“We call that redemption,” said Bubby Upton after finishing runner-up at Pau five-star with Its Cooley Time (Finn).

Redemption may seem a strange word for the brilliant grey who has won two Bramhams in the past 18 months, and his 27-year-old rider whose career path already looks set for stardom. But their Bramham double sandwiched three consecutive falls including at Pau a year ago, when coasting three fences from home.

“Last year I fully let him down and in my eyes prevented him winning his first five-star on his debut,” Bubby says. “It took a long time to swallow and get over that, but this year we’ve come back with a vengeance. This result is only scratching the surface of what we can do.”

Bubby is already a veteran of 16 five-star starts, but this is her best result so far – and sealed over one of the toughest Pau tracks, with only a 37% cross-country clear rate.

“He’s the most talented horse I’ve ever had, he’s a freak of nature,” says 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 – beautiful on the flat. He then goes cross-country as low and economical as you like, and then comes out and showjumps like a proper jumper. He’s the absolute dream for a rider.”

But for all that Bubby has always been sure of Finn’s talent, the falls buffeted her confidence that she could bring out the best in him.

“It was hard at times, falling at the Europeans, then Pau, then Kronenberg, bang bang bang,” she says. “But the team behind me have never lost faith.”

Cue a phone call to cross-country maestros Andrew Nicholson and Chris Bartle.

“They have been instrumental, and really rallied round me in terms of analysing my rounds,” she says.

“They picked me up and held me together when I felt a bit lost in my way with Finn. Although he’s class through and through, his unusually high head carriage makes things quite difficult at times and he’s hyper sensitive.

“We stripped everything right back at the beginning of the season and now I feel I’ve got him nailed to a T. They’ve just taught me a different way with him and given me all the belief that I should have in him.”

Bubby explains that she’s grown up riding a different type of horse – winning multiple youth medals – and has had to tailor her approach.

“I have to ride him completely differently to all my other horses,” she says. “I’m quite a positive, attacking rider and because he’s as brave as a lion – nothing fazes him – that doesn’t really work with him. I have to be very precise at every single fence in terms of how I set him up and not take any fence for granted.

“You can’t just shake, rattle and roll like I can on Cola – he’s like a rocket ship or a Ferrari.”

Bubby’s always been one for the minutiae, so it’s not just her riding style she’s tweaked for Finn.

“We've also changed his boots, his cross-country bit, little things like that, and it all just seems hopefully to have been the magic touch,” she says.

Finn now wears open-fronted tendon boots across country.

“You see him showjump and he’s so careful, but cross-country he’s so intelligent and knows exactly how low he can go, so this is just to help him respect the fences,” Bubby says.

“In the cross-country warm-up he’s mellow and goes quite high, but I can’t move him on because he’ll go out the start box like a rocket, so I just have to trust him.

“He’s the quickest animal on his feet, and he’s always like, ‘let me go! I know what I’m doing!’. But the feistier he is the better he is. I remember William Fox-Pitt saying that about Chilli Morning and Finn is the same: he’s a fighter.

“He just knows what’s going on. He knows the order of events and what’s coming next and it’s like he pumps himself up, just like I do. On cross-country morning he shakes!”

Bubby pays huge tribute to her family and home team – including the horses – for their part in her success. Finn’s occasional blips pale into comparison with Bubby’s own resurgence since breaking her back in 2023.

“My family means everything, not just this season but my whole life,” she says. “I keep myself to myself and have my small close-knit team around me and they mean the world to me.

“It’s a savage sport at times, I’ve been through the wringer of it and they’ve been by my side all the time. The Pau result was for all of them, helping me never to lose faith.”

There was just one nervy moment at Pau, when Bubby was pitched out of the saddle on landing over a triple brush into the water. Finn locked on to the next skinny and the pair galloped on as if nothing had happened – which Bubby puts down to a partnership forged when the horse was just five years old.

“That just shows the love and time we put into him, that he repays us in situations like that,” she says, stressing the importance of her connection with all horses.

“There was a moment in time when this was not possible for me anymore, and these horses are what got me back walking and riding again,” she says. “So that's probably why it’s quite evident how much I adore them. Because if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Runner-up at five-star may be the crowning result of the pair’s career so far, but they are absolutely not stopping here.

“I know Finn inside out now, and the second half of this season has been such confirmation that everything we are doing is spot-on,” she says. “I just can’t wait to see now what the next couple of years hold.”

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If you've been showing in the past few years, chances are, you've come across Sarah Chapman. Sarah is a regular on the showing circuit, as both a judge – particularly for the ride aspect – and as a competitor.

As many of us gear ourselves and our steeds up to compete at the 2026 London International Horse Show (LIHS), Sarah is looking forward to judging the Rising Star hack/riding horse and the open style and performance finals alongside Mr Gregory Goss.

Who is Sarah Chapman?

By trade, Llanidloes-based Sarah is a small business administrator, a transport manager, and a show administrator. So even if you don’t think that you have come across Sarah as a judge or competitor, you have probably encountered her through her involvement with many of our leading fixtures, including Royal Three Counties show.

She is no doubt busy, and jokes that if she wasn’t involved in horses, she would be enjoying “having more time for a rest”.

Nevertheless, she has found time to develop a new skillset and has started driving her partner’s old classic car in navigational rallies!

Sarah’s background in horses

Sarah was a horsey child, and when asked which horse she wishes she could have ridden, she says: “As a child I always wanted to ride Champion The Wonder Horse and imagined galloping Black Beauty through the fields”.

She started showing as a child.

“Showing is in the blood,” she says. “My grandfather showed pigs and moved into ponies when my mother started to ride. My grandmother helped to set up the British Show Pony Society Area 15. I started showing at the age of three in lead-rein classes.”

The pony that had the greatest impact on her equestrian pursuits?

“Chirk Sunblest was a talented cheeky pony that taught me a huge amount about how to ride to a fence,” she says. “If you weren’t on ‘your A game’ you’d end up in the bottom of it! We won many classes together over Davina Whiteman's infamous courses.”

It’s no wonder then, that she considers horses “a great leveller”!

“Horses teach you patience, resilience and perseverance,” she says.

Since then, Sarah has remained heavily involved in showing, with highlights including winning at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), the Royal International (RIHS) and many county shows.

“Morse recently, a wonderful day with Ferdy, my two-year-old thoroughbred,” provided a standout day, “when he exceeded all expectations”. The pair were reserve supreme in-hand at the 2026 Sport Horse Breeding GB hunter championships, signalling a bright future for Ferdy.

Training is something Sarah is passionate about.

“I have been trained by such greats as Stella Harries, Davina Whiteman and Robert Oliver.”

She has dedicated many hours to the training of showing competitors over the years, in particular, giving invaluable support to new and grassroots members of the showing community who are eager to learn and understand the industry. In part, this led her to founding The Showing Register (TSR), which flourished under Sarah’s guidance until folded into Grandstand Media’s repertoire a few years ago.

“Founding and running The Showing Register for 14 years was a fantastic experience,” she says.

Sarah’s judging experiences

As well as remaining on the TSR panel, Sarah sits on the British Show Horse Association (BSHA), Sport Horse Breeding (SHB) GB, Coloured Horse and Pony Society (CHAPS), British Show Pony Society (BSPS), and Arab Horse Society panels.

On judging, Sarah says: “I love judging at county shows; these have included Great Yorkshire, Royal Highland, New Forest and the Royal Welsh. I have judged in Australia and at Dublin Horse Show, as well as the Royal International and HOYS on more than one occasion.”

What is Sarah looking for in the ring?

“A horse with a relaxed rhythm and cadence always catches my eye,” she says. “Rhythm and balance are important and a well constructed show that suits the horse's way of going.

“I do not like to see riders trot their horses too fast out of their rhythm.”

To really impress Sarah, though, you will need to display “good sportsmanship, and a cheerful and positive attitude no matter what the outcome.”

• For more exclusive insights into top riders, horses, and judges subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Dan Skelton keeps his cards close to his chest when it comes to the secrets of his success: “I had to learn the hard way, so everyone else can learn the hard way and all!” But a sign hanging on his wall offers a clear insight into the mindset of the newly crowned champion trainer. “I don’t want to be beige,” it reads, and that’s certainly not something of which you could accuse this record-breaking, relentlessly ambitious, convention-defying 41-year-old.

Since establishing Lodge Hill 13 years ago, Dan has propelled his team on an upward trajectory, creating a slick, hugely successful racing behemoth.

Even during those tentative early years, the signs were there that a champion trainer elect was operating from this rural corner of Warwickshire as the winners quickly rolled in. But it was only as recently as 2024 that Dan first came within touching distance of the title, only to be steamrolled by Irish maestro Willie Mullins on the final days of the season for two successive years, in one of the most enthralling battles in racing history.

In sport, you have to suffer the lows to appreciate the highs and, setting the bar even higher last season, Dan amassed a record £5,045,615 in prize money during a relentless 12-month campaign and the curtain came down at Sandown in April with the Alcester handler finally crowned champion.

Surrounded by dozens of his close-knit team, family and friends, Dan was handed the silverware by his former boss Paul Nicholls, a moment he describes as hugely emotional.

“It felt like winning the championship took a long time – it didn’t all come to the door,” offers Dan. “But breaking the £5m barrier was probably the most remarkable achievement. Willie put us into a position where we needed to go somewhere that no one had gone before in order to beat him.

“In hindsight, we should have won the championship that first year Willie beat us, but I didn’t see it coming. It was only having four Cheltenham Festival winners that springboarded us in with a chance; if I had my time again, I would have been better organised. The following year, I was as organised as I could be, we got everything right and he still beat us. But both times he had to win the Grand National – the hardest task in the racing calendar – to do it, so that was phenomenal.

“But look, it just shows that nothing is guaranteed. Sometimes you get beat and if you do, you pull your socks up and go again. I’m not afraid of getting beat – sometimes you learn things from it.

“I grew up around this mentality. I worked for Paul for nine-and-a-half years and every year the objective was to be champion trainer. Before that, my father [Nick Skelton] held this one goal above all else, which was to win an individual Olympic gold medal. So I’ve been motivated by those two things to achieve this,” he says.

Never one to dwell, no matter how mighty the accomplishment, Dan began his first season as champion trainer with another clear statement of intent: he’s going bigger and better than ever. While most jump trainers wind down during the off-season, Dan was out of the traps faster than a whippet back in May, enjoying his most successful summer ever. Even before the calendar shifted into top gear this month, Dan had extended a sizeable lead in this year’s title race, with more than 100 winners and £800,000 in the bank.

A second trainers’ championship is high on the agenda but, moving the goalposts slightly, Dan has set a new target for his team: Operation 244.

Twenty-six years ago, revolutionary jump trainer Martin Pipe saddled a record 243 winners in one season, an astonishing achievement that has never been surpassed. Martin was at the top of his game when Dan entered the racing industry and “the thorn in Paul Nicholls’ side” when the two went toe-to-toe during the early days of Dan’s apprenticeship with the now 14-time champion.

“Martin was the last trainer to gain a massive advantage in the sport,” says Dan. “He thought outside the box; he wasn’t afraid to try new things and he revolutionised fitness. Nowadays we’re all dealing with micro-advantages and marginal gains – I don’t think anyone will have another big swipe like he did. But we’ve all been able to see much further by standing on his shoulders and that’s the ultimate compliment. He changed the sport.

“So I’ve always known about the 243-winner record and, after last year, I thought if we could just strengthen our team with a few select purchases, a nice bunch of summer horses could give us a springboard and we could make this happen.”

Underlining the enormity of it, he cautions, “I think it’s the hardest thing we’ve ever set out to do. We need to stay on the trajectory we’re on, maintaining that consistent standard of winners, for the next eight months.

“It doesn’t give me sleepless nights because we are controlling all the controllables and we’re using all the science and everything else we can to keep the horses healthy. I believe we have the best people behind us and the horses to do it. Sometimes things just come a-knocking and there’s nothing we can do about it. But to achieve it would be incredible and it’s something interesting for the sport to follow too.”

The first signs of a seasonal shift are in the air and the yard is in full throttle when we catch up with Dan in late September. The summer horses are enjoying their final runs just as the winter crew are being ramped up ready to be unleashed.

The network of gallops at Lodge Hill has been topped up, the arenas resurfaced and a new cross-country schooling area built for the youngsters to “enjoy something different”.

A powerful team ethos is central to daily life at Lodge Hill and the backbone to Dan’s success on the track. He estimates to have between 85 and 100 people managing the 170 horses in training over the winter months.

Dan may carry the weight of the world on his shoulders at times but “keeping positivity around the place” is top priority.

“Everyone’s pulling their weight and everyone is oriented around success,” he explains. “The ultimate goal is set and I’ve referred to it as our North Star – it keeps us constant.

“I’m indebted to the team, they’re brilliant. Most of them have been with us for a long time. They get it – they’re passionate, winning people. It’s great to harness that.”

Home-grown jockey Tristan Durrell was crowned champion conditional on the same day Dan earned his trainer’s crown and of course Dan’s “phenomenal” brother Harry, who became one of the top 10 winning-most jump jockeys of all time with his 1,590th winner in August, rakes in the vast majority of Dan’s winners, while also becoming more intrinsically involved in the back-room side of things.

With Dan and Harry currently pole position in both their respective championships, might they accomplish a truly historic double this season?

“When it was possible for Harry to be champion jockey in 2021, I took it as seriously as I could and worked tirelessly to make that happen for him, then he made it happen for me,” says Dan.

The same owners who bought into Dan’s quest for the championship last season are now fully behind Operation 244 as well.

“They’re the most important part. Yes, they have their own horses’ best interests at heart, but they absolutely get behind our team ethos and ambition and enjoy that their horses add into this possibility. That’s something I feel most proud of, most humbled even, as that’s something we’ve worked so hard to create – we’re all in this together,” he says.

“I’m fully aware that having 170 horses to run in the winter makes it one of the biggest strings ever in UK National Hunt racing. But I’m also very confident to say it’s well managed, it’s high quality and nothing gets missed. Our results would suggest that, right?

“It can feel busy at times, but it’s manageable. It makes a healthy, competitive atmosphere.”

Stable stars waiting in the wings include The New Lion, Protektorat and Panic Attack, with multi-Grade One-winning Grey Dawning set to make his seasonal reappearance next month. Younger talent is ready to step up, while Dan believes this season’s team of novice chasers are his best yet.

“We feel very lucky to have a team that can stretch across all formats,” he says.

Talk over the summer has centred around the astronomical sums changing hands in the sale ring and Dan has been the beneficiary of some headline-making purchases, including JP McManus’s €500,000 acquisition Walkonseas. Horses like King George runner-up Il Est Francais have changed yards, and high-profile owners including Harry Redknapp are now investing in the new champion.

Dan’s championship breakthrough feels like the start of a new era of supremacy for the Warwickshire yard; it’s possible even that Martin Pipe’s record as 15-time champion could eventually be smashed.

“The championship is a nice constant to aim for, but it definitely doesn’t feel easier even now we’ve achieved it once,” says Dan. “When you’re behind, you can see the finish line and all you have to do is catch the leader. As soon as you start to make the running, you’re the one to be aimed at and people want to work out how to beat you – you don’t know where the finish line is or even what it looks like. So the dynamics have changed but the focus hasn’t.”

The trophy has pride of place in the kitchen at the home he shares with wife Grace and daughter Flo; a pleasing daily reminder of what he’s achieved. Is obsession too strong a word for life in the Skelton household?

“I’ve not been obsessed with being champion trainer, I’m obsessed with being a trainer and all that entails. I just love what I do,” he says.

“We don’t want to amble through life, we have the foot firmly on the gas and we’re trying to make this something special. We want to be as good as we can be, perhaps break some records and make some people happy along the way; then we can feel that it was all worthwhile.”

Horses to watch this season

Dan says: “We’re lucky to have so many nice horses but these two should really step forward over the next two or three years. They’re young but very talented, so we’re doing everything we can to make them the best they can be.

“They don’t have to be at their best this year. Obviously you can ask them questions and ask them for big performances in big races, but it’s all about building, like we did with Grey Dawning, without overdoing things.”

Maestro Conti

4yo chestnut gelding by Prince Gibraltar out of Valdivia (Samum)

Owners: Hales, Speelman, Mason, Hogarth and Ferguson

Breeder: Patrick Joubert

Best results: won Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle, Cheltenham, 2026, runner-up Triumph Hurdle, Cheltenham Festival 2026

Mydaddypaddy

5yo bay gelding by Walk In The Park out of Debdebdeb (Teofilo)

Owner/breeder: Dermot Hanafin

Best results: hurdle wins at Huntingdon, Carlisle and Haydock, runner-up Formby Novices’ Hurdle, Aintree 2025, third Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Cheltenham Festival 2026

The instinct, when a walk pirouette isn’t working, is to use more outside leg. Most riders learn the movement through travers, where the outside leg asks the quarters to step in, so it feels like the obvious fix. But push the quarters in too far, and the horse either gets stuck or the pirouette gets bigger and bigger.

“One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking that pirouettes and half-passes are all about the outside leg,” says Becky Moody. “Actually, it’s an awful lot about the horse being upright in front of that inside leg.”

