In this modern era of characterless, flat, sand showjumping rings, how refreshing for a championship to be held on grass where the natural undulations – not just the technicality of the fences – sifted out all but the very best riders.

So hats off to the organisers, the Aachen ground crew and course-designer Frank Rothenberger, who must have had some sleepless nights when faced with nearly 150 horse and rider combinations, 30 teams of varying abilities and the forecast of some challenging and changeable weather. We went from shorts to raincoats very quickly!

Luckily the thunderstorms weren’t as severe as we feared, but Frank had to make allowances for them nevertheless, which meant the courses for the first two days were on the lenient side, with a huge 49 clears on round one of the team final.

We were told that certain jumps would be moved if needed during the rain, but that’s why the water jump wasn’t used until the team final. The option of moving the fences also meant the time allowed had to be more generous. A tighter time in that first team round would have produced a very different result.

With the surfaced dressage ring still sited in the middle of the arena, Frank was limited with the lines he could use. There was one rollback on day one, but otherwise the course consisted of a lot of smooth turns – it was the nicest course I’ve seen to open a showjumping World Championship.

There were faults everywhere in Friday’s team final – even fence one, which was big and had a long, slightly uphill run to it – and the atmosphere was unbelievable. The Brits came to win team gold, but bronze is still a great achievement. Gaining qualification for the Olympics with a year to spare is also a huge advantage as it means Di Lampard and the riders can already start to focus on Los Angeles.

Aachen, like Hickstead and other grass venues, has so much character. Showjumping needs to keep that identity.

“Best horseman in the world”

Coming into Sunday’s individual decider there was just one fence between first and 10th; not even two rails split the entire field of 25 and I’ve never seen it that close. Over two rounds of jumping, even those down the bottom of the leaderboard had a chance for a medal, and so it proved with Harry Charles winning bronze.

Harry’s championship record is unbelievable – he’s won seven junior and senior medals and he’s only 27. He has great horses, the inspiration to do it and I can see him becoming world number one at some stage.

Steve Guerdat has long been the best horseman in the world. The way he is with his horses, his impeccable balance and the freedom he gives his horses in the saddle, make him a great ambassador for our sport.

It was an exciting week in my role as chef d’equipe with the UAE riders, and Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi and Enjoy De La Mure finished 13th individually. Since getting the individual final in Paris under his belt, he’s gone from strength to strength and Enjoy was a horse I sourced for the team.

None of the riders had done a championship before Paris and, having trained them now for three years, we’re a much closer unit and there’s lots to be proud of.

A super initiative

I don’t know if it was the FEI or Aachen’s idea to have 50 young riders competing in Aachen alongside the championships (report in H&H magazine, 27 August, p66) but what a super initiative for these under-21s, who were selected by their countries to take part in a grand prix and team competition in the main ring.

It offered a great opportunity for our future championship riders to compete in the main ring, walk the courses and to feel a part of it all.

Overall, first-rate horse welfare was on display and we could show how much these horses mean to us. With so many equestrian disciplines together at these World Championships, it’s been a superb, two-week long celebration of horses.

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Last weekend was quite unusual. The British open championship ran at Hartpury and a few hundred miles away, in Aachen, the world’s leading horses and riders did battle for the quadrennial eventing World Championship crown.

Having run all our national championships for so many years at Gatcombe, they always have a special place in my heart. For my daughter Zara to win her first national title in the open on the 17-year-old Class Affair was particularly nostalgic after he has let her down frequently at five-star.

Typical dad, my initial thought was that there could not have been too many in it! But there were 41 finishers, 14 eliminations, eight retired and 10 withdrawals. Eric Winter must have given the course a significant upgrade from last year.

I was disappointed with fewer than 50 entries in the novice championship. We used to have 100-plus at Gatcombe, qualifying through regional finals, which have now gone. I remember trying to win this for years, but now people talk more of qualifying for the six- and seven-year-old World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers.

The intermediate championship provides a first glimpse of the possible superstars of tomorrow, so it was pleasing to see Tom Jackson and Kitty King, who had an especially good weekend, up at the sharp end.

I do wonder about the sense of running two- and three-star longs alongside the novice and intermediate championships. Would not many of the horses in those have been prime candidates for the championships? The British open and CCI4*-S were combined this year and perhaps that’s the way to go with the other classes.

Whatever way, making our national championships special flagship events again must be high on the British Eventing agenda.

Small margins determined the Aachen result

I’ve often been sceptical, even critical, about some of the dressage judging at major championships. I do think in Aachen the judges should be commended. Julia Krajewski rode a beautiful clean test to top the leaderboard.

It was strange to see Michael Jung and Ros Canter both fluff one of the flying changes on the diagonal and for them and Laura Collett to be within one mark of each other, just behind Julia.

Giuseppe della Chiesa had the riders’ attention with his World Championships cross-country course – all called it serious, some even five-star, but it did have a plethora of time-consuming alternatives.

Nobody admired the amount of turning and rollbacks that make the time so hard to get, but I fear this was largely dictated by the site, so will be repeated at next year’s Europeans in Avenches and the Olympics in Los Angeles – perhaps this was good practice!

Giuseppe had to be pleased with six inside the time and an additional 47 jumping clears, out of the 85 starters, but may be a little disappointed that 20 failed to get round.

There was huge pressure on the British team after Gemma Stevens and Flash Cooley came to a grinding halt at the coffin.

Credit to Tom McEwen for accepting a few time-penalties by going long at the last corner combination to ensure the team finish. Laura Collett looked amazing, though was lucky to survive a near-disastrous slip turning to the last water, London 52 having lost a shoe. It looked like another canter around the park for Lordships Graffalo, with Ros Canter.

To start thinking “gold” at this stage is the best way to annoy fate, but the Brits ended up with an 11.6-penalty advantage. In the individual, Michael Jung rolled one pole big time, but it didn’t drop. This was his fourth World Championship gold in four attempts, two individual and two team.

Michael is the outstanding rider of our times and was just 0.4 penalties ahead of Lordships Graffalo, the horse equivalent. This was a fair result as Ros made more of a mistake in the dressage. It’s difficult to believe such small margins would determine the result at an outstanding World Championship and create another piece of Aachen history.

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Writing this after the final medal ceremony at the dressage World Championships, I’m having a “did I just dream that?” moment. From the British point of view, could Aachen have gone any better? Well, yes – I suppose we could’ve won team gold, but all credit to the Germans, and the standard of the sport made the colour of the medal less significant.

Plus, we’ve secured Olympic qualification at the earliest opportunity, which means we can use next year’s Europeans to develop rising combinations. Talking of which, a shout-out to Fiona Bigwood for holding her nerve and riding Donna Bella sympathetically, even under the pressure of being on a championship team.

I had two roles in Aachen: part of the broadcast team for FEI TV and assisting Carl Hester with his warm-up. While the former requires neutrality and might appear to contrast with the latter in practice, it’s not an issue.

Having ridden in my fair share of championships, I couldn’t help but be lured-into the view from the saddle of every combination regardless of which nation they represented.

Across the three medal tests, there were highs, lows and unpredictability.

In the team test, it was Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle who delivered the standout harmonious performance. Sadly for Cathrine, that didn’t bring her an individual title – despite 11 individual medals, gold still eludes her.

A lack of immobility in Becky Moody and Jagerbomb’s first halt, followed by a break in the first extension, made for a difficult start. But Becky gave us all a lesson in damage limitation, clawing the scores back.

Despite outstanding movements elsewhere, Glamourdale’s first piaffe impacted his team score.

Carl used a shortened warm-up routine for Fame to take into account the impact of travel and heat. He rode a blinder and pulled off a great score. But all told, Germany beat us fair and square.

A canter that secures gold medals

For the special, Carl made use of the shade provided by the indoor school – roof only, so the breeze still got through. He removed Fame’s fly hood for extra coolness, with the breeze keeping the flies at bay.

The gold medal effectively came down to the canter tour and was, essentially, a flying-changes competition. Going into that phase of the test, the leading contenders were level-pegging. That suited Glamourdale: if he stayed error-free, the quality of his natural canter would be enough to counter any of his competitors’ gains over his piaffe achilles heel. And that’s how it played out.

Cathrine’s mistakes left her feeling she’d lost gold.

But as the kür would go on to show, even a fault-free canter tour from anyone else on the circuit can’t match Glamourdale’s extraordinary biomechanics in this gait.

The 40,000 spectators were invested – an “ooh” or a ripple of applause for every outstanding movement, and a whistle or two when they felt the judges had scored too low.

Becky and Cathrine both made difficult programmes look easy. Justin Verboomen had Zonik Plus close to last year’s form, though the contact issues are still a work in progress. Glamourdale was astonishing and on the final centre line, showed us that he can deliver a classical piaffe. The top five or six were all medal contenders.

Podium moments for owners and grooms

One new initiative from these championships must stay: bringing owners and grooms onto the podium and into the spotlight. Overdue and I fully support it. No medal is won without them.

As to the 91 starters in the team test, has dressage reached a point where the minimum eligibility requirement needs to be increased? In the interests of the judges and a consistent, level playing field, starter numbers need to be limited to what science tells us about cognition and concentration.

However, I was impressed with the stewarding, the veterinary supervision and the provisions for the heat.

I sat down with FEI vet director Dr Göran Åkerström to talk through the measures in place, including thermal cameras used to monitor horses during the warm-up. It’s a world away from where this all started – I was part of the first trial of heat-mitigation protocols in Atlanta in 1996 – 30 years on, it’s good to see the sport still taking it seriously.

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It’s business as usual for our top three riders Ben Maher, Scott Brash and Harry Charles as they head to the World Showjumping Championships in Aachen. Who is the best under pressure? In my opinion, they’re all 11/10, which is why at the Paris Olympics – when it was teams of three with all scores to count – this trio gave us a real advantage and won that wonderful gold medal.

They’re taking different horses this time, but we still have a very strong squad.

Ben has Point Break, a horse he knows like the back of his hand having ridden him for the past five seasons. He hasn’t had a jump down all year and from three grands prix starts has had a fifth, a second and a win in Rotterdam.

In his past six championships, Ben has been in the top four on five occasions. This time, he will be looking to add to his gold medal collection; he’s riding at the top of his game, so I think he will.

Scott’s got Hello Mango, a horse with some great form this year including heading a five-star in Doha and coming second in Chantilly. Scott’s capable of winning on any horse and Aachen should suit the scopey Mango who will be peaking at just the right time.

Although Harry had a good team of horses at the start of the season, he didn’t really have an obvious choice for these championships. However, at the FEI World Cup Final in Fort Worth April, the talking horse was a New Zealand-bred mare called LT Holst Freda ridden by Julia Davey – and she was secured for Harry to ride.

Mightily impressive she looked when Harry rode her at their first few five-star shows together. Despite his lack of ring time with this mare, I’m still putting him as my dark horse to win an individual medal.

The quartet is rounded out by Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo – and what an inspiring story theirs is for up-and-coming riders. Bought as a four-year-old and produced all the way by Adrian, they’re now delivering some top-class five-star Nations Cup results.

How long is it since an unknown rider produced a horse from a rank novice to join a championship team? Adrian is a lovely, unassuming guy and a really good jockey. I wish him well.

While the Brits can go to Aachen feeling confident, the Irish, Germans and Americans are all looking good too. But ultimately, I think our team will go one better than our footballers and “bring it home”.

Credit needed for owners

It’s several decades since the late Michael Clayton, then editor of Horse & Hound, invited me to write an article for this magazine. One of the first things I wrote about was how there should be a prize for the groom when a major class was won. The idea was quickly adopted by several shows.

Today, racing does it very well and our sport is getting it right on that score too. When the big screen or live-stream coverage shows a picture to introduce each
competitor, there’s also now one of the grooms, which is a nice touch.

Then comes the breeding, which appears in great detail. But so often there’s little or no credit given to a horse’s owners. And I think that’s really wrong.

Of all the thousands of horses I’ve bought and sold over the years, I’ve never been influenced by breeding. But in so many ways, owners and sponsors have altered my life in the sport tremendously.

Of course, breeding is interesting, but owners and sponsors are far more important. Let’s face it, without them there would be no party.

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With so much emphasis on winning and killer pressure to stay at the top, is our young riders’ system flawed? It should be a stepping-stone to the senior ranks, yet many never successfully make the jump because they have never learned how to produce their own horses. Indeed, many avoid competing against adults until they have to – then get a shock.

Then there’s the ever-present threat of being without a suitable horse; dropped from the World Class Programme and minus the hope that goes with it. So high is the standard of horses that riding merit alone won’t keep a young rider on that top list.

Having said that, there are phenomenal learning opportunities and the current team management is excellent.

At the recent international at Wellington, the new stars on show were really just that.

But the costs of competing, where it’s normalised to spend without restraint, are extraordinary.

In the real world, how many 16- to 21-year-olds can afford £1,000 a pop for a helmet, jacket and riding boots? Or complain that “I’ve only got £250,000 to spend on a horse”, as was expressed to me recently.

As I watched in awe a young rider on a stunning horse coached by a foreign trainer flown in for the day, I realised how so many ambitions remain at home trapped behind the affordability barrier.

One day, we’ll invent a horse with a coin slot between its ears. You put 50p in and turn the ear to the level you require. Then anyone can win!

There are glimmers of hope. A favourite young rider I know gets more pleasure from painting a patent top on their second-hand De Niros than buying a shiny new pair. Even their horses are bargain-bucket rejects; a £200 stud fee and a vet failure.

But sadly, without access to millions, competing at the top level is unreachable for the normal rider. Unless, that is, you are Gracie Catling, whose ability and success are inspirational. Mette Dahl is also brilliant, albeit with a hugely experienced and well-resourced team behind her.

A few are bucking the trend. But even with exceptional talent, young riders need a miracle of luck to achieve without the money. Although affordability perhaps needs addressing, horsemanship should win the day.

Praised, not protected

Written and spoken praise is heaped upon riding schools, crediting them with fostering the future of equestrianism and giving root to many an international rider.

Yet they’re closing faster than village pubs because common sense dictates that it’s financial madness to try to run one.

Unlike other countries, UK riding schools have no government support, fiscal or otherwise. There’s no lobby to clamp down on illegal “lessons on own horses” in defence of lawful, licensed establishments, for instance.

The plight of equestrian businesses has no traction with the public. It’s simply too elitist.

The British Horse Society (BHS) offers much advice and support around how to run a business, from marketing to management.

It runs world-class assessments and globally-recognised qualifications. Yet those of us in the system are having to work harder just to maintain the wherewithal for these to happen, not to mention to create jobs for the newly qualified.

Despite all it does, the BHS lacks political clout. We have the British Horse Council, which does a decent job with the Government, and Defra on equine health and welfare, which overlap into sporting issues. However, there’s a distinct lack of appetite to take up the cudgel on behalf of embattled equestrian businesses.

Farmers have the National Farmers’ Union and Jeremy Clarkson fighting their corner. But despite a preponderance of organisations, the lack of a “National Equestrian Union” renders us voiceless.

Like farmers, our animals are a way of life beyond counting our costs and time. But it would be nice to earn a little money – if only to enable us to keep going and give generations to come the chance to experience the joy of horses and riding.

Good luck to our World Championship teams!

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The summer season is now well and truly in full swing. At the time of sending this to print, I’m especially looking forward to competing at the Dublin Horse Show this week. It’s been on my bucket list for years.

If you’ve never been to Dublin, I’d definitely recommend putting it on your list. It’s a fantastic show with an atmosphere unlike anywhere else, and I’m really looking forward to experiencing it from inside the ring for the first time.

To qualify, I had to travel over to Ireland a few weeks ago, as over there it’s the horse and rider combination that qualifies, so you can’t qualify the animal and substitute another rider.

Set shows

One thing that’s really struck me over the last few weeks is the use of set shows and whether they’re actually being marked as intended.

It’s certainly not a new discussion. Spend five minutes around the collecting ring and it’s a topic that comes up time and time again. The general feeling is that when a rider doesn’t perform the set show as specified, those inaccuracies aren’t always reflected in the marks.

I’ve watched several classes recently where competitors have been given a set show, yet obvious errors haven’t appeared to affect the performance mark. A rider might be asked to trot the full diagonal but strikes off into canter over X, or misses a marker altogether. Surely those things should be reflected in the performance mark? Otherwise, what’s the point of having a set show?

For me, it also feels a little unfair on those competitors who have ridden the set show to the letter. If accuracy isn’t properly recognised, it inevitably leaves people frustrated and questioning whether that attention to detail really mattered.

First ridden classes

The other thing I have found myself questioning is whether set shows really belong in first ridden classes. Personally, I’m not convinced they do.

First ridden classes are a child’s first real solo introduction to ridden showing. It’s their first opportunity to compete without the support of a leader, so building confidence, learning the ropes and, most importantly, enjoying themselves should be the priority.

Most children spend weeks at home practising their individual show. They know exactly where they are going to trot, where they would like to canter and where they plan to halt, meaning that when they walk into the ring they’re as confident and prepared as they can possibly be.

Then comes the curve ball. They’re handed a completely different show to the one they’ve spent many weeks practising.

I’ve watched children who are perfectly capable riders suddenly freeze because they’re desperately trying to remember what comes next. The focus shifts from riding well and showing off a happy partnership with their pony to trying to remember the next movement.

For some children that’s absolutely fine, but for others it completely knocks their confidence, which is a real shame. One bad experience at that age can easily dent a child’s confidence, and confidence is arguably the most important thing we’re trying to build in those early years.

I know the counterargument will be that they need to learn to adapt. I don’t disagree that it’s an important part of progressing through the levels. But does that really need to start in the first riddens? Wouldn’t we be better allowing children to build confidence first, before introducing set shows as they move up the ranks?

I’m not sure there’s a right or wrong answer, which is exactly why it’s an interesting discussion to have. Are set shows really adding value to these classes, or are they simply creating an unnecessary hurdle for the very riders we’re trying to encourage?

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The eventing Nations Cup in Avenches a couple of weeks ago was a triumph for the Swiss, for whom I am cross-country coach. They hosted a great event and they won it!

There were more than 70 runners in the CCI4*-S, including the likes of Michael Jung and Julia Krajewski with their good horses. The only rider to make the time across country – she was bang on it – was Switzerland’s Mélody Johner on a former horse of mine, Erin, but there were a lot of clear rounds. I hope the course has a new design for the European Championships there next year.

Avenches is an interesting venue – it’s a racecourse, and trotting races were held during the dressage on Friday afternoon, and there was Flat racing on Saturday evening, which gave owners and riders something more to focus on.

The grandstand backs onto both the racing and the event site, yet neither the dressage competitors nor the trotters would have noticed each other, as you couldn’t see or hear anything from the ‘opposite’ side.

The only minor inconvenience was that you couldn’t walk the cross-country during evening racing, as a lot of the track is in the middle of the racecourse.

Looking ahead to Aachen

We had a 24-year-old making her team debut in the Nations Cup, Angelika Dubach. She did a very good job and will now ride as an individual at the eventing World Championships in Aachen, which is essentially what the Nations Cup series is about – giving riders the chance to prove themselves in a team environment and step up.

A Swiss team victory was a nice feel-good factor for them before Aachen. Now we’re all set and looking forward to it.

I am sure course-designer Giuseppe della Chiesa will make it a cross-country competition. Aachen has never been an easy place to ride fast competitively round, and when you’ve got someone of Giuseppe’s talent designing the course, along with the historical knowledge he will have gleaned from the venue’s long-time designer Rüdiger Schwarz, I’m sure it will be a proper cross-country test.

I would think that if you want to jog around quietly, it will be easy but if you want to put a bit more speed on, it will be much more difficult. That’s what we’re hoping for, anyway.

The British team are obviously looking like the smart ones but, like everyone else, they’ll have to come and do it. The Swiss target is first and foremost to gain Olympic qualification, but they are very capable of taking a team medal. They’ve been knocking on the door for the past few years and it would be lovely – and well-deserved – if they could win one.

The next design generation

Defender Burghley entries are open, and I’d like to think that there will be quite a few European-based riders who were on the fringe of being selected for the worlds and perhaps aren’t good enough at dressage to make their teams. Possibly some Germans and French, a couple of Swiss, a few Americans, helped by the fact that there’s no Maryland CCI5* this year?

And Burghley has a very good reputation for the way in which the event manages its ground, which will be attractive this year in particular.

My tip would be for Tim Price and Vitali to have their day and win this time.

Clayton Fredericks is one of Burghley designer Derek di Grazia’s assistants, and it’s great to see that he is taking over the course-design at Adelaide. It’s nice to have an Australian doing an Australian event, and Clayton was a very good rider and horseman. I am yet to see one of his courses, but I hear good things and he’d understand how to do the job.

As with the up-and-coming designers Andrew Heffernan and Kai-Steffen Meier, it’s encouraging for the sport to see very experienced former – and current – competitors progressing in this sphere.

