Excitement levels are building in H&H HQ ahead of next week’s Horse of the Year Show (7-11 October 2015). It’s the culmination of endless toil and preparation — and a showcase of some the equestrian world’s great and good. But sometimes, those bright lights and big crowds at the Birmingham NEC can get too much to handle…
1. ‘I’ll just slip through this gap here…’
refusal and rider fall through jump Squibb and davies national junio foxhunter champs , jump off , fabian , yazmin pinchen
(Image credit: TREVOR MEEKS)
Yazmin Pinchen has a mishap in the Squibb & Davies National Junior Foxhunter Chanpionship jump off in 2008.
2. Don’t look behind you…
Rockim Joseph Clayton
(Image credit: PETER NIXON)
Things seemed to be happening in slow motion for Joe Clayton and Rockim in last year’s Puissance.
3. Ouch!
THE IRISH PIXIE thrills and spills
Mare Grey 2005 Emily Stephen
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Emily Stephen and The Irish Pixie get into trouble in 2005. But the onlookers don’t look too worried…
We’ve all been there — one minute you’re enjoying the ride of your life and the next you experience that
4. ‘I’m not going anywhere’
BLOW THE BUDGET thrills and spills almost fall fell recovered
Gelding Bay 1997 Antonia Platt
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Antonia Platt wows the crowds with some acrobatics to stay aboard Blow The Budget.
5. Getting familiar with the surface…
PEARLY KING AND
Simon Charlesworth
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Showman Simon Charlesworth hits the deck when the saddle slips after a stunning gallop on the hack champion Pearly King in the 2013 supreme.
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6. ‘Let’s pretend that never happened’
PEARLY KING AND
Simon Charlesworth
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
A slightly battered and bruised Simon brushes himself down before excusing himself from the arena.
7. An almighty pile-up
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
The 2013 Prince Philip Cup final gets heated as competitors take a tumble in the sack race.
8. ‘I don’t like the look of that… at all’
PERFECT ROUGE - SF
Bay 2003 Pappillon Rouge Jake Saywell rearing naughty thrills and spills
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Jake Saywell’s mount Perfect Rouge has spotted something he’s not keen on…
9. ‘Let’s get out of here — ASAP’
HOYS PUISSANCE Chateau de Brion Quainton - HOLST
Stallion Bay 2002 Cassini I x Caribo Chloe Aston
Quainton Stud crashing through wall
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Chateau de Brion Quainton makes a speedy escape from the flying bricks in the 2012 Puissance with Chloe Aston on board.
10. A dramatic dismount
Tina Fletcher crashes through the puissance wall with Unique IX
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Tina Fletcher makes an unintentional dismount from Unique IX in the 2011 Puissance, which puts her out of action for three weeks with whiplash and concussion.
11. Catching some air
RYAN PRATER AND SAFARO
(Image credit: TREVOR MEEKS, Trevor Meeks)
Ryan Prater and Safaro crash through the Puissance wall in 2009.
12. Sit tight!
ELLEN WHITAKER AND LADINA B
(Image credit: Trevor Meeks)
Ellen Whitaker’s Ladina B demonstrates her characteristic feistiness in the 2009 Puissance.
13. ‘Yes, thank you very much — that trophy is for me’
(Image credit: Steve Dawe / Real Time Imaging)
Billy Twomey’s Fantasia lets the crowds know who’s the champ after claiming The Dick Turping Stakes in 2008.
Don’t miss our HOYS preview in the 1 October issue of Horse & Hound magazine, and our full report in the 15 October issue
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A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.