A useful image is a compass drawing a circle. The hindlegs are the point, stepping almost on the spot, while the front legs walk round them. To do that, the horse has to stay upright – it can’t drop its inside hip as it turns.

What is a walk pirouette?

A walk pirouette is a turn on two tracks, in which the horse’s forehand moves around their haunches. The forefeet and outside hind foot travel around the inside hind foot, which marks a circle as small as possible. A half-pirouette is a 180° turn, and a full pirouette is 360°. Full walk pirouettes aren’t included in British Dressage (BD) tests.

The horse should stay slightly bent in the direction they’re turning, and keep a clear four-beat walk throughout. The inside hindleg shouldn’t plant, swivel or step sideways.

Sounds simple, but it’s a movement a lot of riders hate.

“It requires a really good understanding of what you’re trying to do, which is quite often the first thing that’s missing,” Becky says. “Then it requires really good control of the walk, of the horse’s balance, of the positioning, of how they are off your leg. They are actually quite telling.”

But Becky would rather riders stopped seeing them as a horrible test movement and started using them. She rides working walk pirouettes – not necessarily test-sized ones – with her own horses as a training tool for control, suppleness and reactivity.

“And if you want to be able to ride good canter pirouettes, you have to understand how to ride a good walk pirouette,” she adds.

What the judges are looking for

The walk should be collected, not slow, with active, even steps. According to FEI judging guidelines, the common faults are all ways the horse avoids taking the weight:

• the hindlegs stepping out
• the inside hindleg crossing in front of the outside one
• the horse stepping sideways
• the horse stepping back

There’s a catch, too. A pirouette can be in a perfect four-beat rhythm while the collected walk before it is irregular, and the judges will mark that down separately. The walk either side of the turn matters as much as the turn itself.

The basics come first

Before you think about the pirouette, look at the walk.

“As with anything, it’s about attention to the basics,” Becky says. “Do you have a good walk that is adjustable – can you organise it a little bit but keep the activity? Is the horse easy over the back and through to the contact? And do you have suppleness with alignment?

“Unless you have all of those things, you’re not going to be able to turn a good walk pirouette.”

Turn the shoulders, not the quarters

“You are not bringing the quarters in – you are turning the shoulders around the quarters,” says Becky. “The hardest thing is getting people to grasp how the travers helps, but that it is not your end goal.”

She sees two common faults. Either the quarters step out as the rider turns the shoulders, or – the one most riders fall into – they’re brought in too far.

Both come back to the inside leg. The outside leg still has a job, which is to stop the quarters stepping out, but it isn’t the whole answer.

Your position also plays a part. Too much hand can make your horse resist and lose their rhythm, and leaning in or out unbalances them. Instead, sit centrally with a very slightly weighted inside seatbone. The horse also needs to respond to your legs by moving away from them, not leaning into them.

Becky looks for a very slight shoulder-fore before the turn, some flexion and a horse that keeps walking, with activity and rhythm as she turns.

“It’s a little bit like the canter pirouette – I think about a really neat first step, then making sure the horse stays in front of my inside leg,” she says.

Think about the finish, too. Ride the horse forward and straight out of the turn, so the last step is as good as the first.

Exercises to improve walk pirouettes

From travers to shoulder-fore

Becky teaches inexperienced horses the pirouette through travers. She starts on the long side in walk, then moves on to a circle.

“Travers around the circle helps the horse understand being upright in front of the inside leg, while you have control of the outside with the outside leg,” she says.

From there, she alternates travers and shoulder-fore around a 10m circle.

“You’re really working on your ability to position the horse and place them where you want to,” she says.

Quarter-turns on a square

Before moving on to a half-pirouette, break the movement down into quarter-turns

Ride a square between R, S, V and P in a 20x60m arena, or between B, E, K and F in a 20x40m. Ride each side in a slight shoulder-fore, then make a quarter-turn (90°) at each corner, bringing the shoulders round.

Your horse only has to hold their balance for a few steps at a time, which makes it easier to catch the problems before they become habits: the shoulders falling out, the quarters swinging, or the walk losing its rhythm.

Mix up quarter-turns and half-pirouettes, too. That way, your horse keeps listening to you rather than guessing what’s coming.

But don’t make the turns too small too soon. While you’re teaching your horse, a useful guide is for the hindlegs to step around a circle about the size of a dinner plate. Ask for a tighter turn than your horse has the strength and balance for, and they will get stuck – just as a horse will fall out of canter if you spiral into too small a circle too soon.

Walk pirouette tips

Let the wall do the work

A pirouette that’s too big is one of the most common faults, and when you’re off the track, it’s hard to tell.

“Once riders are a little further on, I make them ride them on the wall,” says Becky. “That makes them really aware of the size, and of how much they’re stepping to the inside. If the horse has a tendency to step to the outside, it can help them feel that more, too.”

To prepare for a test, she sometimes lays poles across the arena on the line the pirouettes are ridden on.

“Just having the poles there really makes them think about the line they’re walking in on, and where they start and finish the pirouette,” she says.

Watch and learn

There’s no point riding a bad pirouette over and over and hoping the next one will be better. Get the picture in your head first.

“Something I say to riders a lot is to go online and watch good people riding them,” Becky says. “That can really help you understand what you are trying to do.”

Then ask yourself:

• Is the walk collected enough?
• Is the horse upright in front of your inside leg?
• Are you pushing the quarters in, when you should be turning the shoulders?

Fix the walk. Then ride the inside leg. The pirouette will follow.

Walk pirouette troubleshooter

• Your horse sticks: The turn may be too small for their level of training, or you’re using too much hand. Make it bigger and keep the walk active.
• The pirouette gets too big: You’re probably pushing the quarters in with too much outside leg. Think inside leg and shoulders.
• The quarters step out: Your outside leg needs to guard the quarters, and check that you aren’t turning the shoulders too quickly.
• Your horse loses its rhythm: Go back to the walk before the turn – is it active, adjustable and through?
• Your horse anticipates: Mix quarter-turns and half-pirouettes, and don’t always ride them in the same place.

Walk pirouettes: your questions answered

Here are some common questions riders have about riding walk pirouettes.

Walk pirouette vs turn on the haunches?

Both turn the forehand around the haunches. A turn on the haunches is the more basic version, ridden at a lower level, usually from a less collected walk. A walk pirouette is ridden from a true collected walk.

How big should a walk pirouette be?

As small as possible. The inside hindleg should lift and land almost in their own footprint. When you’re first teaching it, a slightly larger turn – with the hindlegs stepping round a circle about the size of a dinner plate – is fine.

What’s the most common mistake in walk pirouettes?

Relying too much on the outside leg. The quarters are either pushed in too far, so the horse sticks or the pirouette gets too big, or they step out as the rider turns. Keep the horse upright in front of your inside leg, and turn the shoulders round.

Should the inside hindleg stop moving?

No. It should keep stepping in a clear four-beat rhythm. If it plants, the horse is pivoting rather than walking round.

What if my horse only sticks in one direction?

All horses favour one side, but if your horse regularly sticks or resists in one direction, it can be a sign of discomfort, so it’s worth asking your vet to check.

At what level do walk pirouettes appear in tests?

In BD tests, walk half-pirouettes appear from medium level. At FEI level, half-pirouettes feature in pony, junior and small tour tests.

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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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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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I have spent most of my working life in the theatre, so I thought I knew a good production when I saw one. Nothing prepared me for the hunting field. The cast is enormous, the script is written in a language nobody explains, the set changes every 10 minutes and the audience is expected to gallop after the actors. There are no rehearsals.

And the reviews, usually delivered by the field master at some volume, are immediate.

I started trail-hunting late. My children were already keen members of the Heythrop. For a couple of seasons, I was their ground crew, waiting in gateways with a thermos and a growing sense that I was missing something.

My riding CV amounted to some reluctant Pony Club camps in Somerset (I failed the points-of-the-horse test, ignominiously), a gap year mustering cattle in the Northern Territory and one ill-advised bull.

So when a friend suggested I take on his father’s soon-to-be-redundant hunter, Mr P, I said yes before anyone could talk me out of it. Or, as he reminds me, I took on the costs.

On one of my first mornings’ autumn hunting, leaving the ground for the first time, I came off and knocked myself out cold. A month on the sidelines followed. A sensible man would have taken the hint. Instead I made the first of many discoveries: hunting is not so much a pastime as a condition, and the only known treatment is more hunting.

So, for anyone setting out this autumn, here is some of what I have learnt.

You will understand almost nothing, and that is fine

In my first season I saw a great deal of my horse’s ears and the back of whoever was in front. Hounds were a distant noise; the huntsman a flash of colour two fields away. Shouts rolled back down the line – “Hold hard!”, “’Ware wire!”, “Tally Ho!” – and I assumed they were all aimed at me. Some were.

It took a long time before I could stop concentrating on staying on and start watching what hounds and huntsman were doing: the patience, the casting, the moment the pack speaks as one. When it clicks, it is like hearing the full orchestra after months of listening to the violins tune up. This is the “golden thread” between huntsman and his hounds.

Peter Beckford understood this in 1781. His Thoughts on Hunting, written as letters to a friend, is almost entirely about hounds – breeding them, kennelling them, handling them – and hardly at all about the galloping. The Hunting Act 2004 means today’s hounds follow a laid trail, but the craft Beckford describes would still be recognised in any kennel yard. Read him and the day starts to make sense.

The cast is straight out of Surtees

Robert Smith Surtees published Handley Cross in 1843, and nearly all his characters are still out on a Saturday. The suave master, the enigmatic huntsman, the cantankerous field master, the ebullient farmer and the intrepid thrusters – and, occasionally, a Soapey Sponge on a hireling, angling for an invitation to stay.

Surtees’s great creation, the sporting grocer John Jorrocks, called hunting “the image of war without its guilt, and only five-and-twenty percent of its danger”. After several visits to the John Radcliffe Hospital, I might quarrel with his maths but never with his enthusiasm. Read Surtees before your first meet and you will recognise everyone. Read him after your first season and you will recognise yourself, which is rather less comfortable.

You will fall off – go anyway

Nobody escapes this one. After my early fall, my family placed me on a strict no-jumping regime, and I spent the rest of that season going round by the gates at the back with a small and cheerful band of fellow travellers.

I was consoled to find that Anthony Trollope had been there first. He fitted an astonishing literary output around his hunting, despite being heavy, short-sighted and by most accounts a moderate horseman. In his Hunting Sketches of 1865, he gives a whole chapter to “The Man Who Hunts and Never Jumps”, treating him with more sympathy than he shows some of the heroes at the front.

He was right. The back of the field is not a lesser place. You see more hound work than you might think, hear the best gossip and nobody shouts at you for overtaking the field master.

The grass is always someone else’s

Early on I was told off, loudly, for riding on “the wrong grass”. To my untrained eye, it was a lovely green field. To the farmer, it was a crop he had paid to sow and would rather not see cut up by 40 horses.

This is the most useful thing a newcomer can grasp. Every yard of country we cross is there by the goodwill of those who farm it. Keep to headlands when asked, shut gates, thank the farmers you meet and say goodnight to the master when you go home. None of it is difficult and it matters far more than your turnout.

I have been reprimanded for talking too much, cutting up others at jumps and, memorably, “joyriding”. The field master was usually right. Find a mentor who will tell you the truth and an instructor brave enough to take you on.

Trust the horse

In my second season, I acquired an experienced Heythrop hunter – Bay Con – who knew the country far better than I did. He took me under his wing, gave me confidence and days I will never forget. The lesson for the late starter is simple: buy experience. One of you should know what he is doing and better that it is the one with four legs.

I now have two more in work. I love them both. Mack is a workhorse with a big jump (and cheeky buck) and gets on with it. Grey Con is idiosyncratic and opinionated. He has firm views on where we ought to be standing, what the horse in front is doing wrong and precisely when it is time to go. But he loves his job, is careful and clever, and he has never once let me down.

You are not buying a horse to make you look good. You are buying one who will look after you when you make a mess of it, which as a newcomer you will, several times a day.

My trust in Grey Con is unsurpassed. He taught me to trust him, day by day, jump by jump, and with it came the confidence to stop interfering, look up and enjoy the day.

Before long you will hear the old maxim that a hunting man needs two horses and a spare. It sounds like whimsy but is in fact a warning about livery bills that nobody reads until too late. What began as the loan of Mr P is now three horses and two-horse days, and my accountant has stopped asking.

Be an educated bore

Nobody tells you that hunting comes with a reading list, or that you will want to work through all of it. Roger Scruton came to it in middle age too and On Hunting is the best account I know of the newcomer’s experience. The fear, the bewilderment and the slow discovery of a relationship with the land, with animals and with a community.

From there it is a short step to the 10th Duke of Beaufort’s Fox-Hunting, full of hard-won wisdom from a man who was simply known as “Master”, and to Michael Clayton, for many years editor of this magazine, whose Foxhunting in Paradise is a glorious tour of the great hunting countries.

Siegfried Sassoon is better still on the ordeal of the beginner. In Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, the young Sherston stands at his first meet in an agony of self-consciousness, aware he has arrived at the edge of a complicated social world whose rules everyone appears to have been born knowing. A century on, nothing about that feeling has changed. It does pass.

The friendships 

Hunting brings together people whose paths would otherwise never cross: farmers and financiers, town and country, grooms and retired generals, teenagers and grandparents. It creates new friendships and cements old ones, and quickly, because you are sharing something you cannot explain to anyone who was not there.

The friendships do not stop when the season does. In the summer, groups of us hack out over the same country at a more civilised pace, reliving the best days of the last season and speculating about the next, safely out of earshot of our long-suffering families. And the grooms, car-followers and hunt staff, up before dawn, will teach you more than any book.

The hunt ball

While you are still learning to rise to the trot, nobody mentions that hunting comes with a social calendar of its own. Meets and lawn meets, hunting breakfasts and teas, and above all the hunt ball, which is less a black-tie dinner with dancing than a controlled explosion in a marquee. People who were sober, competent and faintly terrifying in the field at 11am turn out to be capable of quite remarkable things by 11pm.

This is not incidental. A day outdoors, in weather, at speed, with a degree of real risk, leaves everybody hungry, thirsty and in need of company, and a strain of wild hedonism runs through the whole business, in the field as much as in the marquee.

It’s never too late

I will not forget my first two-horse day, at the end of my second season, finishing at six in the evening in the dark after a point that felt like 10 miles (it probably was not). I was exhausted, soaked and elated.

What I really did not know before I started is that hunting is the best antidote to gloom I have ever come across.

Whatever is waiting on the desk on Monday morning, it is impossible to brood about it while crossing a remote field at speed on a horse following a pack of hounds in full cry. You come home cold, wet, muddy and unaccountably happy – and it lasts for days. I cannot explain why this should be so and have stopped trying.

If you are standing in a gateway with a thermos wondering whether to have a go, my advice is to ring someone before you think better of it.

I would do it all again, first fence included. Well, perhaps not the first fence.

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All sports evolve through history. Eventing is almost unrecognisable since it first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1912, practised by cavalry officers, but has continued to transform even in the past 30 years. William Fox-Pitt, who retired from the top level in 2024 having won a record 14 five-stars, says the transformation of cross-country courses is inevitable.

“The sport has changed and will go on changing and we are embracing all the changes,” he says, describing today’s courses as “seriously demanding and technical”. “It’s a very different challenge now, on a very different animal.”

William speaks as a rider with experience both of competing extensively in the long-format days in the 1990s, as well as the current tracks. As Brazilian team trainer, he’s bang up to date with today’s challenges and refutes the suggestion that modern courses are softer.

“What they are doing now is seriously demanding, technical, in terms of both terrain and angles,” he says.

However, a monumental difference is the type of horse and the state in which it starts cross-country. Today’s championship courses are around nine minutes, and while the five-stars are still over 11 minutes, the removal of roads, tracks and steeplechase revolutionises the test.

“We’re not setting out now on cross-country on a horse that has already done 10 miles,” William explains. “At the end of a cross-country course in the long format, they physically couldn’t have done the twists and turns we have now.

“We could go round the whole of Badminton or Burghley with barely a twist or a turn, maybe a bend in the lake. Now you’re doing circles, it’s very different demands.”

“The modern generation cannot understand how the sport has transformed. If you look at old showjumping videos, the horses were so flat on the last day, they clattered round, because all their spring had gone.

“Our horses were hard and fit, strung-out gallopers, not round and bouncy. We were on eventers, not showjumpers. Some of the horses at the World Championships in Aachen could be grand prix showjumpers and that’s such an interesting comparison.”

He compares his junior and young rider campaigner Steadfast, who had Clydesdale blood, and took him round his first Badminton in 1991.

“Steadfast needed to jump with momentum,” William says. “There was one fence at Badminton that only four riders made it straight through. Steadfast fell over the ditch and into the bank and couldn’t jump out.

“On a horse like they ride today, they all have amazing power and scope and that wouldn’t have been a problem.”

Big and bold versus technical?

There is a view that pits yesteryear’s big and bold tracks against today’s technical ones, but the reality is far more complex. The dimensions of the fences remain virtually unaltered, but the old courses were less dressed, less explicit and more daring. Ground rails and strategic flowerpots were non-existent, where they are now ubiquitous.

