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.”

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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

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.

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.

Promotional Feature with KBIS

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.

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 Challenge and 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.

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.

Suffolk-based Debbi Cox had a highly successful day in the 80cm class of the H&H Festival of Eventing, run in association with KBIS.

The BHSII instructor posted not one, but two great clear rounds across country to sit in first and fourth place.

Holding top spot is nine-year-old mare Molly, owned by Sue Thompson. Debbi and Molly stormed around the cross-country to finish inside the optimum time and go into tomorrow’s showjumping on their dressage mark of 29.25.

“Molly was so good today,” said Debbi, who has taught Sue on this horse for the past five years. “She only started eventing this year so this is a big achievement for her.”

Debbi explained that when Molly first walked into her life she came with a reputation of being awkward and quirky.

“When Sue came to me with Molly the first time, the mare had Sue off twice in the first 10 minutes,” said Debbi. “She was so cold backed and I said to Sue that Molly needed re-backing and starting again.”

Debbi was full of thanks for Sue and her fourth-placed ride’s owner, Tracey Cutting.

“They are both so supportive and we’ve had a great time this weekend.”

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Debbi is pragmatic about her chances of holding onto top spot in tomorrow’s showjumping phase.

“Molly is renowned for having fences down, but we’re so proud of her, we’ll both give it everything and even if she has every fence down, it doesn’t matter.”

Beccy Belcher and Sugar IV hold second place on a score of 31 and just 6.3 penalties separate the top 10.

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

Vicky Davis, a competitor at this weekend’s H&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.”

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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

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.”

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Where can you buy them?

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

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!”

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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