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Hickstead is where showjumping began for me. I first came when I was 12 or 13, and won the 13hh working hunter ponies, and have had the bug ever since.

I remember watching John Whitaker and Nick Skelton warming up and thinking, “That’s what I want to do”, and I always think if that happened to me, it will happen to someone else.

I absolutely love the tradition of it too. The Bunns understand the importance of the venue, and not only do they keep improving it, they keep up with prize money and facilities.

There was some uncertainty when they lost the Longines sponsorship, but having that freedom has made the event even better, with title sponsor Agria coming on board, and getting individual spots; such as Unex sponsoring the speed classic.

The world number one rider, Kent Farrington, was in action this year, with an as good, if not better, field than you’ll find in a Longines League of Nations. It’s testament to the venue that riders like Marcus Ehning want to return every year, and I think that will continue for generations. I always make trying to get picked for Hickstead my priority.

“It was brilliant to pull it off”

People ask what’s the most important competition in the sport now when there is the Global Champions Tour, the Rolex and Longines grands prix and the Nations Cups. Unless you’re fortunate to have a big string of horses, you have to back one and for me, the Nations Cups take precedence.

It’s the format I really enjoy, although I probably wouldn’t say it at the time. The Nations Cups have been around for ever, and they’re so easy to understand. As long as we stay strict with ourselves and don’t change too much, I think they will stay that way.

My good friend Conor Swail and I jumped the only double clears in this year’s Agria Nations Cup at Hickstead. He’s another rider I’ve always looked up to, so to be up there with him at this level was brilliant. But I keep going back to the history and significance of Hickstead, and this is always the week I work towards, so it was brilliant to pull it off.

Medoc De Toxandria is a very sensitive horse and you have to do everything on his terms. He’s 14, and he’s never felt better. It’s taken me a long time to get him into a system that works for us but I wasn’t surprised he produced that in the Nations Cup.

I went in with a lot of confidence, whereas maybe in the past two years, I had some uncertainty and never rode well enough. Now I feel we’re in a good partnership, and I rode as I should have, and as he deserves.

Let’s hang on to equine talent

In terms of the sport overall I was fortunate to have a long chat with CEO of British Showjumping (BS), Iain Graham, recently. It’s not as simple as I thought, and I take my hat off to him. The situation is not as black and white as everybody thinks, and there’s logic behind what’s going on. He agrees it’s not perfect, but BS has only a certain amount of control.

We could all throw our arms in the air and say this and that but I don’t think we really are in much trouble. We’ve had four golds from the past four Olympics and you can’t argue with that. I think we just accept what we are at the moment, and what we’re becoming is a top producer of young horses.

It takes time to evolve but buying young horses and producing them is what Britain is becoming known for. We just have to be able to hold on to them, or get a top British rider to buy them, so we can see the benefit.

Ideally, we would try to get some kind of syndication, as in the Netherlands, to keep top horses in this country. If you had a pot for 10 British-bred horses to go to the top 10 riders, it would be a massive benefit.

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If anyone had told me I’d be competing at a World Championship 36 years after my first, I wouldn’t have believed them. In fact, I can hardly believe it myself! This year I’ve had some of the nicest rides on Fame, so I’m delighted to be going to Aachen along with team-mates Fiona Bigwood, Lottie Fry and Becky Moody.

This year’s team has a reliable base of experience. Becky, Lottie and I have brought home medals as a team since Paris 2024. Fiona has been on teams before: silver at the worlds in Kentucky, silver at the Aachen Europeans five years later and silver again at the Rio Olympics – same as me – so she knows exactly what it takes to stand on the podium.

It’ll be a team debut for her home-bred mare Donna Bella – daughter of Fiona’s Olympic ride Orthilia – so once again we have a rider who has bred and produced a horse to top level. Together with Becky and Jagerbomb, it’s a story the press and the public should love. Hopefully, Lottie can continue the superb form and tip-top condition Glamourdale has been showing.

Many people say that Britain is favourite for the team gold, but trying to win gold in Aachen is a tall order. Anything is possible, though, and we’ll go as a team full of confidence and hope.

The selectors certainly had to fulfil their roles to the hilt this year, and it was a close call between Fiona and Charlotte Dujardin for the fourth spot. Either one of them would have ably supported the team.

The reserves are Charlotte and Brave Heart (first reserve), the wonderful Susan Pape who, at 63, proves age is no boundary, with her lovely mare Harmony’s Giulilanta, and Sadie Smith, who is also a popular choice. It might have been a little too early for Sadie and Swanmore Dantina this year, but I expect we’ll see them on teams in the future.

A great showdown

Competing in Aachen is always an impressive experience, but this year, with the freestyle in the main arena at 7pm on the Saturday night in front of 40,000 people, it will be incredible. Tickets have already sold out. Although none of us knows yet whether we’ll make it that far, that evening is set to be a great showdown. My spine is tingling already at the thought of it.

With Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus, Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St John Freestyle, Lottie and Glamourdale and Isabell Werth and Wendy De Fontaine in the mix, I couldn’t possibly call the winner, but I’d also add Becky and Bomb to the mix.

By the way, having enjoyed Hickstead so much this year, I’m thrilled to hear that at next year’s competition, there will be a CDIO Nations Cup.

We miss you Stephen

There have been so many tributes to Stephen Clarke, which is not surprising as he was loved and respected all over the world. Stephen was one of the most popular figures, if not the most popular figure, the world of dressage has ever seen. I can only add my thoughts to those from across the dressage world and wider.

Remembering Stephen as a rider was always easy, with that distinctive moustache and top hat back in the 1980s. He then became a leading judge. Considering everything Stephen gave to horses and dressage, I don’t think we’ll ever find someone so supportive – not only of judges but riders.

We could always guarantee Stephen’s honest, unbiased opinion on our training and performance. Stephen, on behalf of all of us riders, we will miss seeing your face whether at C or another position around the arena.

Stephen’s confidence as a judge gave us confidence to win gold at the London 2012 Olympics. He gave that gentle nod, a smile and said: “Go for it.” Such simple words that took the nerves out of all our performances.

Right now, our thoughts are with Julian who, apart from being a caring partner to Stephen for 40 years, ran Somerford Park’s events and, prior to that, shows at their home Cotton Equestrian Centre, which were always most convivial.

Stephen, we’ll carry your words in our hearts in Aachen.

● Who do you think will take individual freestyle gold in Aachen? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Watching John Whitaker win the Cock O’ The North at the Great Yorkshire Show last week was an incredible experience. To lift a major trophy 51 years after your first victory is an achievement you simply couldn’t replicate in any other sport.

John admitted afterwards that this was the best of his seven wins and the atmosphere in the arena was special. The whole experience gave you goosebumps.

If last-man-in Richard Howley had jumped clear and snatched the win, I think the crowd would have booed him out of the ring. That’s despite how many years he’s spent living in Yorkshire! The backing you get from the home crowd is unmatched.

The Cock O’ The North is a unique class. While the Hickstead Derby is equally timeless, the Cock is accessible to most grand prix horses. That said, it usually takes a round in that massive arena for horses to settle and get their heads around the obstacles, like the double of walls and brushes.

There was a time when course-designers put real imagination into creating these enduring challenges. They carry just as much prestige today as they did half a century ago, which makes me wonder if we are capable of creating modern equivalents.

It remains one of a handful of events that hasn’t lost its value or respect and is arguably our biggest truly national class. Part of the magic is how easy the class is to follow for the public, to the point where even the security staff were buzzing about John’s win.

Despite everything he has achieved, John remains completely down to earth. I spent two hours wandering around the cattle lines with him. The Great Yorkshire is a proper county show, where you can still sit in the Jersey cattle shed and have a coffee with a group of local farmers.

“Only as good as the entry list”

A show is only ever as good as the riders on the entry list, and while big names still want to win at Great Yorkshire, how many of our top 20 riders do you see supporting our national championships? In Belgium or the Netherlands, team selection dictates that riders must compete at their national finals and it preserves their status.

Many of our finals have lost their gloss. The Big Star six-year-old final was fantastic when it was held at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), but now it has dwindled to the point where we sometimes see only 12 to 15 entries in a qualifier.

I talked about the talent seekers in my last column, and how difficult it was for course-designers to build a track that could cater for seven-year-olds and a broader spectrum of horses.

It’s a class that undoubtedly needs a rethink, but it’s attracted the biggest numbers of any qualifier this year. So when the discussion happens, we have to remember that changes need to benefit not only horses and riders but the show centres, who are also trying to make a living.

A framework for progression

One thing they have on the Continent that we lack is a framework for progression. Countries like France require riders to lodge a certain number of clears before they can step up. In Britain, someone jumping a 1m track today could enter a grand prix next weekend.

A tiered structure would raise standards, protect horse welfare and give riders meaningful milestones.

Without the current blanket approach, tack rules could also be tiered. Grouping a grassroots rider jumping 80cm into the exact same bracket as a professional jumping 1.30m makes zero sense.

Other countries adapt bit rules by level. In Germany, young horses must compete in a simple snaffle until they are six years old.

You only have to look at the Billy Stud to see the success of that approach; their young horses are almost always in snaffles.

It reminds me of a brilliant exchange between Tony Pavitt and Marcus Ehning in a collecting ring. Tony asked Marcus what they do in Germany if a young horse can’t go in a snaffle. Marcus just smiled and said: “We sell them to England!”

● Do you agree with Chris’s comments? How else could we improve the framework for progression? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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These days, I do more course-advising than course-designing, as this is how I see my role: helping the next generation.

I always say to the up-and-coming talent, “The only difference between me and you is that I’ve made more mistakes than you!” The secret in life is to learn from those mistakes and now to help keep others from making the same ones.

The only straight design work I’m doing this year was at Aston-le-Walls last week as a bit of a favour to Nigel Taylor. On the day that we weren’t due to finish until 7.30pm, I knew I was too old to still be doing this. Joking apart, to be still running cross-country that late in the day is not good for horses, grooms, riders, owners, officials and especially the long-suffering volunteers.

I asked Nigel why and the reply was, “BE [British Eventing] would not let me run an extra day of cross-country.”

So now I’m thinking that nobody wins in this situation. If BE wants to limit the number of runners that organisers can put through in a day, then set a sensible daily maximum of horses to, say, around 250, plus or minus 10%, then everyone can go home at 5pm.

I do appreciate the ever-increasing pressures on organisers, especially the international ones because of the extra FEI costs. To make ends meet, they need significant numbers of entries. The trouble is, every organiser’s costs are different, so there is no one rule that fits it all.

I left the fixtures committee because we were supposed to be helping to make the international fixtures more viable, but there was no level playing field between organisers as some were more restricted than others over how many divisions they could run.

A clear fixtures strategy would be a good item for new BE chair Julia Mulligan to have on her agenda because, in most cases, good entry numbers are directly proportional to an event’s position in the calendar.

My courses at Aston-le-Walls

The one-, two- and three-star at Aston-le-Walls were pretty routine apart from Carys McCrory’s fall in the CCI3*-S. When a rider leaves the venue in an air ambulance, it leaves a sickening feeling in the course-designer’s stomach. Luckily, reports from the hospital say she is making good strides to a full recovery.

Tragically, two other riders were not so lucky last weekend, when Sophie Fouracre and Kerry Donoghue lost their lives in cross-country accidents at Swalcliffe and Penrith respectively. The sympathies of all in the sport are with their family and friends, as well as everyone involved at the events.

In the CCI4*-S, I did something a little different with one-, two- and three-stride combinations as part of the mix.

When I was riding showjumping grands prix, David Broome always told me: a distance of four strides or less, you have to have a plan and make it work. More than four strides, and you have time to stop and start again. That was good advice, so I was disheartened to see so many riders go to their hand and try to add strides in these short combinations, hence the plethora of 20-penalty glance-offs.

Medals aren’t a given in Aachen

Last weekend I was in Avenches in Switzerland, site of next year’s European Championships, where the Germans were having their last run before announcing their team for the worlds. On home soil in Aachen and led by Michael Jung, they will be hoping to repeat their team success last year in Blenheim.

The British squad in Aachen will be led by European champions Laura Collett with London 52, and Ros Canter with Lordships Graffalo. They will be joined by Tom McEwen (JL Dublin), Caroline Harris (D.Day) and Gemma Stevens (Flash Cooley).

Inevitably, we will start favourites after our string of successes with Chris Bartle and Dickie Waygood. Make no mistake, medals are not a given and all will know that nothing less than a personal best performance will get the job done; 13–16 August will be nail-biting viewing in Aachen.

● Who is your tip for World Championships gold? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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It’s been a sad few months for the international officiating community, with the deaths of Bob Ellis, Jacques van Daele and Stephen Clarke – all three lifelong servants of the sport, and all three officials at the London Olympics.

Bob’s team used to build the dressage arena for me in the early years of the London International and Jacques, the FEI’s dressage steward general, judged there too. It was always reassuring to have him on the panel.

Stephen and I first met as teenagers, competing at local shows. He went into judging to find out if the system could be improved from within rather than moaned about from the outside.

Nearly 50 years ago, international judging looked nothing like it does today. Consensus barely existed and where it did, it was usually as a small circle of judges had officiated together often enough to compare notes.

Riding style still varied by nation – a judge schooled in the French tradition prized lightness, one from the mid-European school would place more importance on accuracy and obedience – and judging reflected that split. Riding has harmonised a great deal since and judging with it, though enough discrepancies remain worldwide that consensus can’t be taken for granted.

A great leader from the back

Stephen’s judging combined obvious personal qualities – empathy, humility, integrity, self-reflection – with real clarity of method. He worked movement by movement, comparing what he saw against what the rules required, then gave his score. He never dwelt on the mark just given, nor guessed what might come next. He stayed in the moment, indifferent to how his total might compare with anyone else’s.

He also had extraordinary leadership qualities, which followed the same quiet pattern – he led from the back and pushed others into the light rather than himself. It’s little surprise his fellow judges made him president of the International Dressage Officials Club, or that the FEI made him their judge general.

He’d already helped produce the FEI’s first judging guidelines, a handbook that still serves as the sport’s definitive reference. But he recognised that dressage had outgrown what that handbook envisaged 20 years earlier, and no one pushed harder to recruit and cater for new judges entering our sport.

In 2018, the FEI mandated its dressage committee to produce a code of points to make scoring more transparent. Stephen, working with fellow consultees, put at least three years of work into helping create it, burning the midnight oil, distilling the judges’ handbook’s 250 pages into summary sheets setting out which “observables” take priority for each movement, and how to score them 0–10.

It has sat on a shelf in Lausanne ever since, while the ongoing lack of scoring consensus takes its toll on the integrity of the sport. The FEI could honour Stephen’s hard work properly by finally bringing his code of points into effect – not as tribute alone, but because it’s what the federation asked for and what the sport still needs.

It’s a tough call

Congratulations to Mette Dahl on her individual bronze medal at last weekend’s young rider Europeans, and commiserations to Annabella Pidgley who just missed out on a medal.

The selection meeting to settle our World Championship dressage team is looming and is going to be a tough call. Lottie Fry, Becky Moody and Carl Hester are certainties and, notwithstanding Germany’s strength and home advantage, are capable of securing team gold for us.

The fourth slot has gone to the wire, with Fiona Bigwood and Charlotte Dujardin being separated by a whisker due to Charlotte’s test-riding masterclass at Hartpury CDI3*. On my own rough sums Fiona edges it, and her five-star result nudges it further her way.

But there will always be information concerning specific criteria that those of us on the outside are rightly never party to. An independent observer and chair ensures that the decision is made in accordance with British Dressage’s selection policy. I have been on both sides of these procedures. I feel for the selectors, but more so for Fiona and Charlotte.

Good luck to everyone in contention and also to our junior and children-on-horses teams battling it out for European medals as we go to press.

● Who would you pick for the fourth team slot at the worlds? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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One of the biggest misconceptions about showing – and equestrian sport in general – is that it’s easy. What makes our sport unique is that we’re not simply training ourselves; we’re producing another athlete at the same time.

To add to the challenge, a show horse doesn’t just perform for us but is also expected to carry a stranger.

A horse will truly perform only when a connection is established. It’s difficult to explain a partnership you have forged to a non-horsey person – it’s often unseen and can only be described as a feeling.

But first, you must find the horse. Often, they’re young, inexperienced or completely unbroken. You become the trainer, teacher, psychologist, fitness coach and full-time carer, all while trying to improve yourself as a rider. And whoever coined the phrase “never work with children or animals” clearly never met a pony producer.

A producer’s story with a horse usually ends when he retires, is sold or moves on, and you’re back to square one.

“A different breed” 

I learnt the lesson of resilience very early. Riding ponies for Dad, one week I could be riding a pony that had jumped for England, the next I’d be lying across a breaker fresh from the sales.

I’m not alone in sustaining serious injury – including breaking my back. No wonder horsey people are described as “a different breed”.

I remember coming home from one of my most successful trips to Horse of the Year Show with a string of wins. However, it was time for my top horses to retire, and one was sold.

I went on holiday, came home and walked into the empty yard, and I remember thinking, “What now?”

I didn’t have the next generation waiting in the wings.

Finding another top horse isn’t like popping to the supermarket. It takes years. One minute I’d been on top of the world; the next I genuinely wondered whether I’d ever win another class.

The challenge of starting over

It struck me that I can’t think of many other sports where you can reach the pinnacle of your profession and then, almost overnight, find yourself starting all over again.

Athletes in most sports spend years conditioning the same body and refining their own skills. While riders improve with experience, every success comes with a different horse.

After decades of producing horses across different disciplines, I’ve come to realise that while every horse is absolutely an individual, there is the occasional moment of thinking, “I’ve seen this horse before.”

Not the horse itself, of course, but the personality. Somewhere over the years, I’ve worked with another horse just like it. I know what worked, what didn’t and, perhaps more importantly, the mistakes I made.

The horses that taught me the most weren’t always the champions. Quite often, they were the ones that had me scratching my head, questioning myself and occasionally wondering why I ever thought this was a sensible career!

Perhaps that’s why the sport is so often misunderstood.

I still remember Gary Lineker’s tweet after Nick Skelton’s comeback in 2016 from a broken neck to win Olympic gold in Rio, describing the moment as “an old bloke on a horse jumping It’s a Knockout-style obstacles”.

It was hopefully meant as humour, but it was a reminder of how invisible the skill in our sport can be to those who have never experienced it.

The culture we create

It's disappointing when I see horse people turning on one another online. Spend a day at a show, and you’ll see competitors applauding each other and congratulating the winners. A few hours later, social media can paint a very different picture.

I’ve noticed the same thing during the FIFA World Cup. Supporters cheer their team from the pub, then go home and criticise the very players they’ve just been singing about. It’s a mentality I’ll never understand. We all have a responsibility for the culture we create.

● Have you experienced the “empty yard” feeling after a top horse retired or moved on – and how did you find your way back? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Top show horse producer Vicky Smith on travelling horses, bitless bridles and hot competitions

With the county shows in full swing it seems busier than ever. Still, on my team we try to take just one or two horses to the busier shows, making it easier to manage for both us humans and for the horses.

Traditionally, county shows fit around the agricultural calendar, explaining perhaps why so many are crammed into such a small space of time. Any date clashes were irrelevant, as on the whole, they were attended by local people showcasing their produce and livestock.

But in this day and age, as so many hold Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers, having so many crammed into a short period of time – including several into just one week – poses problems.

A quick scroll on social media alone reveals that this super-busy run of fixtures has people and horses on the road up and down the country chasing qualification tickets.

At Lincolnshire Show, I chatted to John Killingbeck, who was the team vet for the British eventing team for 20 years. Before the Atlanta Olympics, he was involved in the research around transporting horses to the Games. It was concluded that broadly speaking, horses used the same energy and strain for every mile travelled as they would if they were walking there.

This is food for thought as we travel our horses.

It’s particularly worrying in the case of young animals presumably chasing in-hand tickets. For me, such youngsters should be shown a handful of times for education, and qualifying is a bonus. They should not be on a lorry week in, week out.

It’s not just a case of it posing an immediate welfare risk. Showing youngsters excessively also runs the risk of having them grow sick of showing before their ridden careers have even begun.

Welfare first

Without doubt, welfare has rightly become a more pressing issue in equestrian sport and as a result, there’s a rise in the use of bitless bridles. I recently saw footage from the UK’s first bridleless competition with both dressage and showjumping classes. The venue – Merrist Wood – was full to capacity with spectators and the event went viral on social media.

Meanwhile next month, Iverk Show in Ireland plan to host their first bitless showing class. With a prize pot of €350 (£300), it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Is there an appetite for such classes in the broader showing circuit?

I believe that the trend for using driving and strong bits is lessening its grip. But with research suggesting that around 27% of horses have mouths that are unsuitable for even a snaffle bit, I have to ask, is it time for showing to hold stricter rules on harsh bitting?