“It was simpler technically,” says William, “but you didn’t know how the horses would see and work out the question. We’d all be s***ting ourselves.”

He cites a bounce of parallels at Defender Valley at Burghley in the ’90s.

“We were always told a bounce should never have parallels – this was four rails all looking like footbridges so it was hard for the horses to judge where to land,” he says. “We hoped they’d all fumble over, so long as they didn’t stop... That wouldn’t be OK now.

“I also remember, at Badminton, a drop then two strides uphill to a bounce of upright rails. It looked enormous and your horse couldn’t see the second part of the bounce until they took off at the first. Now the courses are more transparent – both for safety and the type of horse.”

The proliferation of Christmas trees guiding a rider’s route is one of the newer techniques designers use.

“In the ’90s we had none of these trees telling us where to jump,” he explains. “You’re now effectively given a turning point to tell you where to turn and where to jump. So although it’s much more technically difficult now, it’s laid out in front of you.

“Before, for the Vicarage Vee at Badminton, if you were a yard to the right or left of the correct line, you’d land in the ditch. It’s still terrifying, still massive, but there is much less opportunity to mess up.”

Frightening doesn’t necessarily mean harder.

“I’d say it’s far more demanding now, but in a different way,” William continues. “At the Vicarage Vee, you’d already jumped that ditch three times, and each time your scared horse was getting scareder, so finally they would stop.

“We had grey gates downhill into water at Badminton so horses couldn’t see them well. You’d skid down and clatter over but that was normal. The test was how you coped.

“Pretty pictures weren’t a priority. Most people riding now would not be OK with what we were doing – not knowing whether it was a stride or a bounce, sitting on the back of your saddle.”

William Fox-Pitt: “The fence I really hated”

And William’s worst fence of all?

“The fence I really hated at Badminton was in the Fairbanks area,” he recalls. “It was a tight turn up a bank over log into space, down the bank and two strides over a chevron rail. They copied it at Jerez 2002 [where he won world team bronze].

“Nothing was on a plate, you didn’t know where you’re landing. It demanded bravery – would the horse jump into orbit off a tight turn, how quick was their footwork to come off the bank over the rail.”

The onus was on both horses and riders to think in the moment.

“Footwork and reactions were key,” he says. “You could walk a course five times and it wouldn’t help. Now you need to walk it five times because you need to know the exact stride pattern, so you can show the horse the way.”

It’s a subtle difference – before, you muddled through, riding by the seat of your pants, and success was making it to the other side without falling off. Now if you execute your plan precisely, though the fence may still be daunting, it should look easy.

“Aachen 2026 was a serious track, but horses could see where to go and had the time to judge,” William says by way of example. “While you can’t see the line on the approach, you land and see it.”

Despite the unpalatability of many of the fences of yesteryear, William believes there is a key indicator that today’s courses are in fact more challenging than ever.

“The changes have taken the depth of the fields out at the top level,” he says. “I was 19 when I started riding at five-star – now it’s rare to be under 25 at Burghley. This shows that the sport is now more demanding. More of us could do it before – maybe not well, but we could get round.”

But perhaps the sign of a truly great rider is that they can adapt to whatever is put in front of them. William’s record – 14 five-star trophies, 26 months as world number one and nine senior championship medals – throughout the decades does not lie.

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“Everywhere I go, people are saying that I made them cry,” says Gemma Stevens, reflecting a couple of weeks after her win at Burghley in September.

“Someone at Blenheim even shouted to me, ‘I was doing my ironing and you made me cry,’ which was hilarious. It really is the most amazing feeling and very satisfying.”

It’s not surprising, perhaps, that Gemma makes people cry – we can join in her emotions because, in an age of media-trained, sometimes bland, sportspeople, Gemma shares so much. Whether she’s taking the trophy or falling off, Gemma tells the press how she feels and so the fans really become part of the journey.

The obvious story that came out of Burghley was her comeback from devastating elimination at the World Championships in Aachen three weeks before. But there’s so much more to this – Gemma (née Tattersall) is 41 years old and, behind the capsule of the month of the worlds and Burghley, is 19 years of riding at five-star and all the associated depths of graft, learning, triumph and heartbreak.

Gemma was, of course, a five-star winner before Burghley, having taken the one-off five-star at Bicton in 2021 with the same horse, Chilli Knight (Alfie). The event was the Burghley replacement as the world tried to recover from Covid-19.

The pair beat some serious combinations, including five-star victors Piggy March with Vanir Kamira and Tim Price on Ringwood Sky Boy. Did Gemma feel she’d really won at the top level, or was she frustrated it wasn’t actually Burghley?

“A lot of both of those,” she says frankly. “It was cool, obviously, to win a five-star. It was
a five-star and we did beat some really good horses, and the cross-country course was tough. There were lots of big fences and it was hilly. The showjumping was a serious track and Alfie held his own in the dressage.

“I did feel that we had won a five-star, but there was definitely a feeling that it wasn’t one of the big ones, one of the big Bs. That has always been my dream. It’s always been my dream to win both of them, to be honest. So Bicton was definitely a box tick, but at the same time, there was more to do.”

And now, having won a big B, have her goals changed?

“It’s changed my life. I feel like I’ve done what I wanted to do and won a big one,” she says. “But it hasn’t changed my ambition. My ambition has always, always been to try to win the big events and be a championship rider. That’s definitely not changed one little bit. I still have huge ambitions and want to keep going.”

Meanwhile, the final few events of the season beckon, then a holiday in the Maldives with husband Gary.

“I feel great. I feel really positive about the future with these horses that I have coming up behind Alfie. I feel satisfied and excited to have a little rest, then to look forward to what is to come next year and the following year,” she says.

Gemma Stevens’ path to the Burghley trophy

Gemma’s five-star career started with a “completely weird” grey called Jesters Quest, who she took on as a catch ride for the CCI2* (now CCI3*-L) at Windsor in 2004.

“He galloped with his head really high and couldn’t do flying changes. I literally went around the course and thought, ‘Well, if I jump fence one, I’ll jump fence two,’” she remembers.

The pair went on to win two young rider team gold medals and completed Badminton and Burghley.

More five-star rides followed, including, of course, Gemma’s horse of a lifetime, Arctic Soul. An ex-racehorse, he took her to the podium at both Badminton and Burghley and a world team gold medal in 2018.

“He taught me so much, about horsemanship, feel, management – and bravery, speed, everything, cross-country. He was a really funny-looking thoroughbred, with his neck coming out of the bottom of his shoulder,” she says. “But there was always something about him that made you think, ‘This horse will turn into something.’

“He was always a good jumper, wanted to be careful and make a nice shape
over his fences.

“The first time I went cross-country on him, at Lincoln in March, I was like, ‘Holy moly, this is a cool horse.’”

The course of Gemma’s life was changed when some 20 years ago, she met Chris Stone, the businessman and horse enthusiast who first came to the eventing world’s attention when he bought the stallion Chilli Morning as a potential London 2012 horse.

“I rode and sold a cheeky little Connemara for Chris and his wife Lisa, then I started going to teach Chris and his daughter Alex on her Prince Philip Cup ponies,” says Gemma. “Then I got brave and sent them a letter and asked if they would buy me a horse.”

The Stones had a horse called Nyali Beach, who had fallen out of love with eventing.

“Chris said, ‘If you can get this horse to win an event, I’ll buy you another one.’

“So we took him right back to basics. My mum helped me. We jumped cross-poles for a month and we got him sweet again,” says Gemma.

She went on to pilot Nyali Beach to win the CIC2* (now CCI3*-L) at Little Gatcombe,
where the Stones received their trophy from the Princess Royal (“that meant a lot
to them”).

The Stones soon invited Gemma to base herself at their West Sussex yard, Tattleton, and she’s been there ever since, with the Stones her principal owners as well as close friends.

Eventers, broodmares, home-breds and embryos

These days, Tattleton is home to a “very big system, situation, everything”, as Gemma
puts it.

There are some 50 horses involved, including Gemma’s seven to nine event horses and five showjumpers, plus a host of home-breds from “cooking” embryos to six-year-olds.

The broodmares include Gemma’s Rio Olympic ride Quicklook V, double three-star (now four-star) winner Chico Bella P and Alfie’s dam, Kings Gem.

Mary King bred Kings Gem, by Rock King out of the Louella Inschallah II mare Kings Mistress, who formed the basis of Mary’s own successful breeding programme.

“She was bought for me by the Stones as a nine-year-old who had done Blenheim and it was a big deal that someone was willing to buy me a horse of that stature,” says Gemma.

“She was some cross-country machine – a serious galloper and that’s been passed on to her babies.”

Gemma was under-25 national champion and completed Pau five-star on Kings Gem, while the Stones bred from her via embryo transfer. She and Chilli Morning produced eight full siblings.

“Just like with any siblings – horse, human, dog – they’re all very different, but they do have similarities in that they’re all gallopers and they can all jump. Also, they’re slow developers and don’t look much as four-, five-, even six-year-olds,” says Gemma.

Chilli Knight exemplified this. He certainly didn’t promise two five-star wins as a youngster.

“He was the most unassuming young horse ever. He was not a great shape, he’s only 16 hands maximum, he’s got pigeon toes. And when he was a young horse, honestly, he was hilarious. He just used to run out at the jumps all the time, cock his jaw, then trip over the side of the school,” Gemma remembers.

But she thought, “this horse is actually really cool cross-country” when he was seventh at Le Lion’s seven-year-old championships and he ran in his first five-star at nine.

On the flat, the fact he “shuffles rather than trots” means he has to have a “clear round” to nail a sub-30 at five-star, but he’s trainable and unaffected by atmosphere.

“Also, he’s got such belief. Even though he’s not particularly great at dressage, he actually thinks he is great, so he goes in the ring and he gives that impression,” says Gemma.

“He’s such a smiley little horse that he’s endearing, and we pick up marks because you can clearly see he’s trying and he’s so well trained. He’s relaxed and he does everything I ask of him.”

Gemma Stevens’ Burghley win built on “years of partnership”

An athlete who understands her own strengths and weaknesses, Gemma isn’t big-headed in saying that she is an accurate rider in terms of placing a horse to a take-off spot. Alfie has never known anything different and those “years and years of friendship and partnership” came to the fore across country at Burghley.

“When things went very wrong at the Leaf Pit, that was him paying me back for all the times I’ve put him right, and him saying, ‘Do you know what, Mum? Thank you for all that. I’ve got your back here,’” she says.

At one-day events, the cross-country jumps aren’t big enough to back Alfie off.

“It’s not much fun. He thinks he’s King Kong and shouldn’t be listening to me at all,” says Gemma, explaining that more recently, she and her the team have worked out and planned around the fact this is worse if he isn’t stabled on site.

“At Thoresby, he was nearly impossible to ride – all I could see was his white face and I had his ears up my nostrils,” she says.

In his four completed five-stars before Burghley, Alfie had only once had more than one showjump down – but five rolled poles at Badminton the year before made some wonder if Gemma could close this one out. What many didn’t know was that Alfie was well below par that day.

“He was sound and finished the cross-country well, but what we didn’t realise was that he’d had a lung bleed, so he was incredibly tired,” she says. “He was not right on that Sunday, because he’s not a ‘giver upper’. He’s always been a fighter.”

Gemma and her team gave Alfie time and care, not running him again last year.

She says: “I don’t usually do this, but at Burghley I wanted to get on him for literally
15 minutes after the trot-up and see how he felt. We put him through a little double and he pricked his ears, shook his head and wanted to go to the fence. It was a case of, ‘Thank God’, because he didn’t do that that day at Badminton; he was completely flat in the warm-up.”

By the time she entered the arena, Gemma had three fences in hand, but she didn’t need them and – as at Bicton in 2021 – she sealed the title with a showjumping clear, on her dressage score.

“What an absolutely crazy sport,” says Gemma, reflecting on the turnaround from Aachen to Burghley. She’s not wrong. Isn’t that why we love it?

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It’s easy to hark back to the cross-country courses of yesteryear, and pit the traditional “rider-frighteners” versus today’s technical questions, but the reality is far more nuanced. Ginny Elliot, who won 10 gold medals as well as five Burghleys and three Badmintons in the 1980s, refutes the idea that accuracy is more important today.

“When Frank Weldon took over building Badminton [1966–1988] it was all about bravery and accuracy – accuracy was super important,” she says.

“Now, yes, they have to be very accurate too because of the skinnies – which are difficult – and various other challenging questions, but it’s a different sort of accuracy.

“Angles were the main question for us; we had to be pinpoint accurate on our line or we’d land in a ditch. There was such a wide space to get it wrong because the rail was 20ft wide from right to left, to another rail 20ft wide – your angle and accuracy had to be absolutely correct, you couldn’t deviate six inches.”

Ginny gives the example of the angles at Badminton’s Tom Smith’s Walls – now no longer jumped – and the “S-fence”, built of timber.

“You were running downhill,” she says. “There was one stride between each rail, so you had to find your way through on the right striding.”

Burghley’s infamous Brandy Glass in 1983 – so called because from aerial view it was shaped like its name – was another.

“It was angled post-and-rail to angled post-and-rail to a corner, super-difficult, and dear Priceless was perfection; he didn’t deviate an inch right or left,” says Ginny.

She’d been told by chef d’equipe Malcolm Wallace not to attempt the influential direct route if she was on time.

“I think I was the only one who jumped it straight – because my watch wasn’t working, so I had to!”

The onus was on riders of that era to decide their own line and stick to it.

“You had to choose something like a piece of bark on the timber, and a tree in the distance to line up, especially if there were three fences in a row or open corners on a bending line.

“We jumped very natural fences that sat well in the countryside, utilising the natural resources. In my memory, we didn’t have protective rails on ditches like at the Vicarage Vee nowadays, so if you were near the end of the day, the ditch was considerably bigger.

“We rarely had fillers or flower pots; the fences were less dressed,” she adds. “I remember at Badminton a massive parallel on an angle over an open ditch. So you had to make sure you’re on exactly the right line or you land in the ditch.”

“Frank Weldon was a genius course-designer. We often sat in our lorries the night before cross-country agreeing that there were two or three unjumpable fences – how wrong we were. Frank had certainly managed to frighten the riders, but the fences jumped well.”

The challenge was to solve the course-designer’s puzzle.

“One fence I couldn’t work out in my head was at Gawler World Championships in 1984,” she says. “It was a rail, one stride, rail drop into water and then bounce over another rail. I watched it for a while, and it wasn’t working out. Even Charisma fell there.

“A very few managed the bounce, but it was ugly to watch. My question was, having dropped a long way down landing in the water, physically how could the horse get his weight back on his hind feet to take off immediately over the rail?

“So I worked out that if I could get Priceless to take two strides in the one stride, he’d drop in short and then could fit in one stride to the rail instead of a bounce. I just prayed and he did it. It didn’t sit well in my tummy but I was reasonably confident he could do it.

“Priceless had a remarkable brain and sense of quick decisions, a genius.”

They won double gold.

The Gawler fence would be outlawed today – the track produced 26 fallers from 43 runners.

And sometimes, the fences were rightly deemed unjumpable.

“At the Denmark Euros [Horsens, 1981] there was an upright on top of a bank like the Hickstead Derby bank, so horses would have landed right at the bottom,” Ginny remembers. “I walked the course with Richard Meade and I was just a child with nappies on!

“Richard looked at my face when we finished the course and said, ‘don’t worry, they will have to change two of those fences’. They removed them after the chef d’equipes’ meeting and thank goodness, because I was number one to go!”

Bouncing and bucking through bullfinches

Bullfinches were quite a feature in the ’80s. They still pop up today, but they’re arguably less frequent – and certainly less taxing. Ginny remembers a bounce of bullfinches at Burghley, where Night Cap cleverly scrambled in a stride.

“A bounce of bullfinches didn’t make any sense in my head and he must have been suspicious – but he was very clever and luckily I managed to stay on board. I hated that fence.”

Priceless managed to negotiate a huge bullfinch with a massive ditch in front on a steep downhill approach, bucking after Ginny tapped him on the shoulder to tell him to pay attention to the enormous obstacle ahead.

“Bucking was not what I needed when I felt we should be going 80mph! The crowds watching must have thought this very amusing,” she says. “Priceless, renowned for his cheeky behaviour, managed to stop bucking just in time and jumped it really well – goodness knows how.”

Another natural feature, banks, were also more prevalent, with iconic fences such as Luckington Lane and the Normandy Bank now no longer in use. These were a useful method of slowing horses down to make the optimum time sufficiently tough, but from a designer’s perspective, steps and staircases use up too many of the permitted number of jumping efforts.

Mastering the cross-country test

Despite – or perhaps because of – all these taxing fences, Ginny was a consummate cross-country rider, her smooth style belying the difficulty of the tracks. Two of her top horses – Priceless and Master Craftsman – never had a cross-country jumping fault, through their careers of multiple five-stars and championships.

“I was told early on in my career that a horse already knows he is a horse – the art of horsemanship lies solely with the rider,” says Ginny.

“I’ve always asked what the designer is asking from the rider, in terms of how to present their horse in the best way to negotiate a particular fence,” she explains. “Gear-changing is nearly the most important, and the smoother this happens, the less time you use.

