This year visitors to London International Horse Show are being treated to seven masterclass sessions across a wide range of disciplines.

A masterclass will take place every day at London International Horse Show, with a double helping on the Saturday and Sunday – all hosted in the Thomas Family London Arena. These are free to watch from the standing viewing area, but you can also purchase a seat for the day of your choice.

I’ve pulled together some information about each session below to whet your appetite. If one of these masterclasses takes your fancy, I’ve also rounded up all the info you need to know before buying your tickets to London International Horse Show.

Times are subject to change.

Developing Collection with Richard Davison

Olympic dressage great, Richard Davison, will be joined by the legendary Carl Hester to help deliver a masterclass that focuses on developing collection. Although the pair are dressage superstars, the session will be relevant to riders of all levels and from all horse sports.

Richard said: “Every dressage devotee knows that developing collection is fundamental while newcomers might ask ‘what on earth is collection?!’ Actually it is crucial for riders of all levels in all disciplines; from someone trying to make a good trot to halt transition to a dressage rider going from passage to piaffe, it’s a skill everyone needs and as important for showjumping and event horses as it is for dressage horses.”

Richard will also be joined by Dannie Morgan and Fever Tree, and Sarah Higgins.

See more dressage at London: the FEI Dressage World Cup competition (grand prix on Thursday and freestyle on Friday), plus new national classes on Thursday and Friday.

Arena eventing with Ros Canter and Gemma Stevens

Current Badminton and Burghley champions Ros Canter and Gemma Stevens will be joined by British Equestrian’s Performance Director Dickie Waygood, who will guide them through a session that demonstrates the skills required to compete at the highest level of eventing.

Using jumping exercises focusing on developing technique and building a partnership, the trio will explain how they approach preparation for their major events – and how they plan for any eventuality when tackling the top-level courses. They’ll share lessons they’ve learned over their careers as well as experiences and behind-the-scenes stories from major championships and five-star competitions.

It’s the perfect opportunity to pick up some arena eventing tips from the pros.

See more arena eventing at London: there’s a new arena eventing competition in the International Arena on Friday 18 December (evening session).

Stunt Riding 101 with Daniel Naprous and Esme Higgs

World-renowned stunt horseman Daniel Naprous teams up with YouTube star Esme Higgs to bring movie magic to London and show what it really takes to become a stunt rider.

Daniel will introduce us to the fascinating world of equestrian stunt work, revealing some of the skills, secrets and techniques behind the action. He’ll explain how he teaches a horse to perform in an on-screen battle, what it takes to pull off a stunt that looks terrifying to viewers and just how much training goes into a few seconds of Hollywood magic.

Esme will be taking a crash course in stunt riding and together they will showcase the remarkable skills, preparation and trust required to perform at the highest level.

Esme said: “I've watched some of the incredible things the Devil's Horsemen do in films and thought, how on earth do they do that? Well, now I'm going to find out! I'm excited, slightly nervous, and just hoping he doesn't have anything too terrifying planned for me!"

Perfecting lines with Simon Grieve and Meg Elphick

Five-star event rider Simon Grieve and popular equestrian content creator and grassroots competitor Meg Elphick are joining forces for this new masterclass.

Simon, who trains Meg, will be riding one of his seasoned event horses, while she will be on one of her up and coming event horses. The pair will share their expertise, experiences and practical training techniques.

Simon will show Meg and her horse the ropes, demonstrating the adaptations for training horses at different levels and offering a unique behind-the-scenes look at the process of producing the next generation of eventers.

The session will focus on accuracy, riding correct lines and introducing young horses to technical questions such as skinnies and corners.

Simon said: “Meg and I always have a lot of fun when we are together so expect lots of banter as well as plenty of laughs during the session, which of course will be educational, too!”

Dog agility with Anthony Clarke

International handler, trainer and judge Anthony Clarke will demonstrate how dogs of all shapes and sizes can get started in agility, which is always really popular with the audience at London International.

Drawing inspiration from his introduction to dog agility for the Royal Kennel Club, Anthony will take a range of dogs – including breeds not traditionally associated with the discipline – through the foundations of agility and demonstrate how the sport can be adapted to different dogs and partnerships.

See more dog agility at London: there are a variety of agility competitions held across all five days in the International Arena.

Retraining racehorses with William Fox-Pitt

Former world number one event rider William Fox-Pitt will lead a brand new Masterclass celebrating the versatility of the retrained racehorse. He will bring together racehorses and riders from different backgrounds to showcase the many opportunities available to horses after racing.

He will be joined by TV presenter Rosie Turner, plus Emily Ware and Robyn Gray with their former racehorses who now event, and they’ll receive a coaching session from William.

William said: “I am passionate about ensuring former racehorses have opportunities to succeed and live full lives once they retire from the track. Thoroughbreds are so versatile and trainable and they love learning.”

Pippa Funnell’s Pony Club Rally

Three-time Olympian Pippa Funnell will host the final masterclass with four talented members of The Pony Club, who earned their place at The Pony Club National Championships in August.

Pippa will guide her participants and audience through an exciting programme, while offering her unparalleled expertise from the ground. Pippa’s methodical approach to training, as well as her advocacy for horse welfare and positive horsemanship promises to make a huge impact on participants and audience alike.

Pippa said: “I am hugely looking forward to re-joining the London International Masterclass line-up. The Pony Club is an institution very close to my heart, and it’s brilliant to see how these up-and-coming riders learn and develop over the course of our session!

See more of The Pony Club at London: The Pony Club Mini-Major will take place during the extended afternoon performance on Monday 21 December.

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New Zealand event rider Samantha Lissington has lost promising young event horse New York after the eight-year-old underwent two colic surgeries.

Samantha used the quote “Grief is the price we pay for love” as she shared the news.

“We all feel the sentiment of that in our hearts as we share the sudden loss of Elmo (New York) [on 8 November],” said the championship rider.

“We did everything we could for him, but two colic surgeries later and it wasn’t to be for us.”

The Dutch warmblood New York, by For Romance, started his career with Britain-based Spanish rider Ricardo Montalvo Sanchez and Samantha Lissington first saw him at Le Lion d’Angers in the seven-year-old World Championships in 2025.

“I spotted his little face at Le Lion last year and couldn’t get him out of my head. A gut instinct told me there was a lot of horse there, and I am beyond proud of what we achieved in our time together,” she said.

New York moved into the ownership of Juliet Humphreys, Neil Robertson, Sally Taylor, Andrew and Claire Dubowkski and Samantha and her husband Brayden.

The new partnership enjoyed a successful 2026 season, winning the CCI3*-L at Strzegom in April, then jumping double clears in the CCI4*-S at Scone Palace and the eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S at Agria Blenheim Horse Trials, finishing 17th at the latter.

New York also had six top-10 results in national classes, including two with Kelli Frewin, a New Zealand rider based with Samantha.

“He was such a happy horse, bringing a bouncy enthusiasm to our work and thriving off the confidence that I had in him,” said Samantha.

“Being with him at the very end took a different kind of bravery than I’m used to, he left us with a belly full of Polos and all the love in our hearts.

“My heart hurts also for his owners; who have shown us nothing but support, kindness, and companionship, reminding us of all the good in humanity through tough times.

“Grief might be the price we pay for love, but what would life be without love, we feel privileged to have loved and lived in Elmo’s world.”

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Kirsty Chabert has said a final goodbye to the 23-year-old Opposition Detective, the home-bred horse who first took her to the top levels of eventing.

“‘Barney’ was home-bred by my dad and was given to me when he was three as an 18th birthday present,” said Kirsty, adding that her father took inspiration from watching Midsomer Murders for the horse’s name.

John Johnston bred Barney by his foundation stallion Fleetwater Opposition, out of a mare called Hathor by the thoroughbred Ra Nova.

“I did everything with him from scratch,” said Kirsty. “I remember taking him cross-country schooling for the first time and it was dark before we left because I couldn’t get him in the water.

“I could never get on him without someone standing in front of him – otherwise he’d spin round and face me the whole time.”

The pair’s first success together was coming second in the British Eventing national four-year-old championships in 2007.

Opposition Detective took Kirsty to “so many incredible firsts” – from the seven-year-old World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers to her first CCI3* (now CCI4*-L) at Bramham Horse Trials in 2014 and her first CCI4* (now CCI5*) at Luhmühlen Horse Trials in 2015.

The pair started six times at the now five-star level together, including Kirsty’s first Badminton Horse Trials and Burghley Horse Trials.

Kirsty won the Laurence Rook Trophy, for the best British competitor who has not previously completed the event, on their debut at Badminton 2016.

“He’s my best mate and would be the perfect husband – I’ve just got engaged so I hope my husband can live up to Barney,” said Kirsty at that Badminton.

Kirsty told H&H swimming was a big part of Barney’s fitness programme for four- and five-stars and he was “a bit of a water baby”, swimming many laps.

Opposition Detective: ‘a heart of gold’

In his retirement, Barney went to Freddie Ravenscroft, the son of Kirsty’s farrier.

“He won the Pony Club open tetrathlon championships on him, where obviously the rider has to get on and off mid-course [to open and close a slip rail] – that was a long-standing joke as I never thought he’d be able to do it, but in his older years he was superb,” said Kirsty.

“The Ravenscroft family gave him the most incredible retirement and he was loved by every single one of them as much as he was loved by us all.”

The rider also paid tribute to Denny Russell, who jointly owned Barney with her.

“Barney had a heart of gold and was the nicest character to deal with – he was definitely a firm favourite among everybody,” said Kirsty, describing the horse as “my absolute superhero and horse of a lifetime”.

“Thank you for everything, Barney. One in a million, forever in my heart.”

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The great showjumping stallion VDL Bubalu has died at the age of 26. His rider Jur Vrieling said his Olympic silver medal-winning partner would “leave hoofprints on our hearts forever”.

In an emotional tribute, the Dutch showjumper said: “Tonight, a very special star is shining brighter in the sky. It is incredibly difficult to find the right words to say goodbye to a horse who has been such a part of my life.”

VDL Bubalu: an ultra-consistent team hero

The KWPN stallion was bred at the VDL Stud, a son of the great Baloubet Du Rouet. Bubalu’s competition career began with Colombian rider Ricardo Villa and the pair won the Colombian national championship before making an international debut in USA when Bubalu was nine.

Bubalu’s breeder Wiepke van de Lageweg brought the stallion back to the Netherlands, where Irish showjumper Cameron Hanley rode him briefly until Jur Vrieling took the reins. The new combination won their first class together, a CSI3* in Eindhoven, and three months later they formed part of the Aga Khan Trophy-winning Dutch Nations Cup team at Dublin Horse Show. They represented the Netherlands at the 2010 World Equestrian Games at Kentucky, USA, and continued to star on the global showjumping stage for the next four years.

The superb partnership between Jur and Bubalu led to dozens more accolades during their four years together, including Nations Cup successes at St Gallen, Aachen and the 2014 Nations Cup Final in Barcelona. Grand prix podium finishes at the likes of Valkenswaard and Drammen also embellished their extensive CV.

But perhaps VDL Bubalu’s crowning moments came at championships, helping the Netherlands win team gold at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, and team silver at the London 2012 Olympics, where they were pipped to gold by Great Britain in that epic jump-off.

The athletic bay was retired from the sport shortly after their Barcelona-winning appearance in 2014 at the age of 14 to continue life as a breeding stallion. His mighty influence lives on through his offspring; several superstars are already coming to the fore in the next generation, including Joe Whitaker’s great partner Hulahupe JR.

“Memories that I will carry in my heart forever": Jur Vrieling

Jur Vrieling described Bubalu as “more than just a horse”.

“You were my partner, my teammate, my friend and a once-in-a-lifetime horse,” he said. “Together, we shared some of the most unforgettable moments of my career, experienced the highest highs and built memories that I will carry in my heart forever.

“From winning team silver at the Olympic Games in London 2012 to becoming team world champions in Caen in 2014, we achieved dreams that once seemed impossible.”

Beyond the medals, titles and victories, however, Jur said of Bubalu: “What I will remember most is you – your heart, your character, your incredible fighting spirit and the trust we shared. You gave me everything, and I hope I gave you just as much in return.

“After an extraordinary sporting career, you enjoyed your well-deserved retirement, leaving behind a wonderful legacy through your offspring and future generations.”

Jur summed up: “I feel incredibly lucky to have shared this journey with you. Thank you for every moment, every victory, every lesson and for being the horse you were. Some horses come into our lives and leave hoofprints on our hearts forever. You will always be one of them.

“Run free, my friend. You will never be forgotten. Forever my champion. Forever my Bubalu.”

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Search For A Star finalists were out in force at the 2026 Your Horse Live (YHL), with more than 80 entries forward for judging.

Search For A Star champions at YHL 2026

Twyford Gyro

Welsh section A gelding Twyford Gyro safely escorted Imogen Key, nine, to the top of the line in the first ridden final, and later the pair claimed the supreme ridden and overall titles. The 19-year-old is owned by Imogen’s grandmother Sue Cubitt-Smith.

Glenives Princess Sylvia

The in-hand supreme sash was awarded to 25-year-old Glenives Princess Sylvia and her owner Amelia Stevens, winners of the in-hand veteran final.

Amelia has owned “Sylvie”, who remains in light work, for ten-years now having initially purchased her as a confidence giver.

Lacy Sting Bee

Welsh section A Lacy Sting Bee topped the lead-rein pony final. Eleven-year-old “Sting” was ridden by Gwennie Hodge, five, and led by her mother, Gabrielle Hodge, who has owned him for just over a year.

Thistledown Kingbee

Kathy Hancox’s Thistledown Kingbee landed the in-hand mountain and moorland (M&M) spoils, shown by 11-year-old Liliana Pickett. Bluey was bought unbroken by Kathy in 2023 from the official breed sale.

Killimazing Kwanza

Quality Connemara mare Killimazing Kwanza claimed the ridden M&M sash, piloted by her delighted Suffolk-based owner of four years, Emma Last.

Greenvale Don Legend

Former finalists Greenvale Don Legend and Cardiff-based Rosa Cartwright returned to land the riding club type horse championship. They are the reigning winners of the 2025 Rising Star hack/riding horse final at London International.

Ballacura All Star

Amelia Hoskins steered Maureen Wyman’s Ballacura All Star to the Pony Club pony type ridden title.

Owner Maureen originally bought the 19-year-old grey for her grandsons, and when they hung up their riding boots seven years ago, Maureen offered Amelia the ride.

Willowsway R Kizzy

Elaine Hardington’s Willowsway R Kizzy and handler Kylie Ramsden trotted to the top of the part-bred traditional cob line-up.

After a six-year stint as a broodmare, Kizzie arrived with Kylie intended to be a “family friend to hack and enjoy” in January this year.

Chronos

Former racehorse Chronos and district nurse Amanda Jones landed the in-hand plaited horse final.

Owned by Mali Jones, “Ron” – by Nayef out of All Time – ran “very badly” over hurdles a total of 12 times according to Amanda, before retiring from the track in April 2024.

Tandridge Advocat

Emma McCallum’s seven-year-old Tandridge Advocat and Bella McCallum, 13, won the in-hand plaited championship.

The McCallum’s have owned “Angus” since March 2024. They started showing last year, progressing from local grass-roots to the Pretty Polly home-produced final at the Royal International (RIHS).

RSPCA Miley

Lisa Kerwood handled RSPCA Miley to win the in-hand pure-bred traditional cob championship. Lisa explained she has owned nine-year-old “Dolly Donut” since she was eight months old.

Despite looking a picture of health in the ring, “she was left over Christmas in a potato field to die” prior to her rescue along with three other horses, according to Lincolnshire-based Lisa.

Brickell Mr Pickwick

Brickell Mr Pickwick, 17, and owner Rebecca Lock lifted a hotly contested open veteran championship. Rebecca has owned “George” since he was a weanling. George has competed at HOYS six times, and stood coloured champion at the RIHS.

This term, George has returned to the ring after a break from it, swiftly picking up tickets to the RIHS and London International in senior ranks, too.

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If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a horse racing fan this Christmas, here’s a selection of ideas you may not have thought of.

I’m always keeping an eye out for new gift ideas for horse lovers and some of these I really love. Whether you’re shopping for an office Secret Santa or a close family member, these ideas are sure to put a smile on their face.

Gifts for horse racing fans

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Five-time Olympic US showjumper Laura Kraut has been inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.

The hall of fame is part of the National Cowgirl Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, where “history meets horsepower and fearless women take center stage”. The museum is home to more than 5,000 artifacts, including saddles, boots, clothing and photographs from the hall of fame’s inductees.

“Through education, storytelling, and preservation, the museum brings to life the diverse experiences of cowgirls, ranchers, artists, activists, and pioneers whose contributions shape Western heritage and continue to inspire future generations,” said a museum spokesperson.

Laura, 61, continues to shine on the world stage 34 years after she competed at her first Olympics, the 1992 Barcelona Games. This summer she helped the US team to fourth at the Aachen World Championships on Baloutine, and last month she and Tres Bien Z finished fourth individually at the Longines League of Nations Final.

Laura was inducted into the hall of fame on 5 November, along with Kentucky racehorse trainer Cherie De Vaux, mounted shooter Kenda Lenseigne, fashion designer Lela Rose, bootmaker Lisa Sorrell and the late physician and women’s rights advocate Dr Mary Edwards.

“An unforgettable moment to be inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame,” said Laura.

“What a tremendous honor to join this exclusive club of pioneering women of the American West. We are all united by a love of horses – and by refusing to listen to anyone who told us our dreams were beyond reach. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate this very special occasion.”

Over the decades more than 260 women have been inducted, “each one representing a unique story of grit and determination”. Laura is the second showjumper to be named in the hall of fame; she joins Olympic rider Kathy Kusner, who represented the US at the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics.

• To stay up to date with the latest equestrian news, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Reigning European champion United Touch S is “going in the right direction” after developing a serious infection last month.

The horse’s rider, Richard Vogel, shared a condition update on Sunday (8 November), following his World Cup win in Verona aboard Gangster Mondesir.

“Luckily [United Touch S] is doing better and improving in small steps, but he is going in the right direction,” he said.

“It’s a big relief and it makes it a bit easier to focus on the job. Sport wise I can’t complain at all. I have an incredible string of horses, an incredible team of people supporting me and having my back so I couldn’t be happier or prouder of my horses and my whole team.

“United for us of course is a once-in-a-lifetime horse, but for many [other] people as well. After people heard what happened to him, we got so many nice and kind messages and so much love from all over the equestrian world and that really made us emotional.

“It was nice to see how many people think of United Touch, care about United Touch and I can assure all of them we are doing our best to get him as healthy as possible as quickly as possible but we should not rush, give him all the time in the world. We have the best vets taking care of him. It means a lot that he is so thought of.”

On 27 October, Richard announced that the world team gold medal-winner was “under veterinary care after developing an infection that requires ongoing treatment and close monitoring”.

“At this stage, it is too early to determine the timeline for his recovery. United’s health and well-being are, and will remain, our absolute priority,” he said at the time.

Sunday’s update is welcome news. The 14-year-old stallion, owned by Julius-Peter Sinnack, has been a mainstay of the German team in recent years. As well as the individual title and team bronze he scooped at the 2025 Europeans, he also helped Germany to team gold at the home World Championships this summer, competed at the 2024 Olympics, and helped his country to win the 2023 Nations Cup and 2024 League of Nations finals.

He and Richard have won five-star grands prix across the world, including Aachen, Geneva and at the Dutch Masters, plus World Cup legs.

• To stay up to date with the latest equestrian news, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

London International Horse Show is a festive pilgrimage for many in the equestrian world – and Horse & Hound is giving you the chance to enjoy a VIP visit to the show on Thursday 17 December with three friends or family members.