I know it has been mentioned in previous columns, but I feel I have to remind competitors that we hold full responsibility for showing’s social licence. We must be mindful of how our discipline is portrayed to the public at shows themselves and on social media. A readiness to question practice shows a willingness to prioritise welfare.

In a similar vein, is it time for professionals to question their use of gadgets at home and at competition? This is particularly the case when posted on social media, a space young riders use for inspiration and as a learning tool.

On a more positive note, it has been great to see county shows bending over backwards to ensure equine welfare at their venues during very hot recent weather conditions.

There have been extra hydration points and plenty of guidance for those competing on caring for themselves and their exhibits. Well done to them for adapting in the face of new challenges. We must do the same.

● How and where would you introduce bitless competition to the showing circuit? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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You might also enjoy reading:

A competitor’s guide to the 2026 HOYS showing qualifiers

‘Encouraging welfare conversations and celebrating good horsemanship’ as agricultural show announces bitless showing class

‘This is a worrying time indeed,’ says top show horse producer Katie Jerram-Hunnable

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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H&H’s eventing editor and Aachen World Championships reporter Pippa Roome assesses the line-up for British selection

If you could be a fly on any wall for a day, where would you go? I’d head to a meeting of the British selectors as they pick the World Championships eventing team for Aachen. As expected with such a wealth of strong combinations, Britain has nominated the maximum 15 entries, with the squad of five to come.

Three pairs – Ros Canter with Lordships Graffalo, Laura Collett on London 52, Tom McEwen riding JL Dublin – are surely guaranteed a spot in the British eventing team. The Paris gold medallists all have a back catalogue of excellent form, combining individual medal potential with consistency.

Tom has Brookfield Quality also listed and despite his good results, I think his pattern of missing the time on his long-format runs pushes him down the list.

Gemma Stevens and Flash Cooley have a strong claim, with a bank of sparkling four-star form over the past two years, bar a rider fall at NAF Hartpury last season. The chink in their armour is lack of five-star form and that their long format win this year came at an event where the cross-country time was easy to achieve.

What does the British team selection policy say?

The selection policy places qualification for the LA28 Olympics – so a top-seven team finish, excluding the USA, who qualify as hosts – as Britain’s primary aim at this championship, followed (in no particular order) by winning medals and giving championship experience.

This might play into the hands of Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal, who have been top-four finishers four times at five-star and should offer reliability – a priority for that team finish – over a seriously low score (more important for winning medals). Harry’s fall at Mars Badminton, when the mare stood on herself, was unfortunate and the selectors may be willing to forgive it.

Harry’s other top mare, Annaghmore Valoner, who finished third at Badminton, was a surprise absence from the list – she has sadly had a setback which means she will miss the autumn season.

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed offered a similar profile of reliable five-star form, without stellar dressage, until their two five-star falls last year. Despite Pau and Defender Kentucky success since, those two errors may be harder to overlook than Cavalier Crystal’s mistake.

Bubby Upton (Its Cooley Time) and Caroline Harris (D. Day) fell on their championship debuts at the Europeans last year. Both have come back with wins, at Defender Bramham and Longines Luhmühlen, and they are well-supported professionals with other horses coming through, so they fit the selection criteria of giving championship experience.

Although Bubby has had two other falls besides the Blenheim one, I think she may be given the individual berth, because her dressage scores make her a potential medallist.

The four 10-year-old horses named are all very promising potential future team players, but may benefit from another year or two. They are United 36 (Tom Jackson), Corimiro (Sarah Bullimore), Gypsie Du Loir (Yasmin Ingham) and Cooley Park Muze (Gemma Stevens).

Finally Katie Magee (Treworra, fifth at Badminton) and Selina Milnes (Cooley Snapchat, second at Bramham) both have other decent results too, but also blips. Neither rider is on the World Class Programme (nor is David Doel currently, although he has been in the past) and while that’s not essential, it’s a measure of who’s on the high performance radar.

Kudos to them for making the 15, but I don’t expect to see them in the final five selected for the British eventing team.

Plenty of choices on worlds’ cross-country track

The top line takeaways from my interview with course-designer Giuseppe della Chiesa about the World Championship cross-country track are as follows.

There are 42 jumping efforts via the straight routes, but 74 fences on the track, indicating the number of alternatives available. In places, Giuseppe has given riders choices that are only two to seven seconds more time-consuming, so they are not true direct and long routes, but genuine alternatives.

The optimum time of around 10 minutes should be tight.

“If you go all the direct routes, you will have jumped a ‘four-star plus’, but you can also find a ‘three-and-a-half-star’ to get around,” says Giuseppe.

● How would you pick the squad? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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You might also enjoy reading:

Golden Paris Olympic trio among British eventing entries for 2026 World Championships

Who’s made the cut for the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 eventing teams? Now updated with nominated entries for every nation plus final squad for the USA

How many fences, what’s the optimum time and more – course-designer answers your questions about the World Championships cross-country course

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Successful British showjumper Carmen Edwards praises organisers of Bolesworth International for upping their game in the heatwave

The recent heatwave, which coincided with the start of week one of the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth International, reminded us of the massive difference between what is required to run an agricultural show and an international horse show.

At the former, much of the livestock involved just needs a bit of shade, but at a dedicated horse show, you need a proper infrastructure.

Bolesworth’s organisation team did a really good job of accommodating for the heat. There were misting stations, large barrels of water available near the rings and the water pressure was decent, which is important when the first thing you want to be able to do is wash the horses off.

The stables were opened up early, so there was time to get things done out of the heat. Everyone had to bring their own fans but the show did everything they possibly could to optimise the horses’ welfare.

Bolesworth is a show that has continued to up its game and people’s confidence showed with only a small percentage changing their plans because of the extreme weather forecast.

Why back-to-back dates don’t work

If there is a downside to Bolesworth’s two-week tour, it’s that it runs back-to-back with another highlight of the summer calendar, Hickstead.

It’s not fair on competitors who have a horse to jump bigger classes, but can’t afford to go abroad, to compress the opportunity into three weeks. I don’t know why the dates can’t be allocated better.

Course-builders Colm Quinn and Raf Suarez did an excellent job with Sunday’s grand prix, it was a great watch. The two jumps that took the most jumping were the two that came down.

I was relaying information back to one of my best pals, Ollie Tuff, in the jump-off. I told him he needed to make sure he was careful jumping the double and the rollback – a lot of people were getting flat or dead shots off the turn to the vertical, and it was right in front of the crowd, so horses didn’t have their eye on the fence.

It was nice to see both Trevor and Shane Breen do so well, with Trevor taking the win and for him and for his brother to finish runner-up. It’s a position my brother Will and I would definitely like to be in!

A 1.35M puissance wall to start

I also watched the puissance at Bolesworth on Saturday night and thought the show did a good job encouraging entries. There weren’t many originally; it takes a certain type of horse and sometimes there’s a flurry of them, while in other years it’s quieter.

I don’t know if they needed to start the wall as low as they did – at 1.35m – but it worked out well. The puissance is always an opportunity for people to bring along their mum or dad or boyfriend or girlfriend who doesn’t understand the sport, and still be able to enjoy their evening.

I was watching the big classes from the sidelines this year as I don’t have a grand prix ride since selling Happy Valerie last year. I am building up a team of young horses at the moment and had three at the show. Like everyone, I’m working hard hoping that something like Val comes along again.

I have three of her babies at home – Happy Hour, Happy Valentino and Happy Valentina – so hopefully one of those will grow up to fill her shoes. With a bit of luck, one the magic number three will be our next superstar.

● Do you have any tips for dealing with your horses during soaring temperatures? Send your horsey hacks to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

Championship horse wins his first international grand prix: ‘He answered all the questions today’

Six in a row! Puissance master Rachel Proudley continues winning ways with new ride in four-way tie at Bolesworth

How to watch Bolesworth International Horse Show live from anywhere in the world

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British grand prix dressage rider and trainer Anna Ross discusses brideless dressage, the stretch debate and two sad farewells

Ten years ago, the trend was clear: short reins won gold medals. Today, we can ride grand prix in a snaffle, we’re trialling a stretch movement at grand prix and the first bridleless dressage competition has generated enormous discussion. Whether these things represent progress is much debated – but the direction of travel has definitely changed.

Mention bridleless or bitless dressage, and you have a great way to blow up the internet. Some see it as the next step in improving horse welfare; others believe it has no place in the sport.

There is also a viewpoint that the double bridle is not a harsher piece of equipment, but a more refined one – capable of lighter, more nuanced communication in educated hands.

Grand prix rider Sam Whyley is among the sceptics.

“I’m struggling with the idea that this is a step forward and with the comments suggesting it’s the direction we should all take,” he says. “Are we going to get to a point where we can’t ride in breeches anymore, because a good rider shouldn’t need clothes to help keep their balance?”

He goes on: “I love the feeling of a horse working correctly and supplely through its body, engaging the hindquarters to take weight off the naturally weaker forehand. The better I am as a trainer, the healthier, happier, sounder life my horse will lead – something encouraged throughout the ascending levels, as I work towards the hardest test of all, the grand prix.

“What I’m seeing from the videos of the bridleless competition doesn’t embody this. I’m seeing horses moving hollowly, their backs like a canoe that the rider sits in rather than on; horses on the forehand, unable to lift their shoulders; pirouettes with no bend or even the wrong bend – examples of what, replicated consistently, will lead to forelimb injuries or sore backs.”

But welfare isn’t determined by bitting. I’ve seen horses ridden harshly in bitless bridles and beautifully in double bridles. A bit is a tool, and can be used well or badly. If a horse is genuinely softer and more confident without one, we shouldn’t dismiss that as “anti-tradition”, but nor should we pretend every horse is automatically better bitless.

Surely the pertinent question is: what equipment allows this horse, as an individual, to perform with the greatest confidence, relaxation and harmony?

Stretching at grand prix?

The same principle applies to the proposed stretch movement. A horse that can lengthen its neck, seek the contact and swing through its back is a joy to watch – it shows genuine throughness and trust, and could be one of the most revealing movements in the test.

Yet it has proved contentious. The much-decorated US Olympian Robert Dover has called it an “insult” to our stakeholders and too boring for spectators. But if spectators have watched a grand prix test that far without falling asleep, I think we can assume they’re pretty interested in dressage.

From a judging viewpoint, the stretch lets us reward the qualities we say we value: relaxation, harmony and correct training. At a time of increasing public scrutiny, that matters.

A relaxed expression, a quiet mouth, a swinging tail and a willing attitude say far more than the bridle a horse wears. The effectiveness of any tack depends far less on the equipment than on the hands holding the reins. If these debates encourage us to focus on those outcomes rather than defending tradition or chasing trends, the sport will be better for it.

Sad farewells

We lost an invaluable guiding hand recently. Horses and riders alike lost a friend in the late Stephen Clarke.

You always felt Stephen was on your side: ride well and you sensed it genuinely made him happy; ride poorly and you never resented his mark; you simply felt you’d let him down. Not because he was harsh, but because you knew he wanted everyone’s best.

He judged with honesty and integrity, but always with kindness.

Closer to home, we said goodbye to another great man: Andrew Goodwin Davies, father of grand prix rider Sally Bell, whose quiet warmth and wisdom touched so many.

We often talk of people “passing” – and the very best pass on their knowledge, kindness and values. Those left become custodians of that legacy. In that sense, they never really leave us.

● Where do you stand on bitless dressage? And should grand prix reward a stretch movement? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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You might also enjoy reading:

Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester, Lottie Fry and Becky Moody among eight on Britain’s World Championship dressage shortlist

‘It was a massive risk that paid off’: Carl Hester’s view on the return of international dressage to Hickstead

‘I spent most of the night watching the plane on Flightradar’: Becky Moody on flying Jagerbomb to the World Cup

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Top British show horse producer Katie Jerram-Hunnable shares her thoughts on the plight of our county shows and equine flu

While it seems to be business as usual for many of us producers, I feel it’s not the case for others as numbers in some classes seem worryingly low, even at our traditional county shows.

I always feel very torn when it comes to our local county shows. I used to religiously ensure that I took horses to them. But, they fall early in summer and I found if I prioritised these fixtures, I missed a handful of the early Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers at other prestigious county shows and I ran the risk of missing out on early tickets.

As a producer, it’s therefore not a viable choice; I have to consider the wishes of my owners who naturally hope to see their horses at Hickstead and HOYS and must plan my season accordingly.

Also, we run a different risk by not supporting the county shows that are granted qualifiers. HOYS have a strict handle on the numbers entered and an affiliation fee, so if we don’t support them, they will be both out of pocket and without qualifiers.

While I understand the financial justification for centralising the bulk of the HOYS qualifiers, it doesn’t help the more regional county shows such as those we have here in the south-east of the country.

It’s a similar plight affecting shows across the south, the north and into Wales and Scotland, where there are rarely qualifying opportunities.

What this means for regional talent and showing’s future is a discussion for another day, but I fear it can’t be good.

These shows provide a vital shop window for our public to see showing, and perhaps even other country or agricultural pursuits for the first time. Who knows, an inspired member of the public could become a future supporter of our shows in a plethora of ways.

They also provide a cracking – and nostalgic – day out for our teams as well as the public. To wind up losing more of these traditional fixtures would be a great shame.

Shows, safety and survival

This season, our shows have the added complication of the spread of equine flu across the country.

Personally, I think that having shows check passports and vaccination records is a good thing and I’m thoroughly unimpressed with tales of people trying to flout the rules.

Perhaps the classes most at risk of very low numbers from this outbreak are the mare and foal classes.

Understandably, breeders and producers are wary of taking young foals to shows due to the risk of exposure. They will all be old enough to travel according to guidelines, but not old enough to be vaccinated, as initial vaccination isn’t recommended until the foal is four to six months old.

My husband Chris is on the Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain committee so I know they are particularly worried about the safety of hosting these classes at their championship show. What a pity if a society dedicated to breeding is left unable to showcase breeding stock at its flagship event.

At this point, I urge everyone to be careful, to be responsible and to do their part in minimising the spread of disease. The last thing our industry needs is for organisers to feel forced into cancelling shows, similar to what happened during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and more recently, the Covid-19 epidemic.

Many of our fixtures failed to get back off the ground afterwards. Further cancellations could mean unsurvivable financial losses to some more shows, making this a very worrying time indeed.

● What measures would you like to see our shows employ to minimise the risk of flu? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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You might also enjoy reading:

Equine flu: what horse owners need to know during the current outbreak in Britain

‘He had the X factor’: Boston Black Tie’s breeder tells the story of how the champion came to be

‘Good horsemanship is far more than results’: new award recognises those who truly put the horse first

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Mark Phillips has his say on an extraordinary situation at Royal Jump and who impressed at Bramham

A number of Brits travelled to France for Royal Jump, with courses designed by Eric Winter, two weeks before Defender Bramham Horse Trials. Little did they know what surprises lay ahead.

The CCI4*-L was a middle of the road track, but many were able to slow down early and finish 20 seconds under the time, so those that went for a minimum eligibility result for the World Championships at Aachen got a cheap qualification.

In the CCI4*-S, after rider complaints the course was re-measured and came up 247m shorter than published, so the time was altered, but not all the riders got the message. Storm Straker was expected to be the winner, only to be demoted to fifth when the time was put back to that originally listed.

In the end, the FEI reversed the decision, something I’ve never heard of before, and Storm was deservedly reinstated as the winner.

The FEI determined that it was the riders’ responsibility to have attended the riders’ meeting and understood the revised timings and so favoured the results with the re-measured time from the two sets signed off by officials onsite. Well done to eventing director Molly Day and the FEI.

But how could this fiasco have happened with so many senior officials present?

At Bramham, the course-designer and technical delegate measured the course and came out 4m different on the short and 11m on the long. In over 40 years as a designer, I’ve never been 100m apart from my technical delegate, never mind north of 200m.

The FEI make much in their seminars of teamwork among officials. At Royal Jump, that must have broken down in a catastrophic way. Someone did not do their job as an official, with unacceptable consequences for the riders.

Impressed by Andrew Heffernan

After some years away from Bramham, I was impressed by the welcome from the Lane Fox family, the organisation and the wonderful atmosphere.

I was there as a selector for the Brits and also to work with course-designer Andrew Heffernan, who showed courage, passion and empathy for the horse. He has a great future as a designer and as he becomes “flavour of the month”, he must be careful not to spread himself too thin.

I thought that Bubby Upton rode with a discretion and a maturity that seems to have taken a long time coming. Selina Milnes was impressive and Yasmin Ingham continues to show promise with Gypsie Du Loir.

And on to Germany

Having worked as the five-star course-designer at Longines Luhmühlen for more than 10 years, it’s always good to return. On arrival I was greatly saddened to hear German coach Peter Thomsen had suffered a fall while riding at home and was in hospital. His many friends will wish him a speedy recovery.

The five-star had only 20 horses, with only two from Germany. It needs more support from the home team. But when the date falls so close to an August championship, numbers are always likely to be down.

The firm footing after last year’s drought was a factor in many Brits staying away. What an irony that this year they worked harder than ever on the ground and with thunderstorms after the Verti-Drain on Thursday and Friday evenings, the going was the best ever.

As always, Mike Etherington-Smith was kind with his angles and the jumpable width at the skinnies, but there were enough questions to warrant five-star status, if “five-star minus”. Much of the riding was definitely below par for a five-star.

Caroline Harris, though, was foot perfect across the country. With this confidence, hopefully next time she will leave a little more petrol in the tank for the final day as she finished 18 seconds under the time. But she had what she needed in reserve to jump clear and win her second five-star with D. Day, with Emily King taking second place.

The Brits travelled home from Germany with smiles on their faces. Let’s hope we can repeat the process in Aachen in August!

● Which up and coming course-designers do you rate? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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National coach and Olympic gold medallist ‘on the road to recovery’ in hospital after riding fall

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Under-25 national champion Alice Casburn recalls the rocky start of her home-bred superstar

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Top British dressage rider, trainer and multiple Olympian Carl Hester shares his thoughts on the “phenomenal” recent return of dressage at Hickstead.

“It was a massive risk, but in my heart, I knew it had to happen and it turned out really well.” That was Aster Events’ Daniel Watson reflecting on May’s Chart Stables International Dressage Festival at Hickstead. An understatement, Dan, it was phenomenal.

The week-long show offered something for everyone, with CDI and CPEDI classes alongside Premier League, young horse, national competitions and the dressage masters series. Dressage returning to the iconic Hickstead venue offered all our riders a world-class platform on home soil.

British team rider Dan’s the sort of person who can’t sit still. He rides up to 10 horses a day, teaches and runs a business with his partner Craig Messenger. Yet, feeling there was a gap – specifically a lack of a showcase for dressage along the lines of shows abroad – he sent an email to Lizzie Bunn at Hickstead, who emailed straight back saying they needed to meet up.

The long development process got under way. Dan was in and out of the boardroom last year. British Dressage came on board and when Chart Stables jumped at the chance to be title sponsor “the whole thing skyrocketed”.

A whole host of sponsors followed – too many to mention here, and thanks to them all – but the riders and trainers who put money in also showed dressage working together as a community. Dan reports Chart Stables has already reaped rewards: “What they’ve gained from the show is massive.”

Eye-watering costs

The costs involved were eye-watering: £250,000. That included, for example, £18,000 for hook-up, including £7,500 for diesel – the price having gone through the roof – £12,500 for the main screen, wifi and other communication tools.

Dan did a clever deal with Travelodge for 22 judges’ rooms, but there was extra for national judges in other hotels. Catering cost some £20,000 to £25,000 but was “a phenomenal return”. People don’t realise the cost of setting up.

Dan said: “It was mad, and it could have got way out of control. You have to be on every penny.” He was.

Signing up volunteers wasn’t easy. There were about 10 to 15 a day this year, and Dan found it tricky to get the right people for the right tasks, but he’ll have more of an idea going forward on who fits what role. I’m sure in the future volunteers will be flocking to sign up.

There were many conversations with Dane Rawlins, who ran Dressage at Hickstead for 27 years and hosted the superb European Championships there in 2003. Dane was there daily, having got roped into judging and told me with humour: “Bally good job. It was nice to see someone else suffering.”

Dan also paid tribute to the Hickstead team: “I feel utterly privileged to have worked with such a team: Lizzie, Ellie and Will Bunn. To have their backup throughout. No words.”

The result: a show that rivals the best in Europe

At the trot-up, one of the foreign judges told Dan that the show rivalled the best in Europe, at which Dan told me he nearly fell over backwards. He may have felt things were going too fast at the time, but he has a dressage Nations Cup in his sights and putting in a bid for the European Championship may not be just a dream.

Lizzie Bunn commended Aster Events for running a dressage camp attended by 75 preceding the show as a “clever move” and the lovely ball attended by some 200 people was a great success.