“All horses are different and have their Achilles’ heels. As a rider, it’s our responsibility to do the gear changes, the rhythm and accuracy. And if you did all that you should have a high chance of jumping the fence happily.

“You can’t afford to take money out of the bank, so you don’t want a hairy moment at fence four,” she adds. “I would be very cross with myself if my horse hit a fence in front. I had another job to do on Sunday, so my horses had to finish in the best possible shape.”

And with Ginny’s extraordinary tally of medals and trophies, she certainly fulfilled her mission.

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Edwin Prosser and Laura Collett were recently revealed to be Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) 2026 supreme horse and pony judges. For equestrians both in and outside of showing, Laura’s is a household name. But what of Edwin?

For those of you who do not know the Welsh pony aficionado, here’s an insight into his background in horses, in showing, and what he will be looking for in the ring at HOYS.

Edwin's background in horses

Edwin grew up around ponies.

“My father had a smallholding,” says Edwin. “I used to drive his pony and trap. Then I had a pony and learned to ride and went to Pony Club.”

In his teens, Edwin picked up the ride on two local jumping ponies.

“The local butcher had bought 14.2hh jumping ponies for his daughters, and when they grew too old to ride them, I was offered the ride, and rode them for two seasons around the local county and agricultural shows.”

After leaving school, Edwin worked with point-to-pointers for a year before taking time away from horses.

“Then when my daughter was one, I bought her a Welsh section A and when she was old enough, we showed her for a few seasons on the lead until my daughter decided to give up. At that point, I looked to the in-hand ring and bought a section A stallion to show myself – Foxhunter Clove, who was champion at Glanusk in 1976.”

A long association with the famous Cottrell stud followed.

“I went to buy a foal from Mrs Johns-Powell at the Cottrell Stud, and from there she kept an eye on me, and I ended up doing and showing her ponies for 22 years.

“We won lots of major shows, including the Royal of England and the Royal Welsh, and were supreme at the Royal Welsh with Cwrtycadno Cadfridog in 1996, qualifying for the ‘Cuddy’.”

This wasn’t Edwin’s last qualification for Horse of the Year Show’s ‘Cuddy’ supreme – now the Price Family supreme in-hand championship.

Cadfridog’s daughter, Edwin’s own home-bred Mintfield Songthrush repeated her father’s success, standing Welsh section B and supreme at the Royal Welsh in 2004, earning her a spot in the coveted HOYS line-up.

He also produced Dr Wynne Davies’ stallion Trefaes Taran to qualify for the final, before he was shown by Dr Wynne’s son, David, to stand second in the pony final.

Since hanging up his showing jacket, Edwin has thrown himself into stewarding, including a 15-year stint in the main ring at the Royal Welsh.

As well as being a Welsh breeds enthusiast, Edwin is a big racing fan, making annual trips to Ireland to visit, among others, Coolmore, Ballylinch and Ballydoyle.

Edwin is also an experienced judge.

He had the honour of officiating over the in-hand championship at HOYS in 2022 with Tullis Matson, and joined Jocelyn Price to judge the junior mountain and moorland (M&M) final the same day, so judging the supreme won’t be his first experience of officiating over at the NEC.

“I really enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to this time,” says Edwin. “It took a while to sink in when I was first asked. It’s a real honour.”

Edwin has also judged all over the globe, including twice in Australia, America, Holland, France and Belgium, as well as at countless shows in the UK.

What will Edwin Prosser be looking for?

In the supremes, Edwin insists he will be looking for a quality exhibit and a good mover. It must also be “true to type” whatever it is, have clean limbs and correct conformation.

It may be easy to assume that given Edwin’s background and personal interests, he will be drawn to the welsh, or even the former racehorse, but previous form suggests not. Edwin and Tullis chose the horse division winner, broodmare Lovestruck as their champion, and Connemara mare Skaergaardens Delicious Love for reserve.

“It will be whatever stands out as the winner on the day,” says Edwin.

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Harry Meade rides out for Christian Williams, and goes behind the scenes to learn about their routines, management and philosophy

I am always intrigued visiting yards to see how other riders and trainers do things. When I go to a yard to try a young horse, I’ll often get side-tracked in the corner of a stable asking niche questions about their work routine or some other detail.

Christian Williams’ base at Ogmore-by-Sea is a state-of-the-art training
centre, but not in the conventional sense. I was fascinated to discover how his programme has been shaped by the extraordinary south Wales coastline, where the landscape itself provides facilities that many purpose-built yards would struggle to match.

The backdrop is stunning. Overlooked by the 12th-century ruin of Ogmore Castle, the yard is set at the mouth of the River Ewenny as it flows into the Bristol Channel. The beach and sand dunes are dramatic – immortalised in the filming of the desert scenes in Lawrence of Arabia. But as I arrive at the yard, with herds of thoroughbreds grazing in the sandy paddocks, the smell of salt and sea on the warm air of the summer heatwave, the atmosphere is low-key and peaceful.

Inside the indoor barn – which houses about 25 boxes as most of the 45-strong string live out 24/7 – eight horses for the first lot are tied up outside the stables being tacked up. My first impression is how very relaxed they are.

Riding out on the beach – “It’s idyllic”

I’m introduced to my ride, Fever Dream, a chestnut eight-year-old by Sholokhov who has won four races, and legged up.

We walk straight into the River Ewenny, a fast-flowing river reaching nearly up to the horses’ bellies and they stand patiently as we wait for Christian to join us. He often rides out to keep a close eye on his string. Watching him ride, his background as a top National Hunt jockey is obvious. Whatever the pace, his horse works softly into the bridle, relaxed and balanced throughout.

We hack down to the vast expanse of Ogmore beach along a couple of miles of sandy tracks, at one point climbing up a dune and then very steeply down in super-deep dry sand.

While horses tend to prop walking down firm or wet grass, on this deep sand they tilt their pelvises and tuck their quarters under, striding down like a panther. It’s only a short stretch, but it strikes me what a terrific natural feature it is from an athletic perspective – more beneficial for the horses’ backs than any physio session.

The beach was idyllic – you can see why Christian has little problem finding staff. We canter slowly in three huge circles. The sand rides in an identical fashion to the deep Wexford sand that has served the likes of Willie Mullins and countless Irish trainers so well. It’s wet, so it’s not loose, but deep so the horses work hard at a steady pace. Even better, it’s groomed daily by the tide.

The horses work hard, and recover by wading into the sea, walking and trotting along the shallow surf. Like a natural water treadmill, it’s beneficial for building up their strength and topline without concussion but with constant resistance.

They call the route back to the yard the “rollercoaster”. It winds around narrow, snaking tracks, almost like goat paths, which we canter along.

Christian’s father ran a trekking centre from his yard, so he grew up spending seven hours a day taking English tourists for beach rides. He knows these paths so well and it does feel like some sort of extreme trekking experience riding top-class racehorses.

You can’t go fast because of the complexity of the paths: 18-inch wide sand gullies carved into the long grass with banks keeping you in. You’re constantly weaving, going up and down, so both the horse and rider have to be incredibly well balanced, switching leads and adjusting to the rapidly changing inclines, which are at times extreme, almost a white-knuckle ride – it’s brilliant.

It impresses me how, when we get to the twistier bits, the horses stay in this relaxed, collected canter – it’s working every muscle in their body with terrific engagement and relaxation. It’s a constant challenge on the horse’s ability to find first gear and not let the engine drop out. I feel like I’m riding a high-class polo pony – never strong, and able to manoeuvre, open up and close down.

I love how this kind of work gives the horses something to think about without any kind of mental stress. Besides being supple, balanced and relaxed, it requires tremendous mental concentration as the horses think where to put their feet. It’s far from demoralising – it’s a decent workout and it’s fun. I’d imagine strong horses settle quickly here.

Next, we come to a fascinating sporting landmark – the Big Dipper. This is like a ski piste of deep soft sand, which levels out at the bottom. Here, what looks like a group of professional athletes are limbering up to run up the slope. There’s a tyre on a harness ready for action. It looks gruelling. Christian tells me that this is a well-known natural training area, where Olympic sprinters Linford Christie and Colin Jackson, and other track athletes, boxers and rugby teams used to do conditioning work.

Before sport became institutionalised with the likes of Loughborough and Bisham Abbey created as centres of excellence, many athletes used to come here on training camps and take advantage of the sand and steep inclines – just as Christian is doing for his equine athletes.

Christian doesn’t have all-weather gallops, horse walkers, covered rides or indoor schools. Yet his outfit is like a bespoke training centre with a wonderful variety of natural facilities, with both fitness and therapeutic benefits.

If I imagine a blank canvas to create a state-of-the art yard where everything could be sculpted to provide the changing gradients and surfaces that are best for horses’ fitness and welfare, you’d base a lot of that on what Christian has. He has the rollercoaster undulations of the dunes, the long straights and Wexford sand circles on the beach; the sea and rivers work as swimming pools, cold water spas and water treadmills.

They have all that on their doorstep and can incorporate it incidentally into their programme with little effort.

Turnout, feed and rugging

Back at the yard, the horses are hosed off before being turned out naked, in groups of seven.

My horses also spend most of their time out in the field, but in individual paddocks. Ours have horses all around them, but they each have a corridor between them and the horse next door as I worry about kicks and preventable injuries. Christian says that they rarely get kicks, but any that do would be stabled more and go out in smaller, separate paddocks on their own.

The horses are fed outside from individual tubs. Christian’s brother and assistant trainer Nicky explains that they know their hierarchy and all line up in a queue at feeding time according to their order, without fighting. They’re on sand – apparently you can walk in the fields in your slippers in the middle of winter – so the horses can go out in all weathers, well rugged as necessary.

There’s a negligible amount of grass, just enough to pick at but without the worry of them blowing up on lush grass in the spring. I’d imagine they get most of their nutrition from their bucket feed and haylage (which is made locally and smells delicious).

It’s a nice connection that Christian and I both feed D&H, and we chat about the benefits. His horses look outstanding – they are fit, but well conditioned with unsurprisingly good toplines in keeping with the kind of work they are doing.

Finally, we head up to a huge field on a hill overlooking the sea that Christian rents off a local farmer for his summering horses. This is on limestone soil, which not only has great drainage and grass cover, but has natural mineral benefits too.

There must be about 30 horses here – shoes off, sun-bleached coats – enjoying their last few days of holiday before it’s time to move back to the yard and start their fitness work ready for the National Hunt season.

Christian walks around the herd, picking out a few superstars such as Kitty’s Light – winner of the Scottish National and nearly half a million in prize money. Another is six-year-old House Of Habsburg – a big, strapping type who’s won his last three races and is tipped for the top.

I think that I’d like to live at Christian’s yard if I were a horse. My overall impression is that they’re both mentally and physically relaxed and enjoy their work – no doubt due to living out the whole time and being in full, varied and mentally stimulating work. It seems inconceivable that a horse could be unhappy in its work here.

It’s not brass knobs and marble troughs, but if you were going to design a training centre from scratch with nothing but the horses’ welfare and athletic development in mind, you’d wish for something remarkably similar.

But this outlier on the Welsh coast is a one-off that, sure as anything, money cannot buy.

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Anyone who has sold and bought property knows that moving is one of the most stressful things a person can do – but what about equestrian property?

If moving once and landing in a horsey home for life is your aim, buying a forever home – or one to invest in and sell to fund retirement or future projects – takes more than just instincts. Forward planning will set you on the path to success.

From planning permission to budgeting and maintenance, here are the key factors to consider when trying to maximise the value of equestrian property.

Buying the right equestrian property

Buying a horsey home that'll set you and your horses up together forever, for many, is a dream come true. However, many of these sought-after forever homes return to the market.

How can people bear to let them go? Frequently, the situation is out of their hands.

Sometimes the sale of a late relative’s home puts equestrian property back on the market. Other times empty-nesters willingly downsize. Or, the home – though perfect when bought – simply isn’t futureproof.

“It’s about balancing domestic comfort with equine functionality,” says Abi Rhodes, director at Rural Scene. “The most common issue I hear from customers who are moving is that they simply don’t have enough grazing land.”

According to Sarah Lucas, land agent at Brown & Co, buyers should also consider evolving needs over the coming decades.

“That may mean accommodating retired horses, supporting younger family members entering the sport or creating additional income opportunities.”

Properties can fall short in their provision for the human occupants too.

“If the home needs to grow outwards or upwards to accommodate relatives in the future, structural and legal boundaries must be vetted immediately,” adds Abi.

While buying somewhere to live forever may secure the rest of your life, many properties become a nest egg that will facilitate retirement or future projects.

Adding to or extending equestrian facilities, or the home itself, is obvious for maximising values of equestrian property. Turning a ring-fenced agricultural smallholding into a bells and whistles “fully equestrianised” haven will, as Abi puts it, “always fetch a premium price”.

How much does equestrian property maintenance cost?

Let’s say you uncover an ideal-acreage equestrian home within budget in the kind of location that ticks all your boxes now and forever. Perfection in theory – but don't be caught out by maintenance.

Stunning equestrian properties don’t stay flawless on their own, so how can you chose a property that stands the test of time?

“When purchasing a long-term ‘forever home’, a multi-decade timeline shifts the financial focus from surface-level cosmetics to major structural life cycles,” warns Abi. “Over 20 to 40 years, every major component of a house will eventually reach its expiration date and require complete replacement.

“To plan accurately, buyers must break their long-term expenses into three distinct categories: fixed structural life cycles, preventative maintenance and rolling cosmetic updates.”

A buyer intending to remain in a property for several decades should budget for the full life cycle of key building components, says Brown & Co land agent Lulu Agnew. “Long-term ownership is often more affordable when these predictable costs are planned for gradually rather than dealt with reactively.”

In terms of maintenance, Lulu and Abi advise:

• Boilers, bathrooms and kitchens need periodic replacement
• Roofing, windows, drainage systems and external finishes may require significant investment over time
• Routine maintenance, such as gutter cleaning, fencing repairs, tree management and redecoration should also be anticipated
• Stable buildings require ongoing attention to roofing, timberwork, concrete floors and drainage
• Arenas need regular levelling, surface maintenance and drainage management to remain safe and functional, and surfaces will need topping up over time
• Exposed exterior wood requires staining or painting every three to five years to prevent rot
• Metal roofs on barns rust and standard shingles or metal sheets require full replacement on a 25-year cycle
• Timber post-and-rail lasts around 15 to 20 years; even pressure-treated wood posts rot at the ground line where moisture sits. Expect to replace individual rotted posts and snapped rails annually, with a complete fence-line replacement required every two decades

Maximising value of equestrian property with renovations that pay off

What if you plan to sell down the line? Smart investments will increase value.

“A well-maintained property will be worth more and look attractive to prospective purchasers,” says Sue Grant of Fox Grant. “A well-thought-out staged maintenance schedule can help to budget and spread the cost.”

Even totally undeveloped land can be transformed into a viable equestrian set-up.

“The cost of installing mains water to paddocks and field shelters generally pays dividends when you come to sell,” Sue adds. “Look on second-hand sale sites for materials; it’s amazing what people want to give away. Farm sales are also a good place to look for equipment.”

For larger-scale projects, a little research will help you spend wisely.

“Size is key,” says Abi, when offering tips for building an arena. “In this day and age, a 20x40m often isn’t large enough.

“Well-ventilated barns with internal stabling and wide aisle ways seem to be more sought after now compared to the old-fashioned timber looseboxes.”

Abi adds that high-quality, low-maintenance fencing is frequently overlooked.

“Fencing is the very first thing an equestrian buyer sees and poor fencing is a financial deterrent.”

Supporting your income with an equestrian property

Securing your future takes many forms – one of them could be capitalising on your property’s business potential.

Fox Grant managing director, chartered surveyor and horseman William Grant’s enterprising mindset helped him launch several business ventures from his equestrian smallholding in Wiltshire.

He purchased a five-acre parcel next to his own property for extra grazing, but started diversifying shortly after.

“We welcomed our first camper in 2009; they wanted somewhere to stay near Stonehenge, which is just a couple of miles from us,” he says. “Now we get around 15,000–20,000 campers a year.”

As well as the campsite – which has grown to include glamping units – William also facilitates storage and runs weddings and events, including Solstice Fest, a four-day music and wellbeing festival in June.

For William, anyone with land who is enterprising and open-minded enough can use it to earn a partly or completely passive income, and permitted development goes a long way.

Permitted development under class BC in England allows the use of any land as a recreational campsite for not more than 60 days in total in any calendar year – limited to 50 pitches.

In England, class BC is in addition to class B permitted development UK-wide, which allows you to use any land for any purpose for not more than 28 days.

William says demonstrating what’s commercially viable on your land through permitted development can also make resale more lucrative.

“If you do sell your property, then you’re also selling a business opportunity,” he remarks. “You’re adding equity by showing people there is cash flow right there waiting for them.”

Planning permission for equestrian homes

Off-the-peg equestrian homes are few and far between, and securing the finished article at purchase stage often requires an astronomical budget.

For Charlotte Roberts-Barr, senior consultant at Boatwrights, the best thing a purchaser can do is see the potential for long-term gains in an equestrian property.

“You can enlist the services of a planning consultant or put in a pre-application yourself,” says Charlotte.

You don’t have to own a property to submit a pre-application, but it can up to 10 weeks for a decision. Therefore, vendors can benefit from being able to demonstrate planning potential to prospective buyers via their own pre-app.