The prize

One lucky winner will receive:

• Four Phoenix Club Hospitality passes, including exclusive access to the Phoenix Restaurant & Bar (food/drink to be paid for on the day)
• Four VIP seats in the international arena to watch the FEI Dressage World Cup Grand Prix during the afternoon performance on Thursday 17 December
• All-day access to the Thomas Family London Arena, home to the London International Showing Series supported by Horse & Hound, dog agility, and Thursday’s dressage masterclass
• VIP admission and parking

What you can look forward to

Action in the international arena at London International Horse Show kicks off on Thursday 17 December with the five-star showjumping Welcome Stakes at 10.50am.

This is followed by the Royal Kennel Club Agility Stakes (medium jumping), the show's major display and the Shetland Pony Grand National.

The FEI dressage World Cup grand prix will conclude the action, finishing at 4.20pm.

Over in the Thomas Family London Arena, the entertainment starts at 8am with two rounds of the Royal Kennel Club small/mixi pairs dog agility, supported by Agria Pet Insurance.

Then the action switches to horses with the Rising Star small and lightweight hunter, followed by the middleweights and heavyweights coming before the judges.

Dressage will take centre stage as Olympian Richard Davison will be joined by fellow legend Carl Hester to deliver his hugely popular masterclass, which will focus on “developing collection”.

The riders will be multiple regional and national dressage championship winner, Dannie Morgan and Sarah Higgins, who has also enjoyed considerable national success. Dannie will be riding the very exciting rising star Fever Tree. Currently ranked world number two on the FEI 1* ranking list for horses, Fever Tree is a horse with huge potential. Sarah's ride is to be confirmed.

Returning to showing, it will be time for the Rising Star of Hunter Type Championship, followed by the Rising Star Working Hunter Type and Working Show Horse, both supported by Phil Swallow – and their championship.

To bring the evening to a close is the new national classes for seven-year-old dressage horses and grand prix horses of the future, before the action wraps up at 8pm.

How to enter

For your chance to win four VIP tickets, click here.

The competition closes at 5pm on Friday, 27 November. The winner will be notified by email on Tuesday, 1 December. Full terms and conditions are available on the entry form.

Good luck!

• To stay up to date with the latest equestrian news, including updates from London International Horse Show, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

A buzz has been building around Charlotte Dujardin and Secret Agent for a while now.

The seven-year-old stallion – known at home, fittingly, as James – first turned heads when Charlotte rode him as a four-year-old at the British Dressage National Convention. The following year he scored a massive 97.2% in a national five-year-old class.

Sightings in the competition ring have been few and far between since, but the talk in the meantime has only helped his legend grow.

Now, after finishing second in the seven-year-old final at the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Verden this summer, the secret is well and truly out.

Judge Richard Baldwin compares the excitement around him to the stir caused by Woodlander Farouche, Michael Eilberg’s record-breaking, two-time young horse world champion and one of the great “what ifs” of British dressage.

Charlotte, meanwhile, already has her sights set on the biggest stage of all.

So how did he catch Charlotte’s eye, and what makes him a future team star?

“I knew I had to try to buy him”

“I discovered James when he was just two years old,” Charlotte says. “I was sent a video of him on the lunge, and instantly, I knew he was a horse for me. He had so much presence, elasticity and a natural ability to move through his body. I remember getting real butterflies. I knew I had to try to buy him.

“I first sat on him when he was three and the moment my bum hit the saddle, I knew he was something special. He had so much natural ability, but just as importantly, he had a lovely character.”

That character has made him a joy in the arena at home.

“He’s a wonderful horse to train. He’s incredibly clever; you can teach him something one day and he’ll understand it by the next.

“He has an incredible work ethic, loves his job and really enjoys working with me as his rider. He is a horse who wants to learn and that makes training him such a pleasure.”

Secret Agent at Verden

For all her championship medals, Charlotte had never ridden at the World Breeding Championships before this summer.

“It was one of the best experiences of my career,” she says. “It was a real privilege to ride such a special horse in such an incredible atmosphere. He won the first round and went on to become reserve champion on the second day.

“He’s my horse for the future and my dream for him is the LA 2028 Olympics. I genuinely believe he has the ability to go all the way and compete for a medal. He is an incredibly special horse and I feel very lucky to be on this journey with him.”

Secret Agent behind the scenes

Groom Phoenix Lewis sees a different side of James every day.

“James is such a pleasure to work with. He always tries his best and has the sweetest, cheekiest personality. He loves attention and affection – and we always make sure he gets plenty!

“He’s definitely matured over the past year. The more he’s been out competing and seeing the world, the more he’s developed and grown in confidence.”

Like Charlotte, Phoenix was struck by him from the start.

“I remember the first time I saw him; he was cantering around the outdoor arena and I was mesmerised. He still has that effect on me now.

“The winter championships are my favourite memory together so far. Spending the whole weekend with him and seeing him win there was so special.

“I get really nervous watching him compete! Knowing how hard he and Charlotte both work behind the scenes makes me want everything to go well and I am always so proud of them both.”

The judge’s view

Judge Richard Baldwin has had James in front of him since the horse’s early competition days. He says the horse’s ability goes deeper than flashy paces.

“I first judged Secret Agent when he was about five, and the thing that sets him apart is his athleticism. He’s so gymnastic – his whole body moves and works. Everything is loose and supple – every joint, every muscle. He’s like a bouncy rubber ball and because of that he looks like he finds everything easy.

“His canter stood out to me straight away, although his other two gaits are super as well. Even then, you could see from the natural way he uses his hindleg that the adjustability would come as he got older.

“Normally, horses with big, impressive gaits struggle with adjustability, because they just get bigger and bigger. He finds it easy to collect for a pirouette and then do a big extended canter. That’s what impressed me when I judged him at the selection trial before the World Championships.

“The other lovely thing is that he doesn’t get tense or upset. He can be really athletic and expressive, but he stays relaxed and listening to the aids. In young horse classes you often see big movers and think, ‘I don’t know whether I’d want to ride that.’ He looks a pleasure to ride and he has the athleticism too.

“He certainly has the mental and physical ability to go all the way.”

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Eventing legend Ian Stark said his faith in the human race has been restored, by the actions of those who came to his aid after he came off his bike.

The five-time Olympic eventer turned course-designer said he was uninjured in the accident on Tuesday (3 November), when he was on his way to climb the Eildon Hills near Melrose in the Scottish borders, and ready for his next challenge.

“I was out on my road bike, cycling to Melrose to climb the Eildons when I had a stupid crash on the A7,” he said.

“Totally my own doing but smashed my knee on the asphalt and it took me a minute or two to be able to get back on my feet!”

Ian said he wanted to thank the “endless” number of drivers who stopped to help and support him.

“As well as the paramedics who were driving past in an ambulance, turned round with blue lights flashing and offered to take me to hospital!” he said

“You have all completely restored my faith in the human race.”

Ian Stark’s stellar career

Ian, who is now 72, is a lifelong hero of eventing. He represented Britain at five Olympics between 1984 and 2000, winning team silver three times and individual silver once, with Sir Wattie in 1988.

He was on the team that won world gold in 1986, and he and Murphy Himself won team and individual world silver four years later. He represented Britain at six European Championships, winning team gold each time, and individual gold in 1991 with Glenburnie, not to mention individual silver in 1987 with Sir Wattie and bronze in 1985 with Oxford Blue. He also won Badminton three times and is the only rider to have finished first and second in the same year, when he won in 1988 with Sir Wattie and came second with Glenburnie.

He became a top course-designer, at venues including Bramham, Blair Castle and the Maryland 5 Star, and was still competing at national level this season, aged 72.

“I’m absolutely ok today ready for the next venture but a huge grateful thank you to all who went out of their way to help an old man!” he said.

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What joy that Dame Jilly Cooper’s Rivals season 2 will be back on our screens next week.

Without wanting to lean into the doom and gloom, there’s been a lot of heavy news recently, what with the cost of everything going a bit nuts, the end of British summer time reminding equestrians what it's like to ride in the dark and the fact that certain supermarket fridges can now be hacked (isn’t that last one a plot from Wallace & Gromit…?)

To know a slice of Rutshire escapism will brighten up our Wednesday evenings gives a nice warm glow on the edge of winter. And it’s important, I think, always to keep looking for those cheerful moments and delight in them wherever we see them.

So, to Rivals! What news can we bring you since our last update on the Disney+ series. This launch is the second half of season two and there are six new episodes to come (episodes seven to 12).

The first three will land on Wednesday, 11 November, followed by one a week, on Wednesdays, until 2 December.

The latest trailer was released last month and appears to confirm the death of a major character, which happened off screen in the last episode released in May. For those wanting to avoid spoilers (where have you been!), catch-up pronto before watching the trailer for part two of season two as it’s given away within the first five seconds.

Watch the Rivals season two part two trailer

As far as I can gather, it looks like most of the storylines will pick up where we left them mid-season. Yes, there’s plenty of yearning, but beyond the longing looks and tear-filled eyes, there are some gems we really need to talk about.

Firstly, the horses – I counted around a dozen in total. The grey, who I think must be Rocky, cantering towards Penscombe, a handful of polo scenes somewhere warm and sunny, plus a lovely skewbald (accompanied by hounds) being ridden into a hunt ball.

Taggie’s lovely scruffy dog Gertrude is back, there’s a wedding, actual fireworks (alongside the longing kind), one Concorde, plus baby pink Christmas decorations to match the baby pink Range Rover. Sarah Stratton’s perm, too, deserves an honourable mention, and perhaps its own postcode.

In the words of the Disney+ press office: “As the return to the scandal and excess of 1987 edges closer, the residents of Rutshire reunite for more revelry, rivalry and romance, but as the stakes ramp up they must face tragedy, heartbreak, backstabbing, and betrayal head on.”

A sneak peek at the first episode of the second half of season two (episode seven) also landed on social media last night. Have a look at the video below, but be warned it does contain a spoiler...

In a Radio Times interview in May, lead writer and executive producer of the TV series Dominic Treadwell-Collins said that producers Happy Prince TV has rights to the entire Rutshire Chronicles series. We already knew that season three is confirmed, with 12 episodes on the cards, so it looks like there is plenty more Rutshire drama to brighten our evenings still to come…

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Rubin Al Asad, the horse who launched Lara Butler’s international dressage career and travelled to the Rio Olympics as Britain’s reserve, has died aged 24.

The Bechtolsheimer family’s Hanoverian gelding, known at home as Rufus, was put down on 8 October at Ursula Bechtolsheimer’s yard, where he had lived since his retirement in 2021.

A mainstay of British dressage in the second half of the 2010s, he was team reserve for three consecutive championships: the 2016 Olympics, the 2017 European Championships and the 2018 World Equestrian Games. In 2018, he won the national title.

“He was definitely what you’d class as your horse of a lifetime,” Lara said. “He kick-started my career, but it’s really hard to put into words how much he means to me... we grew together.”

A sharp horse who needed a quiet seat

Bred in Germany by Hans-Hermann Wiemer, Rubin Al Asad (Rubin Royal x Wanderbursch II) was produced to small tour by Helen Langehanenberg before Wilfried and Ursula Bechtolsheimer bought him for their daughter Laura (now Tomlinson).

He had been cast in his stable as a young horse and suffered a back injury that needed a lengthy rehab. Lara arrived at the yard as an assistant rider during his recovery.

“They weren’t really sure whether he was ever going to cope with it,” she said. “I don’t think anyone thought I was going to get him to grand prix, bless him.

“They told me, ‘You can ride this one, but he’s quite fresh because he’s just coming back from an injury – and don’t ride him in spurs!’ I thought, ‘Oh my God, what is this horse going to be like?’ He was sharp, but in a very kind way.

“When Laura sat on him, his legs flew everywhere because she has a hot seat, whereas I’ve got a much calmer seat. I just clicked with him straight away, and I think they could see that.”

Their first test together, a prix st georges at Addington, remains a running joke.

“He buried his head so low I couldn’t see it any more! But the engine was still going,” said Lara. “It felt like we were going to go over our heads at any moment. We always laugh about how far we actually came.”

Rio, a national title and Olympia

Lara had learnt the grand prix movements on schoolmaster Andretti H – who died in March 2025 at 30 alongside fieldmate Mistral Højris – but Rufus was the first horse she trained to the level herself.

They made their international grand prix debut in Wellington, Florida, in February 2015, and won the grand prix special there two weeks later. Nations Cup appearances followed in Hagen, Rotterdam, Aachen, Geesteren, Hickstead and Compiègne.

Selection as travelling reserve for Rio was one of the highlights of Lara’s career.

“Equestrian is quite often away from the Olympic village, but that year we stayed in the village, so it was amazing to be part of it all,” she said. “I have Rufus to thank for that, because he really took me there.”

After twice finishing as reserve champions – in 2013 and 2017 – the pair’s persistence paid off in 2018, when they were crowned national champions.

But Lara’s favourite moment with Rufus came a year later at Olympia, where they scored a personal best of 81.45% in the World Cup freestyle.

“It’s an iconic venue – no one will ever beat it,” she said. “On my last centre line, I remember beaming from ear to ear. He really lifted himself and took me up that final centre line”.

“It was never a no”

Rufus mellowed with age, but he never quite became an easy ride for anyone else. When other riders sat on him, Lara recalled, they wondered how she managed him at all.

“He was quite a nervous horse and took a lot of comfort in his people,” she said. “I remember at Rotterdam, when it was stormy, we had to go and sit with him in his stable, and then he was fine. But at the bigger venues he was almost better, because he had to focus on me.

“He was a trier. He might not always have got it right, but he was always trying for you. It was never a no, and that’s quite special in a horse, especially at the top level.”

Lara believes the time they took over his early training is the reason he had such a long career.

“He taught me a lot of patience. You have to listen to your horse and wait for them to tell you when they’re ready, rather than rushing and pushing them through,” she said. “We were later to grand prix than some, but he did five years at the top, and I was able to retire him at 19.”

Rubin Al Asad’s life in retirement

In retirement, Rufus was the undisputed boss of a small herd of fellow retirees and youngsters. When he retired, Lara had promised his beloved daily banana would keep coming.

“He was literally king of the field,” said Lara. “When it was time for him to go, it was definitely his time, and he showed us that he was done.”

Lara is convinced he would still hold his own today.

“There aren’t many horses you can look back on and say their way of going would still stand up now,” she said. “I genuinely think he would still have stood up against all the horses now.

“I’m very grateful to the Bechtolsheimers for giving me the opportunity to have the ride on him, and for the trust in that partnership. He was my horse of a lifetime.”

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British-based New Zealand eventer Hollie Field (née Swain) has announced the retirement of her five-star partner Solo.

The 17.2hh Danish warmblood gelding known as Freddie, who completed Badminton, Burghley and Luhmühlen, has bowed out aged 17.

“For me, Freddie was the one who made my dreams come true, and I can’t thank him, or his owners John and Jan Bodenham, enough for that,” said Hollie.

“Thank you for the trust you put in us and for always supporting us 110%, whatever has happened along the way.”

Solo started his eventing career in 2015 with Emily Taggart, who rode him to third place at the Badminton Grassroots BE90 in 2016. Emily produced him to novice level, then Hollie took over the reins in July 2017.

Hollie and Solo stepped up to three-star at Barbury in 2019, where they jumped clear across country. The following year they completed their first CCI4*-S at Burgham International.

In 2022 Hollie and Solo made their five-star debut at Luhmühlen, where they finished 18th. That autumn they were 28th at Burghley and in 2023 they finished 28th at Badminton.

“Our pathway certainly wasn’t linear, but as we know with Freddie, that would just have been far too easy. Looking back, we built an incredible partnership over 10 seasons together, and what a journey it has been – maybe with a little rollercoaster feeling at times,” said Hollie.

“Freddie has taught me more than I could ever have imagined, and we’ve experienced every emotion along the way. But the biggest thing he gave me was always belief.

“I don’t think I’ll ever experience scope quite like Fred’s, which allowed me to turn our dreams of competing at five-star into reality, jumping around Badminton, Burghley and Luhmühlen. For that, I will be forever grateful. Dreams and memories made for a lifetime.”

Solo’s last international event was the Strzegom CCI4*-S in late April where they withdrew following the cross-country.

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In 2021, the great Weihegold OLD enjoyed the final win of her dazzling career in the World Cup leg at Lyon with her long-term partner Isabell Werth. Five years – and one day – from that moment, her grandson Viva Gold OLD stepped into the same arena with the same rider to win his World Cup debut (30 October).

The 10-year-old, who is in his first year at international grand prix, headed the freestyle with a huge new personal best of 87.89% – more than two percent ahead of nearest rivals, European champions Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus (85.81%).

“Viva Gold was fantastic, I’m so proud of him,” said Isabell. “He has grown and developed enormously over the past months and weeks. He can really become an absolute top horse.”

The stallion is a son of Exquis Vivaldi, out of Weihegold OLD’s daughter Weihronce. He has never finished outside the top two in international competition, and counts a son out of Laura Tomlinson’s grand prix mare Rose Of Bavaria among his progeny.

Watch Viva Gold’s winning test in the video below

Belgian riders filled the next three spots. Justin, who won Thursday’s grand prix with Zonik Plus, said the 10-year-old was a “little more tense” in the freestyle.

“We had a very good connection [in the grand prix]; today it was more difficult to find that connection. Of course, I am still very happy with second place behind Isabell,” he said.

Larissa Pauluis and Flambeau completed the podium on a score of 80.53%.

“Flambeau is still getting better and better at the age of 16,” said Larissa. “He was not always an easy horse when he was younger but we keep building a better partnership every time. He was completely there for me today.”

The next leg of the dressage World Cup is at Stuttgart on 13-14 November.

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FischerChipmunk FRH, eventing’s reigning world and Olympic champion, has been retired, aged 18.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to retire FischerChipmunk from competition. He is doing really well, and it means a lot to me to see him this fit and healthy,” said rider Michael Jung.

“Individual Olympic gold in Paris, two wins at Kentucky, team gold at the Europeans in Blenheim and, to round it all off, individual gold at the World Championships in Aachen in front of a home crowd – what a journey.

“Of course Chip is staying with me and will enjoy life out in the field even more from now on. I am incredibly grateful for our time together – and it doesn’t end with his retirement from the sport.

“A huge thank you also goes to the fischer group and the DOKR [German Olympic committee for equestrian sport] for giving me the chance to ride this exceptional horse and to achieve all these incredible, unforgettable successes with him!”

A son of Contendro I, Chipmunk started his career in the ownership of Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff and ridden by Michael’s compatriot Julia Krajewski, winning Bramham Horse Trials CCI3* (now CCI4*-L) with her in 2018.

The pair led the dressage at the World Championships in Tryon that autumn, but they had a run-out across country.

In February 2019, the horse moved to Michael’s yard, registered into the ownership of the DOKR and Klaus and Sabine Fischer, Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff also retaining a share. It was at this point the bay acquired the Fischer prefix.

The pair took individual silver and team gold at their first championship together, the 2019 Europeans at Luhmühlen Horse Trials.

For a while, it looked like Michael and FischerChipmunk FRH would never quite fulfil their potential to win an individual gold – they led the dressage at three championships in a row, but it didn’t quite come together.

At the Tokyo Olympics they broke a frangible pin, at the 2022 World Championships they knocked two showjumps down and at the 2023 Europeans they had an uncharacteristic fall.

But the pair’s moment came at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where they won individual gold. Two years later, Chipmunk finished his career by winning the world title in Aachen, with another individual silver and team gold at the European Championships at Agria Blenheim Horse Trials sandwiched between his two individual golds.