From the Hickstead perspective, Lizzie said, “The whole team from caterers to sponsors really got behind it.”

She paid the ultimate compliment to Dan and his team: “They were such a pleasure to deal with. They are now our template for outside events.”

Dan doesn’t have a business studies degree but has always been analytical. He told me he felt slightly naive going into it and slightly scared himself with what he had created.

I think he should be awarded an honorary first-class honours degree sharpish after pulling off an incredible success…and perhaps a medal for bravery! Here’s to the future.

● Were you at Hickstead in May and what did you think? What other shows would you like to see brought back – or boosted – on home soil? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

How to ride free walk for higher dressage marks – with advice from FEI judge Stephen Clarke and Carl Hester

‘I’m meant to be winding down not up!’ Carl Hester makes grand prix debut with thrilling new ride

The race to Aachen World Championships is on! Which Brits are on song and what competitions are likely to be key in coming weeks?

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Top British showjumper and UAE chef d’equipe William Funnell talks about the importance of aligning rules and pays tribute to “a fantastic human being”

It was with great sadness that we learnt last week that the great course-builder Bob Ellis had passed away. He brought on the art of course-building in this country in leaps and bounds, with his own style of loop-backs, and I know he was immensely proud of designing the courses for the London Olympics in 2012.

He was always there to help while we walked his courses and he was unfailingly constructive. What he did to help young course-designers was typical of the man – he was such a giver – and that next generation coming through is just a part of the huge legacy he leaves. He was a fantastic human being.

Back on grass

With the Hickstead Derby coming up this week and having been away on chef d’equipe duties for the UAE squad recently, I wanted to get some competition practice on grass. So it was lovely to find time to go to Suffolk County show.

It really brought to light just how great these shows are for educating young horses as well as providing an opportunity for crowds to watch our sport. We are the main ring entertainment, so British Showjumping (BS) needs to make sure these shows are better supported.

To do that, the classes need tweaking because the rules surrounding the height of the fences and the qualification of the horses in classes like the international stairway is proving too restrictive. The stairway started life as a route to being picked for a team and I’m not sure that’s the case anymore.

The ridiculous thing is that I’m preparing my horse for the international competitions at Hickstead this week, but I need to change its tack to compete in these national classes. This is because of some controversial and much-debated new BS rules regarding bitting, nosebands and certain rein attachments.

The FEI’s rules are all made with horse welfare as top priority, so there has to be a case for BS sticking to the same tack regulations as those in place for international competitors.

Helping with young horses

I brought up in a column last year what a disgrace the five-year-old championship jump-offs at the FEI WBFSH (World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses) Jumping World Breeding Championships have been over the past couple of years. Hopefully the introduction of an optimum time in Lanaken this year is a positive move.

I’m not completely sure it’s the right thing but the options are limited – style and performance can be controversial and tends to favour big, flashy horses on the day. So at least they’re making an effort and hopefully BS can implement the same FEI rules to the British young horse championships, which act as a selection for Lanaken.

All roads lead to Hickstead

I was in La Baule last week helping Joe Stockdale on the Nations Cup team that finished fourth. Britain’s chef d’equipe Di Lampard has done a great job trying to slot in a few new horses this season and it’s been super to see Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo doing so well ahead of the World Championships in Aachen in August.

Depending which horses Ben Maher and Scott Brash have available to them will make a massive difference to the strength of the British team, but once again we’re quite short of new up-and-coming partnerships.

I’m bringing the UAE riders to Hickstead this week as part of their build-up towards the Nations Cup there next month. With our young Billy Stud horses in action ahead of our summer auction on 23 June and preparing Dublon for another tilt at the Derby, it’s going to be busy!

● What classes would you like to see at county shows? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

Former winners to triumph, or a surprise result? Find out who’s taking on the 2026 Hickstead Derby

Tributes paid to London Olympics course-designer Bob Ellis who built top tracks around the world

Extra changes to young horse World Championships to support welfare and ensure ‘age-appropriate competition’

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Native pony specialist Rebecca Penny has her say on amateurs beating professionals and refreshing results in the show ring

For years, the showing world has been dominated by the perception that professionals hold all the cards when it comes to winning at the highest level.

Whether ringside, on social media or in conversations after the classes have finished, there is often a suggestion that amateurs and home-produced combinations are at a disadvantage. That they simply cannot compete with the professionals.

Yet the results frequently tell a different story.

A perfect example came at Devon County, where home-produced riding pony Wycroft Benjamin Bunny secured one of the first Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) Price Family supreme in-hand final qualifications of the year.

Anyone involved in showing understands the significance of that achievement. The Price final is one of the most difficult tickets to secure, attracting quality animals, experienced producers and fierce competition at every qualifying opportunity.

Yet on that day, it was a home-produced pony that came out on top. Similar stories unfold every season, with amateur exhibitors proving they are more than capable of taking on some of the biggest names in the sport and winning.

“The horse is the great leveller”

Sometimes the debate around amateurs and professionals focuses so heavily on who is producing the horse that we forget the most important factor of all: the horse itself. In many ways, the horse is the great leveller.

I have always believed that if you have a quality animal and prepare it well enough, you will have your day regardless of your status. Reputation may attract attention, but quality still has a habit of rising to the top.

What concerns me more is the divide this debate continues to create. By constantly framing showing as amateurs versus professionals, we risk losing sight of the fact that everyone involved shares the same passion.

Many professionals started out producing their own animals at home, while many amateurs dedicate an extraordinary amount of time, effort and expertise to presenting horses and ponies to a very high standard.

In reality, the line between the two groups is often far more blurred than many people would care to admit.

Which brings me to one of the more contentious aspects of the discussion: what actually constitutes an amateur?

Depending on which society’s rulebook you are reading, the answer can vary considerably. A competitor may qualify as an amateur under one set of rules but be excluded under another. Some exhibitors can spend years producing horses and ponies to a very high standard and still compete in amateur ranks, while others find themselves ineligible because of technicalities.

The inconsistency inevitably creates confusion and frustration. If societies are committed to maintaining a distinction between amateur and professional competitors, then there should be greater consistency in defining where that line actually sits.

A refreshing result

Another result from the early part of the season also caught my attention. It was refreshing to see a coloured horse – Lostock Up Till Dark – take one of the first HOYS qualifying hack championships, ridden by Harrison Taylor.

Traditionally, show hacks have been associated with a very specific image and type, and coloured horses have not always fitted neatly into that perception. Yet this result served as a timely reminder of something many of us have believed for years: a good horse is never a bad colour.

What was particularly pleasing was that the horse appeared to be judged entirely on its merits. It was not overlooked because it happened to have patches. It was rewarded because it was good enough. Surely that is exactly how showing should be.

Perhaps the lesson from both results is the same. Whether it is an amateur taking on some of the most established professional producers in the country, or a coloured horse stepping into a championship often dominated by tradition, quality should always be the deciding factor.

Showing is at its best when the best horse on the day wins, regardless of who is at the end of the lead-rein, who is in the saddle or what colour it happens to be.

● How does your definition of an amateur compare with societies’? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

Debate over new format for HOYS championship: ‘things have to evolve’

‘We’ve grown up together through the good, bad and ugly’: amateur beats the pros to stand hack champion at Royal Windsor

‘I strongly dislike seeing fat horses’: Top judge shares his ‘pet hates’ and tips for first-timers

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The five-time Burghley winner and cross-country coach to the Swiss eventing team analyses recent course-design trends

In a year when lots of riders are choosing to compete abroad, it’s great to see a very healthy number of entries for Defender Bramham Horse Trials this week.

I haven’t been to a British CCI4*-S yet this season – I’ve been to two Continental ones, Marbach and Strzegom with the Swiss team – but, looking at the results, the courses at Thoresby and Bicton caused plenty of trouble. I think that’s a good thing. Why should it be a given that you go clear at your CCI4*-S just because you’ve been popping round CCI3*s?

I thought the Marbach track was very good. Last year it was decent and one nation in particular complained, so Mike Etherington-Smith was called in to be the course advisor. In fairness, I gather that all that was changed were a few of the alternatives at tough fences, but those tackling it were very much encouraged to try the direct routes.

The eventing Nations Cup teams were first and the majority made it look easy. Then it came to those less experienced at CCI4*, and problems started occurring all round the course. That’s natural – there were plenty of competitors at their first CCI4*, and it shouldn’t be automatic that they go clear when making the step up.

Perhaps that was also the case at Thoresby and Bicton. I spoke to a few riders, and asked if they had done an advanced class first, and they hadn’t – they’d gone straight up from three-star.

That seems to be the culture of riders today – they believe they should be able to move up a level and it will be easy. But the questions become harder, the let-up jumps aren’t so straightforward, and that is what it is supposed to be.

Frangible questions

From the results sheet, a lot of frangible devices seem to have been broken at Thoresby and Bicton. I do wonder if, sometimes, fences are being put in the wrong place because they’re pinned? If pins and MIMclips didn’t exist, would designers have put those fences in those locations, and if not, surely it is the wrong fence?

At Marbach and Strzegom very few frangibles were triggered. I know there are lots more runners in four-star classes over here, but you’d expect the overall standard to be better as well.

The subject of course advisors is an interesting modern phenomenon. How many of these four- and five-star tracks now present the course-designer’s original plans, and how much input do these advisors have? And did these advisors have – or take – advice themselves?

However, I think the concept of assistant course-designers at the very top level is a good one to help them progress and gain experience.

Putting ideas into action

Andrew Heffernan designed the Strzegom track, and it will be interesting to see his Bramham course. I gather he’s made various changes, now he’s got the feel of it and can put his ideas into action, which is exactly what we want from designers.

Of course as a rider you want a course to be the same as the last time you jumped it – it’s a lot easier! But a designer needs to be confident and to have self-belief without arrogance.

Andrew is also going to be responsible for the new track for the national under-25 advanced class at Cornbury, which will be a bit of a “test event” for the 2027 under-25 World Championships.

The more I’ve thought about this new championship, the more I like it. Take, for example, the Swiss. They don’t have many young riders and serious competitors often start their careers later. This will be a real help in putting them on an upward curve.

There is a really good vibe about it in Europe. It gives riders an incentive to push their boundaries a bit and aim for something higher up the ladder. It also gives them the experience of being part of a team. It doesn’t take much to ignite someone’s thinking and who knows where they will end up as a result?

● What have you thought of cross-country courses this spring? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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British rider recognised as winner after FEI review overturns event results: ‘My horse deserves this’

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Laura Tomlinson shares her thoughts on her home-bred horses debuts and a sweltering Nations Cup in Lier, Belgium

I have to start by adding my congratulations to Ros Canter and her brilliant partner, Lordships Graffalo (Walter), on their Mars Badminton win. What an incredible role model Ros is as a rider but also as a mother. She is breaking both records and boundaries of what is achievable as a woman.

Although she may make it all look so easy, it’s worth remembering that creating such a picture of ease and harmony takes an enormous amount of hard work and dedication day in, day out.

It’s also a testament to the team around them, especially when coming back from pregnancy. I know both my eldest daughter and I left Badminton feeling hugely inspired by so many awesome partnerships and fabulous riding.

I also feel my claim to fame here is that Walter’s grandfather was my old horse, Polarion, who I took from juniors through to our first grand prix together.

Since Badminton, I’ve had the privilege of competing another home-bred, Forest Hill, at his first international at Hickstead. It was emotional for me to have another horse at that level for the first time, and at a show that my father loved so much.

The atmosphere was wonderful, and the team there did a great job of combining so many classes across so many levels, both nationally and internationally.

Forest Hill had only two grand prix tests at a local venue under his belt before going down the centre line there, and so I was delighted with his top-three placing. There’s so much more to come from him.

The thing that struck me about him was how uncomplicated he felt and how happy he was to do his job – he was totally undistracted. The special was trickier as we had not practised it, but he gave it a good bash. The first half felt great; we came a little unstuck in the canter, but I felt all the things I wanted to feel for the future.

I also had a newer horse, Ostmarks Digal, out in the prix st georges (PSG) and was able to take the win there. Australian rider Tyla Schou, who works for me at home, took a six-year-old mare of ours, Vallemagia, to win the six-year-old classes with over 95%!

Lots to like in Lier

From Hickstead, it was on to the Nations Cup in Lier, where again, the Belgians put on a fabulous competition – although it did feel like riding in an oven with the heatwave having struck in full force.

Sadly, Full Moon really struggled to settle in his stable, which was right by the main thoroughfare of horses passing in each direction. We had some great moments, but we definitely took too much of that tension into the ring, which translated into silly mistakes that curbed the marks from reflecting his improvements elsewhere.

He’s getting stronger at this level now, but we need to do some homework on getting through the canter work clean or else the scores won’t improve.

But it was great fun to be on the team, as ever well looked after by Caroline Griffith and the World Class staff. Sadie Smith, Susan Pape and Lewis Carrier all put in superb grand prix tests, and I couldn’t have been prouder of how the team rode – each producing a lovely, harmonious picture with a happy athlete under saddle – or of our second-place finish.

I went from there to the National Schools Equestrian Association arena eventing championships at Hickstead with my eldest daughter to sweat some more. Luckily, she managed to win more rosettes than I did, and I was delighted to see so many children having fun and getting a taste for competing on such amazing grounds.

At the time of writing, next up is the international at Wellington, with Forest Hill in the grand prix and Ostmarks Digal in the PSG, and possibly a ride on the six-year-old mare potentially to qualify her for the World Breeding Championships, as Tyla cannot ride her for Australia.

It all seems rather like a whirlwind at the moment, but very exciting to be busy with such lovely horses that my team and I have put so much work into over the years.

● Who is the rider or role model who’s inspired you most this season? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

The race to Aachen World Championships is on! Which Brits are on song and what competitions are likely to be key in coming weeks?

‘It was like a championships’: Britain second in Nations Cup opener as Carl Hester returns to team duty

‘Zonik Plus is not for sale’: why top dressage rider Justin Verboomen will never let him go

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Chris Smith, an international showjumper as well as a producer of young horses and a highly respected coach, suggests some changes that could help British Showjumping keep riders on side

I was at Wales and West earlier this month and David Broome reminded me how, 49 years ago, he helped found the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC), which represents showjumpers’ interests to the FEI.

If there’s one thing I think British Showjumping (BS) would really benefit from at the moment, it’s a riders’ committee.

This year’s tack rule changes generated bad feeling because a lack of conversation and explanation gets people’s backs up.

Currently, we are told we can direct questions via the AGM, but those need to be submitted in advance, so it’s not what you would term a discussion.

It’s very easy to put half a dozen people in the same room via the internet, so there shouldn’t be too many barriers to setting up a committee. It would help us to work with each other, rather than against.

When you don’t understand the logic behind a rule change, it’s harder for everyone to interpret. Often, the only reason I know the rules is by breaking them and I don’t break them on purpose! They’re just not communicated clearly.

Where are the stewards?

I don’t believe there was a single steward at Wales and West and that’s not the show’s fault – they’re assigned by BS.

It was a busy bank holiday, with the international at Wellington as well as three county shows, but Wales had three Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers, so what would have happened if a rider had broken a tack rule by accident? Someone could have objected and a HOYS ticket might have been lost.

With so many new rules emerging, there should always be a steward at an important show to provide clarity and guidance.

Our HOYS qualifiers have been a regular subject of debate and at Wales the talent seekers, which incorporates the former seven-year-old final, definitely showed it needs review. There were 96 combinations entered and only six clears, and 22 retired. After walking it, I decided not to jump my seven-year-old, as it had the technicality of a rankings class.

Course-builder Raf Suarez took a bit of a hit for it, but what was he supposed to do? How do you build for seven-year-olds and more experienced horses with those numbers? It’s a class that doesn’t make sense. While it might attract fewer entries, would a seven- and eight-year-old handicap be a better idea?

How to avoid a big divide

It’s my belief that if we’re not careful, we’re heading for a big divide between our federation and riders. Riders are what keep the federation moving, from grassroots members who generate the bulk of the income, to professionals making a living from the sport.

You only have to look at the number of low-level weekday shows that are being cancelled, because of lack of entries, to see how BS is potentially missing the boat. While affiliated entries have fallen, the number of private training shows has increased dramatically.

These are often organised via WhatsApp groups and cost less money – maybe £15 for two rounds at 1.40m, compared to £50 BS – and they help you to produce a horse properly with no pressure and nothing going on its record.

When you’re trying to sell a horse, the first thing people do is type its name into ClipMyHorse and if they don’t understand why a horse has made a mistake, it can easily put them off. With training shows, a horse can learn without that risk.

Lier is a world-class facility and it runs two training shows every week, and they are absolutely rammed. You enter on Equipe and it’s their biggest earner, as there are no judges or overheads. Some people now are only doing training shows and internationals – it seems to be the way the sport is heading.

We definitely need to have much better conversations going forward. BS wouldn’t be a federation without show centres and competitors and at the end of the day, most of us want the same result: to produce horses to their best, enjoy good sport and earn a living.

● What changes would help keep riders engaged with BS? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

Extra changes to young horse World Championships to support welfare and ensure ‘age-appropriate competition’

‘We’ve some of the best riders in the world, but we can’t rely on Ben, Scott and Harry forever’: Tim Gredley discusses the future of British showjumping

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British Eventing’s CEO Rosie Williams talks openly about the positives and challenges facing the sport

Everyone knows British Eventing (BE) has been through tough financial times and I’m more confident with the numbers now and the way we’re managing the situation. That said, it’s still challenging. My job isn’t to bank millions, but to build appropriate reserves.

Viability and costs are a challenge for us, organisers and members. What we can do is limited – we control entry fees and membership fees; we can’t control whether people spend £3,000 on a saddle.

We have to reduce barriers to participation and it’s a tight balance between taking revenue – from membership fees and entry levies – and putting those fees up so they become prohibitive.

We also have to make our business as efficient as possible – we’ve saved money by moving offices to share with British Dressage and British Showjumping and we’re well into a digital transformation towards a more cost-effective system that will improve the customer journey.

Event challenges

The way the calendar fits together is complicated. The first draft for 2027 went to organisers a month ago. It’s important that we offer our members a blend of competitions as locally as possible.

Organisers have different business models from greenfield sites to equestrian centres. Costs such as fuel and timber are escalating and out of our control.

People entering late doesn’t make it easy because there’s a date when organisers have to pay deposits. Understandably, organisers get stressed because it’s their pocket and we have to push people to stay in the game. Two hundred entries isn’t viable on ballot day – but I don’t want to let those 200 people down by cancelling.

Only so many horses can run per day – how much are organisers making out of each horse? Higher-end starters offer more value to organisers, because they pay more, but we have to balance that with 75% of members being at BE100 and below.

We’ve had a good start to the season – memberships, horse registrations and entries are strong. The weather and ground have played ball.

We support organisers with a marketing toolkit and templates. We also see success from working with organisers to send geographically targeted emails. Payday affects entries so we have to think strategically about ballot dates.

Then you get disrupters in the market – Tetworth did a great job and had heaps of entries. We were faced with balloting local riders at BE90 and BE100, because the rules prioritise higher-level classes, which didn’t seem fair. We added an extra day – we have to consider the knock-on effect when we do that.

Hard ground is a challenge – organisers do all they can with the ground they have. Many people believe watering is the only answer, but it’s expensive, not always sustainable or effective and many events don’t have access to water. We are working on fixing up our ground-care equipment so that’s available to organisers.

We also have to ask what members are doing to prepare their horses responsibly for different ground and terrain – if horse or pilot are unfit, they won’t cope as well.

Vital training

The BE Training Foundation, set up with support from David Howden, is a charity focused on officials’ education, investment in BE Prepared, our rider training platform, and raising money to support these things.

We want becoming an official to be clearer, easier and more competency based. We are focused on developing eight new stewards and we launched a new officials’ syllabus at Badminton.

In the background, we’re working to build our commerciality. Our reach and ability to tell a story is improving.

We’ve done well over the past couple of years at listening to and talking to our members. Some things can’t be fixed, but sometimes someone has a good idea no one else has thought of and I’m always happy to have conversations.

Eventing is a wonderful sport with a fantastic community and we need to work together to continue the momentum of change.

● What’s been your early season highlight? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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New enhanced veterinary suite to pop up at horse trials in 2026

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Dressage rider, trainer and British Horse Society (BHS) Fellow Pammy Hutton’s recent exclusive H&H column, in which she asked “Should anyone ever use running reins?”, has prompted a wide range of responses, both online and via email.

Pammy clarified her opinion saying: “The simple response lies in the word ‘anyone’ – and the answer to that is no. The word ‘ever’ is where the conundrum starts…” She said she has used them “occasionally, when needed”, adding: “The art comes in learning the if, the how and the when.”

To continue the conversation, here are some of the responses we received at H&H this week. If you’d like to add your views, please email us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name and address (only name and nearest town will be published), for consideration.

