sourced from the Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship

Is there anything more annoying than, when looking up a horse’s pedigree, the answer comes back as “unknown”?

OK, in the grand scheme of things there is plenty that is more annoying but, as breeders know, it is right up there. How in this day and age can anyone not know the pedigree of their horse? You might well ask.

In many instances, the breeding is recorded as “unknown” because the pedigree has not been verified — that is, confirmed as correct, nowadays through DNA testing. A passport will usually state that the horse has been DNA tested.

Only studbooks and breed societies are able to record the breeding in a passport. Other passport issuing organisations (PIOs) that issue cheaper identity passports are legally not allowed to record breeding (due to Defra minimum operating standards). Even if it is inserted — which it shouldn’t be — it doesn’t mean it is correct.

If, for example, an identity passport is presented to a studbook in the future by unknowing owners, the pedigree, which was possibly part of the reason they bought the horse, will count for nothing and the provenance of the horse will already have been recorded by databases as “unknown”.

Horses without three verified generations of breeding are now automatically excluded from some competitions.

Cutting corners

What is so surprising is the number of people, including breeders, who choose not to have breeding put into the passport for the simple reason that it will save the cost of a DNA test — or at most two tests. All graded stallions have their DNA put on record as part of their grading assessment, so one just has to take DNA from the mare, if she has not been graded or had it recorded before, and/or the foal, by the simple extraction of a few tail hairs which is done by the vet when he draws up the foal’s identity paperwork.

No one said breeding was a cheap way to procure a horse, so a saving of less than £100 on a lifetime of a horse — around the cost of a set of shoes — hardly seems worth it for the frustration it can cause later. One excuse is that the horse will be a gelding and therefore will not appear in the future gene pool. True, but geldings happen to make up the majority of competition horses and most of us want to know the breeding of our competition horses.

This just wouldn’t happen in other countries, whose breeding many so admire and whose horses we buy. Those countries have systems and rules that all breeders and producers follow.

In France, horses who are not fully registered and verified with the governing body of the Haras Nationaux are not allowed to compete at any level above club level. No affiliated competition, end of.

Part of the British problem is that we don’t have an overseeing body. There is no single set of rules. As long as there are cheap identity passports available as an alternative to studbook passports, then owners, breeders even, will take the budget option.

The result is we will never build up decent studbooks, lines will disappear and future breeders will be none the wiser.

What is the point of breeding if you don’t wish to record it? For future’s sake please have the breeding of your foals verified.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 31 May 2018

Popular Irish event rider Jonty Evans is in hospital in Dublin after a fall at Tattersalls yesterday (Sunday, 3 June).

Jonty and Cooley Rorkes Drift (“Art”) — the horse he secured the ride on last year by crowd-funding to raise £500,000 — were lying second after dressage and showjumping in the CIC3* at the Irish event.

But the rider fell at fence 19b, the second element of the Horse Sport Ireland Water Complex, the main water feature on the cross-country. The first part of the fence was a large drop into water, which was followed by an offset skinny brush in the water off a right-hand bend. H&H’s Tattersalls reporter Sue Polley, who saw the fall on CCTV, said that the pair appeared to be lined up for the brush, but Art caught the flag with his off fore and Jonty was pitched off his left-hand side.

A statement from the event at 9.07pm last night said: “Irish eventing rider Jonty Evans, who fell at fence 19b, the second element of the water complex in the CIC3* competition at Tattersalls International Horse Trials, was transferred to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, for further evaluation.

“Cooley Rorkes Drift was uninjured in the fall.

“Following initial evaluation in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Jonty Evans is being transferred to Beaumont Hospital for further treatment.”

The Team Ireland Equestrian Facebook page gave a similar update yesterday evening, adding that Jonty “remains in a stable condition”.

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Jonty and Art first came to public attention when they finished ninth at the Rio Olympics in 2016. They followed this up with an eye-catching dressage test at Badminton the following spring, although a run-out across country put paid to a top placing.

In July that year, H&H broke the news that the partnership was under threat — interest from buyers, particularly in America, had led to the horse’s owner, Fiona Elliott, considering selling him.

Jonty had secured some funding towards the horse’s purchase and decided to start a crowd-funding campaign to attempt to make up the shortfall. He set up a website, jontyandart.com, through which people could donate.

Four weeks after H&H’s first online story, the £500,000 target was raised, helped by two lump sums of £100,000 and £150,000 being donated.

The pair have had a slightly chequered time in competition since the horse’s purchase, but fans hoped a win in The Grantham Cup CIC3* at Belton this spring marked a change of fortune. The pair were at Tattersalls for a preparation run ahead of Luhmühlen CCI4* next week, a re-route put in place after the pair were eliminated across country at Badminton.

Charlotte Dujardin’s fiancé Dean Wyatt Golding is preparing to take on an open water swim in aid of an equine welfare charity.

Dean will be dipping into the chilly waters of Lake Windermere in the Lake District for a two-mile swim on 8 June to raise money for Brooke, Action for Working Horses and Donkeys.