In all, Chipmunk won two individual golds, two individual silvers, three team golds and two team silvers in his championship career. He proved an incredibly sound and resilient horse, contesting eight consecutive championships between 2018 and 2026.

Arguably, the talented Chipmunk had the best of both worlds with his two riders – Julia’s impeccable skills in producing young horses, followed by Michael’s supreme ability as a top-level competition rider.

Julia generously paid tribute to Michael’s riding of the horse at the World Championships last year: “Chipmunk has always been incredible horse. Michi perfected it – what they pull off under pressure again and again is incredible.

“It’s a credit to Michi’s work that at 18 he’s won two individual gold medals. People mention it [my role in producing him] and I love to see him doing good. A lot of the credit goes to Michi right now.”

Outside championships, Chipmunk won twice at five-star level, at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2022 and 2025.

He won 28 times in total in his international career with Julia and Michael.

Although Michael suggested at the final press conference of the World Championships in August that Chipmunk would be at the European Championships next year, this decision is not a huge surprise given the horse’s age.

H&H reported at the time: “The meeting between London 52, Lordships Graffalo and Michael Jung’s FischerChipmunk FRH, with all three fit and at the peak of their powers, was a once-in-a-generation clash we were lucky to witness…

”Michael and Laura [Collett, rider of London 52] both hinted their 18- and 17-year-old horses will continue to the Europeans in Avenches next year, but being realistic, we may not see these three in one field again; cherish the moment.”

And so it proves, as FischerChipmunk bows out of the sport on a high after his Aachen gold.

As Michael said: “Thank you, Chip.”

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Olympic team gold medallist and record-breaking eventer Ros Canter has been celebrated alongside other global sporting stars.

The Allbright global 40 Over 40 list, in partnership with cosmetics company UKLASH, celebrates women who have stood out in business, science, technology and AI, culture and arts, social impact and public life and sport in the last 12 months.

In the sports category, Ros is named alongside tennis player Serena Williams, boxer Katie Taylor, power lifter Martine Barons, rugby player Maggie Alphonsi, marathon runner Alice Braham and Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor.

Ros and Lordships Graffalo made history in May when they won Badminton Horse Trials for a third time, just over three months after Ros welcomed her second child. In August Ros and Lordships Graffalo led the Brits to team gold at the World Championships in Aachen, where they also won individual silver.

Ros’s Allbright nomination said she had turned her “renowned mental strength” into “one of the sharpest weapons in eventing”.

Ros, who turned 40 in January, said it was “pretty cool” to be named on the list.

A 40 Over 40 spokesperson said Allbright and UKLASH are “incredibly proud to recognise and celebrate” the women featured.

“Each of our five categories is a place where women’s experience is changing what happens next, whether that’s Anita Lim’s research sending cervical screening kits to the homes of millions or Wunmi Mosaku winning a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination for Sinners,” said the spokesperson.

“Every woman here made her mark in the past 12 months, but each drew on the years before: the false starts and hard calls, the second chances and lessons she had to learn herself.”

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A superstar pony who was once found abandoned, castrated and left tied to a tractor to bleed has won his fourth Prince Phillip Cup title at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) – aged 31.

Merlin, a 12.2hh Welsh pony who was rescued as a youngster, became one of the top mounted games ponies in the world, winning nationally and internationally – and making many young riders’ dreams come true.

His most recent HOYS wins were in the Prince Phillip and the Lemieux cups, the two mounted games competitions, with Thea as part of the North Herefordshire team.

“He’s just an absolute legend,” owner Gemma Hopkins told H&H. “He’s phenomenal; I can just sit there looking at him, thinking he’s another type.”

Gemma has owned Merlin for about 18 years, but her family’s first connection with him was far longer ago.

“It was a sad story; he was found tied to the back of a tractor,” she said. “They’d taken his balls off and left him tied to a tractor bleeding. Somebody turned up, he was not halter broken, he was wild. They couldn’t even get him on a lorry, so they walked him home. And later, he fell into the games scene.

“I met him when he was three years old. My husband trains the North Hereford team but back then, he was training the Welsh team. This kid came to me and said, ‘We’ve got this pony. I think he’s going to be really good but he keeps kicking everyone when you try to vault on him’.

“My husband said ‘Let’s have a look at him’, and he came out, double-barrelled the kid, and my husband said ‘I don’t know what to do with that, put him back in the stable’, and off he went.”

But Merlin moved on, had plenty of practice and was soon able to show his prowess on the mounted games circuit.

“He’s the most successful games pony there has ever been,” Gemma said. “He owns more world, European and British titles than any pony there’s ever been; I would lay my life on it that no other pony will ever come close to what he’s won.”

Gemma bought Merlin for her elder son Ben when he was six, by which time Merlin had already won world titles.

“I took Ben and put him into a local riding school – it was probably the best thing I’ve ever done as every week he went to Pony Club, and the riding school, and trotted round at six years old on this powerful little pony; he was a little machine,” she said. “He learnt to ride, and it was really good for him. He spent about 12 months, 18 months off the circuit, then when we felt Ben was ready, he rode him – and Ben went about four or five years unbeaten on him. He won British, European, and World titles on him for years.”

Ben’s younger brother Sam took the ride; he followed in Ben’s footsteps by winning at Royal Windsor for Wales. After Sam had outgrown Merlin, he went to a girl called Jazz, who rode him for England at Royal Windsor – and won.

He won the LeMieux Cup with Jazz last year, then Thea took him over in 2026, “and they’ve won everything”.

“He’s done such an amazing thing for so many kids,” Gemma said. “I’ve never sold him because he did too much for my children, and he’s just an absolute legend. He’s never been easy because he’s got [equine metabolic syndrome] EMS. We’ve got it all under control and have done for years but it’s part and parcel of getting old, isn’t it? He lives with me but I’m more than happy. I don’t ever lease him, don’t take money for him, even for his shoeing, I just want to see him happy doing his job.”

Gemma said that anyone looking at Merlin “wouldn’t put him at a day over 18”.

“He’s got no gray hairs, he’s the supplest pony you’ve ever seen, he pings around the place like nobody’s business,” she said. “We trotted all our ponies up at HOYS with the vet and I promise you, he trotted up the best out of all of them. He’s phenomenal.”

She added that she said at the start of 2026 this would be Merlin’s last competitive season owing to his age but that he is not ready to retire.

“He’s still beating everyone, he’s still making dreams come true,” she said. “He’s done so much for everyone, I’d love to say ‘Now’s your time to retire’ but the only way to control his EMS is through exercise, and he loves his job. When the lorry goes out without him, he gallops about as if to say ‘Why aren’t I on it?’

“The equestrian community might say ‘What on earth is a 31-year-old doing competing?’ but he’s so athletic, he’s on no supplements, he looks a million dollars and he’s just not ready to retire. I feel if he stopped doing it, the EMS would kick in – and he absolutely loves what he does. He owes me absolutely nothing and he’s my world.”

Gemma said Merlin trains once a week and “drags me around” out hacking, led from the others.

“He’s the fittest pony I’ve got,” she said. “I watched him at HOYS and thought ‘He’s really not ready to hang his boots up; what do I do?’ So I think he has to keep going till he tells me he’s had enough. He was absolutely flying at HOYS, he just loves competing.”

Gemma said Merlin is the beloved yard troublemaker, squeezing under fences, always the one who escapes and would be found in the feed room, but he “gets away with murder”.

“He’s unique,” she said. “I’ve dealt with a lot of kids and ponies and have never met, and don’t think I’ll ever meet, another one like him.

“He’s got such a positive attitude to life; nothing fazes him and he just wants to give his all. He never gives up and has never let me down. Sometimes they need a bit of recognition, don’t they? He’s a legend.”

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With the new FEI grand prix test and its stretching circle arriving in 2027, Olympic gold medallist Laura Tomlinson has been thinking about how dressage tests are marked.

In her recent H&H column, Laura reflected that scores have become stuck around the average marks, with good tests struggling to break 70%, and called for judges to use the full range – lower scores for real mistakes, but eights and above for brilliance.

On the latest episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, she shares her hopes for the new movement, and reflects on how the balance of marks shapes the horses that rise to the top.

Is piaffe weighted too heavily?

Asked how the current marking affects the way horses are produced, Laura points to piaffe, which counts double in the grand prix.

“Sometimes you watch the scores and think, well, I’m beating this one, beating this one – and then a horse gets eights for its piaffes, is lower than you everywhere else, and it’s above you immediately,” she says. “Your test might have been more accurate or more soft and supple the whole way through, but the horse with a better piaffe is immediately going to beat that.”

She stresses she isn’t calling for the weighting to be scrapped. “I haven’t thought about it hard enough,” she says. “But it’s interesting how those nuances change which horses come to the forefront and what kind of pressure you have to put on them. It becomes a piaffe battle, basically. If you’ve got one that’s just lovely and soft and does a nice piaffe, you’re already on the back foot.”

That, she says, sits awkwardly with the sport’s recent messaging. “The party line for the last couple of years has been that we’re going for softness, suppleness and less tension,” she says.

“Often the top five horses in the world have got it all. But in the next 20, you’ve got horses with different strengths and weaknesses. If we want the priority to be softness, suppleness and harmony, it’s something to think about.”

What should judges look for in the stretch circle?

That balance is set to shift slightly in 2027. The new FEI grand prix test keeps the existing movements largely intact but adds a stretching circle, ridden rising or sitting, near the end. It is also weighted double, which Laura says “is going to mitigate at least one piaffe”.

She is a fan. “I would almost wish it was at the start of the test,” she says. “I think it’s a great way to let the horse relax over the back, feel comfortable again and take the pressure off for a moment.”

She knows what she would reward if she were judging. “A horse that is able to be let go of in the reins, that follows the rider’s hand, so it doesn’t stay curled up or too overbent, but the nose stretches forward and out,” she says.

“It shouldn’t suddenly dive from its nose to the floor – it should still be in self-carriage. The rhythm shouldn’t change, and the hindlegs should still step nicely underneath, rather than getting left behind because the rider isn’t riding into a strong contact.”

How the judges agree to mark it will be crucial. “It’s all very well having a theory on paper as to what equals the perfect stretch on a circle,” she says. “But every horse is going to do it slightly differently.”

What does this mean for young riders?

Laura’s concern about what the marks reward extends to the next generation. “I’ve seen it the last few years at the home internationals with the junior and young riders, and you just think, crikey, what do they have to do?” she says.

“If they’re on a fairly normal horse but riding quite a nice, clean, soft test, that’s not good enough to get over 70%. Not everyone, especially at under-21 level, is going to be on a super-flashy horse. I feel like we should be rewarding other positives, like softness and accuracy.”

She has felt it herself. Laura won an international grand prix special in the Netherlands last year on 69%. “I actually had quite a nice clean test,” she says. “I’m not saying I deserved 75%, but it could easily have been 71 or 72.”

She is also quick to acknowledge that scoring has moved in the other direction in the past. “There was a time when the marks were getting almost a little bit too out of control – the 80s were flying maybe where they shouldn’t have flown,” she says. “I don’t envy the judges’ position. I’d much rather be sitting on my horse, moaning instead!”

To hear more from Laura, including her thoughts on the National Championships’ move to Hartpury and the new British Masters, listen to episode 182 of The Horse & Hound Podcast here, or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.

● Do you think the new stretch circle will change which horses rise to the top in grand prix dressage? 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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Tidy Town needed little introduction to the showing world before this season, but now he has truly cemented his place in the history books, netting his fifth Royal International (RIHS) win, and being the first small hunter to land the supreme horse accolade at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in forty years.

The 10-year-old 158cm gelding – known as Guinness at home – is owned by Lorraine Homer, and piloted by her daughter, Alice. He was bred by Michael Byrne in Co Wicklow, and first made his way onto English soil as a foal.

But his trajectory to the very top in showing wasn’t straightforward.

“The day I first saw Guinness, I bought two foals for the Mckay family,” explains Alice’s grandfather, David Tatlow. “One was by Stack of Diamonds, and the other – Guinness – by the British thoroughbred stallion, Superior Premium, out of a Ricardo Z mare. They were two very different sorts of horses. One was tall and backwards – he’s gone on to event successfully now; one was thick-set. I was with Jane Bradbury, who’s a very good judge of a horse in her own right.

“I’m a limb fanatic. If they’ve got good limbs as a foal, they’ve got good limbs to the day they die. Guinness had beautiful limbs. People say, ‘Oh, I can’t judge a foal.’ But you can judge a foal; he’s just a little horse. Guinness was an exceptional little model.”

That said, Guinness remained something of a gamble. For starters, he had been gelded just 48 hours beforehand.

“He was quite swollen and stiff, so we didn’t see much step, but he did have a beautiful walk even though he was so swollen.”

The other snag was that Guinness was small.

“We looked at him and we looked at him. But I kept saying to myself, ‘I wonder whether he’s going to grow?’

“I asked, ‘How big’s the mother?’

“16.2hh, and I knew the sire to be a biggish horse, so we thought, ‘there’s every chance he might grow’. We took the gamble.”

But Guinness didn’t grow. At least, not as much as hoped.

Nevertheless, he stayed at his intended home with the McKie family until Jess McKie broke him in and began his eventing career.

“She did a very good job,” says David, “But she’s tall and he didn’t grow enough for her.”

He returned to the Tatlow/Homer team as a six-year-old to sell on.

“Being based in Northumberland, the McKie’s felt we were better located to sell him – and we found we didn’t really want to sell him on, we wanted to buy him.

“I shouldn’t say this as Alice has produced him to perfection, but I wasn't in love with her wanting to hunt him because I realised his potential as soon as he came back. I said, ‘this is a top small hunter’.

“We’re great friends in the family, but it doesn't stop us disagreeing between ourselves; I was more confident about him being a champion show horse than Alice was at that time.”

Alice agrees, seeing him as a hunting pony when he first returned.

“I hunted him until that Christmas,” says Alice. “I don’t think I took him seriously as a show horse until then, but he got smarter and smarter and I realised I had underestimated him. I haven’t hunted him since, but he was an absolute machine so I can’t wait to again once he’s done showing.”

David was right, and together, Alice and Guinness have formed a formidable partnership.

As well as their five Hickstead titles – three in the small hunter and two in the intermediate hunter ranks plus the bonus overall intermediate sash – Guinness and Alice topped the intermediate hunter type lineup at HOYS, and boast a small hunter win at Windsor.

That same year, the pair were working hunter pony champions at the castle, as Guinness has a third string to his bow: the workers.

“One of the greatest things about Guinness is that you rarely see him without his ears pricked. He really loves his work and approaches it with enthusiasm – even just going for a hack.

“We don’t want to overshow him, but with his versatility – he’s got a real jump in him – and his attitude; he always says, ‘come on, let’s go again’. He’s the dream, he loves his job.”

Earlier this term, Guinness and Alice collected a third working hunter pony supreme title at the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) championships.

“He just absolutely loves those Graham Barclay tracks there,” says Alice.

He also loves a good gallop and Alice argues this is one thing that gives him the edge in the ring.

“Nothing can out-gallop him,” says Alice, whose searing turns up the front of the arena in championships at Hickstead are something to behold. “To ride, he’s got the manners of a hack but the power of a heavyweight hunter. I think it’s what’s made him excel at different venues.

“He can go to a smaller indoor arena like at Addington or into the arena at HOYS and have the adjustability of a hack. But then he can also go into a big grass ring like at Hickstead and open out and gallop.”

Still, performance only counts for half in showing.

“His conformation is another reason he’s excelled year after year,” according to Alice. “He has very correct limbs. He has just the right amount of limb and just the right amount of substance. Fundamentally, he is hard to fault. Yes, he gives a good ride and, yes, there’s showmanship but his correctness means he appeals to a range of judges.”

Whatever it is that gives them the edge, David credits Alice.

“She’s made such a fantastic job of him,” he says. “She’s done it all herself because I’m old and nearly in my grave. Her mother Lorraine’s had more influence than me – it’s her mother who’s taught her to gallop.”

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Neville Bardos, the horse who took US rider Boyd Martin to his first championship and fought back to compete at Burghley Horse Trials after surviving a barn fire, has been put down aged 27.

Boyd said: “Nev spent the last few years living out in the field with the young horses at our farm in Pennsylvania. He was very happy, but over the last year, he really started losing weight and muscle. I had Neville's longtime vet and good mate, Dr Kevin Keane, take a look at him, and we both agreed that the upcoming winter would be unfair for Neville to endure.”

Boyd said Neville was a horse who changed his career, adding: “I’m not sure I have ever ridden a horse as tough and brave as Nev.”

The chestnut was named after an infamous Australian gangster and Boyd – who is Australian-born but now rides for the USA, where he is based – bought him as a three-year-old former racehorse in Australia for AUS$850 (about £450 in today’s conversion).

“Nev had a feisty outlook on life, and I soon realised he wasn’t going to be a quick sell, said Boyd. “After working away with him, I started to realise that he could seriously jump!”

The horse gave Boyd his first taste of a win at long-format international level, at Melbourne in 2006.

“I will never forget pulling out a clear round and receiving the trophy from Australian eventing legend Bill Roycroft. From that moment on, the fire was lit!” said Boyd.

Boyd moved to the USA and finished ninth at Kentucky Three-Day Event on Neville Bardos when the horse was just eight years old in 2008. He put together his first syndicate to support Neville and thanked the owners who backed “an unknown rider with a wild thoroughbred and big dreams”.

A win at Fair Hill CCI3* (now CCI4*-L) in 2009 and fourth at Kentucky in 2010 set Boyd up for his first championship selection, for the World Equestrian Games at Kentucky.

“I had come so close so many times to riding at a championship but had always fallen short. I honestly thought it might never happen,” said Boyd, who finished on his dressage score for 10th, best of the home side.

“Neville really delivered! To this day, I can still remember every stride and every jump of that showjumping course. That event really gave me momentum for the rest of my journey.”

In 2011, there was a terrible barn fire in the barn Boyd and his wife Silva rented at True Prospect Farm, Phillip Dutton’s yard.

“It was one of the most horrific events of my life,” said Boyd. “I managed to free a few of the horses, the last one being Nev. I will never forget dragging him down the aisleway by his windsucking collar, with my good mate Phillip pushing him from behind as the roof was falling in.

“Along with a number of other horses, Neville spent weeks in the intensive care unit at the New Bolton Center recovering. I truly got to see the heart of a champion when Neville came back into work and we completed our goal of competing at Burghley. I have never felt a horse with so much grit and determination as Nev.

“I also believe he was the first event horse ever to make the front page of The New York Times through his amazing achievements.”

Neville finished seventh at that Burghley, adding just one showjump down to his dressage score.

Neville Bardos: ‘Such an incredible impact on my life’

Boyd paid tribute to the many people who helped him with Neville over the years: “Firstly, his grooms and handlers throughout his career: Kate Chadderton, Shannon Kinsley, Lindsay Taylor, and Steph Simpson. They all equally loved him and cared for his every need during the prime of his competition career.

“I also want to thank his farriers, Bob Sims in Australia and Doug Neilson in America, for their care and dedication to Nev over the years.

“Sarah Reese cared for him, rode him, and groomed him every day in the twilight of his life. Neville loved Sarah, and she really looked after him like the champion he was.

“I had so many coaches who helped me with him across two countries. Obviously my wife Silva (who rode him at his first-ever eventing competition at Scone Horse Trials, and fell off him in the cross-country!), Heath Ryan, Jamie Coman, and Leesa Robinson in Australia, and in the US, Phillip Dutton, Katie Prudent, Lauren Hough, Michael Barisone, Oded Shimoni, and Captain Mark Phillips.”