“Most BHS Fellows would not recommend them”

Pammy Hutton is widely acknowledged as one of our most esteemed BHS Fellows. Her extensive knowledge and experience within the equestrian community are unparalleled, and her regular column is always a pleasure to read.

Prior to the publication of her column last week, Pammy and I had a conversation regarding the contentious topic of running (draw) reins, prompted by a recent post she had shared on social media. During our discussion, we both concurred that the insights of Nuno Olivera, as expressed in his book From an Old Master Trainer to Young Trainers, provided valuable clarity on the appropriate, and more importantly, the inappropriate use of this training aid. Pammy also emphasised the importance of exercising great caution when employing running reins.

I am confident that your readers appreciate that the more than 50 BHS Fellows each hold unique opinions on the use of this particular rein. Most Fellows, myself included, would not recommend its use. Furthermore, running reins do not feature in the teaching or doctrines of the British Horse Society.

“To what purpose are you using them?”

Pammy Hutton’s column was refreshing to read. I have been lucky enough to visit her school, Talland, recently through an Emile Faurie Foundation auction schoolmaster prize via another special lady, dressage judge and trainer Maryanne Horn, who also featured recently in H&H. I can honestly says it’s a rare and special place.

By making such high quality schoolmasters accessible to amateurs, who often don’t have the funds to purchase such horses but who have no less passion to keep dreaming, it’s an establishment which keep those dreams alive.

I’ve never been somewhere that balances that fine line between horse training and welfare so well. There is a sugar cube box available on every side of the school, and the principal knows every one of her horses inside out (with eyes everywhere and on everyone!). She is as quick as lightning and tougher on the riders than the horses, and rightly so!

This is no dead-eyed riding school, but a place full of humble trainers and riders and willing horses who are correctly worked and well managed.

It’s never about whips, spurs or, as Pammy’s article bravely took on, running reins, but to what purpose are you using them, and who is on the end of them (or indeed teaching those on the end of them).

Experience, empathy and an understanding of when to add, but more importantly, release the pressure, both on horse and human is key.

Beyond that still, what I saw first hand at Talland, and what I think makes the biggest difference, is an undeniable love of the horse.

“Usually ‘good’ riders don’t need them”

I spent many years having training with three-time Olympian Johanna “Jook” Hall whose opinion of running reins was that there was a place for them in training, but only ‘good’ riders are capable of riding with running reins and usually ‘good’ riders didn’t need them!

What do you think? Email us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name and address (name and nearest town will be published) for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of H&H magazine or online.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

‘I’ve been warned never to discuss this, but here goes,’ says Pammy Hutton as she tackles a taboo topic

Lack of skill and influence of others key reasons riders use side- and draw reins

Use of spurs, nosebands, bits and draw reins in competition called into question

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Royal Windsor’s chief showing steward Nigel Hollings on the show’s origins and the 2026 fixture’s highlights

It’s hard to imagine that the first show in 1943 was a one-day affair called the Windsor Horse and Dog Show. Nevertheless, it helped to raise enough money to buy 78 fighter aircraft for the RAF. My favourite anecdote from that year was that a lurcher stole some chicken from King George VI’s lunch plate so dogs have been banned from the event ever since!

This year’s four-day show and the tragedy that unfolded revealed the harsh reality of running a major fixture. But my role as Royal Windsor Horse Show’s chief showing steward is to focus on the highlights of the showing classes.

History was made.

The royal family dominated the section for retrained racehorses. Two former Horse & Hound award recipients continued to shine. The Count Robert Orssich hack championship, won by an amateur, was pure Windsor magic. The mountain and moorland sections, including the Pretty Polly home-produced classes, were well supported and spectators in the Castle Arena showed their appreciation for all the true-to-type champions on show.

My first show horse was the wonderful lightweight hunter Portman Lad who was equally successful on the flat and over fences. Consequently, I have total admiration for a hunter that meets this criteria, which is a rarity these days.

Craig Kiddier’s charge Mulberry Lane is the dual-purpose show hunter that keeps on giving. Already a twice Royal International supreme champion as a worker and a Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) supreme title holder as a flat horse, he galloped away with the open hunter spoils on his first visit to The King’s back garden.

Although Robert Walker failed in his bid to win this title for a 10th time, his daughter Izzy most definitely kept the Team Walker flag flying high. She made Royal Windsor history when riding Stoneleigh Showtime, now owned by her grandparents, to a fourth victory in the show pony championship in their last season together.

Even the legendary Pretty Polly, her sister My Pretty Maid and her daughter Pollyanna only won the title twice. Pretty Polly’s grandson Gem’s Signet along with the Gilbert-Scotts’ Cusop Heiress came closer by notching up three championship titles.

Sound advice

Outside of the ring, I joined Vicky Smith and Robert Walker in the Performance Hub area to talk about “all things showing’’.

Vicky, who took the riding horse championship here with her reigning HOYS champion Tremarl Timpani, offered some sound advice to anyone starting in showing: “Cut your suit according to your cloth, and above all be willing to learn anything and everything throughout the whole process.”

Robert Walker was asked how he keeps his string of horses fresh during a busy show season. He replied: “Treat each horse as an individual. We do very little work in the school and exercise in the field instead. This will keep them alert and consequently they are more likely to remember what you teach them.”

On my visit to the hub, I was asked, “How do we keep showing up to date?” I explained that it is important to encourage more young people to become stewards and judges, and for them to learn their craft alongside experienced officials.

This year the Orssich committee, tasked with selecting Windsor’s judges, invited some new faces such as Victoria Mullen, Harry Moore, Ellena Thomas and Adam Forster to officiate.

Similarly, showing societies need to promote new and inclusive competitions to increase participation. However, it’s important to do so without losing traditional values.

A favourite quote

Finally, my favourite quote came from the hunter judge Vikki Smith, who summed up the week in a nutshell at what is one of the calendar’s premier events: “Mulberry Lane’s ride and gallop will be a memory of a lifetime!”

● What advice would you offer to anyone starting out in showing? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

‘We had to go to Plan B’: decorated worker lands Royal Windsor hunter championship

‘This has to be the most special’: history is made as combination clinch Royal Windsor show pony crown yet again

‘We’ve grown up together through the good, bad and ugly’: amateur beats the pros to stand hack champion at Royal Windsor

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Pammy Hutton FBHS asks “should anyone ever use running reins?” and shares her thoughts on judging inconsistencies

I’ve been warned never to discuss this taboo topic, but here goes… Should anyone ever use running reins?

The simple response lies in the word “anyone” – and the answer to that is no. The word “ever” is where the conundrum starts.

Do I ever? Yes, occasionally, when needed. The art comes in learning the if, the how and the when.

The running rein – which runs from the rider’s hand, through the bit ring and back to the girth – has a sliding effect, and if gently used, can teach the horse about a soft contact. It’s far better than pulling the head in.

The great classical trainer Nuno Oliveira advocated using what he also called “German reins” with “tact and delicacy”, briefly and not daily. The big mistake, he says, is forgetting to give with the hand once the horse is in the desired position.

Interestingly, he points out that ecuyers – or classical horsemen – traditionally used running reins attached to a cavesson rather than the bit.

And I love this Oliveira observation on running reins: “A knife in the hands of a gentleman can cut meat into very small pieces, but in the hands of a maniac, it can be dangerous.”

Another well-known but modern trainer refers to “assistance reins”, which sounds kinder. But there’s never an excuse to ignore the need for care, caution and remembering that all-important “give”.

FEI must get its house in order

“Brilliant… but a pity all the scores were not more level,” was all I could say to a disappointed advanced medium gold competitor at last month’s Winter Dressage Championships.

“You rode a blinder!” was what I wanted to say after watching their mistake-free test. The only consolation was that another competitor was judged first, second and 19th.

Soon after the winters, I treated myself to an Addington trip. Wow, what an encouraging grand prix and all classes were full at this popular venue. Nothing was too much trouble. My only niggle is that the surface is a tad hard. Apparently, it suits the showjumpers, but I was busy trying to keep my “jumper” in the ring!

The show was a great leveller for me as I was not good enough; there’s work to do to compete at this level again. Oh, the terrors of failing to achieve the exclusive 70% – yet most judges’ marks were on the money with helpful comments.

As someone who has regularly shuddered at mark discrepancies and favouritism, I totally understood all the points H&H dressage editor Oscar Williams raised in his article on the subject of artificial intelligence.

I’m also a little nervous that widespread use of AI analysis of every movement, although helpful, could terrify some into giving up.

Yet for now, the most urgent thing is for the FEI to get its house in order and make some clear decisions on issues that have been left hanging for far too long.

It needs to determine if we really like four-time canter pirouettes? What about the trot that is not in two-time? The walk that is not in an accurate four-time beat? Is it acceptable for the foreleg to be behind the vertical in piaffe? Does conformation of horse and rider matter?

Even if we went totally down the AI route, dressage will always be subjective.

I’ve always applauded high marks for ease and harmony, but surely measuring the extent to which a test looks easy and harmonious can only ever be a matter of the judge’s perception?

Opinion aside, some well-defined guidelines from the FEI down would go a long way towards removing arbitrary marks based on uncertainties and inconsistencies.

Equestrian answer to farmers’ choir?

The Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir nailed it on TV’s Britain’s Got Talent. It might have started to promote a certain beer, but it turns out that singing together is a wonderfully uniting force in an often lonely profession.

Now, which equestrians can sing? One slot on Britain’s Got Talent did more for farming’s image than any advertisement. Surely the horse world could pull off something similar… Any sponsors out there?

● Where do you stand on running reins – sometimes or never? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

Can AI judge dressage? The technology exists – but is the sport ready for it?

We shouldn’t take riding horses for granted and we should tell others why we love it, says Pammy Hutton

Pammy Hutton calls for ‘an X Factor-type operation for equestrian sport’

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Somerset-based Adrian Whiteway is an international rider who is making his mark on British teams and made his debut in the CSI5* classes at Royal Windsor. He shares his thoughts on achieving the unachievable and exciting new pairs on the jumping circuit.

I made my debut jumping in the CSI5* classes at Royal Windsor Horse Show this year and what a great experience it has been.

Initially, I wasn’t sure if I would get into the show, but for the first time this year organisers have used the same system as they do for the London International. If entries are taken solely from the world rankings list, I wouldn’t be high enough, but they also admitted some of us who had jumped on Nations Cup teams for Great Britain.

For someone like me who only has two or three horses at this level, it’s impossible to go to shows week in, week out to collect rankings points. It’s unachievable to put yourself in the top 10 when there are riders with far more depth to their string, so being able to access shows like this from another route is a godsend.

I took two horses to Windsor and it was a fantastic experience for them. BP Baxter, the younger one at 11 years old, was fifth in the King’s Cup. My Nations Cup horse Chacco Volo was clear with time-faults in Friday’s 1.55m, although it didn’t go our way in Sunday’s Rolex grand prix.

It was our first major show since the London International in December, so it was a big ask. I jumped the first fence and didn’t get it quite right, and he had one down – he doesn’t like having a fence, so it then sent him a bit too careful.

But we’ll be off to try again next week, as we are anticipating some more Nations Cups call-ups.

“A unique experience”

I’ve had an incredible 12 months, which began with competing at my first five-star show in Aachen last summer. I jumped the Rolex grands prix there and again at Dublin Horse Show, so this was actually my third.

It’s amazing to be able to do a five-star in your home country as it feels even more special when you have friends and family there, too.

Windsor is a lovely town and to be invited up to Windsor Castle on Thursday night for drinks, with Prince Edward in attendance, is a unique experience.

You just can’t fault the show – the going was perfect and the stables are big and in a nice location. The organisers can’t do enough for you. Everyone is helpful, right down to the volunteers manning the walkways.

Brits on form

The British riders had an exceptional week and Ben Maher was unlucky not to be quick enough to win the Rolex grand prix, in which Luxembourg rider Victor Bettendorf just pipped him to the post.

Jack Whitaker has a couple of lovely new horses and Matt Sampson’s grand prix partner, Un Secreto Z is fantastic. Matt has been ticking away with him for the past year and now he’s really stepped up.

They could be a real asset to the British team and hopefully they’ll have some opportunities coming their way. Matt is a class rider who really deserves a good horse.

Hopefully we have some strong combinations for this summer’s World Championships in Aachen and chef d’equipe Di Lampard will have a few options to choose from.

● Who would be your dream team to represent Britain at this year’s World Championships? Let us know your picks at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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You might also enjoy reading:

British showjumpers produce a two-day clean sweep at Royal Windsor Horse Show

A Who’s Who of Whitakers: how well do you know the famous family of showjumpers?

Luxembourg rider beats the Brits in Royal Windsor grand prix: ‘I was lucky my plan paid off’

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I’m a very relatable horse owner. Just like an estimated 30-75% of owners (depending on which study you read), I have a fat horse in my paddock.

It’s easy to dismiss my overweight equine, Pip (pictured below), with language that minimises the problem. He’s a chunky monkey one minute and “Pippo the hippo” the next.

But waving away the problem with phrases like “he looks well” and “he’s in show condition” – which is a whole other kettle of fish – won’t do anything to make him healthier.

Overweight horses are predisposed to conditions like laminitis, arthritis and certain types of colic. No one would willingly expose their horse to health problems, and I’m willing to bet that most owners of fat horses have the best intentions.

In fact, equestrians being unable to spot an overweight horse is a key factor many experts cite when asked why so many horses are fat. Others state that some owners may even misidentify a fat horse as a thin one.

Owners might be influenced by peers who criticise restricting their overweight horses’ diets.

Many horses are on lush paddocks, eat forage that oversupplies calories, and consume diet-balancing bucket meals that provide still more calories.

It appears we are a nation of horse feeders with sparing tolerance for equines on the leaner side. Turning the tide of opinion on equine body condition has so far been slow going. But what if equine weight loss were Instagrammable?

Grass restriction made trendy

Earlier this spring, equestrian product giant LeMieux, world-renowned for their saddlepad, boot and ear bonnet co-ords, released their first product aimed at slimming down fat horses – a grazing muzzle.

Launched in two colours, the muzzle has an eye-catching design and an affordable price point. Of course, Pip would only accept a style that was triple the price for his weight loss journey, so I’m not the proud owner of one. However, our own Georgia Guerin gave it our highest rating, so we can safely say it’s effective too.

LeMieux’s popularity means the brand is consistently releasing market must-haves, and if this muzzle is their latest trend, I think it’s only good news for equine obesity.

Horses get most of their calories from forage, so soaking hay and restricting grass intake is the way to get them in a deficit and cause them to lose weight. If an appealing new product encourages those who are on the fence about helping their horse lose weight to take action, then I think it can only be a good thing, however fashionable.

Naturally, a sea-change in feeding practices is going to take more than a “viral” product, and I do think the lesson of safe forage restriction is more important than a trending muzzle.

I expect there may be some individuals out there who think impressionable children may use the LeMieux grazing muzzle on their poor ponies who are healthy – or even thin – for the sake of fashion. Personally, I don’t think this could ever be true.

There’s hardly enough of an appetite for restricting grass intake of obese horses, let alone poor doers.

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£39.95

Grazing muzzle cut off laminitic pony after his first night out in the field

The owner hopes publicising the incident may help educate members of the public

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Well-respected judge and former showing producer Stuart Hollings on costs, the new HOYS in-hand format and surprise judges

There was a great atmosphere at last month’s North of England Spring Show, despite no one knowing how the showing season will pan out due to the global fuel crisis.

The situation will undoubtedly affect some more than others, particularly those who don’t have an oil rig or money tree in their garden.

Gill Thompson, in her recent column, was heartened to see strong classes there. But was this simply because some exhibitors were on a mission to obtain early Royal International (RIHS) tickets, allowing them to compete closer to home further down the line?

When I first started competing from a small riding school behind our garden wall, I would hack five miles to the Ribble Valley Riding Club shows. Although this would save on fuel costs, somehow, I cannot see hacking being a viable option nowadays!

A more practical alternative could be to organise a lift with a fellow competitor when travelling further afield, like car sharing. In a similar vein, I’m surprised that we do not witness more syndicate ownership in showing as in racing.

One family based in the far north is debating whether to give RIHS a miss if fuel costs increase substantially or whether to go all in and make it their annual holiday.

A negative consideration, though, is that one of their judges is not on the appropriate panel. This is becoming something of a trend, and I worry what sort of message it sends out to the showing world when our established panel judges are bypassed. Something to think about.

Ringing the changes

I am shocked to hear that the recent Nottinghamshire County show was no longer a direct qualifier for the Price Family in-hand final at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). It was one of nine shows that held qualifying rounds when the competition began in 1965.

The 1959 and 1960 Wembley show pony champion, Arden Tittle Tattle, qualified as a broodmare there and finished second at the 1965 final to the hunter mare Prince’s Grace, who’d qualified at Three Counties.

Interestingly, the new format at the final in October, where all 20 finalists will be pre-judged as one class in the TopSpec Arena before going forward to the Andrews Bowen International Arena for final judging and presentation, is almost a return to the competition’s historical roots.

It wasn’t until the early 1970s that the finalists were split into pony and horse sections. Then, for many years afterwards, competitors enjoyed the full package: preliminary judging followed by final judging in the afternoon in the main ring, with the championship in the evening performance.

Having all the finalists in the main arena on the Saturday for final presentations will certainly showcase this amazing competition, but combining the two classes might be considered a retrograde step too far. Let’s see.

Raising a laugh

How we miss the humorous showing cartoons created by the late Janet Jenkinson, particularly her bespoke illustrations that captured treasured moments and made ideal presents.

One such occasion was when I led the foal of Culross Maid Of Honour, who won the pony section of the 1992 Wembley in-hand final, as my brother Nigel and I had produced her to head the 13.2hh ridden show pony class there six years earlier.

My favourite television advert is the one for Specsavers hearing tests, in which the caretaker of a remote outpost who radioed a request for “supplies”, opens the delivered parcel and a clown jumps out instead, shouting “Surprise!”

I’m sure Janet would have had us smiling by drawing a cartoon to address this season’s hot topic – that the HOYS judges will not be announced until the evening before the classes – by depicting the mystery judges revealing themselves at HOYS in this way!

● How can we safeguard our sport against the pressures of rising costs for the average family and enthusiast? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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How to watch Royal Windsor Horse Show 2026 live from anywhere in the world

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H&H eventing columnist and one of the world’s top course designers Mark Phillips analyses the Badminton cross-country course and the TV commentary

In the old days, Frank Weldon built Badminton so that when the Brits reached the championship later in the year, the course would seem easy. With my selector hat on, I was disappointed with this year’s course!

This was not a bigger and more difficult version of what the squad will face at the World Championships in Aachen and was therefore of little value to selectors.

Over time, course-designer Eric Winter has developed the Mars Badminton Horse Trials track with more terrain and changes of direction, which has made the time more challenging.

This year’s course was undoubtedly of five-star dimensions which, combined with 13 combinations, made the time even more difficult.

Badminton final scores

When the time is tight, people make stupid mistakes, especially when they feel the course is relatively straightforward.

Therefore, the fact that many of the combinations were of three- and four-star technical difficulty didn’t matter, as it was all about the clock and the riders making sure they jumped every fence without losing concentration.

Eric should be commended for producing a different type of track and will be pleased with his statistics. He will not be worried about the British selectors!

A different picture at Kentucky

Three weeks ago, at Kentucky five-star, the course was more traditional and therefore produced numerous flag penalties because of the proliferation of angles and skinnies. There were a number of controversial decisions by the ground jury, some of which had significant financial consequences in prize money won and lost.

I’m sure we will see the wording of the flag penalty rule amended before the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, as officials and riders must have a clear understanding of how the rule is interpreted before the Games. The Brits won gold despite Ros Canter’s flag in Paris – we don’t want to be forced into a situation where we rely on such luck again in Los Angeles.

On a more positive note, I congratulate the television team on their Badminton commentary. They did an excellent job in emphasising how much the riders care about their horse’s welfare. I came away on cross-country evening moved by how the competitors demonstrated their love for their horses. I’d always known it, but the commentary and Clare Balding’s interviews brought it home.

Five-star lives on

When Badminton entries were down, naysayers were quick to herald the end of the five-star era in the current world of 10-minute championships.

These people should have looked out of the window last weekend as Badminton, bathed in spring sunshine, attracted crowds the like of which I’ve not seen before. Even the grassroots classes swelled the car park in what felt like an unprecedented fashion.

The crowds were rewarded with the privilege of watching one of the all-time great combinations, Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. They were in a league of their own in the dressage and produced a foot-perfect cross-country round. Their ability to slow down without pulling and ride forward at will to add and take out strides is unprecedented – and this just months after Ros’s second baby.

Not since the London Olympics with my daughter Zara have I been able to follow the progress of a combination around the course by listening to the cheers of the crowd.