Charlotte is a patron of the charity and travelled to India in October 2015 to learn about the work it is doing to improve the lives of horses, donkeys and mules as well as the millions of people who rely on the working equines.

Dean asked for people to donate to the cause instead of buying him birthday presents and reached his target of £2,000 within 48 hours of starting the online fundraising page.

“I’ve chosen this charity because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope that you’ll consider contributing as a way of celebrating with me,” he said. “Every little bit will help me reach my goal.”

He has so far raised more than £2,500.

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Charlotte encouraged people to support her fiancé with a post on her own Facebook page.

“[I’m] really proud of him and wanted to share his fundraising efforts if any of you would like to donate,” she said.

“All proceeds will go to the charity that I am very proud to be an ambassador for and will continue to help in their efforts to assist so many horses, donkeys and communities around the world who need our help.”

Click here to support Dean

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

This week’s edition (31 May) is a training special, including a look at the world’s top trainers and whether you should have multiple coaches. Also check out our summer clothing guide, interview with showjumper and recent winner of the Hamburg Derby, Matt Sampson and feature on health problems in miniature horses

The sales catalogue has been released for an elite sports horse auction that is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.

The Kingsman Elite Sale will open its online bidding on 25 June, with the auction culminating in a VIP evening at Wellington Riding, Hook on Saturday, 30 June.

The catalogue offers 35 potential showjumpers with world class bloodlines, sourced from around the UK and Europe.

Top lots include a stallion by Big Star out of a London mare, a stallion by Baloubet de Rouet out of a Quidam de Revel mare and a mare by Nabab de Reve out of a Goodtimes mare (pictured top).

All of the horses will be available for viewing and loose jumping sessions at Wellington on 30 June, with the event also being livestreamed on Kingsman’s online platform.

The full catalogue including X-rays of all lots are available from the auctioneer’s website. Horses are open to further vetting during the day.

Buyers will then be able to bid in person during the VIP hospitality evening that ends at 9.30pm.

“We believe it’s the first auction of its kind in the UK,” said spokesman for Kingsman, Celeste Wilkins. “Essentially it’s an online auction that closes with a party with the option of live bids.

“We’re looking to bring the luxury hospitality you find at continental auctions to the UK.”

Tables of 10 for the close of the auction can be booked as a whole or as individual places. The evening will feature a three-course dinner prepared by former Manoir Au Quat’Saisons chef Jonathan Richardson, priced at £48pp (without wine).

“This is our first Kingsman auction and we’re hoping that we’ll get lots of support and uptake so we can run subsequent ones,” Celeste added.

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The concept behind Kingsman auctions stemmed from founder James Atherton-Ham’s struggles to find top-quality sports horses.

”I knew that if I was able to bring like-minded individuals together – ostensibly with the same goals – it would allow everyone to achieve their objectives more easily,” he said.

“Our aim was to buy and sell elite sport horses using simple methods, on a global platform, for fair value, in an open and transparent way. The true basis for the Kingsman model is ‘quality of the horse, honesty in the sale’.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

OPINION

The senior selection panel’s aim this year is to choose a team to travel to the World Equestrian Games (WEG, 12-16 September) to qualify for the Olympics in 2020. We have to finish in the top six at Tryon so we’ll need average scores of 75% — no mean feat. The riders must perform at international competitions to be selected, then the onus is on them to perform when it matters most — at the championship.

Selection policies cover CDIs and the senior championship and we set the bar quite high — riders should be competitive.

The Nations Cup series is helpful in team selection. While riders work with support teams, rarely are they put in a position where they have to consider others and the impact of their own performance on a team.

At Compiègne CDIO a few weeks ago, Becky Moody had to withdraw Carinsio before the trot-up, adding pressure on the remaining three. Hayley Watson-Greaves suddenly had to ride the grand prix special test and not the freestyle as planned — she was a great team player.

We’ll send teams to Aachen, Rotterdam and Hickstead CDIOs and announce the WEG team and non-travelling reserves at the end of July.

I’m in constant contact with World Class performance manager Caroline Griffith and the British Dressage (BD) international officers Lianne Martin and Sharon Weir. Caroline keeps me updated with riders’ comments, as well as feedback from the support staff on equine and human fitness.

Building bridges

In February, BD released the findings of a useful under-21 strategic review. As a result, I now head the selection panels for the youth teams to provide continuity and share best practice from the seniors. It’s exhausting, but I enjoy meeting so many riders. Selection must be based on openness and trust. We’re keen to develop the FEI’s newest championship, children on horses, which is for 11- to 14-year-olds with elementary tests. It’s a great bridge to juniors as riders can bring on a younger horse if they don’t have the means to buy a pony or junior team prospect.

Selection for the European Championship Team NAF youth squads will be fierce. A home pony championship at Bishop Burton (7-12 August) adds pressure to secure a podium spot. Bolesworth (13-17 June) has added pony squad viewing classes, so those not in the pony classes at Hagen the same week can ride on a big stage.