Boyd buried Neville Bardos at the top of the gallop track at the Martins’ farm.

“Every time I zoom up that track, I will always think of him at the top of the hill,” he said.

“It’s amazing how horses touch our lives. Never in my life would I have believed that a scruffy off-the-track thoroughbred would have such an incredible impact on my life.”

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Georgia Bartlett said farewell to the 20-year-old Spano De Nazca, the 15.2hh horse who took her all the way from junior medals to five-star, on Wednesday (28 October).

The young British rider described “Nono” as: “My best friend, my heart horse, my one in a million, the best team mate and teacher I could ever have wished for.”

She said: “I would be nowhere without him and I will be forever indebted to him for the way he changed my life for the better. He took me on a journey I would never have believed possible.”

The Anglo Arab by Daguet Du Rochau started his career in France with French rider Louis Seychal. He teamed up with Georgia at the end of 2016 and the pair were successful in junior ranks.

In 2017, they won the junior CCI* (now CCI2*-L) at Frickley. They helped Britain to junior European team silver in 2018 and 2019, finishing 11th and fourth (on their dressage score) at those championships individually.

They also won the CCI3*-L at Millstreet in 2019 and the young rider CCI3*-S at Cornbury in 2020.

The pair stepped up to four-star level in 2020 and had numerous good results at that level, including third at Millstreet CCI4*-L in 2022 and 11th and 16th at Blenheim Horse Trials CCI4*-L in 2021 and 2023.

“For me Nono was extraordinary because he was not extraordinary,” said Georgia.

“He was tiny, his confirmation wasn’t particularly good, he didn’t have hugely extravagant movement and his jump wasn’t overly impressive.

“He was never meant to go as far as he did and that’s exactly what made him totally extraordinary, taking on and excelling round some of the biggest and most prestigious events in the world – my little miracle pony.”

In 2023, the pair made their five-star debut at Mars Badminton Horse Trials, when the little horse showed his heart by jumping most of the way round in very wet conditions, until Georgia made the sensible decision to pull up after a problem near the end of the course.

In 2024, they returned to Badminton and finished 28th with a cross-country jumping clear, and Georgia took the prize for best under-25 rider.

After the 19-year-old Spano De Nazca was not accepted at the first horse inspection at Badminton in 2025, he enjoyed a final season at a lower level, including completing the CCI4*-S at Defender Bramham Horse Trials and finishing 12th in the CCI3*-S at Cornbury on his final run.

“We had a one of a kind partnership built on implicit trust and mutual understanding of one another,” said Georgia in her tribute.

“A truly outstanding horse with so many incredible accolades to his name which were beyond my wildest dreams when we first met. He was all heart, an out and out competitor and the bigger the stage and the higher the stakes the deeper he dug to give me his all.

“Nothing thrilled him more than a big crowd and atmosphere. He just knew when he needed to perform – so highly intelligent and bringing me home safe every time.

“There aren’t enough words or superlatives to truly do him justice, but thank you a million times over for everything my precious boy. Enjoy galloping round your favourite cross-country courses up there, and spoil yourself with an endless supply of apples, carrots and polos. I will miss you always…”

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The life and legacy of the late Dame Jilly Cooper will be honoured at Cheltenham racecourse with a special tribute to the much loved author.

A memorial bench will be unveiled on the crescent walkway overlooking the parade ring on Countryside Day (13 November). The Retreat bar will also be renamed for the November meeting (13 to 15 November) to The Rutshire Arms, in a nod to Jilly’s work.

“Mum adored everything about Cheltenham – the fabulous racing, the wonderful horses, the glamorous people and of course the champagne,” said Felix Cooper and Emily Tarrant, Jilly’s son and daughter, in a statement.

“She would be both utterly delighted and thrilled that Countryside Day this year is being held in her honour. Thank you to everyone involved.”

The unveiling of the bench will take place ahead of racing, and more details of further celebrations are set to be announced.

Cheltenham racecourse chief executive Guy Lavender said: “Dame Jilly was a wonderful lady with a huge zest for life. Her passion for the sport was undeniable, and in particular her love of the racecourse and the Cotswolds.

“We are delighted that her family will be able to join us on Countryside Day and, along with the rest of the racing community, help us to celebrate in a way that Jilly would have wanted.”

The celebration will take place the same week as the second part of series two of Rivals, the TV series based on Dame Jilly’s Rutshire chronicles, is released on Disney+ (11 November).

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Wondering what horse racing is on TV this week? Or how to watch each race, wherever you are in the world? You’ve come to the right place. Horse & Hound’s horse racing TV and streaming guide will keep you updated throughout the 2026/27 National Hunt season, so you don’t miss a moment of the action.

Below, you’ll find details about which races are being televised this week, which broadcasters are showing them, and how you can access that coverage.

We'll try to make it as simple and cost-effective for you to watch all the horse racing you want, with information on subscriptions, streaming deals, free trials, and free streams.

Horse racing on TV this week – at a glance

Watch horse racing on TV from anywhere

If you’re away from home during the National Hunt season and your usual coverage is geo-blocked, a VPN can help you access your favourite free streaming services from anywhere in the world by changing your device’s IP address to appear as if you’re in another country.

There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. We’d suggest using a paid-for service such as NordVPN, where you can get an exclusive 77% off and three extra months, which offers a 100% risk-free money back guarantee. If you’re not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.

How to watch racing at Aintree

UK: Viewers can watch on ITV4 or ITVX for free or Racing TV.

Ireland: Watch on Racing TV.

US: Races will be shown on Racing TV International.

How to watch racing at Hexham

UK: In the UK, you can watch Friday's meeting at Hexham on ITV4 or ITVX. It is also available on Sky Sports Racing.

Ireland: In Ireland you can watch via Sky Sports Racing.

How to watch racing at Doncaster

UK: As with the Hexham meeting, racing from Doncaster will be available on ITV4/ITVX and Sky Sports Racing.

Ireland: In Ireland you can watch on Sky Sports Racing.

Plans and prices

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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

An equestrian event has responded to concerns about its accessible ticket pricing – and blamed an “administrative error” for charging £22 extra for disabled children’s tickets.

Michelle Lucas spoke out after she had problems making a group booking for Your Horse Live, for two disabled adults, two disabled children and three carers.

Michelle was buying “standard plus” tickets, which include reserved seats for performances, advertised at: adult £50, disabled adult £60, child £28 and disabled child £50. The disabled tickets include a carer pass.

There is no separate disabled pricing for standard tickets, with which seats are not guaranteed, and a free carer pass is included for disabled guests.

The system would only allow Michelle to buy one disabled ticket per transaction, which would incur multiple transaction fees and risk seats being apart. After multiple attempts to contact the ticket platform and Your Horse Live, Michelle posted on social media.

Michelle told H&H the booking system was “not good enough” and there was a “clear discrepancy in the pricing”.

“The organiser told me that £10 more for the adult standard plus ticket is because you get a seat and you have to pay for your carer’s seat. If that’s the case, then why is the disabled children’s ticket so much more? With standard tickets you get a seat, it’s just not an assigned one,” she said, adding that she has never paid for a carer ticket for other events, including London International and Badminton.

Michelle said others on social media reported the same problem, although some suggested “you get a free carer ticket, so that’s why it’s a higher price”.

“People don’t understand that having a carer is not a freebie. It’s not a ‘bring your friend for nothing’. In most cases, people pay a carer to support them on their days out,” she said.

H&H approached Your Horse Live, following which the website was updated to show disabled children’s tickets at £38. Show director Emma Bedford told H&H they have apologised to Michelle, who has since bought her tickets.

“The charge for a carer’s ticket is linked to the ticket type and reserved seating, and not a visitor’s disability. All standard plus adult tickets, including accessible, are £50. A carer ticket is reduced to £10,” said Ms Bedford, adding that this pricing has been in place for several years with no concerns.

“We feel the reduction to £10 is a reasonable adjustment as it requires a guaranteed seat in our limited seated arena.”

Ms Bedford said the price for disabled children’s tickets was incorrect on the website.

“This was an administrative error, and it was corrected as soon as it was brought to our attention by the customer and all bookings have had the difference refunded,” she said.

She added that Your Horse Live is “reviewing procedures” with its ticketing partner to ensure queries are handled more efficiently and exploring ways to make booking “as straightforward as possible”.

Ms Bedford said the Equality Act does not require organisers to provide free carer tickets, but that Your Horse Live provides these with standard tickets

“If full, we provide extra seating for those with mobility issues, including seats on request from the steward when in the queue,” she said, adding that accessibility remains an “important priority”.

Michelle said she was pleased the issue had been highlighted – although felt Your Horse Live had “doubled down” on its reasoning for charging for carers’ tickets.

“Accessibility isn’t just about a wheelchair ramp – the law states there shouldn’t be barriers to booking. This has been vastly more difficult for me to book a disabled ticket than a regular person,” she said. “I hope that speaking out makes a difference to next year, and to other events, so they think twice about their policy and make it more inclusive.”

A spokesperson for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Britain’s equality regulator, told H&H the Equality Act does not have a particular approach to ticket pricing – but service providers must ensure they are making reasonable adjustments so disabled people can use their services or attend events “as easily as non-disabled people to the extent possible”.

“If service providers need to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, they cannot ask those individuals to cover the cost of making the adjustment,” she said. “Whether an adjustment is reasonable or not depends on the facts and circumstances of each case including the resources available to the provider.”

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Britain‘s Hector Payne made his first visit to the young event horse World Championships in Le Lion d’Angers a successful one when he piloted Caroline Primrose’s striking grey, Bueno, into second in the seven-year-old class.

The pair completed on their first phase score of 29 in this FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships for Young Horses (15-18 October).

“He’s naturally spooky and I wasn’t at all sure how he would cope this week,” admitted Hector, who took on the ride on Bueno from his owner two years ago after she found his spookiness tricky to deal with.

“When he went down the centre line and spooked in the first corner, I thought, ‘This is going to be a long test’, but he knuckled down after that.”

The British-bred gelding, by Dante’s Junior, had been campaigned with this target mind.

“We’re not in any rush with him, though,” Hector continued. “I was based with William Fox-Pitt for a number of years and William always said that three-star was the most important level to consolidate with a young horse.”

Firm favourites Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Tara Van Het Leliehof confirmed their class by adding the seven-year-old win to the six-year-old title they won 12 months ago.

The result never looked in doubt for the Belgian combination, who took command from day one and capitalised on their leading dressage score of 28.6 with a foot-perfect double clear.

Only four horses have ever achieved back-to-back victories at Le Lion – Nicolas Touzaint’s great grey Galan De Sauvagère (2000 and 2001), Thomas Carlile’s Ténarèze (2013 and 2014), Anna Lena Schaaf’s Lagona OLD (2021 and 2022) and a second of Thomas’ rides, Golden De Beliard (2022 and 2023).

“The pressure was intense,” admitted Lara. “In this kind of situation, it’s difficult being me. I’m so afraid of not doing the mare justice, of letting down my team and her owners. But Tara has so much quality across all three phases. She is certainly one of the best horses I have ever ridden, and I have an enormous amount of respect for her.”

France’s Alexis Goury completed the podium with Jeroboam Wal.

Britain’s Max Warburton (Earl Dorado) and Lizzie Baugh and (Tysons Upto Trix) both completed on their dressage score of 32.5 to finish sixth and seventh respectively.

Barrington Candy Kid best British-ridden horse in six-year-old class

The six-year-old championship was a multinational affair with the top seven combinations all representing different nationalities.

Germany’s Ann-Catrin Bierlein and ACSI Daisy Dynamite kept a completely clean sheet to win, ahead of Switzerland’s Robin Godel and Kosmic D Elbe and Australia’s Kevin McNab and Monbeg Kobe.

Jack Pinkney was the highest-placed Brit, finishing fifth with Barrington Candy Kid, by Sligo Candy Boy.

“He’s a sharp type and mentally he’s just a little bit insecure, so this season has been about building his confidence and trying to get him to believe in himself,” said Jack of the smart gelding, who belongs to Margaret and Simon Hope.

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Max Warburton scored an extraordinary international treble at Bicton Horse Trials last week (21-25 October) – and finished second to himself in two of the three major classes, too.

“I’m not sure that’ll ever happen again in my career!” said Max, who kicked off a wet and windswept four days with a win in the Symonds & Sampson CCI3*-S with eight-year-old Norway Van De Haar, who belongs to Miranda Lucey, Sue Ruddock and Celia Gough.

The timetable for this class was shuffled around; the showjumping took place after the cross-country to allow the worst of Storm Austen to pass.

“The team at Bicton did an incredible job given the ghastly weather,” said Max. “The decent courses and tricky terrain mean that you can learn a lot about your horses – if they perform well here, it bodes very well for the future.”

That being the case, the future of this particular Warburton cohort certainly looks bright.

The elegant bay Norway Van De Haar kept a clean jumping sheet, adding just 4.4 time-penalties across country to his dressage score of 28.7.

“Norway had most of last season off with a minor injury, and has only had three outings this year, so it’s great to have him back on form,” said Max, who finished ahead of Ireland’s Patrick Whelan, whose two rides, Altitu and Coolaw Mr Duke, occupied the next two places.

Max Warburton’s grip on the Bicton proceedings continued in the Events Through a Lens CCI2*-L; Camilla Behrens’ exciting six-year-old Vinerado’s Affair won, ahead of Trevor Dickens’ seven-year-old mare, Graf Magic.

“Vinerado’s Affair is a beautiful horse who could have gone to Le Lion for the six-year-olds had I not already had two horses entered,” explained Max, who rounded off the weekend with a one-two in the Succeed Equine CCI2*-S with Trevor Dickens’ Jaguar Mail-sired seven-year-olds, Graf Design and Vanir Camiro, daughter of Badminton Horse Trials and Burghley Horse Trials winner Vanir Kamira.

“Graf Design was the surprise of the week as he only started eventing in the middle of the season and had only had five runs in his life,” continued Max. “He was very green to come here, but I was thrilled with how he stepped up.”

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Smile is infectious and The Whiffler always has a grin on his face.

“He has such joy in life,” says Antonia Camilleri, former treasurer of the HH. “He was absolutely the most exhilarating person I’ve ever been on. So much fun.”

Antonia knew him first as Pidge, a hireling with the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray, where she was trail-hunting at the time.

“The kids were getting older and I needed a horse, so I bought him. He was 500 quid and his saddle was £1,000. Best investment ever.”

Now in his late 20s, he was the first horse Antonia had that was properly her own, after a job and children. A “massive”, nearly 17hh thoroughbred by Saddlers’ Hall, he is “a complete powerhouse of a horse. He’s got General Ironside on his other side.”

A slight pigeon toe probably denied him a racing career and he ended up in Sussex with the Anstruthers in 2010 and a new name, Horncroft Beauty.

“I couldn’t call him Beauty, or Horny. He’s The Whiffler or Pidge,” said Antonia.

“Like sitting on an unexploded bomb”

The switch from knowing him as a hireling to having him at home was tricky at first.

“He was not easy,” she admits. “It was like sitting on a gelignite, an unexploded bomb. He’d go shooting across the field towards a jump sideways, like a crab. The first couple of years were terrifying.”

The Whiffler’s character won through: “He made me laugh! Now, I wouldn’t find it fun at all, but this was 20 years ago. I’d drop the kids at school and rush off.”

The horse had just as much fun: “If he heard doubling the horn, he’d freeze and blow up like a puffer fish. Then when he heard ‘gone away’, I just had to hold on!”

Athletic, like “quicksilver”, he was properly speedy: “I’ve never ridden a horse so fast in my entire life. His acceleration was incredible. He was so fast that my cheeks would sort of flap and I’d think, ‘Oh Christ, I’m going to die’.”

Remarkably, although “not a horse to queue”, he could be well mannered.

“He never went past the field master, he’d just get to the front. I hunted him in a snaffle.”

The best advice Antonia had was from dressage judge Tiffany Tasney, who said, “On a horse like that, if you can’t see your toes, you’re not doing it right.”

“A very nice person”

Pidge could fly-buck and was terrible to hack – “He’d wind himself up, hear a rustle in the bushes and be off. The emergency brake and whip-round was a specialty” – but on the ground he was a completely different horse.

“The kids could bring him in from the field. One classic day, my boys and Pidge were milling about in the yard and my youngest son came and said, ‘I’ve found a new place to store my cars, in Pidge’s tummy...’

Pidge was standing there, stock still, slightly braced. I had to explain to him that it was not a storage place... it’s called a sheath. We took out 11 cars!

Off the hunting field, The Whiffler’s zest for life took him to the beach, on sponsored rides and even, when a pony was lame, to Pony Club camp, “carting my son Charlie round and loving it.”

Antonia did a one-day event with him, “terrible dressage, clear showjumping, then I got overexcited coming up to the start gates and gave him a really big boot. He shot off like a scalded cat”. She wasn’t tempted to relive that particular adrenaline rush, but wishes team chasing had existed then as it does now.

Hounds were a great love, with puppies in the yard: “They’d spend hours rootling around. He liked to smell them, play with them. He likes small things, the cats, the children. Not a mean bone in his body.” He always “wanted to chat, a bit of a whiffle. He’s a very, very nice person”.

Now retired, he’s still interested in everything: “If something’s going on, he jumps the gate, or the electric fence or the wire. He potters with the hens and smells the flowers. He loves it all.” In the field, he’s the boss: “It’s great for fitness, he budges the other horses around.”

“I still can’t get over the fact that I’ve owned a quality horse like him.”

The Whiffler is not going anywhere and he’ll never stop loving life.

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European champion showjumper United Touch S is under top veterinary care as he has treatment for an infection.

Richard Vogel, who won individual European gold and team bronze last year for Germany with the superstar stallion, made an announcement on his condition yesterday (27 October).

“United is currently under veterinary care after developing an infection that requires ongoing treatment and close monitoring,” he said.

“He is receiving the very best care, and we are working closely with our veterinary team to support his recovery in every way possible.

“At this stage, it is too early to determine the timeline for his recovery. United’s health and wellbeing are, and will remain, our absolute priority.”

Richard and the Untouched stallion represented Germany at the 2024 Olympics, then went on to be double European medallists a year later. They were also on the German team that won world gold on home turf in Aachen this summer.

Now 14, Julius-Peter Sinnack’s star played no small part in Richard’s rise to the top of the Longines FEI world showjumping rankings for the first time in September. In their time together, United Touch S and Richard have won five-star grands prix across the world, including the Rolex grands prix in Aachen and at the Dutch Masters this year, World Cup legs and the Nations Cup and Longines League of Nations finals.

“We know how much United means to so many people around the world, and we are very grateful for the concern, support and understanding being shown for him,” Richard said.

“We will share a further update as soon as there is meaningful progress to report.”

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Horses will have to stretch on a long rein in trot in the grand prix test for the first time as part of a swathe of changes to international dressage tests.

The new FEI tests will come into effect on 1 January – during the World Cup season and the same day minimum eligibility requirements for the LA28 Olympics open.

The rejigged grand prix features a 20m trot stretch circle towards the latter stages of the test. Competitors have the right canter pirouette, followed by a transition to collected trot, then the stretch circle, before going into extended trot.

“The stretch will show, very quickly, which horses truly have their basics in place – and it makes the grand prix a more complete test of each combination,” said H&H dressage editor Oscar Williams.

“Giving it a coefficient of two gives it some weight; it will be quite expensive for a rider to simply throw the reins forward and accept their losses. If the basics aren’t there, expect to see curling necks or heads dropping suddenly rather than gradually.