“I’d estimate it would cost around £1,000 for a consultant to submit it, but they understand the language and trigger points that the local authority may or may not look for,” Charlotte adds.

Maximising value with planning permission

Even if you don’t plan to make major changes to a property before you sell and capitalise, you can be shrewd with planning to secure development for potential buyers. If you have agricultural buildings standing empty, changing their classification – even without fully completing any works – can help boost your nest egg’s value.

“I would always apply for Class Q planning,” says Charlotte. “If it’s an agricultural building with a concrete base that’s been used for agricultural purposes in the last 10 years, you can apply for a 56-day notice to convert that building into a residential dwelling under Class Q planning.

“It’s the difference between a barn worth £100,000 and a barn worth £300,000, for instance.”

You can diversify your property to attract a future proprietor even if you don’t plan to run a business from home yourself.

“Let’s say for instance that you have a stable block and obtain planning to convert it to holiday lets,” says Charlotte.

“You would then undertake a material start to that conversion. This would constitute the most basics works as detailed by that scheme, such as clearing trees or moving fences.

“The key is also to ensure you register commencement of works with the council. That’s basically your stage one and it locks in the planning permission for that specific development – the planning cannot lapse.”

● Have you bought, renovated or diversified an equestrian property? 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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Graham Dunkley is one of the judges who has the enviable task of judging at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

This year, what each judge is assessing will be revealed just the night before the class. Trialled in 2024, this format is back by popular demand. So, while we won't know what Lancashire-based Graham is judging for the time being, we can learn a little more about him, his background in showing, and what she will be looking for in the ring.

One thing we do know, having been trained as a classical chef, Graham can handle the heat...

Graham's background in horses and showing

Graham rode and began showing as a child. Though he rode many show ponies, two native ponies have had a significant influence on his equestrian journey.

That particular journey “began back in 1975 on a little Welsh Section A lead-rein pony called Norgwill Pipi,” says Graham.

“At the time, the local riding school was run by husband and wife team Bob and Pat Templeton, who decided to try their hand at producing show ponies. Bob later became a well-known showman with strong links to HOYS and after marrying Julie, they went on to help shape the showing world as it is today.

“My little pony Pipi also went on to enjoy success, winning his breed section at the Olympia finals.”

The second pony hit headlines just earlier this year. This was the latest addition to the Dunkley family’s herd: Highland pony Genesis of Westown (Noah). Incidentally, you can find out more about this in the March 5, 2026 issue of Horse & Hound.

“Quite unexpectedly, Noah brought me back into the show ring as a rider after a 30-year break. It certainly was not planned but he reminded me that being in the saddle is my happy place,” says Graham.

“In showing, it is easy to become so focused on turnout and performance that we put too much pressure on ourselves and those around us. Noah reminded me that we do this sport for fun. For those of us who are truly hooked, nothing quite compares with the bond between horse and rider, and competing against yourself to be better that you were yesterday.”

Owning horses is a lifelong learning curve for any equestrian. Graham believes that “the most important lesson horses have taught me is that the right way in the end isn’t always the quickest way. There isn’t a gadget or TikTok video out there that replaces the need for patience, kindness and understanding that every day is a school day. That is true when working with horses, and it is just as true in every aspect of life.”

In a lifetime spent around show ponies and horses, Graham has had a good number of highlights to remember.

“I have been lucky enough to ride some beautiful horses and ponies over the years and have enjoyed many amazing moments.”

However, one of his fondest is the memory of “a small local show, watching my son absolutely smash his first-ridden debut on his little Shetland pocket rocket.”

Graham's judging experiences and highlights

“Before judging, I got into stewarding once my riding career paused.”

This is something he would encourage all prospective judges to do.

“It teaches you how to manage a ring, which is ultimately the job of the judge. You learn to spot that child who is about to take flight on their bombproof schoolmaster, or how to deal with the one who has had a wrong leg and needs some encouragement before dealing with mum outside the ring.

“I was one of the main ring evening performance stewards for Ponies UK when it was at the East of England Showground, along with Phill Judge and Nigel Oliver. Great times.

“You also see much more than you would from the other side of the ropes and when I was starting out, the knowledge I gained from watching and talking to the senior judges was invaluable and helped me gain the confidence to become a judge.”

Graham started judging at at a very local level, “as is the case with most judges,” and has now now been a panel judge for over thirty years.

“I have been fortunate to judge at some fantastic shows and, without detracting from those experiences, my highlight has to be my two previous HOYS judging appointments; to judge at HOYS is both an honour and a privilege.

“That is the gig that every judge starting out wants to be invited to. The first time is obviously a bit daunting leading up to the show; however, the second time, you can allow yourself the time to take it all to enjoy and appreciate the experience of judging the best of the best.”

What will Graham be looking for in the ring?

“I started my riding career on show ponies and these, for me, will always hold that special place,” he says. “However, you will always get a kick when that special animal walks into the ring and that can come from any of the sections.

“I want to see animals smiling through the bridle, with an attitude that cannot be ignored,” he continues. “Reaching the finals is incredibly difficult, so all the ponies will already be of a high standard, true to type, correct in conformation and way of going.

“I’m really excited to see the one or two with that unmistakable star quality, deserving of having their names on the roll of honour alongside the great show animals of the past.”

Graham’s pet hates

“Maybe I am turning into a grumpy old man but I have a few. My biggest bugbear is bad manners and that is from the competitors. I was always taught to smile, be on time, be correctly presented and give the impression that I was doing something I enjoyed.

“Another one is animals going in a forced outline and not carrying themselves. But the pet hate that frustrates me the most is overcomplicated individual performances that are often inappropriate for the class and are usually badly executed.

“As a judge, I want to see lots of little things done well: correct paces with crisp transitions. I would rather see simple perfection than complex chaos. I have lost my winner numerous times for this reason.”

Tips for HOYS first-timers

Graham says: “The clue is in the title – be a showman.

“From the second you step into the ring to when – if you are lucky enough to be – you’re cantering out on the lap of honour, you are on show and someone will always be watching.

“Don’t play it safe; try to wow. With reference to my earlier point, that doesn’t mean attempting a one-handed serpentine, with a rein back and a walk to canter thrown in for good measure. At HOYS, there will be a set show, so take time to execute it correctly, don’t rush and most of all, enjoy the ride.”

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I had a proper debrief after the Europeans last summer with my trainer Anne van Olst. It wasn’t the result we wanted, so we went right back to basics and started again from there. What did we want to change? What could be better in the preparation? It was about becoming more of a team again, really – harmony, seeing what works.

It’s difficult when it doesn’t go to plan, but we never doubted Glamourdale would get back to his best. He always feels like he’s getting stronger and there’s always a little bit more in him – the hard part is getting it all right at the same time.

One thing we worked on was my position – just being quiet, sitting still, taking a breath instead of thinking, “Come on, we have to do it,” the second I’m in the ring.

The other was the basics: taking time off for him so he could hack, gradually building him up, then giving him a weekend to relax before we upped it again.

We kept to a variety all winter and didn’t compete him too much beforehand, so he arrived at the world championships in Aachen happy and fresh rather than campaigned into the ground.

We arrived on the Sunday, with the vet check on the Monday. It isn’t far to travel for us, so there was no need to go early. We were in the new stable block in Aachen, which was amazing even in the heat, with our own section for the British horses.

Things like the wash bays were well set up and big, too, which makes life easier with a stallion. Getting him there can be tricky if there are mares and other horses around, so having that sorted made a big difference.

He’d had a couple of weeks off breeding work before Aachen – not long, because he’s in demand. It’s part of what pays his costs, so that side matters, too. Mentally, he’d happily breed all the time, but we have to balance that against keeping his body fresh. And before Aachen, as a team, we got everything right.

We ride him over to the trot-up rather than leading him in-hand, because it keeps everything separate in his head from the breeding work. As soon as I’m on his back, he knows it’s dressage. It’s a system that works well with the stallions; if they’re led in-hand, they can get confused.

But from the moment we arrived, he was quiet and happy in his stable. We had one familiarisation session on the Monday, then I just sat on him and walked on the Tuesday to give him a leg-stretch before the grand prix the next day. That morning, he felt so good that I thought to myself, if there’s going to be a time, it’s now.

Glamourdale loves the crowds; he’s always been like this. Even at seven, when he won at the young horse World Championships, he loved that crowd. He’ll walk out on a long rein afterwards, just listening to them cheer.

But in the warm-up at Aachen, every time I let him go on a longer rein, he’d look over towards the main stadium and try to go there. I’d have to tell him, “No, we have to wait, it’s not our time yet.”

The whole way in, he was whinnying, ears pricked, trying to go faster. Then as soon as he was actually inside, he’d go quiet, and you could feel how settled he was. He’s done it in London, too – heading off to the main arena on a long rein because he knows that’s where everyone is. It’s an amazing quality for a horse to have.

I thought the grand prix went well. He warmed up beautifully and there was just a small misunderstanding going into the first piaffe. After that, we were completely in tune. At this level, you can’t dwell on a mistake – you’re already onto the next movement. It’s milliseconds, millimetre work – the slightest shift of a seat bone or a wrist – and over time it just becomes instinct through repetition.

But we did what we needed to for the team that day, which was the most important thing.

We had a day off before the special. We did a light training session in the covered arena that day so it wasn’t too warm for him, just working a few exercises in walk to get the feeling I needed without riding him too much – half-passes, walk pirouettes, that kind of thing.

At the end, I picked him up and rode the last line of the canter pirouettes, then I just sat there and said to Anne: “He’s so ready.”

It gives me such extra confidence having Anne there on the ground.

She’s so knowledgeable and she knows us inside out. Having her there also means someone’s making sure you don’t do too much, because you’ve still got two more days of competing ahead.

At that moment we both knew that whatever happened, we couldn’t have prepared any better.

On the day of the special, we had a long break between morning and evening sessions due to the heat. I was competing in the evening. I watched Becky Moody and Jagerbomb’s test in the morning, then went back to the hotel for lunch: simple pasta with tomato. It’s always pasta before a competition, so I know I’ll have the energy. Then I put on a sleep playlist to zone out properly.

A couple of hours before I got on, I switched to more of a high-beat playlist to switch on. It’s always the same songs, Titanium by Sia, Diamonds by Rihanna. Then I watched old videos back and ran through a few exercises to make sure my body felt ready. By the time I got on, I had total focus.

Going into the special, all you see is your pathway in and you just stay in it. I don’t remember much else, I was in such full focus.

I remember the trot extensions, the passage, the half-passes – we just floated through. It gave me a read on how he was feeling, and from there, you know how much to ask of him and how much risk to take.

After the Europeans, that pressure around the first piaffe – where we had made a mistake – was definitely in my head too, but we’d worked hard on my head as much as anything: relax, don’t panic, he can do it. In the special, I believed it and I think that showed in him.

I could hear the crowd. I remember I was in the middle of my one-time changes on the centre line and I just heard gasps. I almost laughed, I was like, “Really? In the middle of my ones? What’s going on?”

But his changes are incredible – so natural and big that sometimes I actually play it safe and don’t allow him too much forward, because he naturally goes into them. I wasn’t going to ask him to wait this time though.

I thought, if you want to do it like this, let’s do it, and show them the best we can. It’s always a risk showing changes that big. They take up the whole diagonal and if you start them even slightly late, you can find yourself in trouble by the end. But I’ve done them enough times now, I know if I get the timing right going in, we’ll be fine.

I hadn’t watched anyone else’s test beforehand or taken note of the scores, although you can’t really avoid hearing them over the loudspeaker while you’re warming up, so I did hear a few before I went in. Coming out of the arena, my legs were shaking. I don’t think I’d ever felt adrenaline like it.

There was one combination after me, Katharina Hemmer and Denoix PCH, who won bronze. I didn’t watch them go. I took Glamourdale back to the stable, gave him a carrot and walked back to the mixed zone because there’s nothing worse than standing there waiting.

But I knew it was the best test we’d ever done. There have been amazing tests before, but for the whole thing to come together like that was incredible. And to win, you’re doing it for the whole team, not just yourself. You don’t want to make a mistake for “Glammy” either, because he deserves the win. It was incredible.

In the freestyle, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced an atmosphere quite like it, but for me it was the complete opposite of the special. It’s strange. I’ve never been so relaxed. We were just chilling in there, enjoying it, going with the music, taking our time. In the special, we both felt we needed to fight for it. In the freestyle, it was purely about enjoying it.

Our freestyle came together in bits. I’d picked out a few songs, and Joost Peters, who puts the music together, noticed they were all to do with flying, so he suggested a flying theme. I’d been playing We’re Going to Ibiza! by Vengaboys while riding him at home and thought, this fits so well – so we wrote in the line where I say, “Welcome aboard Glamourdale Airlines,” like an air hostess before we go into the ring.

The crowd laugh so hard at that bit that they almost miss the second line – “Please fasten your seatbelts, we’re about to take off. Enjoy your flight.” It’s such a fun idea and it suits him perfectly.

I could hear the crowd through the extended canters. Hearing them get excited while you’re riding is such a nice feeling.

When I got off, I said to everyone, “We couldn’t have done any more.” That’s such a good feeling to have – not, “If only I’d done this or that,” just that was everything. Whatever happened next, even a silver or a bronze, that was everything we could have ever dreamed of doing.

There were a few more to go after me in the freestyle, but again, I didn’t watch anyone. I wasn’t able to watch the test back straight away, so while we waited for the last scores to come in, I was just watching clips people were posting on Instagram from the test – just to feel it again.

When Isabell Werth was going, I had Anne in one ear telling me how well she was doing, and I was saying to her, “Can you not? I already know she’s amazing!”

No one had ever successfully defended two individual titles before. To be honest, it’s taken a long time for it to sink in – I had my first proper night’s sleep again only recently. It means more than our wins in 2022, I think, because staying at the top is mentally so much harder than getting there, and to prove we could do it again four years later, with the same horse going better than ever, is a huge testament to the whole team.

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Tullis Matson has an old black and white photo of a Suffolk horse ploughing a field with his grandfather. It’s not just a sentimental treasure, for heavy horses have had a huge impact in Tullis’s pioneering work with rare breeds. But that began with a passion for the horse.

“Suffolks, like many heavy horse breeds, put food on our table in the 1930s and ‘40s; they worked with us through wars, so now we have a choice,” says Tullis, founder and director of Stallion AI. “Do we let them go, or do we save them? It’s our heritage.”

Tullis spent a morning at Gatcombe Park Stud, where the Princess Royal has a small herd of Suffolk horses – stallions, mares and geldings – to see “how they’re trying to stop these amazing rare-breed horses from going extinct”. He went for a hack, a ride in the carriage and drove horses chain-harrowing a field, before visiting a few of Gatcombe’s Suffolk mares in their paddocks with Princess Anne.

“What amazes me is their versatility,” he says. “It was an incredible experience, I had an amazing ride – and I didn’t know how many gears they had. They’re powerful – weighing a tonne – yet graceful with it.”

Suffolks are of special interest to Tullis. In 2019, his cryoconservation techniques were used to select female sperm to breed a Suffolk filly in an effort to boost critically low numbers of mares in this rare breed.

“I’ve never looked through a foal’s back legs so quickly!” he says. “It was a big milestone. When that filly was born, I said, ‘This foal holds the future.’”

Tullis has used the same pioneering techniques for other endangered species, including bull elephants and white rhinos, through his charity Nature’s SAFE.

“Suffolks are close to my heart; my mother loved them,” he says. “But also this breed means so much to me because they’ve been a challenge when it comes to breeding. So we’ve had to up our game in terms of how we can freeze the semen and that’s now what we’ve pushed across to other breeds of horses we can help.

“Not only that, but we’ve been able to help other species like rhinos and elephants, and it all comes from the Suffolk horse. I thank the Suffolk because they helped develop this technology. We had to pull out all the stops to save them – if we could do this with this amazing animal, why couldn’t we do it with other species.

“The importance of saving these horses is absolutely paramount. If we lose the breed we can never bring it back.”

Princess Anne keeps a handful of Suffolk horses at Gatcombe, alongside other rare breed animals, such as Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs.

“I’m old enough to have seen these horses working in Norfolk,” the Princess says. “My passion for the Suffolks really comes from an annoyance that we forget at our peril just how good they were at working and how much they worked for us.

“These horses are the future,” says Tullis

We’ve lost that trait, identifying that these animals really enjoyed what they did.

“The heavies have been bred to work for a very long time. It’s in their DNA. People need to understand they’ve been our companion animals and working partners. They understand what they’re doing and enjoy it: show them a piece of harness and they know what to do. They say, ‘That’s OK, we’ll do that.’

While Tullis is already impressed by these heavies’ versatility, Princess Anne lists more of their skills.

“All our paddocks are chain-harrowed by the Suffolks,” she says. “There are places where having horses working makes a difference – they make less mess, they’re neater, they can work in smaller places.

“I just wonder if they could have a future with the fuel crisis,” she laughs, “so they’re not entirely loss-making. That would be nice.”

One avenue she would like to see explored is logging: “The logging is done much more in Nordic countries, the States and in Canada,” she says. “If you want a harness, you have to go to Scandinavia or America to get it, but there is more scope here than you think. And my Christmas tree was delivered by Suffolk last year. They could do more of that.