Fontainebleau (9-15 July) hosts the junior, young rider and children on horses championships. Our juniors are in a transitional phase so we may not send a full team, while there are six or seven young riders all scoring at selection level, so it’ll be tight. Our talented under-25s could well be in the medal zone at Roosendaal (13-18 August). I’m mindful members’ money funds the teams, so it has to be used wisely.

Our next step is to appoint a youth performance manager to oversee the teams.

Selectors need discretion and a politician’s diplomacy — and, at times, the ability to act as an agony aunt.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 31 May 2018

Drooling over beautiful young horses is one of the great joys of watching horse sport… imagining how they might become stars of the future, winning Badminton, Burghley or an Olympic medal.

Here is a selection of six-, seven- and eight-year-old eventers who have caught our eye so far this season…

Above is Cola III, an eight-year-old by Catoki. He landed the seven-year-old British Eventing title last year and followed up with second in the under-21 CCI2* at Houghton last weekend. Cola is owned by Rachel Upton and ridden by her daughter Bubby, who has two horses on the young rider European Championships long-list, including this one.

Chris Stone’s Chilli Knight is certainly bred in the purple — his sire is Badminton winner Chilli Morning and his dam is four-star mare Kings Gem. Ridden by Gemma Tattersall, the eight-year-old recently finished third in the CCI3* at Houghton on his dressage score.

Alex Wakeley’s Cristal Fontaine, a six-year-old by Chef Rouge, has had no less than four wins this season, including in a CIC* at Bicton Arena and a novice regional final at Tweseldown. His pilot is Kitty King.

Diachello II, owned by Kent Gardner and his rider Jesse Campbell, was recently the runner-up in the CCI* at Houghton. An eight-year-old by Diorado, he only started eventing last year.

Piggy French is on flying form this season and the eight-year-old mare Graf Cavalier, by Grafenstolz and owned by Trevor Dickens, has been playing her part. She has had three wins, including in the CIC* at Great Witchingham and was second in the CCI2* at Houghton.

LVS Movistar, an eight-year-old by Iroko, impressed when second in a CIC* at Bicton Arena for owner-rider Bella Lloyd Webber.

Pippa Funnell is an incredible producer of young horses so pretty much anything she rides is worth watching. Maybach, owned by SHE Eventing AB, is an eight-year-old by Jaguar Mail. As is Pippa’s way, he has not been pushed against the clock, but he won an intermediate at Aston-le-Walls.

Another who earnt a spot on the young rider long-list with a strong performance at Houghton, Rehy DJ and his rider Yasmin Ingham topped the under-21 CCI2*. He is an eight-year-old by Tinaranas Inspector, owned by Edwin and Sue Davies and their daughter Janette Chinn.

Christopher Makin’s Ars Vivendi seven-year-old Rehy Royal Diamond is quietly on the up with woman-of-the-moment Ros Canter. With an open novice win at Aston-le-Walls under his belt, he landed sixth in the CCI* at Houghton.

Which one would you like to take home? We can all dream…

Pictures by Peter Nixon and Hamish Mitchell.

A life-sized horse sculpture in memory of the millions of equines who served and died in World War I will be unveiled to the public at Belsay Horse Trials (2-3 June).

Artist James Kemish created the installation using horse shoes and it will stand among 100 crafted poppies, symbolising the centenary of the war.

The artwork is called “The Spirit of Freedom” and will be situated on the cross-country course at the Northumberland fixture, sponsored by Barbour.

“I wanted to make something to remember and honour these beautiful creatures and the extraordinary sacrifice they made during the Great War,” said James.

“We wouldn’t be here today enjoying our own freedom if it wasn’t for horses — I only hope that I have done their memory justice,” said James.

“My wife rides and has competed at Belsay Horse Trials, so it seemed fitting to contact [organiser] Laura de Wesselow and ask whether she would exhibit ‘The Spirit of Freedom’ at the event.

“I am looking forward to talking to competitors and visitors at the trials and gauging their reaction.”

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Laura said she is “absolutely delighted to show-off the amazing sculpture”.

“I think it is a wonderful way for James to reach out to a wider audience of people — who have an interest in all things equestrian — and highlight the plight of all those amazing horses who perished one hundred years ago to safeguard our liberty,” she said.

“We are incredibly proud to be showcasing this beautiful work of art and I hope that visitors will go and marvel at it.”

The sculpture is the second war horse memorial to be revealed in as many months.

In April, Featherstone Town Council unveiled a 20ft sculpture, surrounded by 353 trees — one for each of the men from the town who died in the war — in memory of their sacrifice and to honour the role horses have played in the town’s history.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

This week’s edition (31 May) is a training special, including a look at the world’s top trainers and whether you should have multiple coaches. Also check out our summer clothing guide, interview with showjumper and recent winner of the Hamburg Derby, Matt Sampson and feature on health problems in miniature horses