“That said, I don’t think it will win or lose many grands prix. I’d have liked to see one of the piaffes lose its coefficient to shift more weight towards the stretch. Its position near the end of the test, when horses are more settled, also helps riders – it would have been interesting to see its impact in the opening movements.”

Oscar said that overall, this is “a positive step”, adding: “I hope this willingness to revise the tests continues, with more regular, ongoing updates to both the tests and the rules.”

H&H columnist and grand prix rider Anna Ross said it is a “horse-friendly” addition and that everyone should be able to ride a stretch circle – but having it between movements that require “bursts of power" means it should not be underestimated.

“It’s something we would all do probably at the end of a work session, so that in itself is not hugely revolutionary,” she told H&H.

“But what I think is really misunderstood is that to ride grand prix dressage, the most difficult thing is definitely not riding all the exercises. It's having the horse sharp enough to do the piaffe and passage, then to be totally relaxed in the walk, hot enough again to do the piaffe and passage, without blowing his mind when you go into canter.

“The really difficult bit isn't riding the movements, but having the horse on the aids enough that you can create those different states of mind in the horse. So what this really is, is another test of whether the horse is truly on the aids.”

She added: “I actually think it's quite difficult, not because a trot stretchy circle is difficult. But because it's another test of whether you can put your horse in total relaxation, then pick them up again and have them ready and waiting to do the next thing.


“It's a mental test, I would say, of understanding between the horse and the rider more than anything else.”

She said that it is positive in terms of training at home, as it will remind riders to give their horses breaks – and if they are not already doing so, they will practise it as they would any other movement in the test.

Monica Theodorescu, deputy chair of the FEI dressage committee, made a similar point at the Sports Forum in the spring, when H&H first reported that these changes were being discussed (news, 16 April).

“From the training side, if the movement is in the test, it will be practised, and if it’s practised, it’s for the wellbeing of the horses,” she said at the time.

The grand prix special has also been tweaked to include a give-and-retake exercise in canter. Stretching and give-and-retake exercises are also included at almost every level below grand prix, from children up to small tour.

• For more details on the changes to tests at all levels, visit: horseandhound.co.uk/equestrian-sports/dressage/new-grand-prix-test-2027

● What do you think? 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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German world and Olympic champion Michael Jung has taken over the ride on the promising 10-year-old Monbeg Cazador, who was produced to four-star by British rider Fiona Kashel.

“Michael saw me jumping him while he was working his horse at Blenheim last year and messaged me after the season and asked if I’d be interested in selling him,” Fiona told H&H.

“I was like, ‘Nope, I’m not selling him’ and he said he didn’t blame me, but if I ever changed my mind, to let him know. I probably had 10 calls for him at the end of last season, but I stuck to saying I wasn’t selling him.”

The grey, known as “Penguin”, finished fifth in the eight- and nine-year-old class at Agria Blenheim Horse Trials last year and this season has jumped seven double clears, including at four-star short at Aston-le-Walls and NAF Five Star Hartpury.

“He’s such a good horse and has jumped so many double clears the last however many seasons,” said Fiona. “I don’t have a lot of horsepower at the top-level – I only have one other advanced horse and this year I thought, he’s so valuable now, he could go and win the Los Angeles Olympics, so why don’t I give him the opportunity to do that?

“I’m never going to get on a British team, it’s too strong – I have a livery business to run, a family and I can’t fit everything in. I don’t have four or five horses at that level, so I’m not as good as I’d be if I had those horses, I’m not fast enough across country. I really want Penguin to go and show the world how good he is.

“I messaged Michael the day after the eventing World Championships and said if you want him, you can buy him.”

Michael flew over to try Monbeg Cazador soon after the worlds and he sailed through his vetting, but the negotiations took a little while.

“It was a win-win situation for me because I wasn’t fussed whether I sold him or not – either Michael would buy him and show the world what he’s like or I’d get to keep the ride,” said Fiona.

Her last run on him was at Boekelo earlier in October, where the pair added a frangible penalty and 0.4 of a time-fault across country to their dressage score, after which the deal was completed.

Penguin left Fiona’s Surrey yard on a “sad but exciting day” last Friday – after a nerve-racking two weeks.

“Michael had agreed to buy him and everyone said not to change his routine, but I had to be brave to keep leaving him out at night when he was sold – once he was sold, I just wanted him to be gone and be their responsibility! Luckily he came through unscathed,” said Fiona.

Monbeg Cazador: a lockdown project

Fiona bought Monbeg Cazador as a lockdown project in 2020.

She explained: “I’m good friends with Marti Rudd at Monbeg and in the first week of lockdown, in March 2020, I rang her and said, ‘This is going to be depressing if we can’t go out with the horses, I’m going to need a horse to cheer me up.’

“Tomas [Doyle, Marti’s husband] didn’t think he’d suit me but Marti thought I’d love him and they sent a video. He didn’t wow me particularly, but I thought I’d have him so they sent him over.”

Penguin was registered in the ownership of Fiona and her father, Frank Breach, who “has never paid a penny but decided to put his name on his passport as a young horse so he could get into events!”

Fiona has produced the horse slowly.

“I didn’t fall in love with him straight away – he is more go-ey than my typical type and I have taken him slowly. There are probably five or six runs a year where he’s had over 30 time-penalties. But he’s definitely a better horse for that and he’s very good in his brain,” she said.

“It’s taken a long time to get him to have the strength to hold himself on the flat and the last three or four months, I’ve felt a change in his strength and balance. Michael is going to do amazing tests next year, which is a bit frustrating as I could finally have really shown what he’s capable of!

“I genuinely think he’s world class. He moves like a dressage horse, goes across country like an event rider and showjumps like a showjumper.

“I think I’m going to be in trouble for selling him to a German rider! But I can’t wait to see him with Michael and hopefully he will show the world what he can do.”

Penguin’s new jockey Michael Jung is the greatest championship event rider of his generation – perhaps of all time. He has won 25 senior championship medals, including individual golds on four different horses.

Michael said: “With Penguin, I have the privilege of riding an incredibly talented horse, and I’m very excited to see what the future holds for us together. There is so much to look forward to, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve as a partnership.

“A huge thank you to Madeleine Brugman for giving me the opportunity to ride this special horse and for putting her trust in me and my team.

“Fiona Kashel has done a fantastic job producing Penguin and bringing him into the sport, and I’m excited to continue building on that foundation.

“For now, it’s all about getting to know each other better, building our partnership and looking forward to the season ahead.”

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Five-star rider Harry Meade and other top names are heading a new organisation that aims to “bring together international riders to help shape the future of eventing”.

The International Event Riders’ Club (IERC), an independent not-for-profit association, launched this month to give riders a “clear voice of the rules, governance and development” of the sport. The club is free to join and open to any FEI-registered rider competing in international eventing.

“The aim was to establish a club that listens to riders, represents them simply and effectively, helps steer the sport and, importantly, stands the test of time for future generations,” said Harry Meade, IERC president.

“We will continue to build a close and cooperative working relationship with the FEI to ensure that the collective voice of riders is suitably represented across the sport, now and into the future.”

One of the club’s early objectives is to finalise a memorandum of understanding with the FEI. This is required for the IERC to be invited to the General Assembly and sports forum, where rule change discussions and sport updates take place. Currently, eventing is the only Olympic discipline that does not have an FEI memorandum in place; showjumping has the International Jumping Riders Club and dressage is represented by the International Dressage Riders Club.

Harry is joined by IERC vice president and US five-star rider Lynn Symansky. The board is made up of experienced riders Sam Watson, Noor Slaoui, Julia Krajewski, Tim Price and under-25 representative Oliver Barrett. Also on the board is Bettina Hoy, in her place as FEI eventing committee athlete representative, and Frédérique Reffet Platier is secretary general.

An IERC spokesperson said the board will consider issues raised by members, develop collective positions and keep riders informed of relevant discussions and developments. Former event riders who have represented their country at championships or multi-sport games can also join as mentors.

“We are very pleased to have the athletes form an organisation where their collective voice can be shared with the FEI eventing committee,” said the committee’s chair David O’Connor.

“We look forward to having the IERC recognised by the FEI, through a memorandum of understanding, to be the avenue where ideas and communication can be fostered.”

Riders can join the IERC at www.ierclub.org

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An independent commission will undertake a comprehensive review of safety across eventing in Britain.

Former Defra secretary of state Dame Caroline Spelman will chair the eventing horse and rider safety commission, which has the overarching aim of examining what more can be done to reduce avoidable risk to horses and riders.

The commission has been established by British Eventing (BE), in collaboration with the British Eventing Support Trust, FEI and British Equestrian (BEF). It is expected to complete its work within six months and its findings and recommendations will be published.

“Following the publication of the Hartington Report in April 2000, the sport has been unstinting in the approach to safety through research, data, rules, course design, technology, training and safety interventions,” said a statement from BE, announcing the commission today (26 October).

“With over two decades of knowledge and insight collected, and in light of several recent serious incidents, the British Eventing board believes now is the right time for a broad, independent examination of safety and risk management across eventing.”

Dame Caroline said she is “pleased to have been asked to chair this important work”.

“My starting point will be to listen – to those who know and understand eventing, to those responsible for delivering the sport and, crucially, to the evidence,” she said.

“The purpose of an independent review is to be prepared to ask difficult questions and test existing assumptions, while also recognising the considerable work that has already been undertaken to improve safety.

“No outcome has been predetermined. We will look carefully at the data, research and experience available to us, both within eventing and beyond it, and consider where further practical and proportionate improvements may be possible. Our focus throughout will be on learning and identifying what more can be done to reduce avoidable risk to horses and riders.”

The commission will look at areas including safety data and trends, rules and competition structures, course design, construction and officiating, rider and horse preparation and training and accreditation. It will also look at medical, veterinary and emergency provision, safety culture, governance, technology and research.

The review will also benchmark eventing in Britain against the sport internationally, and against relevant learnings from other sports and sectors.

Riders, owners, coaches, organisers, officials, course-designers and builders, medical and veterinary professionals, researchers and other relevant stakeholders will be invited to share evidence.

BE chair Julia Mulligan said the board has instigated the review “as part of our responsibility for good governance and our duty to ensure that the sport continues to examine, challenge and improve our approach to safety”.

“It is deliberately independent of British Eventing’s operational activity, with a majority of independent members and Dame Caroline leading the work,” she said.

“This is bigger than any one organisation. Eventing is delivered by a wide community of people and organisations, and we want this review to draw on that collective knowledge while bringing in independent expertise and learning from outside the sport. The commission must be prepared to ask difficult questions, follow the evidence and identify where meaningful change can be made.”

The review will also seek input from the wider eventing and equestrian community, including the British Horse Society, British Riding Clubs, the Pony Club and providers of unaffiliated eventing.

Olympic eventing gold medallist David O’Connor, chair of the FEI eventing committee, said a “comprehensive, independent review of this kind is important for the worldwide sport”.

“By examining the evidence, drawing on expertise from other sports and listening to stakeholders at every level, the commission has the potential to generate learning that benefits horses and riders far beyond Britain,” he said.

“British Eventing deserves recognition for the courage it has shown in opening its practices to independent scrutiny and supporting a commission that is free to challenge assumptions and reach its own conclusions. That willingness to ask difficult questions is essential if we are to continue improving safety across the sport internationally.”

BEF chief executive Jim Eyre said the federation “fully supports this independent commission and the ambition to bring organisations, experts and participants together around this critical goal”.

“Making eventing safer is a shared purpose, and the strongest progress will come from stakeholders working together across the whole sport,” he said.

“Our role is to support an open and thorough review, respecting the commission’s independence and freedom to reach its own conclusions. By sharing evidence, listening to experiences from across the sport and evaluating current practice, recommendations will come that benefit horses and riders at every level for the generations to come.”

The panel comprises:

• Dame Caroline Spelman (chair)

Commission members

• Mike Etherington-Smith
• Yogi Breisner
• Andrew Heffernan
• Martyn Johnson
• Dan Carter (Motorsport UK)
• Roly Owers (World Horse Welfare)
• Heather Cameron-Whytock (academic)
• Ed Glasgow (risk and governance)

Technical support

• Adrian Ditcham
• Sam Watson
• Ian Stark

Stakeholder group chairs

• Professional riders: Harry Meade
• Organisers: Alec Lochore
• Course-designers: Stuart Buntine
• Coaches: Capt Mark Phillips
• Controllers: Richard Clapham
• Technical delegates and advisors: Philip Surl
• Stewards: Nicky Salmon
• Amateur riders and members: Lottie Bullick

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A horse walks into a bar… or at least a restaurant.

It is not known whether anyone asked “Why the long face?” as an equine customer strolled into the five-star hotel La Butte aux Bois, in Lanaken, Belgium, on Saturday (24 October).

Thibeau Reynders, who works for the company that owns the hotel, was on site when the extra guest walked in.

“At approximately 1.50 pm, a horse unexpectedly entered the hotel through the main reception area, walked down the hallway and made its way directly into the hotel’s restaurant, Bistrot Le Ciel,” he told H&H.

“Surprised guests quickly moved aside to make room for the unexpected visitor. One of the restaurant guests, who was accompanied by a dog, remained calm and managed to lure the horse back outside using a dog treat.

“By that time, the horse’s owner had arrived and safely escorted the animal back to its stable at the nearby Zangersheide stud farm. It remains unclear how the horse managed to escape from its stable.”

The visit was caught on camera and video by guests and the hotel’s CCTV. The horse did not appear scared or anxious as it made its way in through automatic doors and wandered around the restaurant.

A spokesperson for the Zangersheide stud told H&H: “We can confirm that the horse is doing well and was quickly and safely returned to its stable.”

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Better access to food, water and vet care, and improved owner training, are the aims of a new five-year equine welfare initiative launched by the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT), the Egyptian equestrian federation (EEF) and others.

H&H reported last week that the federation, working with national authorities, was making efforts to improve the welfare of working horses and other animals in the Pyramids area as the LGCT ran in Cairo for the first time this month.

Today (26 October) those behind the new initiative announced the new programme, which also involves the Egyptian government and welfare charity Brooke, with independent oversight.

“Building on existing measures brought in by the EEF and its partners including registration, microchipping, vaccinations and veterinary examinations, the programme will focus on sustained improvements in animal health, care and working conditions,” a spokesperson for the programme said.

“It will initially focus on approximately 700 horses, with a second phase intended to extend support to approximately 2,000. A detailed roadmap is being developed, with priorities including: improving access to feed, water, veterinary treatment and essential medication, delivering education and training for horse owners and those responsible for the daily care of working animals, establishing ongoing welfare monitoring and clear expectations for responsible horse ownership and developing a dedicated funding mechanism to support long-term improvements, with contributions from participating organisations and opportunities for riders, owners, sponsors and members of the public to contribute.”

The independent representative is Jenny Ellis, European representative of the International Grooms Association, who has experience of equine welfare work in Cairo and will “help ensure that the initiative remains focused on practical improvements and measurable outcomes”.

LGCT founder and president Jan Tops said: “Bringing international showjumping to Cairo provides an opportunity to make a positive contribution beyond the competition itself.

“Horse welfare is fundamental to our sport, and we are committed to supporting the Egyptian equestrian federation and its partners in developing a sustainable programme that improves the lives of working horses in the area. We know that lasting change takes time, and we want to play a constructive role in that process.”

Pyramids working horse welfare: steps already taken

As a first step, unused feed from LGCT’s partner Red Mills, and surplus hay from the Cairo event, has been made available to the working horses through the EEF. Grooms at the LGCT have also offered unused equipment and vet supplies.

EEF president Ismail Shaker said this initiative is an important step in ongoing efforts to improve the welfare of working horses in Giza.

“By bringing together the relevant authorities, veterinary professionals, welfare organisations and the international equestrian community, we have a great opportunity to build on the progress already made and establish a coordinated, long-term approach that delivers meaningful improvements for these animals,” he said.

Ms Ellis pointed out that meaningful improvements in horse welfare need more than short-term interventions.

“They rely on consistent care, education, accountability and a clear understanding of the challenges facing working horses and their owners,” she said.

“As someone who has worked extensively on equine welfare issues in Cairo, I welcome the opportunity to contribute to a programme that brings together the relevant expertise and resources, with a focus on delivering practical, measurable improvements over time.”

The EEF and LGCT have pledged to contribute financially to the initiative, and a dedicated donation mechanism is planned to allow the equestrian community and public to support the plan.

More details of governance, funding arrangements and implementation will be announced as they are finalised.

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Bubby Upton scored the best five-star result of her career so far to finish second in the final Pau results aboard Its Cooley Time (Finn).

The double Bramham winners couldn’t quite catch Tim Price, who successfully defended his title with a two-penalty margin with the still-improving Jarillo, but it was an impressive result in every phase at a tough competition.

“Finn’s performance all week has been flawless,” said Bubby of the 11-year-old. “The future is incredibly bright with a horse like this in my string. I feel like we’re just scratching the surface of what we’re now capable of.”

Lying eighth after dressage after a slightly feisty test by the pair’s high standards, Bubby moved up to overnight second after a dramatic cross-country day with the second-fastest round.

With the pressure on as they could not afford a rail to maintain second place, Bubby nailed a superb clear in the showjumping arena, with the grey jumping out of his skin to seal the runner-up prize.

“He is a freak of nature,” said Bubby of the Quality Time TN gelding, who is owned by Susan de Zuleta, Jane Dear, Susie Holland-Bosworth, the Duchess of Norfolk, Hilary Russell and herself.

“He’s an incredible dressage horse, then goes cross-country as low and economical as you like, then comes out on the final day and jumps like a showjumper. He’s an absolute dream for a rider.”

Its Cooley Time came into Pau with an excellent showjumping record – on a streak of 10 international clear rounds. Bubby dismissed the pressure of riding a horse of his ability.

“I’d much prefer to be on a jumper like that with a clear-round streak than one that you have to work every single stride for and still might have an unlucky tap,” she said. “When you’re sat on a jumper like him, it’s on you to deliver.”

Looking at Bubby’s career so far, at the age of 26 she’s already achieved far more than many event riders will ever do. However, leaving her career-threatening injury in 2023 aside, it’s been far from an easy ride even in the past 12 months.

Last year, Bubby came here with great chances on three horses – two had falls, and the third was withdrawn from the holding box. What a difference 12 months can make.

Back with a vengeance with her two fallers of 2025, Its Cooley Time and Cola – who finished 15th – she has fully laid last year’s ghosts to rest this time.

British results in the top 10 at Pau

Britain fielded 22 entrants, and 13 completed, including three more in the top 10 besides Bubby. All three horses were debutants at the level.

Tom McEwen’s ride Quintus cemented his status as a star of his generation. The nine-year-old was one of three of his age making their five-star debut at Pau and stepped up to the big-time in heroic fashion to finish fifth, only 5.7pen adrift of the winner.

“He’s an utter legend – he was awesome,” said Tom, who added just eight time-faults cross-country to his fourth-placed dressage score. “What a great result for his first five-star. He is a proper horse and I am fantastically happy with him.”

Another freshly minted five-star horse is Lizzie Baugh’s 11-year-old Piltown Concorde, owned by Camilla Behrens. Their showjumping clear moved them up a couple of places from cross-country to sixth overall – and a massive gain from 38th after dressage.

“I knew he was very capable but he’s been absolutely brilliant,” said Lizzie, for whom this was a first five-star completion. “He’s been consistent at four-star longs, but unlucky to have a pole on the final day. So to finish with a clear round, jumping incredibly well, is just brilliant.”

Willa Newton showed she’s back in the big time, also posting a a double clear, to finish ninth on Hartacker. They added just 11.2 cross-country time-faults to their 20th-placed dressage score.