This has to be the mark of superstar status.

At the end of the day, the story was Walter’s record-breaking three wins and now we can only wish him and Ros well for the World Championships.

Many will not know that Tim Price had his collarbone plated the Monday before Kentucky and then another operation the Monday before Badminton to put in bigger screws! How Tim rode through the pain barrier I will never know. His consolation for being second is that he was second to Lordships Graffalo which, on a normal day, would be a win.

Well done, too, to Harry Meade, who continues his impressive list of five-star finishes to stay in contention for championship honours.

But at the end of the day, everyone will remember Badminton 2026 for Ros Canter and the majestic Lordships Graffalo.

● What’s your favourite Lordships Graffalo memory? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Badminton prizes: more accolades for Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo plus best mare, best local rider and more

New mother Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo make history with third Badminton win: ‘I’m in awe of how he jumped’

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Four-time dressage Olympian Richard Davison reflects on British success abroad and difficult questions closer to home

This season may have got off to a troubling start for some, but the past few weeks have offered plenty to celebrate. Becky Moody and Carl Hester have done more than fly the flag on their travels – they’ve restated our position as a nation that strives for harmonious test riding.

Becky and Jagerbomb’s tests at their first World Cup Final were a joy to watch, and finishing head and shoulders above the field was no less than they deserved. Carl and Fame were superb in the grand prix special at the Fontainebleau CDI5*, where Lottie Fry and Glamourdale ran Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus close in the grand prix.

At the notoriously demanding German show in Hagen, Sadie Smith and Swanmore Dantina pulled out a strong result, and Dannie Morgan shone with his up-and-coming ride Fever Tree in the small tour.

Looking ahead to the World Championships at Aachen in August, a number of contenders are vying for the fourth team slot alongside Lottie, Carl and Becky, who are certainties.

Despite being only 10 years old, Fiona Bigwood’s chestnut mare Donna Bella shows great talent across the board and especially in piaffe and passage. Her temperament seems exceptional too – hardly surprising, given that she is out of Fiona’s former Olympic mare Atterupgaards Orthilia.

Gareth Hughes continues to make steady progress with Mowgli-Olympia MC, as does Annabella Pidgley with Vamos Amigos and Gio.

Currently these combinations are returning consistent scores in the low 70s. With plenty more in the tank, it’ll be fascinating to watch them all progress.

Sympathetic use of the aids

When Owen Slot lobbed British Equestrian (BEF) a hypothetical hand grenade in his Sunday Times piece earlier this season, he forced a question our governing bodies struggled to dodge. Citing a video of one of our riders at an FEI event, he asked whether the techniques on display accorded with the BEF’s own welfare codes.

As Laura Tomlinson pointed out in her recent column, that was a valid question, particularly when many of our top riders are publicly funded through the BEF’s World Class Programme. Other parts of the federation also benefit directly from this funding. So even on this narrow point, what the public perceives matters.

The jurisdiction question is academic – my view is that, as the rules currently stand, it would be a stretch to argue the welfare codes of British Dressage (BD) apply to British riders in FEI competitions. But that was not Slot’s point.

Ad hoc discussions between international riders also identified that this was not solely a matter of rules but more significantly a tangible example of social licence in action.

Accordingly, riding and coaching techniques need to keep up with the public’s ever-changing perception and expectations.

BD’s rules state that artificial aids such as bits and spurs must be applied “sympathetically”, and if they are not, their use is deemed abusive. Every British rider should be especially mindful of how that term is interpreted.

We have countless ambassadors for the sympathetic application of the aids – Carl and Gareth among them – and on the international stage, riders such as Justin and Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour.

Not one of us is perfect, and any of us can unintentionally misuse a bit or a spur, especially in the heat of competition.

When that happens, the best response is to look through the eyes of others, own the error and strive to ride better. That serves our horses, preserves dressage for younger generations and eases the burden on those who administer the sport – many of them volunteers – who are too often left to defend it when we fall short.

Looking ahead to Royal Windsor

Let us hope that the remainder of the season delivers more British successes. With that in mind, I’m looking forward to the dressage masterclass at Royal Windsor on Thursday (14 May) with Carl and Becky, before heading to Hickstead CDI – I hope to see you all there.

● Who would you pick for the fourth team rider slot at the upcoming World Championships? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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‘It felt like flying’: Olympic medallists deliver another personal best

‘The two best routines of our career’: Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus raise the bar again at Fontainebleau

‘It was like a championships’: Britain second in Nations Cup opener as Carl Hester returns to team duty

‘I’ve nearly got a stronger set of horses than ever’: Gareth Hughes returns to winter championships after 20 years with stunning victory

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Legendary British showjumper John Whitaker on returning after his hernia operation, tight times in a two-star grand prix, and being caught out by British Showjumping’s national tack rules

This week has been a busy one for the family – my wife Clare has been in Italy with the young riders, having a very successful weekend, and son Rob is also out there in Montefalco. Last week he won the grand prix, and he was placed again this time.

I’ve been enjoying a fortnight in the West Country, starting with Chard, where I was lucky enough to win the grand prix, and then on to Chepstow.

It was my first time at Chard and I thought it was a really nice show, well organised and with a great atmosphere. Organisers have to jump through a few hoops to host an international – with extra stewards and security – so it’s appreciated that they go to the effort.

It’s nice when you can pick up a few ranking points without travelling too far.

Tricky time faults

Ben Townley was building the CSI2* grand prix course at Chard and he’s a very good course-builder. The time was a bit tight and should probably have been extended after the first few horses had jumped, as there were only three clears, but I can’t complain as it suited me!

The time allowed is becoming a big part of the game now, especially at these smaller shows. You still have talented horses and riders competing, but they can only build the fences so big when it’s a CSI2*. The times have to be tight, to stop too many clears getting through, but it’s a fine line.

I think it’s something that riders will have to get used to when jumping international-style tracks.

I was pleased with myself, as I used to be quite prone to getting time-faults. Clare would get annoyed with me, so I’d tell her I had one down, rather than a time-fault, to make my life easier! I can’t get away with that any more though, as everything is streamed.

Chard was my first show back after having a hernia operation at the end of February. I’d planned my shows around it, scheduling it after Hong Kong and Gothenburg – where I had a time-fault in the World Cup, while we’re on the subject!

Everything went to plan and I was in and out of hospital in a day. I probably started riding again sooner than I should have but I felt OK after three weeks. I more or less stuck to the doctor’s orders, which were, “Do what you feel you can do but don’t overdo it.” I’m terrible at sitting still and there’s always a lot to do when you have a busy yard with things breaking.

Equine America Unick Du Francport had been jumping really well before the break and my daughters Joanne and Louise kept him and the other horses fit for me. I’m enjoying building myself and the horses back up and getting going for summer – we’re looking forward to Royal Windsor Horse Show now.

Adopt FEI rules

I competed at a few national shows early on in the year, and I can understand why British Showjumping’s (BS) recent tack rule changes have caused some controversy.

Every week I did something wrong. On one occasion, I had two reins through the martingale, which is not allowed, and the next week I had the wrong noseband on. You have to be on it with the rule changes, and I don’t keep looking.

Although there have always been varied rules for national and international competition, at the moment they seem very different.

I think the simple solution is that BS adopt the FEI’s rules. Many riders are aiming towards a higher level of shows, or to compete internationally, so why not use that standard?

It can take a long time to find the right bit, with small adjustments and alterations to get it perfect, and then you suddenly have to change it. If we go with the FEI’s rules, then everyone knows where they stand.

● Have you had experience of returning to riding after a break? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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He’s back! John Whitaker makes winning return after two months on the sidelines

Meet John Whitaker’s ride Equine America Unick Du Francport: ‘Frank loves a tea!’

‘Nobody knows who is making up these rules, on what evidence, or why,’ says Carmen Edwards on new tack regulations

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Show horse producer Simon Reynolds believed rising costs is forcing competitors to make more selective decisions with greater pressure to deliver results at every outing

Behind the scenes, a challenge is growing that could shape the future of the sport. It is no secret that equestrianism is under increasing strain, whether through social licence concerns, equine welfare scrutiny, or financial pressure.

The true cost of producing a horse to the top level has escalated sharply. For some, this is no longer manageable; it is a tipping point. Fuel strikes planned last week and crippling fuel prices served as a reminder of how external pressures are becoming the everyday reality of competing.

Competitors are making more selective decisions. Fewer shows, fewer horses, and greater pressure to deliver results at every outing. The margin for “giving a horse time” is narrowing.

Competitors may perceive that every entry fee and mile travelled must justify itself. The question is whether a once pleasure-driven sport could turn into something more calculated, and potentially more ruthless.

Decisions around campaigning frequency, recovery time and when a horse is truly ready for the ring deserve careful thought. With competition becoming a calculation rather than a progression, there is a risk that welfare could come under pressure. Expectations may, in some cases, be shaped by cost rather than readiness.

Of course, the very best producers and owners will never compromise their horses, but it would be naive to assume the wider system is immune.

We must also recognise the structure that underpins these competitions. The sport and shows rely heavily on volunteers. Rising costs are affecting shows just as they are competitors. Some early season events have reported lower entries, while fixed costs continue to climb. There are also murmurs of poor competitor behaviour; when the cost of attending is high, expectations rise.

While this does not reflect the majority, it takes very little to tip the balance.

Are “classic” types in danger?

Alongside this, another shift is taking place, one that raises concern that traditional breeding and correct types are being diluted. Particularly in show hack classes – although it is also evident in hunter ranks – we are seeing a move away from the thoroughbred type towards more of a Continental look, threatening the profile of the classic show hack of the past.

Today’s horse owner often seeks versatility, a horse that can show, but also turn a hoof to dressage or other disciplines. Breeders are following the sport horse market rather than producing specialist types. Many Continentally bred horses offer trainability and rideability.

Yet this raises an important question: does showing now reward “off the floor” movement over the correct type? Type is evolving, and even riding attire is reflecting this with a move away from its understated heritage.

Showing may soon face a defining question: do we hold the line on what constitutes a true hack or traditional hunter, or accept an evolution towards a sport-influenced animal? Do enough of these classic horses even exist?

Encouragingly, tradition is still being championed. I am delighted that the Irish Draught classes continue to draw strong numbers, with their Royal International qualifiers often among the best supported sections. Alongside the thoroughbred, this breed remains vital.

Yet the future is far from bleak. It is encouraging to see a new generation of talented probationary judges emerging, including much needed side-saddle specialists. Showing needs these judges.

As some ride judges retire, there is a clear requirement to support those stepping forward. With experienced judge mentorship, this will build knowledge, confidence, and consistency for the future.

The sport may be under pressure, but it is also evolving. The challenge is to adapt without losing the values and traditions that define it.

● What measures do you think could be put in place to safeguard type and tradition in the show ring? We’d love to hear from you at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

Showing producer banned for eight years after video goes viral said he ‘takes horse welfare extremely seriously’

A competitor’s guide to the 2026 HOYS showing qualifiers

Marking systems in showing – their benefits, flaws and what the future may be

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

H&H’s eventing editor Pippa Roome shares her thoughts on dressage prep and how young riders develop in eventing

I noticed at Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event how many riders said they had been taking a “less is more” approach to dressage and focusing on what Tim Price called “body health”.

Asked what he’s been working on with the 16-year-old Vitali, second after this phase, he said: “I don’t drill my horses. I don’t target one-day events. He’s a sound horse, touch wood, and he looks really good through his body. As horses get older, I think that’s important, because he’s proven time and again that he gives you what he’s got to give.

“It’s my job to ask the right questions and to have him in a place where he feels strong and ready, so he has the ability to answer the questions; they’ve got to be fair questions.”

Dressage leader Monica Spencer said of her build-up with 15-year-old Artist: “I’m getting braver with my warm-ups – just letting him stay loose and soft and trusting that when I get in there, I can get that competition frame. I’m learning to believe I don’t need to practise, so I can keep him fresh and just go out there and push the button.”

Monica added she does her dressage sessions early in event week, then rides in a jumping saddle.

“We go out little and often, twice a day, to keep him fresh in his body, not tired in those dressage muscles, so that he can do his best,” she said.

I wonder if this is a result of horses lasting longer, now our three-days are without roads and tracks and steeplechase, so they spend more years at the top level and become more established. Once they know the movements and have an established way of going, the focus moves to keeping them well.

Whatever the reason, it’s great from a horse welfare and social licence point of view.

Dumbing down or bridging a gap?

The way we develop younger riders has taken a new turn this year with the introduction of the under-25 World Championships, at CCI4*-S. This year it’s in Millstreet, Ireland, and in 2027, at Cornbury.

Part of me understands it’s useful to bridge the chasm between young riders at CCI3*-L (it used to be CCI4*-L) and senior championships, where those participants are among riders of vast experience competing at CCI4*-L or a hybrid CCI4*-L–CCI5* level.

The counter argument is that if the under-25 championship becomes prestigious, it will, over time, encourage some to hold back at CCI4*-S – and to choose and train horses with that event in mind – for a shot at those medals, rather than pushing on and gaining experience at five-star. However, the effect of the dumbing down of youth sport on five-star entries is another topic!

Yasmin Ingham was senior world champion at 25 years old. Zara Tindall held that title at 25. If you’re good enough to play outside the gilded underage cage, you’re old enough.

We’ve just seen Isabelle Cook, 21, finish seventh in a hot CCI4*-S in Kentucky with Cymoon “F” Z. It’s likely she will prioritise her final year in young riders, with her prolific youth medallist Mexican Law, over the under-25s; riders cannot compete in juniors or young riders and the under-25 worlds in the same year.

Meanwhile in Australia, Oliver Barrett, 22, has just won Adelaide CCI5* and is targeting the senior World Championships in Aachen.

While the USA plan to send a team to the under-25 worlds and I expect many European nations will too, I don’t necessarily foresee Australia or New Zealand doing so.

A rider can do both the under-25 worlds and a senior championship in the same year, but definite entries for the seniors close the day after Millstreet ends so it’s tight. But Australia could send Oliver and Sandhills Briar to the northern hemisphere for the under-25 worlds and then, if that goes well, to join the seniors in Aachen.

● What route do you think young riders should take? Write to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

‘He was absolutely mega’: podium finish for British rider at Kentucky

‘I want to end on a high’: 19-year-old horse with unique style to retire after 11 five-star runs

Harry Meade on dramatic Kentucky moment: ‘I saw the fishes and tried my hardest not to join them’

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Carl Hester shares his views on the importance of the give-and-retake in dressage and the need for collective marks

Some 18 months ago, I wrote about introducing give-and-retake of the reins at small tour and grand prix level – an idea that came out of a conversation with Kyra Kyrklund.

That initiative gained great support at the FEI General Assembly last year, tabled under “changes in the rules that cannot await because of their impact on the welfare of the horses or the safety of the athletes”.

I advised anyone who doesn’t already incorporate give-and-retake in their training to start practising – it should be part of everyone’s routine.

At the recent FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne at the end of March – where it was reported that stretching on a long rein was recently trialled at a test event at Warendorf, Germany – it was discussed again as “being worked on”.

What I hope is achievable is a guideline as to what amount of stretch is expected and acceptable. My opinion is that horses stretch a lot better in rising trot, so I hope that whether to sit or rise will be left to riders.

Of course, these matters have to be trialled and worked out properly, but all I can say at this stage is that the FEI seems to be moving at a collected walk rather than an extended canter on things that “cannot wait”!

Collective marks

The 2017 FEI General Assembly voted in favour of the Dressage Judging Working Group’s proposal to remove the collective marks for paces, impulsion and submission and replace them with a single collective mark for the rider’s position, seat, correctness and effect of the aids.

There was an outcry, with German team trainer Monica Theodorescu and German five-star judge Dr Dietrich Plewa in particular producing very valid reasoning in opposition.

As Monica said at the time: “The collectives are essential to highlight the value of the principles of dressage. The judge gets the opportunity to weigh the rider’s focus positively or negatively, the clarity of gaits, throughness, connection, activity from behind and much more.

“I hope that because of this change we won’t return to seeing horses who are not loose, nor relaxed and lack natural expression.”

Dr Dietrich Plewa – who retired in 2019 – admitted at the time that judges had used collectives to influence the overall score but made some pertinent points, particularly about the marks for paces and for submission.

On the paces mark, he said: “When a horse shows mistakes in the rhythm in the test, which are not enough to eliminate the horse, then we could have expressed our remarks on balance and clarity in that collective mark.” Makes sense to me.

While some argued that the collective qualities should be addressed in the mark for each movement, collectives for paces and submission – but let’s call that something else, please – play a valuable role, it’s hoped they will be reinstated after consultation.

After all, if a rider sits perfectly for a nine yet the horse has its mouth open or tongue out, that does not make sense and does nothing to promote harmony in our sport.

Sunshine time

With the recent change to decent weather and a bit of sunshine, it’s fantastic that all the horses are able to get much more turnout. The difference in their bodies after several months of limited turnout is incredible to feel. It just validates the reasoning for turning out. I can feel the difference in them almost immediately, not just physically, but mentally, too.

Finally, while it was sad to see so few high-class entries at the World Cup Final in Texas – it seems people don’t want to travel these distances in the current climate – our Becky Moody took the plunge, and what a decision it proved to be, with her and Jagerbomb taking the title. Congratulations to them both – it’s thoroughly deserved.

● How do you think the reintroduction of collective marks would change dressage judging – for better or worse? We’d love to hear from you at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

‘What are we waiting for?’ asks Carl Hester following the FEI General Assembly

Improve your dressage scores: how and why to ride a give and retake of the reins

5 places most riders lose marks in the dressage arena (and how to win them back)

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Successful National Hunt trainer Kim Bailey on an “extraordinary” Aintree and crowning a new champion trainer

The 2026 Randox Grand National was full of fairy tales, as it so often is, and this year’s race felt like a proper, old-fashioned renewal.

Thirty-four went to post, and only 16 completed. The rest fell or unseated, and watching it, you almost felt the track had shrunk as there was so much happening, you barely knew where to look.

It was relentless.

The result itself was extraordinary. Willie Mullins brought up his fourth win in the race and his third in as many years. Those four Grand National winners place him in the record books alongside trainers Fred Rimell and Ginger McCain as the very best.

I Am Maximus wrote his own chapter by winning it for the second time, having finished second in between his two wins – now that takes some doing. What a horse! I am sure he will be back next year to try to equal the great Red Rum’s record of three wins.

Chaos and drama

I can’t remember seeing so many fallers and unseated riders in the Grand National. It added to that sense of chaos, but also to the drama that makes the race what it is.

The Irish dominance was striking, too – of the first 12 horses home, 10 were trained in Ireland. The only British-trained horses in the top 12 were the runner-up Iroko, for the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero yard, and the fourth-placed Johnnywho for father-and-son trainers Jonjo and AJ O’Neill.

JP McManus remarkably owned the first, second and fourth-placed horses. JP is now the most successful winning owner in the race’s history, overtaking Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, Trevor Hemmings, Noel Le Mare, James Octavius Mitchell and Sir Charles Assheton-Smith who have all won the race three times. That tells its own story.

Turning for home, it looked for all the world as though Ben Jones might have stolen it on Joseph O’Brien’s Jordans, when he kicked early, perhaps too early. Stamina told in the end. Meanwhile, Paul Townend was creeping into it, and he produced his challenge to perfection, getting there halfway up the run-in.

A tough 24 hours

Victory in the Grand National capped a difficult 24 hours for Townend, coming so soon after that awful incident on Gold Dancer, who was euthanised after winning the Grade One Mildmay Novices’ Chase.

Moments like that remind you how fragile the sport can be, and however decisions are explained, they never sit easily with everyone. Racing has those moments where we all hold our breath.

But back to the race itself. It was a proper National. Breathless, chaotic, compelling. The sort you watch through slightly parted fingers. Still the most exciting race in the world and perhaps because of that, the one that makes the whole sport watch on the edge of our seats.

A deserved champion

Aintree racecourse held three days of fantastic racing, with huge crowds and a wonderful atmosphere. We all know the Liverpudlians love a good day out and they make us enjoy it with them, but we also took away from the meeting the fact that Dan Skelton deserves to be crowned this season’s champion trainer at Sandown on Saturday, having had six winners over the three days at Aintree.

The way Dan, Harry and father Nick are building the Skelton racing empire, will Dan be champion trainer for at least the next 10 years?

So, we roll on for another year, and the Mullins bandwagon will be back. It is more than possible he will break his own record next year by winning the great race for a record fifth time. The King of Aintree – if not in the next 12 months, who would even think of it not happening within the next 24 months!