“There is commercially a possibility for these horses – we just have to be aware of what that could be so that people can make it possible.”

Tullis adds: “Their numbers are slightly improving but you cannot be complacent. They can’t exist just on goodwill, we have to find a job for them. It’s incredible what they’re doing at Gatcombe.”

Both Princess Anne and Tullis agree that to save the breed, we need to think outside the box, continuing to push the bounds of both technology and ideas.

When a breeding population falls very low, inbreeding makes it hard to get mares in foal. The SPARKS (Single Population Analysis and Records Keeping System) advisory scheme, which uses deep pedigree analysis, is now being applied to Suffolk breeding to inform appropriate matches.

“It’s like a dating agency for Suffolks,” and has really helped turn around other rare breeds such as Cleveland Bays,” says Tullis. “Inbreeding is such a problem in small populations because it can lead to mid- to late-term pregnancy loss, higher neonatal losses, infertility and problems with semen quality. And foals are more likely to be male – when we need to increase the female population.”

Princess Anne points out that the fact that Suffolks are so versatile means they make a great cross on a lighter breed – which has possibly exacerbated their rarity.

“Arguably the reason they’ve become so rare is that they make such good outcrosses,” she says, introducing Tullis to a 22-year-old mare who’s had three foals, one of which was half thoroughbred.

“They have relatively clean legs, so a lot of them were bred as good heavy or middleweight hunters, straight crosses, but they didn’t really go back to the pedigree enough so they kind of disappeared. Her crossbred is dark brown, so looking at him you wouldn’t think that’s a Suffolk, but there are others you look at and you can tell they have Suffolk in their history.”

Princess Anne asks what else could be done to perpetuate the breed. The Suffolk has always been exclusively chestnut (traditionally without the T) but could the gene pool be widened?

“It’s often about colour,” she says. “In the States, the native population learnt to breed coloured animals. If that’s the only difference, what does it matter?

“So I think there is scope to progress. I think sometimes we quibble about technology but with rare breeds it’s a really useful addition. It gives you scope you didn’t have before.”

Tullis agrees that all options need to be considered. “We’re going down a funnel and they call it the extinction vortex, which is very difficult to climb out of. We have to look at what’s out there and not have tunnel vision.”

But he remains optimistic: “We have the technology we are already using, freezing sperm and eggs, then tissue is the future as it contains the whole DNA,” he says.

“We have to look at all technologies – they’re all tools in conservation – if we want to save these species. We owe it to the next generation.”

He pats one of the mares.

“These horses, the female line, are the future,” he says. “These are the horses that helped save the elephants and the rhinos.”

Facts about the Suffolk horse

• The Suffolk is one of four British heavy horse breeds, alongside the Shire, Clydesdale and Percheron – all of which are among the biggest horse breeds in the world
• The breed is often known colloquially as Suffolk Punch, but just Suffolk is correct.
• They are always chestnut – spelt the traditional Suffolk way with no “t”.
• Listed as a priority by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, the highest level of endangerment. The data is showing improvement, but prognosis is guarded as the number of breeding animals is still very low.
• All studbook horses can trace their male lines back to a single stallion, “Crisp’s Horse of Ufford”, foaled in 1768.
• Unlike other heavy horse breeds, they have minimal feather, preventing them from being weighed down by heavy East Anglian clay.
• According to the Suffolk Horse Society’s secretary Belinda Rudderham: “On average, 85 mares go to stud each year; the society registers 40 foals”.

Do you have experience with Suffolk horses? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com

With thanks to D&H, who facilitated ambassador Tullis Matson’s interview at Gatcombe Park

If you were to design an elite event horse, Kananaskis probably wouldn’t be the prototype. Now 18 years old, he stands just 15.1hh, with legs made of proverbial glass and is – according to his rider Cerys Macaulay – only “18% thoroughbred”. He’s had the best part of three years out of the game, due to Covid and injuries, and requires an unconventional work routine.

Yet, this brilliant little horse has jumped clear round two junior and a young rider Europeans, several Nations Cups and a five-star. This year, well into veteran status, he was crowned runner-up at the under-25 World Championships at Millstreet and the equivalent national class at Bramham.

“The horse’s record is ridiculous,” says Cerys. “He’s been abroad more times than most people have been on holiday.”

Cerys started riding “Ru” only two years ago, when he was rehabbing from an operation. Up until then he’d been campaigned by her boyfriend Richard Coney. But he was in the last-chance saloon in terms of his competitive future.

“He had an injury to his right leg in 2021; the following spring he did his left leg – then had surgery on the right one,” Cerys explains.

“Richard said, ‘I’m a bit big for him anyway – why don’t you rehab him and see if you can keep him in any sort of work?’ I’m so grateful to Richard and his mother Wendy for giving me this opportunity.”

Cerys spent the winter hacking, “mooching about” (though he’s cheeky to hack), played around at a few novices and by the end of the season they finished fourth at Cornbury three-star.

Cerys, who runs a rehab business, Honington Grange Equine Rehabilitation, manages Ru very carefully. Most of his daily work is on the water treadmill and trotting up hills. He rarely goes in the school, and has regular Hofmag sessions (pulsed electromagnetic therapy) plus time in the salt and oxygen room to boost his respiration and coat.

Cerys says it’s a combination of this nurture and his zest for the game that makes him so successful.

“He tries very hard and he’s also really athletic in his body,” she adds. “He doesn’t do any galloping and we hardly jump him; he just does as much low-intensity work as he needs. He’s probably not as fast or fit as he could be, but he’s sound and in one piece.

“At Millstreet, he was jumping to the top of the wings. He loves going to a party. He shouts his head off when he arrives at a show and then drags my groom Liv Smith around like he’s saying, ‘I’m the man, look at me!’ You can tell it’s his thing.”

Cerys doesn’t seem one to shout about her ambitions, but this year’s were very modest when you consider what she’s achieved.

“I thought we might as well give the under-25 trials a crack seeing as he’s such a good horse and it’s my last year,” she says. “And he ended up at the World Championships.”

The pair stole through the field from their 12th-placed dressage mark – then after a fast cross-country round leapfrogged from seventh to silver with a clear showjumping.

“I didn’t think I could ride well under pressure but when you have to get it done, I seem to be able to think, ‘Come on, let’s do it,’” she says. “I was surprised by how well I rode in the showjumping because I was really nervous. My team was winding me up because my heart rate was over 200 beats per minute during my round!

“And then, when everyone was waiting to go into prize-giving, they all had to wait while Ru decided he needed to wee,” she laughs. “Every time he goes into an arena, whether it’s at home or a show, he’ll pretend he needs to wee, standing with his legs really far apart for ages.”

While Kananaskis is a gloriously eccentric star of eventing, Cerys has taken an equally unconventional route into the sport. Her professionalism is impressive by any stretch, even more when you consider how relatively new she is to the sport.

She grew up in the suburbs of Manchester in a non-equestrian family, and got her horsey fix in a riding school until the age of 14. Call it chance or destiny, but the fork in her life that led down the eventing path has a serendipitous ring to it.

“My stepdad sold a car to a man whose daughter did a bit of eventing,” she explains. “He said, ‘My daughter would like to get into eventing but we don’t have a clue what we’re doing.’

Cerys ended up moving her ex-riding school pony to the daughter of the buyer’s yard and entering the eventing world.

“I only did a couple of events – it was my birthday treat – and got eliminated,” Cerys smiles.

Her first two ponies were both riding school rejects.

“The first one was a four-year-old that a lot of people fell off and the riding school was closing down,” says Cerys. “The manager asked mum if we’d have him and although she said no, they persuaded us it wouldn’t be that expensive on working livery. That was my mum’s worst financial mistake ever!”

During Covid, Cerys found she had extra time on her hands while studying for a degree in rehab and exercise science, and started working for Tyler Cassells, where her horse was on livery. She had a four-year-old she couldn’t get on with; Tyler had a novice schoolmaster, Dooney Rock, he was happy to let her ride – and so they swapped.

“I loved Dooney Rock,” Cerys says. “He was fantastic across country and took me to intermediate, but not in a particularly stylish fashion. I was always last.”

By now she was going out with Richard, who let her compete his 17.1hh three-star horse Drumconnick Cavalier (George), “the one that set me up”.

“George was my first proper horse; he made me think I could do this seriously,” she says. “We didn’t think he’d do as well as he did but in less than 18 months we went from novice to four-star. It wasn’t really planned, but he was a kind horse who didn’t mind if I got it wrong.”

She’s now based at Richard’s yard in Lincolnshire, renting a barn from the Coneys alongside fellow eventers Holly Woodhead and James Avery. It looks like a typical eventing set-up – a mix of competition horses, schooling liveries and breakers – but Cerys’ grind behind the scenes is extraordinary.

She also runs her rehab barn with the water treadmill, salt room, combi floor and Hofmag machine. In her dwindling spare time, she’s also a professional equestrian and pet photographer. In Covid she even worked as an HGV driver.

Her family has instilled a serious work ethic. As we speak on a Friday lunchtime, she’s already ridden 10 horses and an afternoon of admin lies ahead before another day on the road visiting yards with the Hofmag machine.

“My grandparents and my mum were always really supportive, but they said ‘Riding’s not a career, you can’t play ponies all day – you need a job and then you can play ponies,’” Cerys says. “The rehab barn pays the bills, that’s what funds the eventing yard. It’s that age-old thing of trying to get more owners.

“I can’t have a day off because I’m always on my phone – booking the farrier or organising water treadmill sessions. If not I’ll miss out on business opportunities.”

The work is endless, but the results are coming. She ticked off this year’s goals by the summer, yet there’s no sense of complacency or assumption that she’s made it. Kananaskis will be 19 next year, and Cerys is building from the bottom up.

“With Ru, my goal is just to keep him sound and happy,” she says. “If he looks like he wants to keep going, great, but he doesn’t have to do four-star. He needs a job, but he could also do prix st georges dressage or jumping, and just have a nice time.

“My ultimate aim is to do a five-star, particularly Badminton as I grew up going there every year. To do that well would give me a lot of satisfaction.”

Next season she’ll be out of the under-25 category, and finds the idea of “aiming for senior teams, being British, quite scary”.

“If I had a horse that was good enough, of course I’d think about that, but for now I want to keep producing nice young horses well and maybe doing some Nations Cups – that’s a great way of getting team experience without so much pressure.”

The wonderful Ru may be coming to the end of his remarkable story, but for Cerys, this is just the beginning.

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Helen Starkie is one of the judges who has the enviable task of judging at the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

This year, what each judge is assessing will be revealed just the night before the class. Trialled in 2024, this format is back by popular demand. So, while we won't know what Helen is judging for the time being, we can learn a little more about her, her background in showing, and what she will be looking for in the ring.

Helen Starkie’s background in horses

Lancashire-based Helen has been involved with horses since a child.

“Being a pony-mad child, my parents bought me my first pony when I was 12 years old,” says Helen. “He was a great all-rounder that I enjoyed competing at local shows. In the 80s we hacked to shows, did three or four classes and then hacked home. How things have changed!”

Both of Helen’s sons – Jack and Morgan – rode and showed ponies, predominantly natives. Both sons were successful, too, winning the mountain and moorland (M&M) first ridden class at HOYS; Jack won aboard the multigarlanded Waxwing Paintbox in 2006 before going on to take the mini M&M championship, and Morgan steered Wendon Choice to the title in 2013.

“The photos take pride of place on my living room wall,” says Helen. “Competing with their ponies gave them a strong work ethics and made them competitive. They are 24 and 30 now and are both doctors.”

Jack and Morgan also rode a pony that Helen considers has had a significant impact on her: Pumphill Bennet.

“Both my sons rode him with great success and many wins at HOYS, Royal International, Olympia and county shows. He never stopped giving his all and the partnership that he had with the boys was a pleasure to watch. He’s 25 now and enjoying his well deserved retirement at home on our farm.”

Helen says, reflecting on her time in showing: “Showing has also taught me good sportsmanship, accepting wins modestly and to act professionally when results were not always in my favour.”

Helen’s judging experience

“I started judging and stewarding when my sons got older and I had time to put something back into the system, and hopefully encourage and advise people coming into showing,” she says.

Since then, Helen has judged a host of shows up and down the country, including judging the M&M final at London International, an appointment she considers a highlight.

“I also judged in New Zealand this year, which was a fantastic experience and I would love to go back there.”

What will Helen be looking for when judging?

“At HOYS this year I am hoping to see forward moving ponies with good limb and where applicable, true to type movement and conformation.

“I am a big fan of tradition in showing regarding dress, performance, manners and sportsmanship,” she says.

“One of my pet hates is ponies going over-bent and ponies not being true to type and lacking good limb.

“My advice to HOYS first-timers is to plan your working in times, and enjoy every moment and enjoy all the show.”

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Jess Mendoza was 15 when she decided that “horses would be the main part” in her life. Thousands of pony-mad teenage girls declare similar dreams; few follow it through. But Jess’s single-minded pursuit of those goals took her from pony gold medals to the Rio Olympics in just four years; and from Wiltshire, via the Netherlands, to America.

“I knew I didn’t want to go down any other avenue, I just had to figure out how to make money from it,” says Jess, fresh from playing her part in Britain’s Nations Cup victory at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead.

But let’s go back a step, because before the practical realities of business come into play, there’s usually an emotional trigger that sets the path. For most elite riders, it’s one special pony that lights the touchpaper. Enter Tixylix, a “big mama” of a mare, who also later ignited Jodie Hall McAteer’s career.

In 2007, when Jess was 11, Tixylix won double gold with Zoe Adams at the pony Europeans. As fate would have it, when Jess’s parents were looking for a 148cm a couple of years later, Tixylix was based a few miles from their Wiltshire farm.

“She was owned by someone in the next-door village who had a car garage,” Jess explains. “His daughter was riding her a bit, but every day my dad went down the road to the garage to try to convince him to let me buy her. Eventually they became friendly enough for me to have a trial – but we already knew we wanted her. “She was wonderful from the beginning and really shaped my pony career.”

Jessica has gone on to have an affinity with mares – notably Spirit T and In The Air – and arguably Tixylix laid the foundations for these relationships.

“She was like a mini horse and bred like one,” Jess says. “She wasn’t petite; didn’t have any pony features. She was tall, long and crazy-blood. You couldn’t jump her at home – she was a typical chestnut mare.”

Besides winning at Horse of the Year Show and Olympia, the pair represented Britain four times at the pony Europeans, winning two golds and a bronze.

While she was studying for her A levels, Jess and her parents moved to the Netherlands as her burgeoning business plans began to take shape.

“I didn’t know if I would be selling horses, training or competing, but basing myself in Europe was the best thing I did for my career, because I could go to all those FEI shows every week and get that experience,” she says. “Eventually I learned that going to America and training people could be another route to making a business.”

Jess has been based on the east coast since Covid precipitated the permanent move, splitting her time between Florida and New York – with a few summer months in Europe.

The States offer a very different business model to this side of the Atlantic, but it’s one that works for Jess. Besides competing, which is much more lucrative than in the UK, Jess estimates that most of her business is training other riders. This ranges from those competing at 1.10m to others jumping five-star grands prix.

“It’s very different financially in America,” she explains. “At FEI shows, you’re spending about $4,500 [£3,340] to enter – compared with $400 to $1,000 in Europe. However, you can jump two horses in a grand prix qualifier of $100,000-plus in prize-money and a grand prix of up to $1m dollars, and ranking classes too. So there are many more chances to jump more horses and win more prize-money – I’d take a lot of my income that way.

“What’s also interesting, for me, is that it’s a lot more client-based. In Europe, it’s more common to see amateurs who do it by themselves or with their family, whereas in America, you essentially have to have a trainer, there is not another option. The girls I train are a pleasure, and many of them and their parents have become owners, which is a great opportunity to get quality horses.”

Another commercial enterprise is Llangollen, a 1,100-acre retirement farm, owned by a client in Virginia, that she set up this year with her husband, fellow showjumper Nicholas Dello Joio. They have 20 retired competition horses so far, and are hoping to build to 150.

“In England it wouldn’t work because more people have land, but in America, it’s very uncommon to have large farms – clients put their horses with the trainer,” she says. “So it’s a unique opportunity because it’s rare for people to retire their horses on their own land.

“We’re getting a lot of interest. I think people are gravitating towards us because they know we understand competition horses, that retirement is not just about putting a horse in the field but giving them time to adjust.”

Jess is married to an American, firmly established stateside, and her accent has an American lilt. There is much she may love about her adopted country, but Jess is still a Brit to her core. Of her home in New York, she smiles, “It’s a lovely climate and more like England in its style of barns and houses, it’s like home.” She even misses the food.

“That’s actually a good thing,” she laughs, “because if I lived in England I would be a lot bigger! I’d eat my way through the day. I love English food. When I go back home, that’s what I look forward to – a Sunday roast or a really good Indian takeout.”

And when it comes to competing, there is nothing she rates higher than representing her homeland.

“I really do love the teams – that’s my favourite type of competition,” she says. “I get more nervous watching my team-mates jump than doing it myself – it’s an element you don’t have in individual competition.”