“He’s had a few setbacks along the way so even to get him here felt like a huge achievement,” said Willa, for whom this was a first five-star since 2017. “He was just phenomenal. He sees the flags and just does everything he can to get between them.”

Pau top 10 final results

1. Tim Price/Jarillo (NZL) 30.9
2. Bubby Upton/Its Cooley Time (GBR) 32.9
3. Jonelle Price/Senor Crocodillo (NZL) 34.6
4. Tim Price/Happy Boy (NZL) 35.9
5. Tom McEwen/Quintus (GBR) 36.6
6. Lizzie Baugh/Piltown Concorde (GBR) 43.8
7. Willa Newton/Hartacker (GBR) 44.6
8. Jonelle Price/Grappa Nera (NZL) 46.4
9. Jonelle Price/Capitaine De Hus (NZL) 50.5
10. Sofia Sjöborg/Bryjamolga VH Marienshof Z (SWE) 50.9

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The rider and trainer of a horse who collapsed and later died at an endurance competition have been fined and suspended by the FEI Tribunal.

The horse, Derrom Texas trained by Sultan Albalawi, was found to have drugs in his system, which vets involved in treating him denied giving to the horse.

The 13-year-old gelding, ridden by Omar Alblawy, was 500m from the finish line at the CEI2* 120 endurance event at Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, when he collapsed on 7 February. Two official FEI vets attended the horse and he was treated on-site for more than two hours with intensive fluid therapy, sedation and steroid therapy.

“As the horse remained unable to stand, general anaesthesia was induced to allow safe transport by veterinary ambulance to the isolation stables, where treatment continued,” stated the FEI Tribunal report.

The blood sample taken on that day was collected before the induction of general anaesthesia for transport.

The Tribunal document added that the vets treating the horse gave him a number of drugs on the racecourse, but "expressly" confirmed that they did not give him phenylbutazone (bute), its metabolite oxyphenbutazone or butorphanol, a drug used to relieve pain and in anaesthetic premedication. These three drugs are controlled medications; they are used in veterinary medicine, but cannot be present during competition.

Derrom Texas died at the venue in the early hours of the following morning.

Both rider and trainer denied giving the horse the drugs.

During the investigation that followed, the trainer requested that the charges be “immediately dropped”. Among his claims were that the substances found in the horse “were either a direct consequence of the emergency treatment or the result of cross-reactions and metabolites arising from it” and that issues with the horse’s treatment, not any conduct of his, was the primary cause of the horse’s death.

The rider reiterated that he had not administered the substances at issue and that the horse was under exclusive control of the vets after he collapsed. He asked for complete disclosure of veterinary logs and questioned the decision for the horse to be transferred to an isolation stable, rather than the venue’s veterinary hospital.

In response, the FEI stated that “there is no plausible reason for the veterinarians to have omitted or misrepresented the treatment given”.

The Tribunal added that there was a lack of evidence for the rider and trainer’s claims, and that neither had established on the balance of probabilities how the drugs came to be in the horse’s system.

The rider and trainer were both suspended for six months, backdated to 13 April. They were each fined CHF 3,500 (£3,176) and ordered to each pay CHF 2,000 (£1,815) towards the FEI’s legal costs.

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Tim Price and Jarillo emerged the back-to-back winners of Pau Horse Trials 2026, with fabulous performances in all three phases. Bubby Upton finished runner-up with Its Cooley Time, ahead of Jonelle Price on Senor Crocodillo.

Second after dressage, the defending champions moved up to the overnight lead with a fast cross-country clear. Jarillo rattled a pole in the final phase, but the rail landed back in its cups for an outstanding double win.

“I’ve never won two five-stars on any horse,” said Tim, for whom this was a seventh victory at the highest level. “It’s not easy to win any of these events and Pau is a tricky place.

“It took some winning – to hold everyone off because there were so many people in the mix at the end. I’m not getting any younger – who knows how long I’ll carry on doing it – and it’s just a treasure.

“Jarillo is such a class horse; he’s been feeling a million dollars and he makes my job easy to pilot him around.”

Jarillo – who is owned by Lucy Allison, Frances Stead and James and Rachel Good – came into Pau with an outstanding showjumping record, especially on the last day. He had a clean sheet in all his seven international long-format runs.

But two down at Luhmühlen CCI4*-S earlier this season ensured this would be a nailbiter right to the very end.

Pau winner: the final phase

Unlike last year, when the top 10 were covered by one rail and the placings were constantly shifting, this year the overnight top five all showjumped clear to maintain their placings under thick drizzle.

One rail would drop Tim out of the top three. First his wife Jonelle secured a Price podium finish from third with the Giannamores’ Crocodillo, before Bubby heaped even more pressure on Tim with another smashing clear with her “freak of nature” Its Cooley Time. Their runner-up position is the best of Bubby’s five-star career so far.

“I tried to muck Jarillo up today but he wasn’t have a bar of it,” laughed Tim, referring to a slightly off distance to an oxer, which he rubbed.

“Sometimes he runs away from certain things and I have to hold his hand, but he looked after me today. He looked at the screen and I didn’t help him as much as I should, but he tried so hard.

“I had faith in him. I was a bit tight and I know I ride better when I’m relaxed – although I look relaxed, I’m pedalling underneath.”

The Price monopoly

It was a sublime performance from the winner, but the entire Price team had a weekend to remember.

The team’s Herculean efforts in bringing six horses to Pau reaped dividends. The organiser Pascal Sayous joked that he’d “never paid out such a big cheque” to one family.

Heading in the showjumping phase, the Prices had four in the top six after superb cross-country performances: the leader Jarillo; third, Senor Crocodillo; fourth, Happy Boy; and sixth, Grappa Nera, who had shot up thanks to her pathfinding fast clear from 40th.

As well as Crocodillo’s third, Jonelle also wound up eighth with Grappa Nera and ninth with Capitaine De Hus, who lowered a rail apiece. Three top-10 placings is a result to savour.

“Crocodillo comes into this phase with a really good record on the last day,” said Jonelle of the grey who wears a hood to showjump. “In some ways that makes it harder because it’s getting to the point where he’s jumped so many clear rounds that you almost feel more pressure.

“But as soon as I jumped a couple of fences, I thought ‘he’s on’ – he’s just so reliable and a pleasure to ride today.”

Tim also logged a clear with Susan Lamb, Therese Miller and his own Happy Boy – jumping out of order – to secure fourth place and a settling of the nerves before his final round.

“When Happy Boy’s cool, he’s really cool,” said Tim. “Maybe he likes autumn too. Whatever it is, he’s a really fun horse and he’s been exceptionally good this week.”

Read the full story on Bubby Upton and other Brits.

Pau winner and top 10

1. Tim Price/Jarillo (NZL) 30.9
2. Bubby Upton/Its Cooley Time (GBR) 32.9
3. Jonelle Price/Senor Crocodillo (NZL) 34.6
4. Tim Price/Happy Boy (NZL) 35.9
5. Tom McEwen/Quintus (GBR) 36.6
6. Lizzie Baugh/Piltown Concorde (GBR) 43.8
7. Willa Newton/Hartacker (GBR) 44.6
8. Jonelle Price/Grappa Nera (NZL) 46.4
9. Jonelle Price/Capitaine De Hus (NZL) 50.5
10. Sofia Sjöborg/Bryjamolga VH Marienshof Z (SWE) 50.9

• To stay up to date with the latest news and reports throughout Pau, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Izzy Taylor was the highest placed rider to drop out of contention on Sunday morning at the Pau final trot-up. She withdrew Jane Timmis’ five-star debutant SBH Big Wall from overnight sixth.

The pair had produced a lovely round over Pierre Michelet’s influential track on Saturday, clocking 9.6 time-faults to move up from ninth.

Izzy also did not present her mare PSH Encore, who was lying 21st.

“PSH Encore has an overreach that she’s sore on, and SBH Big Wall has a suspected strain, so we called it a day for both of them,” Izzy posted.

“It’s a huge disappointment, and my heart really goes out to my wonderful owners. They put so much time, trust, support and emotion into this journey. It’s never easy when things don’t go to plan, especially when you know how much everyone has invested, both practically and emotionally.

“But horses will always come first, and the priority now is making sure both of these lovely horses are happy, comfortable and given the time they need. As disappointing as today is, their wellbeing will always be more important than any result.”

Updates on British horses withdrawn from Pau

Two other British horses, Stephen Heal’s Hisco, and Heidi Coy’s MGH Jessica were also withdrawn before the Pau final trot-up.

Five-star newcomer Hisco, owned by The Knight Syndicate, was in 18th after logging a clear cross-country round. He has a swollen front fetlock.

“So gutted that Hisco doesn’t get to complete his first 5* after the amazing job he did yesterday!” Stephen posted. “He will be fine just sadly not for today and after what he did for us yesterday it wouldn’t be fair to try! His wellbeing has to come first like all the horses! He’s super happy and confused why he’s not being plaited to trot up but I’m excited after yesterday for what he’ll hopefully do in the future.”

Heidi also gave an update: “[MGH Jessica] unfortunately punctured her elbow, we think from a stud, and it’s sore this morning so we decided to save her for another day as she is so precious to us all,” posted Heidi, who had a couple of run-outs on cross-country.

“The exciting thing to take away is there is definitely another five-star run in the future.”

This left 29 to present before the ground jury (James Rooney, Judy Hancock and Laure Eslan) for the final trot-up.

First on to the runway, Moroccan rider Noor Slaoui’s horse Cash In Hand was sent to the hold box, but passed on reinspection.

All horses were accepted – including the full complement of six horses from Team Price.

This leaves Tim Price and Jarillo holding his lead of two penalties over Bubby Upton (Its Cooley Time) ahead of showjumping. Jonelle Price sits in third with Senor Crocodillo, with less than a rail covering the podium.

Tim and Jonelle Price each have two horses in the top six for the final phase, which starts at 2.30pm (1.30pm British time).

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The Pau cross-country was extremely influential, with just 18 clears from 49 runners, a 37% clear rate. However, 67% of the field did complete.

There were no clears inside the time, with Tim Price coming closest on the second of his three rides, Happy Boy. They clocked 3.2 time-faults to climb up from 16th after dressage to fourth. Tim also leads overnight on Jarillo.

Emily King and Valmy Biats were the most high-profile pair to fall out of contention on the Pau cross-country. The clubhouse leaders after dressage on a score of 24.5, they looked to be cruising on their minute markers when the 17-year-old gelding ran out at the skinny after the “Oops” drop at fence 24b.

Emily put her hand up to retire.

Two well-placed horses slid on the slope down from this drop and fell – which provoked the leader Tim Price to change his plan to a more direct line at this combination.

The Maryland winners Felix Vogg and Cartania saw their chance of a second five-star victory slip away quite literally with a fall here when they were going brilliantly from 12th spot. They were up on their time, and a clear would have secured the lead on 30.4.

The chances of his fellow Swiss Mélody Johner and Erin – who had been lying seventh – evaporated when the grey stopped at the bank. However, when he did jump down on second attempt, he slipped and also fell.

Update on horse falls at Pau

Yasmin Ingham was another in winning contention from joint-fifth after dressage on 28.9, aboard five-star first-timer Gypsie Du Loir. The pair were storming round beautifully, when they slipped before the left-handed corner at fence 28bc. Gypsie valiantly attempted to jump the fence, but the pair both fell on the landing side. Both looked a little sore, but were able to walk away.

Yasmin later posted: “We were up on all our minute markers heading into our 10th minute and unfortunately came unstuck at the penultimate combination. She was travelling with significant momentum accumulated around the course and got quite long on landing after the A element and I just didn’t have the adjustability I needed coming into the B element at the corner, resulting in quite a heavy fall for us both. I am SO thankful we are both OK and were very very lucky this time, both walking away only sore and bruised. That’s all that matters at the end of the day.

“I 100% believe Gigi will have her big day and this is only the beginnning of her journey at five-star level. She is some weapon – her acceleration and speed is lightning fast.”

There were five horse falls in total, although two came on the flat.

Sarah Ennis produced a personal best dressage score at this level of 29.5 aboard the bold-jumping Dourough Ferro Class Act (Larry). But they fell early on course at a straightforward stone wall, festooned in Halloween paraphernalia.

“Larry and I are absolutely fine after our fall, apart from a very few minor bruises,” Sarah told H&H. “We’re just very disappointed not to have been able to finish, but thankfully no serious harm done and we live to fight another day.”

Caroline Powell’s frustrating season at five-star was compounded when High Time fell at a steeplechase fence (14) out on the racecourse section of the course. Both horse and rider were quickly up on their feet, with High Time seemingly keen to sample the racetrack before being caught.

“All safe and sound,” she told H&H. “On the way home with a sound horse which is the main thing.”

‘The main thing is the horse is OK’: Tom Jackson updates after fall

Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B, who came from 31st after dressage to finish runners-up at Pau last year, were in closer order after the first phase in 17th. Alas, for Tom it proved academic as he fell off when the gelding jinked at the second angled brush at fence eight – which Tom had earlier predicted “will catch a few out”.

“Plot Twist B started amazingly and felt great,” he posted. “Unfortunately a miscommunication at angled brushes resulted in a fall. As we all know that’s the sport sometimes, the main thing [is] Blue is all OK and will now enjoy a well deserved holiday.”

Joseph Murphy’s ride Calmaro was one of several horses to slip up on the flat. The grey lost his hind end rounding the turn before fence 10, tipping his rider out of the plate, although he just managed to stay on his feet. Although the ground was generally appreciated by riders, a day of heavy showers and overnight rain meant the top was a little slippery in some places.

“A frustrating end of the season, but thankfully Calmaro and I are both absolutely fine after a slip on the flat today,” Joseph posted, “Not the end to the season we were hoping for, but the most important thing is that ‘Mario’ is sound, well, and happily tucked up in his stable, ready to go again.”

Moroccan rider Noor Slaoui did complete the course on Cash In Hand, but with a run-out at the second water (11b) and a broken device at the fourth water (25b).

“It cost me a couple of teeth,” she posted – after the grey’s neck hit her mouth.

“I wish I could rewind and ride a bit differently to secure the clear round he so deserved, but it’s all part of the learning process and I am grateful to come home with a happy horse, feeling amazing and full of running.”

Frangible fences come into play

Frangible devices were broken eight times, including six at the fourth water – both at the corner in the water (25b) and the narrow corner out (25c).

These included Bubby Upton’s first ride Cola, whose lovely round was blotted by 11 penalties at 25b.

“The pin is frustrating because I felt like we nothing wrong,” she said. “We were on a perfect stride, and it’s one of those things. We love them [the devices] sometimes but hate them at other times. But the rest of his round, I can’t fault him.

“He lost the right front shoe pretty early on, so he was just questioning me a little bit on take-offs which he never normally does,” she explained. “He had to dig even deeper than he usually does and that really slowed our round. I have no words for how extraordinary he is. He has no reason to get himself out of those situations apart from his love for me.”

Bubby is lying second overnight on her second ride, Its Cooley Time.

Sam Ecroyd was another ruing an extra 11 penalties. His clear round on Mister Big Ears was one of the fastest of the day for 5.2 time-faults, but the horse left his hindlegs on the white gate at 13, which caused no other problems.

“He’s an unbelievable horse and was cruising,” said Sam. “I made a stupid mistake. It was an upright gate on top of a mound, which you need a bit of balance for. I thought I’d seen a nice, controlled, waiting stride, but he had a little spook at the road crossing and I made the wrong decision at that moment.

“I should have just waited and chipped, but I pressed on to try to catch the distance back and he jumped it good in front, then saw the drop and took his back legs through it. After that I took my foot off the gas.”

They lie in 14th ahead on 50.3 of showjumping, but could have been sitting in seventh.

Tough day for home nation

It was a particularly tough day for the French. Their star rider Sébastien Cavaillon was riding two half-brothers, debutant Hashtag and Elipso De La Vigne. Hashtag completed but with a stop and a broken device, while he fell from third-placed Elipso at the swans in the main arena and had to limp out in front of a capacity home crowd. However, his bid for glory had already disappeared with a couple of run-outs.

France’s best-placed rider at the end of cross-country ended up being Bastien Commecy, 20th. He runs a livery yard in northern France and was making his five-star debut with Crack Du Noyer.

Sadly, Luc Château’s ride Ego Des Cabanes was put down after hitting the triple brush fence at 9b, which caused nine refusals.

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Showjumping superstar Neil 55 is a small but mighty, rosette-winning force of nature. With talented sisters Izabella and Sophia Rogers, 148cm pony Neil has developed an endearing partnership, winning a host of top-flight grands prix, national titles and medals galore, including both team and individual gold at the 2026 pony European Showjumping Championships.

The 14-year-old son of Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve was bred in Great Britain out of Charlotte Platt’s top showjumping mare Paulien II (Koriander) and has been an out-and-out character since the day he was born.

So how did he develop into one of the world’s best showjumping ponies?

Neil 55, the early days

Neil 55’s success is all in the genes according to his breeder Charlotte Platt.

“We were hoping to breed a special horse, but ended up with a special pony, so that was fine!” she says. “Neil is out of my Nations Cup mare, Paulien, and they are so similar – awesome, but a bit of an idiot, in a lovely way! They just do these random acts of explosiveness and you think, ‘Where did that come from?’ But they have the biggest hearts.

“Neil was always tiny – hence the name, because we had to kneel down to do everything with him,” she explains. “From the moment he was born, he acted more like a dog – he was just the cutest, tamest foal. We always knew he was going to be something special.

“At one point, we had to give all the horses in the field antibiotics and he would come up to us with his mouth open – he’s such a character.

“Loose jumping, he was so elastic, then we took him to a few training shows and shared a video of him jumping a discovery on Facebook and he was sold to Nicola Rogers from there. He couldn’t have ended up in a better home – the way they manage him really works. I love watching him and feel very proud.”

From wild beginnings…

Owner Nicola Rogers bought a five-year-old Neil 55 for her daughters but he was ridden and produced by young rider Courtney Young through his early showjumping days before her older daughter Izabella, then younger daughter Sophia subsequently took the reins.

“What can I say about Neil other than he’s just incredible?” says Nicola.

“When we first tried him, Neil danced and leapt everywhere – it was a show and a half! I could see that he was talented, but he was so sharp, and I looked at Izabella and thought she’s not even 10 years old yet, riding Whinney Lass who is as quiet as a mouse. So I couldn’t see the two connecting. But Courtney absolutely sung Neil’s praises. They only jumped a metre but she said she’d never felt anything like it.”

Courtney ended up riding Neil 55 until just before everything ground to a halt during the Covid pandemic in 2020.

“During lockdown, Izabella fell off Neil, suffered a spiral fracture of the tibia and was off for nearly a year,” recalls Nicola. “But the moment she could stand again, she wanted to get back in the saddle and at dinner one night, she announced that she wanted to qualify Neil for HOYS. Within five weeks, she plucked up enough courage to come off the lunge, qualified for HOYS and Hickstead, and she won both finals – the pony Foxhunter final and JC championship.

“Sophia was always more of a quieter rider so she wasn’t desperate to get on Neil, but gelled with him very quickly and they’ve been incredible together. He’s given us so much pleasure, from being naughty to winning, he’s a real character. If he had the opportunity to come to our house and sit in our room with us, he would – that is where he wants to be.”

“It’s Neil’s world that we all live in!”

Izabella’s younger sister Sophia took over on Neil 55 at the start of 2024.

“It’s Neil’s world that we all live in!” she says. “At first, I felt nervous jumping big classes on him, but Neil really helped me in those early days. We ended up winning the grand prix at our first POYS and everything progressed from there.