● What was your standout moment from the Grand National? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

Aintree great channels Red Rum to reclaim Grand National title: ‘He’ll gallop to the end of the world for you’

What did you do in your Easter holidays? Schoolboy wins at Scottish Grand National meeting riding his grandfather’s home-bred

‘You really connect with a horse like this’: galloping grey finds his groove to shine for Skeltons at Grand National Festival

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Leading pony producer Gill Thompson has her say on good behaviour and schedule changes for this season

We made our season debut at North of England Spring Show recently, and I was very pleased to see strong classes with generally good entries across the board – especially in the native sections – despite the rising fuel costs. Let’s hope this continues throughout the season.

I’ve read several columnists in Horse & Hound recently refer to our social licence as equestrians, particularly with regard to welfare, and I was disappointed to discover first hand at the show why this is clearly something that needs to be high on the showing community’s agenda.

Conduct on a showground and, in particular, in the show ring itself reflects on all of us, and it’s disheartening to learn that not everyone takes that responsibility seriously, nor pays as much attention to their horses or ponies’ welfare as they should.

I feel very strongly that any handling or riding of horses in a way that compromises their welfare or deliberately causes discomfort is not acceptable, however frustrated we might be at the time. If a horse doesn’t perform as we wish, we have to look at our own groundwork and training at home, and do better.

What truly worries me is that if people believe that rough handling is acceptable at a show, what do they think they can get away with at home?

I really hope that the relevant societies take action in such cases, and feel sure that they will in this instance.

Going forward, I would urge everyone to be mindful of their behaviour at all times, not only for fellow competitors, but for spectators, too, and most importantly, for the horses.

HOYS mixed height show pony qualifiers

Going into this season, I am disappointed that Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) didn’t revise the decision to run the mixed height show pony qualifiers.

Last season, I expressed concerns that these classes would be dominated by 148cm ponies, and my fears were proven correct. Every one of last year’s mixed qualifiers was won by a 148cm pony, meaning that the finals were quite unbalanced.

It takes a really special 128cm pair to hold their own against 148cm combinations, where at the top end, riders can have left school and drive a car.

I have a 148cm this season, so I could be tempted into the class, but I would have to be pretty sure of my little rider’s ability really to hold their own before entering one with a smaller pony.

An excellent stepping stone class

On a more positive note, I have to congratulate the British Show Pony Society and the Royal International (RIHS) on the introduction of the first ridden of hunter type class. Unfortunately, I don’t have a combination for this class this year, but I wish I did!

As a concept, I think it provides an excellent stepping stone for those children coming out of the lead-rein hunter type as the leap into the open 123cm class is significant, and too much for many of them.

Some ponies also can’t make the step up, as they don’t quite meet the mark as a type in the open classes. This new class gives those ponies a second string to their bow, and means that children can stay on that pony a little longer, which has to be a bonus for parents in this current financial climate.

Anyone who has dealt with young children new to first ridden will know that you really have to work at getting them to use the whole ring. On a practical level, requiring that the children negotiate the obstacles in the ring independently teaches them to use the arena without necessarily realising it.

It also gives them a good grounding should they go down the workers route and into cradle stakes, and requiring that they only canter on one rein is just enough for them to manage.

From speaking with fellow producers who do have these ponies this season, the children are loving this class, and get excited even walking the course. Irrespective of all the other benefits, this alone has to make the class a success.

● How can the showing community respond more effectively when welfare concerns arise? We’d love to hear from you at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

‘Why are we reluctant to speak up and voice our concerns to showing societies?’ asks H&H’s Bethan Simons

Gill Cowell reveals what she’ll be looking for as judge an in-hand championship

A competitor’s guide to the 2026 HOYS showing qualifiers

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Mark Phillips shares his thoughts on Mary King’s career following her retirement, early season events, the FEI dispute with officials, and the upcoming five-stars

Mary King’s successes, and her disappointments on the big stage with King William, are the stuff of legend. Ask anyone about Mary’s career and you won’t get statistics, but stories: of courage, determination and above all, that smile and positivity, even in her darkest hours.

Her longevity has been extraordinary, following in the footsteps of Lorna Clarke in proving that having a family was no barrier to continued success.

I was glad to hear Mary is hanging up her boots now. We can remember her glory days without having to witness age catching up with her riding, which has happened to too many greats who stayed on a little too long.

Early season events

I admired Andrew Nicholson for so eloquently putting into words what I thought after Barbury. It is a great venue, with ideal early-season footing for a CCI4*-S, even if it can be a little windy in March.

I’m not entirely sure, however, that it fits into Alec Lochore’s business plan. He likes his four-stars to be events, not just another competition, something I feel is not always understood by British Eventing. To put on an event, you need sponsors and you need to give them value, ideally across more than one venue in a similar geographical area.

I congratulate Stuart Buntine on a hugely successful Thoresby which, after significant investment, is arguably the standout event of the spring, attracting around 10,000 spectators.

It was a shame that more top horses and riders did not attend. Historically, the footing at Thoresby has been inconsistent, but this year Stuart produced a proper pre-Badminton four-star on his best footing yet.

The next CCI4*-S is Burnham Market this weekend, where Alec will be working overtime to replicate the standard of footing seen at Barbury, albeit with less grass cover. He has designed his best four-star track there to date, but entries are sadly down.

This is largely due to British Eventing awarding Tetworth a new intermediate class on a revised date the weekend before Burnham Market, then allowing the addition of a second day of intermediate at the expense of many ballotted grassroots riders.

There is some irony in that happening, while simultaneously British Eventing is making a strong push to embrace the unaffiliated and grassroots market. One hopes this does not signal the demise of Burnham Market, which could follow in the footsteps of Chatsworth and Gatcombe, as we see fewer true events and more competitor-funded competitions within 150 miles of Oxford.

The FEI and the voice of officials

I was interested to read that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found in favour of the International Eventing Officials Club (IEOC), ruling that the FEI had not followed due process in accordance with their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) when introducing level four officials. Whether the FEI likes it or not, the IEOC is the voice of its eventing officials.

While many of the level four issues are now in the past, eventing remains the only Olympic discipline where officials lack a formal MoU, and therefore an official voice. For years, the FEI has focused heavily on rules, regulations and process, making being and becoming an FEI official increasingly complex.

In these delicate times, with horse welfare firmly in the spotlight, it is time for the FEI to put its “sport” hat back on – starting by re-engaging with eventing officials.

On to five-star

Entries for Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event have a familiar look in numbers and combinations. In contrast, Mars Badminton Horse Trials has its smallest entry in years. Both lists feature high-class pairs, but as ever, while many are qualified to compete at five-star, comparatively few have a chance of winning.

In the modern sport, riders are increasingly selective, choosing the competitions that best suit their horses and Badminton is not for everyone.

Laura Collett with London 52 and Tom McEwen with JL Dublin have both opted for CCI4*-S campaigns ahead of the World Championships in August. The rest will look to stake their claim at Badminton or over the slightly less demanding track at Kentucky.

● What are your favourite Mary King memories? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

Eventing officials hope to regain their voice after court rules on major dispute with FEI

Harry Meade confirms entries for Kentucky and Badminton five-stars

14 to watch in Kentucky – can one of these pairs take the 2026 title next week?

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H&H’s Bethany Stone talks frankly about the lessons she learnt and why she believes you should think twice before putting your mare in foal

Talking horses is my job, but it can also be a painful point. Why? Because I don’t ride anymore, and I regret breeding my horse.

I’m physically able and mentally eager to ride horses. After all, horse riding first captivated me and brought me into the equestrian world as a child.

Since then, I’ve learned that loving and owning horses means just 10% of your time with them is spent riding, and do I relish the 90% that is, essentially, hanging out with and caring for a horse.

But I’d be lying if I said riding wasn’t important to me.

Sadly, my horse is the reason I can’t afford the cost or time to share one to ride, let alone buy a horse or rehome a ridden equine. As his breeder, it’s also my fault he’s here and therefore I’m responsible for him.

‘Intermittent lameness transformed into rearing’

When asked if I have a horse, I pull up a photo of my dark bay part-bred warmblood: 16hh, 11 years old, homebred, rather handsome.

“How lovely!” people reply. “And what do you do with him?” And I have to say: “Nothing, I retired him at six. He’s got a catalogue of medical issues, and he’s been retired for nearly half his life.”

I don’t usually say I regret breeding my horse. Instead I’ll talk about how we had a great start together – hacking, training, beach riding, going to our first shows.

Then, very subtle and intermittent lameness signs transformed into napping, bucking and rearing.

Several trips to equine hospital, joint injections and a year of unsuccessful rehab later, I had a horse who had completely soured.

So, I decided to put us both out of our misery and retire him to the field.

Pip is a lovely person and we have a bond again. He’s a living link to his fantastic dam, who I owned for 18 years until she died.

People often ask me why I don’t rehome or loan out Pip as a companion.

As his owner and the reason he exists, it’s a risk I could never take. Partly because he’s frequently tricky to handle, partly because I really love him, but mostly because he requires specific support thanks to his health conditions.

He’s been through so much, so if he ever fell into the wrong hands I would never forgive myself.

‘Another horse is missing out’

It’s hard to imagine there’d be any harm in breeding just one or two foals. But the cumulative effect of many individuals can lead to thousands of extra foals on the ground.

World Horse Welfare has done much to highlight the impact with their “Need to breed?” campaign, highlighting the vast number of horses they, as one charity, take in each day.

In fact, there are fewer and fewer places available as centres close and more owners give up horses.

Small-scale and one-off breeders – like me – also contribute to the problem World Horse Welfare identified.

You might be thinking that’s a bit like pinning carbon responsibility on individuals when corporations chuck out tonnes of it – and I grant you, there are parallels.

But having a whole life in your hands feels like a much bigger contribution than declining plastic straws.

I also believe that sometimes the smallest voices can merge to make the biggest statements.

Breeding Pip meant triggering a chain of events that means another horse who might have enjoyed a loving home with me is now missing out.

My horse’s stable represents one less knowledgeable and capable home available for the many thousands of horses in the UK who are suffering needlessly due to overpopulation.

‘He was a guinea pig’

My expertise in horse management has increased tenfold since my family decided to put my mare in foal.

We used guidance from knowledgeable contacts, but looking back with the benefit of hindsight nearly 12 years later, I don’t agree with everything they advised us to do.

For example, Pip was born with a bent forelimb. The advice we interpreted was to wait and see and that our colt didn’t need to see a farrier for many months.

Having spent my career interviewing top vets, farriers and academics, my feelings on this have totally flipped. If I could go back, I’d be calling an excellent farrier immediately, sending photos and asking how soon they could come out to inspect my foal.

To this day, Pip overloads the inside of that leg – you can tell by his hoof conformation. I didn’t know better, but I’ll always worry that leaving the leg unaddressed has contributed to his issues.

This, for me, is one of the astonishing things about breeding horses. As naive as my parents and I were, there were absolutely zero barriers to prevent us breeding from my mare.

That naivety, however loving and well-intentioned, has without doubt contributed to my horse’s medical and behavioural issues.

Every horse person, from amateur to professional, makes mistakes. But breeding my horse also made him a guinea pig for our amateur have-a-go breeding efforts, and that isn’t fair.

I often think about how differently I would do things next time, from birth to backing, but I can say with certainty there won’t be a next time.

‘He has a great life’

It’s important to say that my sensitive, tricky horse has taught me to be a much more sympathetic owner.

I now use positive reinforcement training and am far more focused on the three F’s in my care than I ever was before.

He has a great life, and I’m committed to giving that to him – even if it means riding is out of the question.

If everything went as planned with Pip, if we were sailing around grassroots eventing tracks, enjoying long hacks and getting stuck into training, I accept that I might feel much more positive about small-scale breeding.

Encouraged, I might have bred more foals only to encounter issues down the line or having to sell, thereby losing security over my stocks’ future.

‘Something to be taken extremely seriously’

I’m aware I might sound callous or selfish, and if you’re reading this with a homebred or two in your paddock, I’m not trying to point the finger or make you feel guilty about the wonderful horses you love and care for fastidiously.

Like mine, many homebreds have an unconditionally loving home for life. A great many others aren’t so lucky.

I simply hope to give would-be one-time breeders a little perspective. I understand why you want to breed a foal; it’s probably for the same reasons I did.

However, it’s something to be taken extremely seriously. Be extremely critical, honest and accountable regarding how much you know.

Be responsible and highly informed for every single step, from choosing your stallion to weaning, and from backing to producing. And you should not rely on “wait and see”.

My honest opinion to amateur horse owners is: don’t breed. Your next horse is among hundreds of horses out there already who are perfect for you. The one you breed might not be in that herd.

● Are you an amateur rider who breeds or has plans to do so in the future? We’d love to hear your views at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

How much does it cost to breed a horse? H&H crunches the numbers

Do you need to breed? Stark warning to horse owners

Twice as many foals are produced by people who will only breed one to five foals than by people who

Breeding from older mares: is it a good idea and what are the best methods?

An ‘incredibly sad day’ as equine charity closes two centres and 33 jobs lost

Equine welfare charities reflect on the challenges of 2025 – as the number of owners giving up their horses increases

‘Heartbreaking to see him so afraid’ but foal dumped at six weeks old learns to trust thanks to positive reinforcement training

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International trainer and competitor Pammy Hutton FBHS on being written off by younger riders and toxic visa issues facing those coming to Britain for training

Many moons ago, I hung over a fence alongside a very good-looking man as we watched a prix st georges test. “I’m nervous,” I told the handsome stranger, who admitted he was too. We were both about to attempt our first test at this level.

Later, I asked around to put a name to this kind and reassuring person. It was David Hunt.

Today, David is president of British Dressage and the International Dressage Trainers’ Club. His glittering riding career includes winning three international classes at Rotterdam in 1988 and producing four horses long-listed for various Olympics.

Back then, I would watch the international horses and riders longingly. Somehow, a year or two later, I became one of them. Now I’m watching again, wondering “how?” How beautiful they look – and how far they are beyond the hope of most.

At times like this, I’m reminded just how specialist our sport can be and how hard it is to climb over to the other side of that fence.

Nowadays, I’m back on the “wrong” side. Deemed too old to bother with. I’ve been cut dead by a good current international young rider.

Just today, someone asked if I still rode “at your age” and if I really still train international riders? Yes, actually…

Framing older age as the underdog is not good for our sport. There’s so much to lose by dismissing those from a generation less likely to trumpet their achievements. Their knowledge and successes are no less for that.

Regionals entries

Much homework was needed to work out how I would fit championship qualifiers around my horse’s eventing commitments. The good news is that qualifying for gold classes at regionals appears so much easier these days. With no hope of winning a class to secure direct entry, two sheets at 64%-plus should do it.

This division used to regularly have 45 or 50 entries. Yet this winter has seen barely 12 in some classes. I’m assured that overall numbers are not down, just regionals – except at the brilliantly run Wellington Riding.

But why? It can’t all be due to the economy, although the soaring diesel prices certainly won’t help. No, it’s thanks to the introduction of silver regionals and generally spreading the numbers across so many options with classes for everyone.

Nonetheless, I still enjoy the challenge of the gold ranks. Otherwise, there’s always veterans!

A toxic issue

In the current political climate, this is a sensitive one, but it must be said. Work visas are potentially a toxic issue in the horse world.

Firstly, there are job applicants coming over without work visas, so do check when you employ.

Then there are those coming into the UK on visas to receive exam training. It’s my understanding that they can only career-train at an accredited college or riding school, Talland being the only such riding school in Britain. The British Racing School is also accredited.

A holiday visa permits someone to fly in for a day to take an assessment. But if you are physically training in the UK, for example, towards a British Horse Society (BHS) assessment, be careful. While there are certain caveats, in many cases it’s illegal. Someone once sent us £16,000 for fees and got into the country on a student visa, never to be seen again. Of course, we reported them to the Home Office – and put the money to good use.

Surely information about visas should be sent to all riding schools and equestrian centres in the country, starting with the BHS contacting all affiliated riding schools.

In other news, research ahead of a lecture on equine conformation turned into a case study of Google versus experience. Naturally, I stay updated on modern learnings and science, but nothing replaces life lessons.

In fact, if horses needed to pass a five-star vetting to compete at the Olympics or Badminton, how many could enter? And yet how many come home flying, ears pricked? So how good is their conformation? Yes, I stuck with the practical.

● How do you think dressage should balance welcoming the next generation with preserving the knowledge of its most experienced figures? We’d love to hear from you at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Can AI judge dressage? The technology exists – but is the sport ready for it?

‘I’d only sat on him three times’: teenager off to a winning start on Irish Olympian’s former European Championship ride

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Former international showjumper Graham Fletcher on horses stuck in the Middle East and British Showjumping’s new tack rules

I should have been in the Middle East this week where son Olli was due to compete at the final five-star show of the Doha tour.

Everything about it had been top-class with perfect ground, excellent course-designers and unbelievable prize money. The friendly Qatari people, and their attention to every detail, made it very special.

But it all came to a dramatic end on 27 February.

Olli and I had flown home for a few days, intending to return for that last five-star show. There was no indication that in two days’ time war would break out in the region.

With five of Olli’s horses still there, the next 12 days were some of the most stressful and worrying I have ever had.

Guillaume Simon, who had been helping Olli with the horses in Doha, did a fantastic job of looking after them – as did all the stranded staff with their respective charges.

Olli would ring Guillaume four or five times a day to find out what was happening. He’d learn first-hand how many drones and missiles were being intercepted every night – one being just over the indoor school, which was incredibly frightening.

Abject anxiety as arrangements changed

The planes to take the horses home were arranged, then rearranged, to a point of abject anxiety.

Harry Charles also had horses in Doha, and his father Peter and I discussed ways of getting them out. Peter reckoned the only alternative to flying directly was to drive the horses 600 miles through the desert to Saudi Arabia, which meant a 20-hour road-trip before they even boarded a plane.

The thought of a horse getting colic, or travel sick, with no vets available was horrifying. So we agreed that route would be a last resort.

Fortunately, we got the horses on to the second plane to leave Doha with most of the others bound for Europe on 9 March – to our eternal relief and that of their owners. But as I write, some competition horses are still there as a third plane has not yet been able to take off.

Let’s hope, for everybody’s sake, that this dreadful war is soon resolved. It’s sad to think I was so recently made welcome in a country that, through no fault of its own, now has missiles and drones being fired at its people daily.

I’ve felt uncomfortable hearing American defence secretary Pete Hegseth announcing at his daily press conferences what they’d blown up and who they’d assassinated as though it was a gunfight in the Wild West.

I respect Americans’ patriotism and there’s no doubt that militarily, they’re the world’s best. But Iran is a tough target and the Americans have their work cut out if they’re not going to finish second in this war.

Align the rules

In times past, when things were more transparent, Liz Edgar was on our governing body’s rules committee for many years. Liz was a top-class rider who was admired and respected all over the world. I loved watching her ride.

When there was an impending rule change, riders could discuss it with Liz, who always considered it from a horsemanship point of view – and everyone concurred that she was right.

It’s a great shame that British Showjumping (BS) doesn’t have anybody like her now because the recent rule changes on bits and bridles are absolutely absurd.

Firstly, they don’t comply with FEI rules. Why not? Surely one set of rules is better for competitors and stewards alike?

I could understand if it was about horse welfare, but it’s the exact opposite! Take, for example, a running gag used with joiners. That makes it a lot less severe and is something the FEI rightly allows – yet BS has banned it.

BS owes its members an explanation of the new rules as so many are unhappy about them. And doesn’t BS realise that, despite the excessive cost, more British riders are opting to compete abroad?

So my advice to BS would be to align yourselves with the FEI – or find another Liz Edgar.

● Do you have a story of a groom doing a great job in extreme circumstances? Let us know by writing to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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You might also enjoy reading:

Delight as European horses arrive home safe after ‘week of uncertainty’ owing to Middle East air strikes

‘Nobody knows who is making up these rules, on what evidence, or why,’ says Carmen Edwards on new tack regulations

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H&H’s showing editor Bethan Simons speaks up on the need to address questions surrounding equine welfare, which she rates as “showing’s most pressing concern”

With qualifying season well under way, I find myself in an awkward spot as I discuss results. I want to talk about exciting new horses, promising talent and the working hunter course. Sometimes, the food.

I’m not naive. Not everything in sport is rosy; I’m open to discussion and to addressing concerns. But hearing the same old gripes, and having the same troubling conversations is wearing.

Welfare isn’t the only subject of dissatisfaction rippling through currents of conversation in the showing community, but it is the most pressing.

The trouble is, concerned onlookers complaining among themselves doesn’t move us forwards or drive change. Instead, the concern is rendered performative and, ultimately, futile.

At a fundamental level, horsey folk are pretty tough. We get on, heads down and with little fuss. But as horse lovers, responding to any behaviour towards them that makes us uncomfortable isn’t making a fuss, it’s taking responsibility, it’s safeguarding, and it’s necessary. We know this, so why are we reluctant to speak up? To voice our concerns? To report to societies?