This ability not to be affected by nerves while she’s riding is surely a prize asset.

“If you ask my husband, he’d say I’m a little different, maybe strange, but I don’t really think too much on the mental side of things,” she says. “My dad set it into me, good or bad, from a young age, that you just do it, don’t overthink it and just take the next step. It’s a very simple mindset but I try not to overcomplicate things.”

That said, with her training hat on, Jess knows that her mindset isn’t for everyone.

“There’s not a perfect way or a good or bad mindset to approach showjumping,” she says. “I’ve been around so many different people – some find sports psychologists helpful, some don’t. Maybe in two years’ time I’ll have another perspective, but right now, I have a very simple way of approaching the sport.”

Her team-mate nerves have been tested in three Nations Cups this season, with two podium finishes.

“One of my favourite things is to win a Nations Cup,” she adds. “Obviously winning an individual grand prix is great, but winning a Nations Cup is almost more fun.”

Jess’s Nations Cup rides are two half-siblings out of an Indoctro mare: Summerhouse (by Guidam) and In The Air (by Air Jordan Z) – “but they couldn’t be more different”.

“I was on the way to try Summerhouse and 10 minutes before I arrived the guy doing the deal said they had his sister if I wanted to sit on her,” Jess says. “I jumped the gelding first and he was perfect, I couldn’t find a fault. So the guy said, ‘Well, you don’t need another one,’ but I wanted to try her just in case.”

The black mare slammed on her brakes at the first fence.

“The guy said, ‘Come round again, she’s just spooky. So I did and she stopped again. He said, ‘Just once more, she’ll be all right.’ And she was good.

But something piqued Jess’s interest – and that gut instinct has been richly rewarded in the time since.

“It wasn’t the most romantic trial, but she’s ended up being great,” Jess says. “She’s a funny character – like a cat. She doesn’t love people but she also needs people. She wants to be near you but not petted.”

As with Tixylix, jumping In The Air – known as Fly – at home is a delicate procedure.

“If I put a vertical up with different coloured poles, she’ll stop three strides out, so I have to do canter poles to start with, then add a cavaletti and build up – it’s like jumping for children,” says Jess. “But when she gets to a horse show, she’s in game mode, she’s fine.”

Her younger (but bigger) brother is “completely different – whatever you put up either at home or in the ring, he’ll just cruise over”.

“He’s massive and she’s tiny,” says Jess, “but although they’re very different in lots of ways, they are both very blood. All my horses are different, but as long as they have a big heart and a good amount of blood, that’s all I need.”

This pair spearheads her string of six – with Ascadina PP Z rounding out the trio competing at 1.60m grands prix. This is the number Jess feels she can do justice to alongside training clients as her long-term goal of LA 2028 looms ever closer.

Once upon a time, before her operation in America gained serious traction, Jess briefly channelled her creativity into another venture, painting animals and large abstract canvases, even running a stall at Olympia.

“I do paint, but now it’s only when I need money or I have a lot of time – luckily I’m good on both at the moment,” she smiles.

Jess’ artwork is spectacular, but if you’ve bought one of those paintings, it’s likely to be a rare limited edition, because she’s figured out exactly how to make her teenage dream come true.

There was a moment when, aged 15, Milly Hine got a call from a patron asking her to play on their team. Their next question was to ask how much she charged.

“I remember saying, ‘Um, let me get back to you on that one...’,” she laughs now, re-enacting the thrill her teenage self felt at the prospect of playing polo for money as she came off the call.

Things have moved fast since then. Now 24 years old, Milly has five Argentine Women’s Open titles to her name and a hat-trick of US Women’s Open Polo Championship wins.

In May, she was crowned the women’s world number one player and last month she lined up alongside Adolfo Cambiaso’s daughter Mia to win the British Ladies’ Open, where for the first time the ladies’ final was played on the same day as the men’s on those carpet-like green lawns at Cowdray.

If players are judged on their lineage, then Milly’s is enviable: her father is the former England captain (and later team manager) Andrew Hine, former winner of the Gold Cup (1983) and two-time winner of the Queen’s Cup (1989 and 1990).

“Mum tells me stories of coming out of the hospital after having me and heading straight to games to watch Dad playing. I was always there,” she says.

“I think ever since my parents deemed it was safe for me to be on a horse with one of them, I probably was.”

But any lucky hand she’s been dealt is only half the story. Standing at an Amazonian 5ft 11in with the reach to match, she’s fiercely driven, still on the practice field long after others have left drilling penalties.

“I’ve always been quite reliable with my penalties, but it’s something that I’ve struggled with a bit recently and I know it’s 100% mental,” she explains.

And then there’s the relentless travel schedule: Uruguay in January, on to Florida, Argentina, St Tropez, England for the summer, Sotogrande in August and back to Argentina. On paper it’s Rutshire-worthy glamour, but the reality’s far more like hard work.

“The day-to-day life of a professional is about being in the stables and with your horses. That’s the priority,” she says.

Milly’s childhood was split between her parents’ Berkshire farm and Australia, where her mother Robyn comes from a family steeped in racing.

There was Pony Club with the South Berkshire – “my patience for dressage wasn’t the best, I just wanted to get out cross-country” – hunting with the Berks and Bucks Draghounds and at one point her younger brothers Ned and Louis and younger sister Indi made up the Pony Club branch’s entire polo team.

“We were always lucky that Mum and Dad did everything they could to have us as well mounted as possible,” she says, her father still the first person she goes to for advice.

“I can ask him just about anything because he would have lived a lot of those situations himself as a professional.”

“When I started playing, it wasn’t so common for girls to play – it wasn’t that they weren’t allowed, just that it didn’t happen so much. But Mum and Dad were always supportive of me playing. And I feel really grateful for people like Claire Tomlinson and Sunny Hale, who made huge paths for women in the sport.

“Nina Clarkin [who retired as the England women’s captain in 2025] is someone I look up to especially, having played with her and against her: she’s incredible as a player and a captain, always looking to get the best out of her entire team. It’s something I’ve realised you have to do to be able to win.”

A “pinch-me moment” came for Milly when, aged 16, she was asked to play for Her Highness Sheikha Maitha’s UAE ladies’ team; a fast track onto the world stage playing alongside the UAE’s 10-goaler and fellow Brit Hazel Jackson.

“I was only four-goals at the time and so it wasn’t something I’d ever considered. But playing for them in Argentina really kicked off my whole career,” she reflects now.

Those first few seasons in the world’s polo capital had hurdles – “I haven’t always been able to speak Spanish, which was a challenge...” – but the awe of first playing in Palermo in the middle of Buenos Aires has stuck with her.

“Sophisticated isn’t exactly the right word, but it has these huge stadiums on either side of the field, there are bands, people shouting and screaming, horns, smoke, flare guns. It’s a lot more of a football stadium vibe, with fans coming from all walks of life.”

Last year, Milly left the UAE team to take up the offer of playing for Cambiaso’s glittering – and demanding – La Dolfina operation, alongside his daughter Mia.

“I don’t mind adapting myself or trying to fit into a team depending on what the other styles of players are to make it gel. Mia is quite an attacking, super-fast player, and I like to play more at the back. This is a team sport and it’s really important to find the right chemistry and the right styles of play to make that team work.”

There’s something admirably composed about Milly; the air of a tennis player on a considered post-match debrief. Even for the build-up to the highest-pressure games – take those Argentine Open finals – she talks about going through the motions of team practices, making sure that the horses are going well, checking that everything has been set up properly.

“Because then you know you have done everything you can to be as prepared as possible on the day,” she reasons. But she can still be prone to the odd superstition.

“I try not to, but if we get the same pony line side we had the year before when we’ve done well, then you can’t help feeling like things are slotting into place...” she smiles.

At the family’s Berkshire farm, Milly has a 15-strong string of ponies, and another in Argentina. “I’m buying from all over the place, and always trying new horses – you never know where the next really good one is going to come from,” she says, playing down the breeding she began five or six years ago.

“I get a little embarrassed saying that I breed, because it’s very small-scale compared to everybody else. So, I don’t know if I would call myself a breeder, but I do dabble.”

If cloning in the sport remains contentious (it’s banned in the UK, but cloned ponies can play here), Cambiaso is its poster boy on the world stage. A decade ago, he made headlines when he played six different horses in a high-profile match in Buenos Aires, each a clone of his favourite mare Cuartetera – now dubbed the most influential mare in modern polo. So far Milly has only played on two cloned ponies, one of Cuartetera’s clones, and another of Cambiaso’s stallion Dolfina Popular. Was that a surreal feeling?

“I wasn’t really thinking about the scientific side of it, more that it was just another horse that obviously looks exactly the same [as the donor]. But it was cool to have that opportunity,” she says, the topic, you imagine, likely to feature in the Hines’s “24/7 conversation about polo around the dinner table, in the car, in the house. There are always new combinations of teams, new horses, results of games and different tournaments to discuss.”

A few days before we speak, Milly has made her debut in the English open high goal in the Warwickshire Cup at Cirencester Park with Thai Polo.

“That’s something I’ve always dreamt of doing and so it was really cool,” she says. “It’s hugely different to the women’s game. On Monday, I was playing number one at the front attacking, marking a lot more, not having so many opportunities necessarily on the ball, but working hard, pushing and putting pressure on.

“Whereas usually with the ladies’ game, I’m more at the back controlling the game and feeding the balls. But I think if you want to be able to compete at the top level in the ladies’ game, playing with the men and becoming faster is the only way to improve.”

By the end of the week, Milly was lining up alongside her brother Louis for the Warwickshire Cup finals, beating Lovelocks Polo Stud by a goal: a polo dynasty that shows no signs of waning.

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A transatlantic move, a base with certified eventing royalty, a double top-10 finish at Luhmühlen, a strong Badminton performance and plenty of top-flight horsepower; if you don’t yet know Cosby Green, prepare to be impressed.

Based in Dorset with Tim and Jonelle Price, Cosby was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. Spending the first chapters of her life in the shadow of Kentucky Horse Park, where eventing’s American spring classic is held, Cosby’s love affair with horses was a foregone conclusion.

Although her sister didn’t take to riding, for Cosby it was akin to breathing.

“When we first started riding, it was a pretty funny comparison,” she recalls. “My sister was terrified and quit instantly. I would fall off and ask for more.”

Although within touching distance of the sport horse industry – and soon swept irrevocably into it – Cosby’s parents were “super-unhorsey”. “They were terrified watching me jump cross-poles,” she laughs.

All the same, Cosby’s personal history is indistinguishable from horses, eventing and the Kentucky Three-Day Event.

“I went there before I knew what was happening; I grew up going to that event. I genuinely didn’t know there were any other horse sports than eventing; I developed this tunnel vision. I would tell everyone that I was going to be an eventer and I was going to be the best at it.”

As Cosby attests, it’s easy to dream big when you’re young. She kept a tight hold of that dream through high school and on to university.

“I am really happy and thankful that my parents encouraged me to have a normal American life,” Cosby says. “I went to school full-time and balanced the horses around it – that’s a helpful skill. I was even a part of a sorority at university, which was fun.”

When Cosby was in her mid-teens, her family acquired Highly Suspicious, known as Puff at home, then a tricky but talented four-year-old by Russel and out of a mare by Cruising.

“Back then, I was working for Clark Montgomery; he’d just moved to Kentucky,” Cosby recounts. “He and his wife found Puff. I tried him but didn’t think too much of him, if I’m honest. I was pretty naive!

“They kept telling me, ‘This is going to be an amazing horse.’

“So I was like, ‘Really? If you say so!’ They kept reassuring me, although I didn’t really know what I was looking at or feeling.”

The Montgomerys were right – Cosby has had her best results so far with this sensitive grey. However, she had to work for them and make the horse herself.

“At the start, he was pretty green and very weak, and had a lot of developing to do,” she says. “Moving up the levels was hard work. We had a lot of highs and lows, and mistakes and successes.”

As an American high schooler, university student and eventer with mammoth aspirations, Cosby was a youngster with a lot on her plate. Happily, she also had drive, horsepower and was, by her own admission, fortunate in many ways.

“I was lucky enough to grow up in the US Equestrian Federation Pathway Programs and trained with incredible people like Allie Knowles and Buck Davidson,” she says.

But the sport tested her resolve.

“I failed way more times than I ever did well,” she admits, adding that this was especially true in the age range of teenager to early 20s.

“I wasn’t really producing any results, just kind of getting by and I questioned the certainty that I once had: is riding really what I want to do?”

A business and communications graduate, perhaps it was Cosby’s entrepreneurial spirit that shaped her next move – a plunge into the unknown to train with her idols.

“I decided just before I graduated that if I was going to give the sport a go, it only made sense to try to position myself to be with the best.”

The best in question? Jonelle Price.

“Ever since I was young, I’ve been a Jonelle fangirl,” says Cosby. “She has this fearlessness about her. I’m reserved and was refreshed to see a bold, admirable female athlete, so I was drawn to her.”

With no prior connection, Cosby sent an email that landed at the perfect time.

“They had space for me at Chedington, where they were moving. Before I could even really second-guess myself, I sprang things into action.

“Of course, I made sacrifices leaving home. I have such an amazing life in America, so that’s something I occasionally question. But it’s all in the pursuit of excellence.”

Such a pursuit presents itself in Britain by sheer volume of opportunities, says Cosby.

“Once the season’s going, it’s going. You don’t stop and you can do a few different shows in the span of one week.

“After Badminton, there was Aston-le-Walls Wednesday to Friday. That wouldn’t really happen in the US and it’s so beneficial for bringing horses up the grades.”

On the flip side, competing on grass has been something of an adjustment.

“Riding on grass is such a skill and it took me a good year to figure out,” Cosby laughs. “In America, every event has a championship feel, which is amazing to experience. And it would all be on a surface; I never rode on grass in dressage or showjumping until I came to England.”

Cosby landed in the UK in 2023, planning loosely to stay for eight months, although she’s still here and making her mark on the European circuit.

Among her breakthrough moments is her step up to five-star with schoolmaster Copper Beach (Sean), whom Cosby’s family acquired from Buck Davidson.

“Producing younger horses is not always the easiest. Sean was the horse that picked me up and showed me the world.”

Sean took Cosby to her first four-star long and her first five-stars.

“He held my hand during the whole thing,” Cosby recalls. “It felt like he was telling me, ‘Come on, kid, you can do this yourself as well.’”

Cosby says that Sean being her family’s horse took the pressure off – and they’ve never missed one of her five-stars.

“I’m beyond spoilt with my parents. They’re the sweetest and most supportive – there’s no one else I’d rather have around me at a five-star.”

That said, it doesn’t hurt to have Team Price in your corner, either.

“Jonelle really has instilled in me to be completely professional; not to let anything affect you except the task at hand. She’s very much ‘be an ice maiden, stay fierce’.

“The Prices’ whole mindset is amazing and I’ve tried to use it as much as I can. And I really am thankful for the added confidence that comes with their influence.”

After shepherding Cosby through her first Pau, Badminton and Burghley, Sean – now 20 – has returned to the Cosby farm for an idyllic retirement.

“He’s as fat as a house and the happiest horse you’ll see,” laughs Cosby. “My dad visits him every day after work to give him treats.”

Two years after Cosby and Sean’s Badminton debut, it was Jos Ufo De Quidam’s turn at the Gloucestershire five-star. They bettered the 2024 result by nine places to finish 22nd with a dressage score of 34.9 and a double clear, just adding time-faults.

“He was unreal,” says Cosby of Ufo. “To be second out in the cross-country was tough, but there was no better horse to do it on than him. He gave me such an amazing ride.

“I wish I’d been quicker and had a little bit more confidence, but that’s how it goes being so early on.”

Cosby says 18-year-old Ufo finished the cross-country phase as fit and well as ever he had.

“Jonelle and I were talking about how these older horses can just keep improving. Ufo’s not built conventionally for the sport, but this year he’s come out jumping on another level. He really throws his heart out there.”

Finishing on a clear showjumping round fractionally over the time was the cherry on top.

“Two years ago with Sean, the showjumping was catastrophic,” recalls Cosby – the pair had 28 jumping faults. “This time, I was very determined. It was some track. For Ufo to go clear was unbelievably special.”

Cosby is exceedingly likeable with an infectious passion for her home, her sport and her horses. There’s still one five-star she’d like to tick off: the one in her backyard.

“I’m desperate to do Kentucky,” she says, “Considering I grew up on the doorstep, it’s pretty funny that it’s the only five-star in the northern hemisphere I haven’t done.

“I grew up dreaming of riding around there, so I hope to one day make that dream come true.”

Cosby has Kentucky and much more in mind for the future.

“Around the beginning of 2025, I became focused on LA 2028,” she says. “I’m sure it’s on everyone’s mind, but it’s something that I’m really dedicated to. I want to give it my 110% best.”

There’s something of a fairytale in the notion of Cosby and the tricky youngster she got as a teen completing the world’s toughest five-stars – and even having an eye on riding for the USA on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

As her voice wavers just a little, it is obvious that this ambitious young rider’s heart swells with gratitude every time she talks about Puff.

“I have grown up with him,” she says. “I probably had no business riding him when I was 16. But ever since I decided to fly over here, we’ve grown together. Not everyone gets a horse at that age and is still running them, getting to the highest level of eventing and doing really well today. That’s something I do not take for granted and will always be grateful for.”