“I’ve ridden him for three years now and I trust him completely in the ring. The feeling he gives you over fences is unbelievable. I always pat him when we go in the ring, to say, ‘All right Neil, we’ve got this,’ but it feels like I’m patting my nerves away too.

“He can be a bit of a jerk at home, though! He’ll spook at fillers he’s jumped 50 times and he’ll buck and play. I find it funny now and you just have to go with it, that’s his character. I fall off him quite a lot though! He also prances along and he struts – he has such a funky walk.

“But in the stable, he’s a dope on a rope. He’s stabled in the centre of our barn so he can watch everything – if he were a person, he’d be twitching the curtains.

“In his correct environment he’s proud and confident, but take him out of that he shrinks and worries. He can’t travel by himself and at shows he can’t have the stable door shut, so we use a drape and he’s happy. He’s also horse shy, so in the warm-up, I have to time our jumps carefully so there aren’t ponies near when we land, otherwise he scoots off.

“This year was more nerve racking because it was my last year on ponies, so to win our third team gold and individual gold at the Europeans was amazing," says Sophia. “Mum and I were bawling our eyes out thinking we’d won an individual silver medal, so when it became a gold we cried even more. They were happy tears though! It felt like recognition for everything Neil’s done with my sister and I. To walk into the room and see all my medals does make me think ‘Wow’.

“Everyone wants to buy the world’s best pony, but we’ve made a family decision that he’s staying with us. We’ve learnt just to go with him and we can read him like a book now – you can’t change him, that’s just Neil and we love him for it.”

Neil 55’s best results:

• 2018: won silver league 148cm & under final national championships.
• 2021: won winter JC/JD final Royal International Horse Show, pony Foxhunter Masters national championships, pony Foxhunter championship HOYS.
• 2023: won CSIP Opglabbeek grand prix, team bronze pony European Championships.
• 2024: won POYS 148cm grand prix, team gold pony European Championships.
• 2025: won POYS 148cm grand prix, team gold pony European Championships, leading pony showjumper of the year HOYS, 148cm mini stakes London International Horse Show.
• 2026: won CSIOP Compiègne grand prix, CSIOP Zuidwolde Nations Cup, team and individual gold pony European Championships.

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“This year was what we call redemption,” said Bubby Upton at Pau after her fast cross-country clear on Its Cooley Time over a troublesome track moved her up to second place overnight behind Tim Price and Jarillo.

In 2025, the grey was vying for a win at Pau when Bubby fell off just a few fences from home – blaming herself for denying the horse a five-star victory on his debut. This year, she completed a scintillating display – with one superb save from a dunking in the influential first water – to post the second-fastest time of the day with 3.6 time-faults.

“The first water didn’t go to plan,” Bubby said. “I don’t know what happened, if he put back on the first triple brush but that’s cross-country. I saw the water and thought ‘nuh-uh, not again’. Last year we were foot perfect and I ended up on the floor.

“In that split second, I thought ‘I’ve still got four strides to get to that next fence, we're jumping it’. I wasn't even in the saddle, I had no stirrup, but he was still looking at the flags because I definitely wasn’t. I was just seeing water, then managed to get back in the saddle, one stride and bang there was the second triple brush. He was extraordinary in that moment.

“I’ve had him since he was five and it just shows the relationship we have, the love and time we put into him, he repays us in situations like that.”

Bubby added: “What a horse, what a fighter – he’s class through and through. In my eyes I prevented him from winning a five-star on his debut, a tough pill to swallow. But we’ve come back with a vengeance. That round was unbelievable.”

Bubby explained that she has to ride Its Cooley Time – owned by Susan de Zuleta, Jane Dear, Susie Holland-Bosworth, the Duchess of Norfolk, Hilary Russell and herself – “completely different to all my other horses”. She’s gone back to the drawing board after the pair had three international falls in a row – with help from Andrew Nicholson and Chris Bartle – to find the key to this “most talented horse I’ve ever ridden”.

“I’m a positive attacking rider and because he's a brave as a lion, nothing fazes him, that doesn't work – I have to be very precise and take no fence for granted,” says Bubby, who’s also lying 17th on Cola. “I’m used to plugging along every stride, whereas Its Cooley Time is like a rocket ship.”

Bubby climbed from eighth after dressage to within just two penalties of Tim, with Jonelle less than two penalties behind in third on Senor Crocodillo, meaning one showjumping rail covers the top three.

Five British riders in top 10 after Pau cross-country

Bubby Upton was best of the Brits over the Pau cross-country, but there were plenty of impressive performances.

Tom McEwen enjoyed a fabulous round with the nine-year-old Quintus, who made light of Pierre Michelet’s tricky track to take fifth spot overnight, dropping one place from dressage. Tom described this five-star debutant as an “utter legend” after he found a fifth leg a few fences from home.

“I decided to take four strides down to the corner [at fence 28bc], thought I was perfect but he caught a leg,” he said. “To be honest, I was sideways and thought ‘I really hope he puts a leg down’ and the foot did come down and I thought, ‘unfortunately Quintus, there’s one more element to go’, and he picked right up on a tight distance. What a horse, an utter legend.”

They were rapid, too, adding just eight time-faults, which was among the six fastest of the day.

“It’s not easy here, we’re used to our British distances whereas here they’re really open so you’ve got to ride with your brain,” he said. “Quintus is a big horse with a big stride, he was awesome.

“He feels slow on top, but unbelievably easy as his stride eats up the ground,” Tom added. “He’s a proper horse but we’ve got many more good days to come.”

Izzy Taylor’s debutant climbs the ranks

Izzy Taylor brought three horses to Pau, and it was five-star first-timer SBH Big Wall who fared best of the trio. He clocked 9.6 time-faults with a clear round to move up from ninth after dressage to sixth.

“It felt like a five-star, it wasn’t pretty, was hard work, but he was superb,” she said. “There are a lot of questions out there. Our horses aren’t trained the French way, and the French courses are mentally difficult for them and us riders. It’s very different to a Badminton or Burghley. It’s very reactive cross-country and you have to be on your A-game.”

“SBH Big Wall and I have our own way of doing things, we add strides. In time when we build confidence in each other, we’ll take strides out, but you ride what you’re sat on at the moment. He is a very quick horse and a cool dude.”

Izzy had to rebuild after retiring at fence nine – where Bubby had her brilliant save – after two refusals with Barrington Alice.

“Alice was green – she landed flat after the broken bridge [fence 4], which gave her a shock,” she said. “But I said to myself, ‘don’t you dare sulk in the truck, give yourself a shake, you’ve got some really good horses, that was just a mistake’. So a bit of tough talk!”

The two other Brits in the top 10 were Lizzie Baugh on Piltown Concorde, who made a dazzling rise from 38th to eighth overnight; and Willa Newton, lying 10th on Camilla Behrens’ Hartacker. Both horses are making their five-star debuts.

“He gave me a great ride,” Lizzie said of her own and Janette Shipley’s 10-year-old. “He helped me out in places where I needed it and I’d like to think I helped him out a when was a little bit green. He was gritty and stuck with it and stayed with me.”

Four rails cover the top 10.

Pau cross-country top 10

1. Tim Price/Jarillo (NZL) 30.9
2. Bubby Upton/Its Cooley Time (GBR) 32.9
3. Jonelle Price/Senor Crocodillo (NZL) 34.6
4. Tim Price/Happy Boy 35.9
5. Tom McEwen/Quintus (GBR) 36.6
6. Izzy Taylor/SBH Big Wall (GBR) 39.1
7. Jonelle Price/Grappa Nera 42.4
8. Lizzie Baugh/Piltown Concorde (GBR) 43.8
9. Hallie Coon/Kapriccio (USA) 44.2
10. Willa Newton/Hartacker (GBR) 44.6

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Defending champions Tim Price and Jarillo produced a copybook round over an influential Pau cross-country track to take pole position. On the brink of this impressive horse’s second five-star win, Tim said “he’s not an authentic event horse as he’s still learning to gallop, but he’s getting better and better”.

Bubby Upton has moved up from eighth to second – just two penalties adrift – on Its Cooley Time with the second-fastest time. Jonelle Price now lies third on one of her three rides, Senor Crocodillo, from 11th after dressage.

Jarillo – owned by Lucy Allison, Frances Stead and James and Rachel Good – was second last out of the startbox to ensure a nailbiting crescendo to an already exciting day of sport. He was loudly cheered by the large crowd in the main arena for the final three fences, and he stopped the clock for just 5.2 time-faults.

“He’s a class horse, a joy to ride, he makes my job very easy,” said Tim after making a track that yielded just a 37% clear rate seem straightforward. “He was super. He’s a really honest horse, who loves his job.”

Tim’s round may have looked picture-perfect, but it was thanks to some shrewd decision-making. A couple of horses slipped on the slope down from the big drop at fence 24a – notably Felix Vogg’s Maryland winner Cartania, who looked destined for a podium spot; and Mélody Johner’s grey Erin. The B element was a huge skinny approached on a bending line.

“We were worried about the ground, so we made a plan off the bank to go direct to the skinny at the bottom, which is taking a risk to jump across the skinny but you’re not putting the bend in where the hindlegs can go,” Tim explained.

“It’s about where you place the risk. I took the risk out of putting in a kink on a bending line and trusted his ability to jump the wooden part of the skinny which didn’t look quite conventional.”

“But he didn’t slip, he’s a very balanced horse generally – it was a lovely round.”

Not only did Pierre Michelet’s track cause a host of problems, peppered all round the course, the optimum time proved unattainable.

Jarillo’s 5.2 time-faults were the fourth-fastest of the day – with Tim quickest of all with only 3.2pen on his second ride Happy Boy, who was fourth last year and now lies fourth overnight from 16th after dressage.

“I’m incredibly happy with Jarillo – he’s had good results but he is still learning about the stamina requirement for proper five-star cross-country,” Tim said. “He’s not a thoroughbred, so he has to learn about galloping and today he was a lot better than last year.”

Tim Price’s double delight on Pau cross-country

Happy Boy had earlier taken the lead himself – which he held from midway right until Its Cooley Time overtook him – despite a long route at the tricky combination at fence 28. This involved a house on mound with a sharp slope down curving right to a left-handed brush corner, followed by angled brush.

“He’s a lovely traveller and it was great fun piloting him around,” said Tim. “I took a long route at the end because he has a nemesis about running out to the left and this was the biggest left-handed corner we’ve seen all year.

“Perhaps the time will be costly. I was eight seconds over the time and that long route probably took eight seconds, but clear is more important and knowing your horse and riding with intelligence is what gives you consistency.”

Leading riders out of the running on Pau cross-country

The dressage leaders Emily King and Valmy Biats had a surprising run-out after the big drop at fence 24b when going well – where Tim changed his original line – and she elected to retire.

Sébastien Cavaillon, third after dressage, compounded a miserable day for the home nation. Having soldiered on after two run-outs in the first and third waters, he had a nasty fall when Elipso De La Vigne twisted over the second swan in the main arena, the penultimate fence, giving him no chance of staying in the saddle.

Both horse and rider walked out of the arena to huge cheers from the French crowd, but it was not the result they were after.

Yasmin Ingham was another well-placed dressage rider who faltered late on the course. Lying joint-fifth after dressage on Gypsie Du Loir, the pair seemed set to log a fast clear when the mare slid down the hill after the house at fence 28 – where Happy Boy took the long route. Gypsie valiantly tried to jump the corner but unfortunately she fell. Both were up on their feet afterwards.

Fellow joint-fifth Tiana Coudray was another not to make it to the finish. Riding Cancaras Girl, the American only got as far as fence eight, the second of two angled brushes on a long two strides, where she retired.

A sad shadow was cast over the day when French rider Luc Château’s ride Ego Des Cabanes was put down after retiring at the first water combination.

A statement from the event read: “It is with great sadness that we announce that Ego des Cabanes, ridden by French rider Luc Château and owned by Laure Sudreau, was humanely put down as a result of a fatal accident. Ego des Cabanes, a 12-year-old bay gelding hit obstacle No. 9B, causing an injury that forced its rider to dismount immediately.”

Price domination on Pau cross-country

The Prices brought a total of six horses to Pau, and Jonelle also made impressive headway up the leaderboard with all three of her rides.

The Giannamores’ grey, Senor Crocodillo, made amends for what Jonelle felt was an unlucky run-out at the Aachen World Championships, after being held late on course. Here, he was straight as a die throughout, clocking 4.8 time-faults to climb on to the podium in third from 11th.

Jonelle said: “I truly believe his mistake in Aachen was as a result of the hold, so it was nice to be able to come here today. He was certainly very on the job and good on all his lines. I’m happy he could show himself off in a great light.”

The pathfinder, Jonelle’s 2022 Pau winner Grappa Nera – owned by the Grape Syndicate – sprang up the ranks from 40th to seventh with 6.4 time-faults.

“She’s very experienced at this level; she’s nimble and athletic so you know you have options,” Jonelle explained. “That’s a nice feeling to have on a course like Pau, which is quite unpredictable, and she really set me up for the day.”

Jonelle’s third ride, the Thomsons’ Capitaine De Hus Z, rose from 23rd to 11th.

Rounding out the top six are two Brits, both riding five-star debutants. Tom McEwen steered nine-year-old Quintus into fourth, while SBH Big Wall was best of Izzy Taylor’s three rides in sixth.

Last year, one showjumping rail covered the top 10; this year, just the top three.

Pau cross-country results: Tim Price leads

1. Tim Price/Jarillo (NZL) 30.9
2. Bubby Upton/Its Cooley Time (GBR) 32.9
3. Jonelle Price/Senor Crocodillo (NZL) 34.6
4. Tim Price/Happy Boy 35.9
5. Tom McEwen/Quintus (GBR) 36.6
6. Izzy Taylor/SBH Big Wall (GBR) 39.1

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The heartbroken connections of a small horse with a huge character who won legions of fans as he overachieved – with a mouth full of flowers – at Bramham have paid tribute to all he was after his death aged 11.

Night Prowler, owned by Yvette Wheeler and ridden by Jack Mantel, was a talented eventer who had stepped up to CCI4*-L this season and was showing huge promise. But he developed severe colic last week and his team had to let him go.

“He was unbelievable,” Yvette told H&H. “I’m an average person and never thought I’d have a horse competing at that level. He made my dreams come true.”

H&H reported on “Weasel” after Bramham, when the Irish-bred gelding made headlines for pictures of him enjoying some of the flowers dressing a cross-country fence, mid-round. He did jump every fence clear on the track, his first CCI4*-L, but as at one obstacle he jumped the bigger middle element of the fence rather than the smaller bit between the flags, he was eliminated.

“He was such a big personality; everyone knew him,” Yvette said. “We took him to an intermediate after Bramham, for a sweetener, and people were saying ‘It’s the flowers horse, it’s Weasel!’”

Jack and Weasel went from BE100 to four-star together.

“He had so much ability,” Yvette said. “They got pulled up at Belsay [because of a hold on course] before a full-up 1.30m gate and Jack said he wouldn’t have wanted to be stood there on any other horse as he knew Weasel would just pop it. He’d regularly, over a plain fence and even at four-star, take out a stride just for the hell of it, and you can see in the photos, it looks like he wasn’t even having to make an effort.”

Yvette said Weasel was always a cheeky chap to handle, as well as to ride.

“You just had to laugh with him,” she said. “If he could grab something off you or get into something; if he could be in trouble, he was. He was like the boy at school who was always up before the headmaster, a cheeky lad.

“He was so cute, with his big eyes and little pony ears, and he used to just bounce round the cross-country like a rubber ball; like a pony in a horse’s body. Jack and Weasel are both cheeky little chaps – they were something special together. He loved the bones of the horse.”

Yvette said Weasel had shown some mild colic signs on the Wednesday.

“He went to hospital and spent five days fighting to live,” she said. “On Saturday he seemed a bit better but that sometimes happens, doesn’t it, and on Sunday the decision had to be made.”

Yvette said she and Jack have been inundated with kind messages.

“None of us can believe it at the moment,” she said. “He was just very special.”

Jack Mantel paid tribute to his “incredible journey” with his beloved, “gorgeous” Night Prowler, and his partner Jack Thomas-Watson agreed that the pair had a very special bond.

“He just tried so hard,” he told H&H. “He was a proper little fighter and we never thought he’d lose this battle.

“He was a brilliant horse, who far exceeded anyone’s expectations, and a huge character. I tried riding him once as I thought there were no issues with him and he flicked me off!

“It’s so, so hard when it’s a special one like this but Alnorthumbria Equine vets were so good to him, he wanted for nothing.”

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Australian showjumper Edwina-Tops Alexander is on the sidelines as she recovers from shoulder surgery.

The three-time Olympian was due to jump in Cairo, Egypt, this week at the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT), but was injured in a fall.

“Unfortunately, after a fall at home I’ve had to get surgery on my shoulder so my season has come to an early end,” said Edwina, on 17 October.

“A huge thank you to my husband, friends, sponsors and Stal Tops for their love and support during this time.”

Edwina added that “now it’s time to focus on healing, supporting from the sidelines, and working on some exciting projects ahead”.

“Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn, but there’s still plenty to look forward to,” she said.

Edwina has had a busy season on the LGCT with a string of top horses, competing at the likes of Miami, Cannes, St Tropez, London and most recently Rome (10-11 October). She is also part of the Global Champions League, riding for Valkenswaard United alongside teammates including Germany’s Marcus Ehning and Belgium’s Gilles Thomas.

She is currently fifth in the GCT standings and the highest ranked female rider, on 192 points. Belgian rider Abdel Said leads the league with 241 points. There are two shows remaining after Cairo, the Rabat leg in Morrocco (30 October to 1 November) and the final at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (18-21 November).

Edwina was also part of the Australian team at the World Championships in Aachen this summer, with 16-year-old gelding Fellow Castlefield. The team finished 15th.

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This won’t change Joseph’s life, but it’s changed mine,” said Saffie Osborne, moments after her record-breaking St Leger win.

Saffie didn’t even have a ride in the St Leger on the Monday before the race. Less than a week later, she piloted the Joseph O’Brien-trained Highwayman into the history books at Doncaster, becoming the first woman to win a British Classic.

Outwardly her life is the same, albeit much busier than she has ever been with media commitments, trying to say “yes” to as many as she feasibly can. The racing wheel keeps on turning and Saffie goes to work – Sandown, Ayr, Ffos Las, Goodwood, Newmarket, back to Wales – riding five to eight horses a day. Even on her one day off, Saffie was on a horse, showjumping at the Newmarket open day.

“I think maybe people took what I said and thought that I meant from an outer perspective,” she says. “For me it changed my life because I grew up as a very competitive person, and I think that fear of failure always drove me.

“After the win, it was the first time that I’ve been able to sit back and relax because I was always terrified of my career finishing and feeling like I failed and I didn’t achieve what I wanted to.

“I feel now like this weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can actually enjoy it. I’ve achieved one of the biggest things I’ve always wanted to, and hopefully I’ll achieve so much more. But this is one thing that I can always look back on in my career and think, ‘I did that.’

“So rather than what it’s done for my life from an outside perspective, it’s more a case of what it’s done for me.

“I’m competing against some of the best jockeys in the world, and you’re constantly trying not to compare yourself. To have such a big one ticked off, to have won a British Classic, which we all know how hard they are to win, has changed my mindset.”

“Like I’d been chucked in a tornado and spat out”

In the hectic days that followed, there were few chances to stop and let it sink in. Saffie emphasises how kind it is of all those who messaged her, and making sure she gets back to everyone is on her mind. Among them was a phone call from Sir Michael Stoute, for whom Saffie rode during his last couple of years training.