Part of the problem is that our rule books need updating. Currently, societies are working hard to update their welfare policies, but such updates can’t impact practice a moment too soon.

These updated rules need to be concrete and without wiggle-room. Recently H&H dressage editor Oscar Williams addressed a similar concern with regard to the welfare rules shaping dressage and I found myself asserting, “Exactly!” as I read.

He asked what constitutes “excessive tension” and who decides? The same is applicable here. What constitutes “excessive work”, “excessive force” or “excessively tight” is currently subjective. So brave is the soul willing to confront perceived offenders in, for example, a collecting ring or between lorries with nothing but conviction to back them up.

That’s why we need firm guidelines from our societies.

“Why not in showing?”

Next, it’s time for stewards on the ground to monitor welfare in our collecting rings, and even more pressingly, in our lorry parks. Such stewards exist in other disciplines for tack checks and the like, so why not in showing? These stewards need to be educated not only in welfare guidelines, but also the rhetoric to deal with offenders.

I struggle to support the “fat police” approaching – and shaming – our young and impressionable, and maintain there’s a better way to address this problem. But I am all for stewards who can intervene when anyone, no matter how much influence they wield, rides a pony obviously too small for them, when horses are worked excessively or in an unsympathetic manner.

Where we find such willing volunteers is a matter for another day.

Complainants and intervening stewards must feel supported. A breach of the rules must spur action from those societies in a one-size-fits-all way. There cannot be differential treatment for anyone. Not judges, not sponsors, not anyone.

Richard Davison argued in a recent H&H column that those who receive sanctions on a welfare basis should receive mandatory education before returning to competition. What a great idea.

I’d add that any person with a cruelty- or welfare-related conviction who wishes to show should receive the same mandatory education before being returning to affiliated events. Given the high standards we expect of judges, members with prior convictions or society sanctions should not be allowed to occupy a position on the panel and of influence, either.

Such moves would send a clear message not only to our showing community, but to society at large and those that hold our social licence that welfare is taken seriously.

To be clear, especially to those outside of showing, most competitors, producers and owners love their animals and have only their best interests at heart. Too often less-than-desirable behaviour stems from pressure to deliver results and, probably, blissful ignorance of the harm caused to the horse and to their own image and reputation.

As the saying goes, “One bad apple spoils the cart.”

We cannot let the behaviour of a few impact the future of a beloved discipline enjoyed in a responsible manner by the majority.

● How would you go about education regarding welfare in showing? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Five-time Burghley winner and Olympic team medallist Andrew Nicholson shares his thoughts on Barbury and how professional riders progress their horses up the levels

You really know you’re getting old when you don’t recognise anyone in the warm-up at your first event of the season. I wore my glasses the following weekend – and still didn’t! Luckily, at the third – Barbury – the older professional riders were out and about and I did spot some people I know.

Alec Lochore does a good job with the course at Barbury; he knows how to work with the hills, it flows very well and he’d moved some jumps around to freshen it up. The fences were a good size for the novice and intermediate classes, and the ground was beautiful.

We’re meant to have had a very wet winter and spring, yet we all drove our lorries in, parked on grass and drove out. I was there on the Friday and the dressage arenas looked the same leaving as when I arrived. The showjumping was a little bit muddier but still rode well at the end of the day, and you could see broken grass at a distance on the cross-country but it still rode like good turf.

Mark Phillips wrote in his last column that something was wrong somewhere when so many British-based riders are going abroad at this time of year. Why aren’t we looking at Barbury to put on a CCI4*-S for them? Owners like going to Barbury, where they can easily watch everything. The bank was full of people when I was there and it felt like there was a real buzz.

British Eventing should swallow its pride and beg Musketeer to put on an international there. It’s one of the few places that could cope with wet weather and still look like a serious event with good conditions.

If riders really want a four-star so early in the season and are organised enough to go to Kronenberg, the sport here should be catering for that and trying to keep riders supporting British events.

Making progress

However, I couldn’t work out why so many riders were going so slowly across country at Barbury.

It was perfect ground, and I came away thinking, is it because they have more galloping to do here and therefore they waste time setting up for the fences, whereas at twisty, turning tracks they happily wing them round? Or is it because riders are deliberately creeping along because they believe they should be “thinking of the future”?

I have always thought you should go at the correct speed for the class, whether it is novice, intermediate or advanced, especially when the going is excellent. I’m sure they have their reasons, but I don’t understand them!

When I’m warming up for the dressage on my novice horse, I look across at the others and think that mine definitely doesn’t feel the way theirs look to be going. Then I find out that lots of them are very experienced horses. Do you really need to start at that level every season these days?

That, and the fact that so many of the professional riders start their horses in 90cm classes now. I’m not sure this is a good idea. Surely it delays the whole procedure of progression up the levels? And the more little stuff you do, the less confidence you have in the horse’s ability, I think. You doubt yourself, and then start doubting the horse too.

I’m not talking about amateurs who are competing sheerly for fun – I’m talking about proper professionals who aren’t moving their horses up through the classes quickly enough. There was a time when BE100 and novice were simply there to get horses going in a dressage arena, and used to jumping a course, not as a means to an end in themselves.

For the vast majority of my career my five-year-olds started at novice, and by their third event I expected them to go inside the time across country. And all they’d done was go cross-country schooling beforehand. Sure, I fell off some of them, but most of them went on to have long careers. It’s something to think about!

● What are your thoughts on progression of horses up the levels? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Olympic medal-winning dressage rider Laura Tomlinson issues a plea to her fellow riders to hold themselves to new standards to ensure the sport’s future

My column this week is a bit of a plea. I know we’re all bored of hearing about social licence and the sport’s image, but after another recent barrage in the media, including the big newspapers, if we don’t change our ways, our children won’t have a sport to enjoy.

I never condone social media abuse of any sort, but putting our heads in the sand in response isn’t working. Many may argue that the critics simply don’t understand the nuances of our sport, but whether they are right or wrong in all the different scenarios is irrelevant because if members of the public don’t like what they see, they have the power to shut us down, starting with the Olympics.

Horses being squashed together with immense leg and hand pressure for minutes on end must be a thing of the past. We must hold ourselves to new standards.

The World Class Programme and our own federation have shown they’re there to protect their top riders, but should they now do more to protect the horses and the sport?

Strictness on horses’ soundness and how they are ridden needs to come from riders. When riding, we need to think of children watching and ride to inspire.

Horse welfare should come first. We hear this said all the time, but who really means it in the heat of the moment when fighting for that bit more expression for those extra marks? We need to show that we are riding and training a better way.

If a horse is being spooky or stressed in the warm-up, respond with sympathy. If a horse needs quickening, use lots of transitions rather than instantly resorting to pressure to get the result faster. Find ways to work at home that build strength to create more expression over time, rather than resorting to quick fixes.

Get those extra marks through accuracy; we need to shape the sport and the judges by offering them something better. Empty words on “harmony” are not good enough. I don’t wish to stick the knife in, and I know this column will be unpopular and risky for me as a rider who’s aspiring for a team place, but I cannot be silent on this matter any longer.

My father always said, “Horses cannot advocate for themselves; you must always stand up for them and admit when you get something wrong.” I don’t see enough of that at the moment, so here I am, not trying to act saintly but just wanting to shake everyone up.

Don’t push for those extra marks if they cost you in harmony; ride in a way that you can explain to a young aspiring kid or a complete layman. Ride with the values we all had when we started as children, in love with the idea of partnership with another animal.

The welfare rules are clear. If we get something wrong in the heat of the moment, we must acknowledge our error and pledge to do better. We need to be the sport that we are selling.

Doping tests

On another “horse welfare” note, at my last international competition, straight after the freestyle – and hours before Full Moon had to travel home – he was pulled into doping control. That’s no problem. But when they have to go into an isolated stable in a separate block, for many horses, that’s a huge stress.

Moony always goes straight back into his stable for a wee after work, here he had to go into a random stable with no horses anywhere near him, with a stranger holding a long stick with a cup attached.

He was very stressed, so of course he didn’t pee in the given time and then had his blood taken. By the time he was back in his stable, he had been holding his wee in for an hour since competing.

This wasn’t the way I wanted to reward him for his amazing efforts in his first grand prix freestyle. I wish we’d make rules like this more horse-friendly. Why can’t he pee in his own stable, that he has been in all show, next to his buddies? What difference would that make?

The doping agents don’t let them out of their sight anyway. Some rules seem so absurd and not at all in the interest of the horse.

● Do you agree that change needs to come from within – and what would you like to see riders do differently? We’d love to hear from you at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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International rider Carmen Edwards shares his thoughts on the handling of the recent tack rule changes by British Showjumping, buying horses at auction and whether an app could solve some of the issues when moving horses to and from Europe

If there’s one thing the recent chaos over tack rule changes has shown, it’s that British Showjumping (BS) needs to communicate better.

It’s a difficult task trying to create rules for a membership that encompasses everybody from 70cm riders to those jumping grands prix, but if our governing body could be a bit more talkative, we could work together to improve the sport.

I can’t see how these new guidelines improve the sport in any way. Nobody knows who is making up these rules, on what evidence, or why.

The use of several bits, including gags, combination bits and hackamores, has been impacted but it is hard to see the logic behind the decision. Some rules make sense – I understand the banning of bit clips, in case they break – but others are mystifying.

BS has a paying membership but seems to be dictating what happens without consultation. You can never please everybody, but the organisation needs to be more democratic.

At the moment, rules are changed with no apparent consideration for their impact and competitors are given no time to prepare. Should we be going straight to banning tack, or should we take a different approach and have stronger measures for reporting misuse?

Breeding for success

I’m currently out in Spain on my favourite tour at Oliva Nova. It’s perfect for bringing on the young horses and it’s a shame we can’t replicate it at home. Even if you don’t make a sale here, you can come home with videos from lots of different arenas that you can send on to potential buyers, and show a horse’s progress.

Since we left the EU, there are fewer continental buyers sourcing horses from the UK. This is despite the fact our breeding has improved greatly in recent years, helped by advancements like intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Twemlows do a great job, also offering semen from some very nice stallions, and they’ve recently started sponsoring the British Performance Horse (BPH) auction, run by James Wilson, Danny Dunne and Jake Saywell. Twemlows foal and look after hundreds of horses, so it should be an exciting collaboration for British breeding.

Auctions can be very expensive but BPH offers some value-for-money options for horses to bring on and produce. We have had a couple of really nice horses from there.

Historically, auctions haven’t always worked in the UK – we lost Brightwells, and while the Billy Stud auctions have been a success, the horses are from the one breeding programme. I like that BPH is overseen by James, Danny and Jake together, as three heads are better than one.

It would be fantastic if BPH can promote British breeding, and aim for 90% of their catalogue to be bred here.

An app to solve travel woes?

In my last column, I spoke about the horse welfare issues stemming from delays at the ports. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I am convinced that an app is the way forward. If this takes off then I’d also like my share of the profits!

If we can have an app for the NHS, and if domestic pets can travel simply on passports, then why can’t our carnets, blood results and health paperwork all be stored digitally?

Even if using a “carnet” app required a restriction on travel time, say between 7am and 7pm, to make sure vets were present, it would be preferable to the current arrangement.

At the moment, once a trip is complete, all the paperwork goes in the bin, which can’t be great for the environment either.

Vets not having to drop health papers off will also save them time and us a call-out fee.

Progress with this has to start soon – the problems can’t be allowed to persist indefinitely.

● What did you think of British Showjumping’s recent rule changes regarding tack and bitting? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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H&H eventing editor Pippa Roome considers why Mars Badminton Horse Trials has a smaller entry this year – and whether it matters

The news that the Mars Badminton Horse Trials entries did not generate a waiting list for this year’s event (6-10 May) has been met with some concern.

Badminton has pulled in 80 entries. That includes double entries for David Doel, who will only ride two of his three horses listed, and five possible mounts for Harry Meade, who will start on a maximum of three. This means the actual possible line-up is 77 horses, but withdrawals mean this will whittle down to probably around 60 or 65 going to post.

The release of the Badminton Horse Trials entries comes off the back of the announcement that Mars Maryland 5 Star will not run this year, spiralling a discussion about the potential demise of the five-star level of eventing.

But is there really cause for worry? Let’s take a look at the history and consider some reasons why entries may be down.

Badminton final scores

Badminton Horse Trials entries: the numbers

First, let us put an entry of 80 in context – remember, this is not the first year there has not been a waiting list.

Since 2023, when qualifications for five-star were effectively tightened by changes in rider categorisation, the Badminton entry has been smaller than in the years before. In 2023, there was no waiting list (83 entries; 64 starters), in 2024 there was a waiting list of three (90 entries; 68 starters) and last year there was a waiting list of 16, who were all accepted (102 entries; 81 starters).

With those numbers in mind, an entry of 80 and no waiting list this year does not feel disastrously out of kilter with the three previous years. It’s on the small side, yes, but we are certainly not seeing a general downward trend.

Championship versus five-star

There is no doubt, though, that eventing has changed and five-stars – particularly the “bigger” British five-stars – are no longer the only goal in mind for riders. Where once upon a time the same horses were aimed at Badminton and then that year’s championship, increasingly the sport has two pathways at the higher levels, which run in parallel.

Our championships – with the first and last phases often on a surface and the cross-country over a shorter and less difficult course than at Badminton or Defender Burghley Horse Trials – tend to favour a different kind of horse to those who excel at the British five-stars. Yes, some horses can do both successfully – double Badminton and Burghley winner, Olympic gold medallist and European champion Lordships Graffalo is a case in point. But many horses are better suited to one sort of competition or the other.

Some riders will prioritise championships, depending on factors such as their personal goals, their owners’ desires and national funding, and so will channel their horse selection programme towards those which can excel in those medal arenas rather than aiming towards Badminton.

With the championship cycle in mind, it’s not overly surprising that this year’s Badminton entry is smaller than last year’s. This year, we have a World Championships, which means riders from nations such as the USA, Australia and New Zealand are considering their route to selection and perhaps not thinking of Badminton as their optimal pathway, whereas in a European Championship year such as 2025, American and Antipodean riders do not have a major championship to consider.

Across those three nations, there were 16 starters last year and are 14 entries this time, a gap which isn’t huge but may grow before the event with the natural wastage of withdrawals. As a side point, the big drop is in New Zealanders, with US entries actually up this time.

Additionally, the Europeans are considered a less important championship. If a rider from a Continental European country wanted to give Badminton a go, they’d perhaps be more likely to do that in a European Championship year, with less at stake. There were four Belgians at Badminton last year and two are entered this time, while Germany also fielded four last May and that has shrunk to one potential starter for 2026.

Last year’s Agria Europeans at Blenheim was the least important championship of the four-year Olympic cycle from the point of view that it had no bearing on Olympic qualification. This summer’s worlds offers nations a first chance to get a team qualification for Los Angeles 2028 under their belts and that will be a looming factor for selectors, coaches and chefs d’equipes advising riders on where to compete.

The next generation

On a different note, we are seeing the gradual dumbing down of the sport at under-age level. We have just four British first-timers among the Badminton Horse Trials entries this year and none of them are very young; their average age is 37, with a span from 29 to 46 years old.

Back in the day, the young rider Europeans ran at what is now CCI4*-L so a significant proportion of riders contesting that championship came out of the under-21 level ready to give Badminton a crack the following year. Now, the young rider Europeans run at CCI3*-L and the step up to five-star is more of a gulf.

Last year, the under-25 championship at Defender Bramham Horse Trials ran at CCI4*-S rather than CCI4*-L for the first time – this does not help to funnel younger riders on up to five-stars.

This season, the under-25 World Championships makes its debut, again at CCI4*-S level. There are good reasons for picking this level, not least that fewer nations could field a squad at CCI4*-L level and number of flags is important at championships. But the existence of this championship, at this level, will over time encourage some riders to hold back at CCI4*-S – and choose and train horses with that event in mind – for a shot at those medals, rather than pushing on to five-star.

Does it matter?

I remember some 15 years ago, an eminent event director telling me that from a spectator point of view, 85 starters at Badminton was too many. As the hardest core eventing fan around, I found this hard to believe – the more horses, the more sport, the better, right?

But they may have a point – a top-class showjumping grand prix generally has 40 starters and one of the oft-cited downsides of eventing when we try to sell it to a broader public is that the sprawling nature of the sport, building up over eight hours a day for four days, makes it difficult to follow and lacking excitement.

There is a balance, though. I would say the optimal number of five-star starters for the crowd is perhaps 70 to 75, with 60 to 65 starting to feel a little small.

It was heartening earlier this year, when interviewing for a Horse & Hound magazine feature about what movers and shapers would like to keep and change in eventing, to hear the huge support for keeping five-star as the pinnacle of the sport. There is no doubt “the ultimate test” still features significantly when asking what matters in eventing.

I don’t think we need to panic about the Badminton Horse Trials entries and the lack of waiting list. Some variation in numbers is natural and inevitable and we have not seen a general downward trend over the past few years. Let’s keep an eye on it – and keep talking about it.

Why do you think entries are smaller at Badminton this year than in 2025? Write to hhletters@futurenet.com and your comments may be published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine. Please include your nearest town and county for publication and note letters may be edited for length and clarity.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Horse & Hound’s exclusive Badminton 2026 form guide, featuring every horse and rider

British eventing stars aim to complete historic hat-trick as Badminton entries revealed

Badminton shares preparations to ensure the ground is at its best following wet winter

Badminton winner to take record prize money – and more for the grassroots champions too

Badminton’s box office is now open for all – here’s everything you need to know about tickets for 2026

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Rebecca Penny shares her thoughts on new classes and tack rule changes as the new showing season gets underway

Finally, it feels like we are getting a break from the relentless rain, and a new season is fast approaching. With it comes change, some of it a positive step forward, and some of it more contentious. I fully support rules that protect equine welfare, yet not every update inspires confidence.

On the positive side, the increasing popularity of the London International has brought some exciting additions. The two new working sports pony classes are a welcome inclusion. So, too, are the first pony of hunter type and cradle stakes at the Royal International (RIHS) as these classes give our younger riders a fantastic introduction to top-level showing.

I’ve managed to attend a couple of winter shows with some newly broken ponies, and I popped along to an unaffiliated event. It was lovely to see classes with 20-plus entries so early in the year, even though I was supposedly out for a quiet outing for purely educational purposes.

Veteran classes have also been introduced to the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) line-up this year, which is undoubtedly a great addition. However, I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one disappointed to see these classes restricted to amateur riders.

Amateurs are being given more and more opportunities, which is fantastic. However I still believe HOYS should be a showcase for the best horses in the country, regardless of the owner’s status.

It feels like a real kick in the teeth for competitors who don’t fit into that bracket, particularly owners with older horses or ponies that they no longer wish to compete in open classes, but who they have kept and cared for over many years.

Where is the science?

Some of the National Pony Society’s (NPS) newly adopted tack regulations for 2026 raise serious questions.

Take the blanket ban on the Swedish crank noseband, solely adopted by the NPS. This design is entirely legal under FEI rules and widely used in British Dressage.

The FEI is an organisation that has invested significant time, expertise and financial resource into researching tack, biomechanics and equine welfare, so why has the society taken a different stance? What evidence, consultation, or research underpins this decision?

In-depth studies show a properly fitted crank noseband exerts no more pressure than a cavesson. Issues occur predominantly when it is misused, either by incorrect fitting or over-tightening. The use of the FEI noseband measuring tool to spot check seems to be the approach all other associations have followed.

The fact that the NPS has independently adopted this rule also creates conflict when a HOYS qualifier is held at an NPS show, as HOYS rules take precedence, meaning a crank noseband could be used in that class. How can two conflicting tack rules be applied at the same show?

In the context of navigating a crowded ring on a large breed stallion with 20 or more ponies cantering at speed, mares passing in close proximity and heightened levels of excitement, I can understand why a rider might prefer to use a correctly fitted crank noseband. It is typically padded, and designed to distribute pressure in a more stable way should a pony become unsettled and try to cross his jaw.

In such a scenario, a small adult rider, particularly one riding within the permitted 20% weight ratio, has a better chance of maintaining safety and ensuring an enjoyable experience.

It also seems illogical that these regulations can restrict experienced adult riders where control and safety are critical. Yet in stark contrast, novice M&M first ridden classes allow children as young as six or seven to have more freedom over their bitting choice, even though their balance and ability to maintain consistent contact are still developing.

This inconsistency highlights both practical and safety concerns. Rules should be informed, practical, and evidence-based. Ignoring riding realities and established research risks compromising both rider safety and horse welfare.

● What do you think of recent rule and class changes? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

Do you know a cavesson from a Kineton? The complete guide to nosebands

Transparency or a ‘state of limbo’? HOYS returns to 2024 judging format

New series with £1,000 top prize to reward consistent combinations

From STARS to HOYS: 13 show ring opportunities for amateurs in 2026

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now