“That was really special,” she says. “It kind of felt like I’d been sort of chucked into a tornado and spat out. It was funny, I woke up the next day and I think I’d had such an adrenaline high that I had the worst headache on Sunday morning. I hadn’t even had a drink and felt hungover from the whole rush.”

Saffie’s mother, equine artist Katie O’Sullivan, was at Cornbury Horse Trials with Saffie’s aunt and Jayne McGivern, while her father, trainer Jamie Osborne, was at Bath racecourse. Saffie laughs as she pictures how they described their reactions, screaming in excitement against the genteel backdrops of eventing showjumping and a pleasant family raceday.

“I remember walking into the parade ring for the next race and I felt like I’d just done a 24-hour gym session, my whole body was shaking,” she says.

“When Dad rang me, he just said: ‘This is my proudest day on earth,’ and that really got to me.

“I’ve had little moments where it’s really sunk in, and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, that did actually happen?’ I did that. I wasn’t dreaming – because I do have dreams about things like that, then wake up and think, ‘Damn it!’

“I think I was too overwhelmed the day after to take it all in. I remember when Rachael Blackmore won the Grand National and said, ‘I can’t believe I’m Rachael Blackmore.’ There was always going to be a woman who would win a first Classic. It was always going to happen at some point, I can’t believe that was me.”

To win a British Classic is an achievement that most jockeys will never reach in their careers. It’s a milestone moment for women in sport too.

“The reality is, if you’re good enough, you’ll get opportunities. Enough people have proved that at this point,” says Saffie, adding that the likes of famous female jockeys Hayley Turner and Hollie Doyle have paved the way to a point where she is not viewed differently in terms of ability by being a woman.

“Yes, hopefully it might encourage more women to get into racing or little girls to want to be jockeys. But I don’t think it changes the opportunities you get, you get those off merit.”

Winning St Leger was “a complete shock”

Highwayman, 3.35pm Doncaster, trainer Joseph O’Brien. The defining moment of Saffie’s career to date appeared unremarkably as a line of text in the booked rides section on her online racing admin account.

“That’s the amazing thing about this game,” she says. “You never know when the next
big opportunity is going to come, so you have to make sure you’re always ready for it.”

Saffie adds that even though she had spent the week dreaming about winning, when
that moment came, she was in “complete shock”.

“When I crossed the line I just couldn’t believe it. In my interview, I said, ‘I’m speechless. I don’t think I’ve ever been speechless in my life’ – and I haven’t! But I also think that because racing is so turbulent, I’ve devised this way of staying in the middle,” she says.

“I suppose when I was eventing and it was weekend to weekend, your good result lasted longer. Whereas it changes so quickly in racing. I think the St Leger was like the first time that I’ve let myself feel everything.”

To look at Saffie’s career in cold hard numbers, it’s a constant upward trajectory. Riding out her claim, tick, first Group and domestic Group winners, tick, tick, and now a British Classic victory.

Damned statistics never tell the full truth.

At Royal Ascot this year, Saffie came home with a handful of placings. On paper it sounds tidy. For the most part, it was, and for those, Saffie wouldn’t have done anything different: the horses ran well, finishing second is part of sport.

But context is everything when defining whether second is a celebration or a sting, and Touleen’s bridesmaid position in the Group One Coronation Stakes after being boxed in, a hard luck story of the royal meeting, was “painful” to swallow.

“Touleen really hurt, as it felt like there were a lot of eyes on her,” says Saffie. “She’d been a very good two-year-old and it was one of those moments where you just want to curl up into a ball and not come out.

“We’re employed to do a job, if you mess that job up, you know they’re probably going to get someone else. I don’t have a big job, so when you get those opportunities and something doesn’t go to plan, you don’t know when that next big opportunity is going to come along.”

She adds: “After Touleen got beat, Dad and I had a few conversations. I got into a rut, and even though I was riding lots of winners after Ascot, it was that one thing that just sticks with you. You have that doubt in your mind, that moment of feeling, am I good enough? Is everyone looking at me thinking she’s not able to produce at the top level?

“It does eventually get to you when you convince yourself people are thinking that.

“I went into Dad’s office on the morning of King George Day and told him I was struggling mentally, that I’d not enjoyed the last month since Ascot, and it was just getting me down, probably feeling a bit sorry for myself.

“He said, ‘Well, if it’s not making you happy, go and do something else.’ That
was that.

Then he sent me a very long message, basically saying, ‘Just remember, you can do whatever makes you happy for the rest of your life, but now is the only time you can do this. You need to enjoy it now because you don’t want to look back in 10 years and feel like you didn’t enjoy it.

“‘Concentrate on yourself, don’t worry about others, and just remember, you’ll always be happy if you can look back on it and know you enjoyed it.’

“That changed my mindset. I thought, ‘Why am I so worried about all the outside noise and constantly putting this pressure on myself that I’m not achieving what I felt like I should be?’ He then followed up after I rode the treble that day and said, ‘You’re an idiot,’ in typical Dad fashion!”

She smiles, reflecting on that memory.

“He’s a deep thinker, but he’s very funny as well,” she says.

“I’ve had lots of interviews where people ask what I would like to win. And the first thing I’ve always said is that I want to be able to look back and know that I enjoyed every second of it. So that’s first and foremost, but there’s obviously a whole list of races everyone wants to win.”

A British Classic was high up on that list, which also includes as many Group Ones as possible as well as the champion jockey title.

“I always knew I liked winning. I’ve got three older brothers, I didn’t get to win much as a child,” she says.

Looking back... and forward

Saffie was the only one of her siblings to go down the equestrian route, and her desire to learn to ride was self-driven. She loves winning, yes, but her love of horses is her why.

“Everyone at Dad’s yard jokes that I’m the chief pony patter. I love being around them; they’re incredible animals. The life that they’ve given not only me, but my family too…,” she says.

“I think children having ponies and horses is amazing; it teaches them how to care for something that’s not just themselves.

“And even if I was never going to be a jockey or an event rider, competing teaches this amazing mental strength.”

She recalls competing in working hunter qualifiers for major shows and jumping last for team and individual gold at the pony eventing Europeans, reflecting on how she learnt to feel pressure and understand her own response to it.

“I now know that doing my job, where I’m being employed to ride unbelievably expensive horses by trainers and owners and there’s so much resting on every result, that there’s no doubt in my mind that I can deal with it all,” she says. “I embrace pressure; I feel it, but it makes me better.”

In the immediate future, horses will take Saffie to Hong Kong, one of only four European jockeys to be granted a licence there this winter. Australia and the US are on the table, and stints in Dubai next year.

“I feel so lucky. I’m 24 and I’ve been able to travel the world riding horses. If you’d told me that as a kid, I’d have said that’s the dream life,” she says. “This is all I’ve ever dreamed of, and I get to live it.”

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Emily King and Valmy Biats produced “one of the best tests we’ve ever done” to score 24.5 and top the Pau Horse Trials dressage results.

The 2026 Luhmühlen runners-up opened their performance with a string of nines for their entrance and halt, and the marks rarely dipped below seven throughout. They scored another nine for the extended canter from the judge at C, James Rooney.

“Valmy was brilliant,” Emily said. “He’s been here a few times and he’s 17 years old so he knows the drill.

“He felt fabulous. We call him a lion at home because he has a big, bushy mane and he’s a big, bushy character and so powerful, but he’s actually really sensitive to ride.

“I find it a hard balance of showing him off without letting it go too wild. I felt like finally I got it perfect today.”

Even the walk – which Emily said “is always fragile; he finds it hard” – drew an eight and 7.5s from the ground jury.

Pau – like most of western Europe – has been buffeted by rain and wind today.

“The wind picked up which made it a fragile atmosphere but he stayed very stable and did everything I asked,” Emily added. “I always have him in the thicker fly bonnet to help with any sound. What was nice is that the warm-up is more open but the grandstand helps shelter the arena.

“But Valmy’s so good, even if a flower pot blew over, he’s such a sweetheart he’d probably stay straight.”

Last year, Emily fell off at the second fence across country, so she’s on something of a redemption mission.

“I’ll try to go quick and clear but ultimately the main thing is to look after him – he means the world to me,” she says. “The course last year caused so many problems and I thought I could go into the lead if I went quick enough, and I went a bit too quick.

“He’s so brave but it’s that balance of being quick but smooth. He’s a hard horse to ride cross-country – he’s strong but his neck comes in and his body keeps on going! He’d jump the moon, bless his cotton socks, it’s about getting his heart rate down so he can breathe and concentrate. ”

Last year’s Pau winners back for more

The 2025 Pau champions Tim Price and Jarillo made a great start in the defence of their title. The 11-year-old gelding – owned by Lucy Allison, Frances Stead and James and Rachel Good – lies just over a penalty behind Valmy Biats in second, on a score of 25.7.

“He was really rideable,” said Tim. “He’s had this talent, I imagine, since he was born, it’s been about curating it. Today I felt like we were close to doing a pretty spot-on job.”

The last time Jarillo was performing in this arena was in front of a cheering crowd in the prize-giving. But he settled beautifully to his task, as if knowing the job in hand.

“For all his quirks and sharpness, he loves attention, loves people patting him and taking photos – so that was a positive memory for him,” Tim said.

Jarillo is extremely horse-shy, and Tim related how the big screen “freaked him out” in the arena familiarisation.

“The field of play has always been a relaxing place for him, because there are no other horses. The [five-star] environments suit him. But it’s my job to hug him as he comes to me for support. If I just sat there passively in those moments, he’d feel even more alone.”

French rider homes in on podium

Tom McEwen had led at the three-quarter stage with his nine-year-old debutant Quintus on 28.6, usurping Thursday’s overnight leader Yasmin Ingham (Gypsie Du Loir).

But Sébastien Cavaillon’s score of 28.1 on Elipso De La Vigne moved him into a podium position at the end of the day, relegating Tom and Yas to fourth and fifth respectively.

Despite his position, Sébastien was a touch disappointed with his mark. A mistake in the flying change in the warm-up put him on edge.

“That made me a little stressed, but he did his best in the arena – the ground today is like glue,” he said. “Normally, Elipso can score much better – from 23 to 26 – and today one judge definitely didn’t like me!”

Two judges placed him third while the C judge, James Rooney, put him down in 12th.

Sébastien is riding two half-brothers in Pau, 12-year-old Elipso – by Nick Skelton’s ride Arko III – and his three-year younger brother Hashtag De La Vigne (26th).

“They both love food and cuddles,” said Sébastien. “But to ride they are absolutely different. Elipso has more power and balance, but Hashtag has something else – his best asset is his head; he wants to please me all the time.”

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Pau Horse Trials dressage results: Emily King leads

1. Emily King/Valmy Biats (GBR) 24.5
2. Tim Price/Jarillo (NZL) 25.7
3. Sébastien Cavaillon/Elipso De La Vigne (FRA) 28.1
4. Tom McEwen/Quintus (GBR) 28.6
5. Yasmin Ingham/Gyspie Du Loir (GBR) 28.9
   & Tiana Coudray/Cancaras Girl (USA) 28.9

Olympic team gold medallist Harry Charles has announced he will be out of action for the remainder of the year with a “complex” shoulder injury.

Harry was injured in a fall in Oliva, Spain, where he has been competing on the autumn Mediterranean Equestrian Tour since 1 October.

“After a fall last week in Oliva, I’ve managed to mess up my left shoulder pretty good,” said Harry yesterday (23 October).

Harry added that it was “quite a complex injury” and so he will be out of competition for the remainder of the year.

“Time for a bit of time at home and getting fit for next year,” he said.

Harry has had a rollercoaster year; in May he said he had no plans to be at the Aachen World Championships and was “probably going to watch it on an iPad”. Then the wonderful mare LT Holst Freda came along.

The pair were selected for the team and they did not disappoint. Harry helped Britain to team bronze, then put in a memorable performance when he rose from 59th place in the opening stages to finish the best of the Brits with individual bronze.

“She showed up, and she’s a dream horse really,” he said at the time. “She’s so intelligent, doesn’t really get fazed by much. This is still quite a new level for her; she did the World Cup Finals, the biggest atmosphere and courses she’s jumped, but this is again another level up and it’s amazing how well she handles it.”

Since Aachen, Harry has remained on the European circuit. He won a CSI4* 1.55m in Gijon, Spain, in August with 10-year-old gelding Ballypatrick Tiberius in Gijon, a former ride of French eventer and showjumper Gaspard Maksud. The following month he won a CSI4* 1.50m on 11-year-old Bandit in Ascona, Switzerland.

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Tom McEwen has taken the lead from Yasmin Ingham at the top of the Pau Horse Trials dressage leaderboard.

Tom is riding Quintus, a precocious rising star who is making his five-star debut at the age of nine – one of a trio of his year group at Pau.

The pair scored 28.6, to move just 0.3 ahead of overnight leader Yasmin on another first-timer Gypsie Du Loir.

“He's come here as a nine-year-old, done Boekelo as an eight-year-old, so he’s smashing the numbers but the numbers don’t matter, it’s how he feels,” said Tom of the Quibery 3-sired gelding, who is owned by Deirdre Johnston and Jane Knight. “And he feels amazing. To come out here and do a PB for way of going in an arena is pretty special.

“Today is what he can do at five-star at this moment in time and I believe there’s an awful lot more in there.

“He's a massive horse who works really hard. From the outside he looks super relaxed, but internally he gets a little bit nervous.

“We’re doing things a little differently with him now,” Tom added. “I messed up at the start of the year, nearly put too much pressure on him to get him a little bit more together, and it made him tense, whereas now I treat him like a smaller horse and ride him forward and keep him easy.”

A shift at top of Pau dressage leaderboard

Wiltshire-based American Tiana Coudray was another from this Friday-morning session to catch the eye. She slotted into equal second on her own Cancaras Girl on a score of 28.9.

Despite this accurate and expressive performance, Tiana says the 16-year-old mare isn’t a natural in the dressage arena, but is still getting stronger.

“She’s a horse I can't be greedy with,” she said. “She does everything she does out of good will and a fantastic temperament. She doesn’t actually have the best body for this, so as long as I respect that and nurture it, she gives me everything.

“One change we threw some marks away, but she keeps getting better and better. It’s really exciting to have a horse that tries so hard and keeps showing up to work. She’s very level-headed and on the aids, it’s what we’re all dreaming of.”

This test features a half-circle trot stretch, which has been hit and miss for some horses.

“The trot stretch is very short, so I’ve been training her to show it off as otherwise it’s over before you’ve done it – today in the ring was the first time she’s done it!” Tiana said.

Last year the mare slipped on the flat when she was going well across country, so Tiana is keen to put their French record straight.

“I like the course but I’m nervous I’m too comfortable and am missing a few tricks,” she said. “My first thoughts are that it’s a lovely track with enough to do.”

Izzy Taylor and Ros Canter in the mix

Izzy Taylor continued her impressive return to this level with a sub-30 test on the grey 11-year-old SBH Big Wall, whom she describes as “a really level horse without a crazy side – or he hides it well”.

“I’ve had this horse from the beginning, which is a treat to bring them up to the five-star level because you do know everything about them – and them about you – that’s very special.

“It’s not been the smoothest year for us [after Izzy broke her leg] but he went in there, his five-star debut and gave it a good crack. We always want more but there’s massive room for improvement but for where we are I’m pretty happy.”

Izzy is also ninth currently on Barrington Alice.

Ros Canter conjured a super test from MHS Seventeen – also owned by Deirdre Johnston, as well as Lady Milnes Coates – to lie in sixth on 31.9.

“He hasn’t always found the dressage easy and he doesn’t have the best movement, but this year he’s found his confidence in the work and I’m able to show him off much more,” Ros said.

The gelding cut his hock in the field 10 days before Luhmühlen, which necessitated some time on the sidelines.

“We’ve come here to give it a go, but I’m probably a bit shy of where I want to be with him. He’s been to Pau before and deserved another shot at it.

“It’s nice for him to be here off his own bat, because he's always been to five-stars with Izilot and been the underdog. But actually he’s starting to hold his own and I absolutely love riding him. He’s a phenomenal jumper and I love to gallop him.”

There is still plenty of action to come in the Pau Horse Trials dressage phase, with the final 18 of the 49-strong field set to resume at 2.30pm (1.30pm British time).

Pau Horse Trials dressage standings at the end of Friday morning

1. Tom McEwen/Quintus (GBR) 28.6
2eq. Yasmin Ingham/Gypsie Du Loir (GBR) 28.9
2eq. Tiana Coudray/Cancaras Girl (USA) 28.9
4. Izzy Taylor/SBH Big Wall (GBR) 29.5
5. Hallie Coon/Kapriccio (USA) 31.4
6. Ros Canter/MHS Seventeen (GBR) 31.9

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The general consensus on the Pau cross-country course is that it’s a typical Pierre Michelet track that will reward bold riding. It’s flat and fast, but Pierre has put in a few 180º turn-backs that will disrupt competitors from gaining too much momentum.

Storm Austen is battering northern France, and while down in the south Pau is feeling the effects with blustery conditions and rain, the show goes on in fairly typical autumnal conditions. Rain is expected to fall all day on Friday – and forecast for cross-country day, too – however a summer of dry weather means the ground can take plenty of water.

Rider reactions to Pau cross-country course

Caroline Powell (High Time) is one rider to appreciate Pierre Michelet’s “long distances”, but she believes the course could be deceptive in its cumulative toll.

“High Time has a big jump so those distances will suit him,” she said. “When I started walking I thought it wasn’t that tough, but then I got halfway round and was like, ‘Jeez, it’s going to ride pretty tough’.

“It’s not massive in dimensions, but there are a lot of combinations and a lot of trip hazards out there.

“We are going to have to be on our A game all the way round. Every fence is a bit of a head-scratcher, you can’t disrespect any of them. Every one has a run-out risk, but it’s fair.”

Wiltshire-based US rider Hallie Coon, who scored a competitive dressage mark of 31.4, said the course will suit Kapriccio, but she has reservations.

“He’s really, really nippy and and has good acceleration and brakes, and he’s super rideable,” she said. “I’ll just need to put in big enough studs for those 180º turns and try not to fall on the flat!

“I love the jumping efforts and all the combinations, I just don’t love when they make you literally go back on yourself. Turning 180º wouldn’t be my favourite thing for a cross-country course. It wouldn’t let you get into a proper rhythm and get into the gallop you want to make those distances easy.”

Frenchman Benjamin Massie rides Figaro Fonroy, who fell at the Aachen World Championships after running out at the brush into the coffin.

“You can certainly recognise Pierre Michelet’s touch,” said Benjamin, who logged a score of 33.6 in Thursday’s dressage. “Coming from my horse’s perspective – and particularly given the World Championships, where I slipped on a panoramic brush [where you can’t see the landing] at the start of the course – here, there’s actually a panoramic brush right at the start of the course… so I’ll soon know where I stand.

“As for the rest, I think the course is right up his street. He’s a big horse with great movement, but this course is still quite winding. What’s more, he’s never run for 11 minutes. I don’t feel it’s much more difficult than last year’s European Championships [they finished ninth]. That said, it’s still a five-star event, a competition with its fair share of unpredictable factors.”

“Big questions at the end” on Pau cross-country course

British rider Sam Ecroyd, who is on 34.1 after dressage with Mister Big Ears, said the course “looks intense early”.

“It's super aggressive,” he said. “There are a lot of decisions to be made about distances, which are a little bit sort of one way or another. There are some committed distances and not a lot of strides, which make it a hard decision.

“It's tough going out and tough coming home when they're tired, with some real big questions at the end. So you just got to use a little bit of your nous there of what to do.”

The optimum time over the 6,270m track is exactly 11 minutes. Forty-nine horses are due to set out on Saturday (24 October), with 32 performing their dressage on Friday.

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