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The intuitive response, when your flying changes aren’t going well in your dressage tests, is often to ride more of them. The instinct makes sense – practise the thing that isn’t working – but it’s rarely where the fix actually lies.

“Very rarely is getting a flying change, or fixing a tricky change, about doing more changes,” says Becky Moody. “It is nearly always about improving the canter.”

This is the bit that catches most riders out. The change feels like the problem – it’s late behind, or your horse runs out the front door, or swaps and then immediately falls into trot – so the change is where they put the work. But the change is a symptom. The canter underneath it is the actual job.

“It’s the quality of canter, every time”

The canter you need for a change is not the same canter you might ride elsewhere. It has to be collected but full of energy, straight, balanced, and – most importantly – adjustable.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean the problem is with the rhythm of the canter,” Becky says. “It’s very often the straightness of the canter, the balance of the canter. And for me, the adjustability of the canter. I think you have to be able to have a horse that is collected, but stay full of energy.”

A useful image: watch a top showjumper coming into a big vertical. The horse collects, but the energy doesn’t disappear – it gathers. The hindquarters come under, the frame shortens, and the canter gets bouncier. That’s the feel you want before a flying change Becky says. Not slow. Not steady. Loaded.

The springboard step

Here is Becky’s most useful idea, and it isn’t in any textbook.

“I like to have a springboard step,” she says. “The horse doesn’t change on the first part of your change aid. You have a springboard step – it’s like a spring then change, not just a change.”

Translated: your aid has two parts. A preparation stride, where you ask the horse to gather and bounce, and then the change itself. The whole sequence has the rhythm of “Are you ready? Change.”

This is the difference between a change that arrives flat and late, and one that lifts cleanly through the body. Riders who get into trouble are usually applying the aid in a single motion – leg on, change, hope. The horse hasn’t had a chance to load the spring first.

It’s also where anticipation comes in. For Becky, a horse learning changes should be thinking about what’s coming next – not nervous, but expectant.

“You almost need to create a degree of anticipation,” she says. “The horse is a little bit like, ‘Oh, what’s coming? This is good fun.’ Instead of you cantering across the diagonal in a lovely, nice, balanced, steady canter and then putting a change aid on, and the horse is like, ‘What?’”

Don’t lose the counter-canter

A common trap, once a horse can do changes, is that they start offering them unprompted. The rider asks for counter-canter, and the horse, helpful and over-keen, swaps.

“I’m quite a big believer that when you start teaching the horse changes, you shouldn’t stop being able to ride counter-canter,” Becky says. “You should be able to be like, ‘Now we’re doing counter-canter. And now we’re going to do a change. And now we’re doing counter-canter again.’ They have to be listening to what you say.”

The discipline matters because, in a test, you’ll be asked for both – sometimes within strides of each other. A horse that assumes every straight line means a change is a horse that will throw one in at exactly the wrong moment.

Build the change before you ask for it

Long before the change itself, the foundations need to be there. Canter-to-walk and walk-to-canter transitions are the bedrock – clean, on the leg, with no drift through the shoulders. The horse should be able to come back to walk with the outside hind genuinely stepping under, and step up into canter on a specific lead from a specific aid, without hesitation.

A good marker: can you ride around the outside of the arena and pick up eight to 10 walk-to-canter transitions, on the correct lead each time, on a straight line and in balance? If not, that’s where the work is. The change will come from this groundwork, not from drilling changes.

The walk half-pirouette is also useful here, because it asks the outside hind to stretch and step under, and it sets the horse straight before coming back into canter – the same body shape, in effect, that you need before a change.

An exercise: the figure-of-eight at the short end

When the foundations are in place, Becky’s go-to exercise is a small figure-of-eight at the short end of the arena.

“Imagine there’s a row of poles across the 10m line at the short end,” she says. “Then you’re doing your little figure-of-eight within that 20x10m box.”

You come out of the corner as if to ride a 10m circle at M, then take a small diagonal line across the centre line back towards the short side, change rein, and pick up the new circle on the other side.

The point of working in a small box is that it stops everything getting away from you.

“One of the most common things when both horse and rider are learning about changes is that everything gets a bit too forward and away,” Becky says.

“Doing it within a smaller area helps keep everything organised in a positive way without the rider having to do so much with their hand.”

The hand is the giveaway. A rider whose changes have unravelled is usually a rider whose changes finished with both reins pulling. Working in a smaller space buys you the discipline of riding the change with the leg and the seat, because there isn’t room to ride it with the hand.

A note on poles

Poles get used a lot for teaching flying changes in dressage, and they are a lot of productive exercises – but Becky uses them sparingly.

“I’m not a fan of the pole,” she says. She’s used one once, with a client’s horse that genuinely couldn’t grasp what was being asked. “We did what we could to help make it easier for them. It definitely got them more understanding of what we were trying to do.

“Then the changes were late behind, but at least it was doing changes, and we were then able to work on it. It then came back to the quality of the canter.”

Which is, of course, where everything in this piece comes back to. Poles or exercises won’t fix a change if the canter underneath isn’t right.

Build the canter. Then the change will be there.

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Martin Jones has been tasked with officiating two sections at this year’s Royal International Horse Show: the jump phase of the mountain and moorland (M&M) working hunter pony finals, and the conformation phase of the mini M&Ms.

Martin’s co-judges are Sara Hird and Emma Hector respectively. With just days to go, Martin shares an insight into what he will be looking for in the ring.

Martin Jones’ background in horses

Martin has been involved with ponies all of his life.

“As children, my sister and I had our own ponies, which we enjoyed taking to Pony Club, riding club, gymkhanas and hunting. We were very much grassroots competitors, attending local agricultural shows, and so I didn’t really get into showing properly until I was in my twenties and began keeping my own broodmares and so on,” says Martin.

After leaving school, Martin went to Millfields in Newmarket, and under the tutorship of Anne Rolinson, he gained both his British Horse Society intermediate instructor’s certificate (BHSII) and National Pony Society diploma in stud management (NPS Dip).

“While working in Newmarket, I had the fortune to visit and work at some of the major thoroughbred studs and benefited from the teaching of both the renowned vet, Peter Rossdale, as well as the late Colonel Gray, director of the National Stud,” says Martin

His first love has always been the British Riding Pony though, and he “was fortunate enough” to work for Liz Mansfield-Parnell at her Rotherwood Stud.

“I learnt so much about the successful production, breeding and showing of world class ponies, where standards were always the highest and only perfection would do,” he recalls.

Latterly, Martin worked in the banking industry, breeding British Riding Ponies under the Landemann prefix, with a small, select number of mares, chosen for their bloodlines as well as their pony characteristics, movement and good temperaments.

Several of his mares enjoyed successful ridden careers previous to motherhood, and their progeny have continued to shine under saddle.

Landemann Peony, for example, is a former supreme champion at the BSPS championships, and Landemann Bird Of Paradise claimed the show pony championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in 2024.

“I’m delighted to have bred show ponies to win at HOYS and the RIHS,” says Martin. “But being presented with the Bwlch Valentino trophy – a beautiful bronze first presented by the Eckley family in 1968 – for breeding the champion show pony at HOYS was a bit of a dream come true. If you breed show ponies, it’s the trophy you want to win, so to have it on my dining room table for a year was a real thrill.”

Since his semi-retirement, Martin has been more heavily involved with the NPS, having served many terms as a council member over the past 30 years or so. He is currently the vice-chair of the society, having held the chairman’s role for three years previously. He’s also an active member of his own area – NPS Area 29.

Martin Jones’ judging experience

Martin sits on a whole host of panels covering a vast array of types, including the British Show Pony Society (BSPS), National Pony Society (NPS), British Show Horse Association (BSHA), British Connemara Pony Society, Coloured Horse and Pony Society (CHAPS UK), Sport Horse Breeding GB (SHB GB), The Showing Register and the British Miniature Horse Society.

As well as judging at many of the UK’s leading county shows, he’s had the pleasure of judging in Europe, New Zealand and Australia, and considers officiating at the latter two some of his judging highlights.

“The judging systems are different over there and it was a real learning experience to see their ways. Ponies and horses are produced and ridden to the highest standards, and I particularly enjoyed judging the young rider classes, which are really popular in Australia and New Zealand.

“Over here, we don’t really have similar classes at the same level, where the children are judged primarily on their riding abilities. The standard of riding in these classes is so high and they’re fantastic to judge because of it.”

Of course, he also considers previous appointments at HOYS and RIHS to be some other highlights.

What will Martin be looking for in the M&M workers?

“I’m looking for what I would describe as a balanced and fluid round with ponies moving through the track in a good forward rhythm, in a way that is appropriate for their breed,” he says.

“In the plaited workers, I would look for a more bold and enthusiastic round, but some mountain and moorland breeds are not necessarily built to gallop around a worker track, so I’ll want to see these ponies working in balance and covering the ground in a forward rhythm.”

Martin has words to the wise for competitors.

“I’ve watched these working hunter pony classes for many years and so know it to be a long track in a big ring, with up-to-height fences and on an incline. I’ve noticed that a lot of ponies demonstrate a lack of fitness and start to tire and sound ‘breathy’ in the latter half, losing their rhythm and forwardness as a result.

“So I would say, make sure that you and your pony are of the appropriate condition and fitness to jump around a long, testing track. The course at the Royal International finals is very different to the courses that many will have qualified on, which in many cases is likely to have been on a flat surface in a small arena.

“I’ve also noticed that the bogey fence is often the open ditch or water tray, so practice that in advance if you can. It catches some of the most seasoned campaigners out.

“In short, be prepared. Be prepared for a long, varied and testing track, and for undulating ground.

“I would also advise competitors that it’s always a good idea to take some coaching, on a regular basis if you can. Even Olympic riders have coaches on the ground. It’s a good thing to have someone helping you and your pony improve your technique and the investment will help you be fully prepared.”

Martin Jones’ pet hates

“Having been so involved in the NPS and its welfare remit over the past few years, I’m very aware of welfare as I’m judging, too. No matter how frustrated you may feel if things aren’t going to plan during your round, inappropriate use of the whip is not acceptable.

“I also get a little bit frustrated by the number of people walking the course. It’s not a family day out, so I prefer to see competitors accompanied by one other person. Walking round chatting to your friends is not an effective way to walk the course!

“And I may sound a bit of a ‘fuddy-duddy’, but those walking the course should also be dressed appropriately for the occasion, and in a way that is respectful to the show, its officials, sponsors and fellow competitors. The weather may be hot, but that’s not an excuse to walk the course in beach wear.”

What will Martin be looking for in the M&M mini classes?

As well as the M&M working hunter ponies, Martin will also be assessing the mini classes, which naturally have very different requirements.

“These classes are always a joy to officiate,” he says, “though it’s easy for the grandness of the occasion to unsettle some young riders, whose mental and physical ability can be so different, even though of similar ages.

“I do love to see a pony with a good walk, and an animal that marches into the ring, tracking up, ears pricked and looking through its bridle – rather than down at the ground – will catch my attention. A pony that carries its jockey forward, in a safe and steady manner, without having to be encouraged forward every stride, is always more enjoyable to watch, and more comfortable to ride.

“During conversations I hear, my experiences of judging and comments on social media, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the ridden classes are judged solely on way of going. Please remember that 50 marks are for conformation and freedom of action, so it’s important as much time and effort is put into this phase, too. It makes the judge’s job much easier, and shows the pony off to its best advantage if it is correctly presented to the conformation judge – which means an adjustment by the rider/ handler as the judge walks round the pony.

“You can’t change the pony’s conformation, but presenting your pony correctly will give you the best chance. Again, practice at home so that this phase comes naturally and is easy on the day. A pony reluctant to trot up, with its ears back and tail swishing, is not going to show itself off in the best way, and can easily lose marks as a result. Don’t let the conformation phase be an afterthought.”

Martin’s tips for major final first-timers

“Planning is everything. If you’ve not competed at the Royal International Horse Show before, you are in for a treat, as it’s a wonderful venue. But it can be a long walk to the ring, and a long way back to the stable area if you realise you’ve forgotten something just minutes before you’re due to enter the ring.

“It takes a lot of time, effort, energy and money to qualify, so you want to give you and your pony the best chance. Ask someone experienced before the show for their advice.

“Most judges would be happy to help if asked in the right way and at a suitable time. Often, it’s the attention to detail that makes the difference, and shortening a pony’s tail an inch or two, or suggesting a rider try their stirrups a hole longer, can make all the difference to the overall look and impression.

“Practise at home, but not so much that your pony becomes disinterested. And remember, though everyone wants to do well and get a rosette, there’s only one winner on the day. Win or lose, there’s always another show, but your pony’s trust and happiness are the real prize worth taking home.”

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Of all the obstacles on a cross-country course, ditches – in their various forms – often cause the most angst. Some horses tackle them with aplomb from the get-go, but most need plenty of quiet repetition to develop their confidence. Olympians and top coaches Nicola Wilson, Chris Bartle and Andrew Heffernan share their tips in this article exclusive to H&H subscribers

Quiet, slow repetition is the key to how to solve your horse’s fear of ditches. To build – or rebuild – confidence in jumping ditches, it’s vital to start this part of his eventing training from scratch, says British team performance coach Chris Bartle. He explains that it is a mistake to ask a horse to tackle a ditch without giving him the opportunity to look at it first.

“With a young horse, or a horse that is nervous, I will always take them to the ditch with no intention of jumping it,” he says. “I will let them stand beside it and walk around it until they are comfortable in the environment.

“Only when I know they are happy about being there – they will stretch their head down and have a sniff – will I ask them to step over the ditch.

“The important thing to remember is that the horse must never be pressurised from behind, either by the rider or someone on the ground, because all that’s doing is encouraging him to think backwards rather than forwards.”

Initially, at least, ditches should be small enough so that human legs can easily step over them.

“I measure a ditch by whether I need to stretch over it on foot,” says Chris. “It doesn’t matter whether the horse is four, seven or 14, my approach will be the same. If a horse is hesitant I will spend all my cross-country schooling time walking quietly over tiny ditches.”

Chris argues that it’s not necessary to school over big ditches.

“If you’ve built solid foundations, these can be saved for competition when your adrenaline’s up,” he says.

How to solve your horse’s fear of ditches: “trust is everything”

When working on how to solve your horse’s fear of ditches, “confidence and trust is everything” says former European champion-turned-top coach, Nicola Wilson.

This starts with laying the right foundations and revisiting the basics on a regular basis.

“When you introduce a ditch for the first time make sure you’ve got a confident horse to give you a lead and choose an inviting ditch to start with,” she says.

Nicola also emphasises the importance of rider position.

“It’s important that you look in the right place – up, not down into the ditch,” she says. “A young or inexperienced horse will often look down into the ditch and dither on the edge. This is fine so long as you stay up in your body and have a nice, supportive leg on them and a long rein so they can stretch down, use their head and neck and safely pop over.

“It’s a really good idea to use a neck strap so you can hold the strap together with your reins in one hand,” she continues. “If your horse jumps bigger than you’re expecting you won’t lose balance and inadvertently catch him in the mouth, which can turn it into a negative experience.”

Nicola agrees that repetition is key.

“If your horse lacks confidence jumping ditches it’s important to keep revisiting them on a regular basis so that walking up to them and popping over becomes second nature,” says Nicola. “There are plenty of five-star horses who will do just this on the lead-up to a big competition, so it’s not something you should be worried about. The key is to be as prepared as possible.”

Nicola also extols the value of praise and patience.

“Tell your horse when he has done well because this helps build trust and solid foundations,” she says. “And always give ditch training time. Never start something that you don’t feel you can see through the end.”

Once your homework is done, testing your training in a competition environment is the next step.

“When you’re out on the course, make sure you stay in a good rhythm and balance, and in the correct tempo for the ditch fence you’re tackling,” says Nicola.

When ditches are your friend

Once you have ironed out how to solve your horse’s fear of ditches and they are confidently moving up the eventing levels, most ditches will become a help rather than a hindrance.

“Where a ditch has a fence over it or behind it, the ditch itself acts as a useful ground rail, defining the take-off point,” explains Chris. “Big ditch-brushes, trakheners, and anything like that where the ditch ledge is on the take-off side, makes for a horse-friendly profile.”

Chris explains that when riding this type of fence, you should resist the temptation to spend too much time much setting up.

“When I was a jockey, before I started eventing, a trainer once told me that you should always increase your speed into a ditch,” he says. “You will never get the wrong stride because there is a groundline. I always remind riders of this when I walk courses with them as it saves a lot of time.”

Ditches through a course-designer’s eyes

Course-designers use ditches in different ways. Olympic event rider, trainer and Bramham course-designer Andrew Heffernan explains that as well as the size of the ditch size, where it is sited will determine the level of the test.

“Part of my job as course-designer is to ensure there is a logical progression in difficulty as you go up the grades,” he explains. “For example, on a B80 course I might include a small open ditch followed three strides later by a rails fence, at BE90 this might change to a rail followed three strides later by a ditch. By the time you get to BE100 I might be asking horses to jump a simple rail-ditch-rail on flat terrain, and then at novice level you can start expecting to see a ditch with a bit of terrain either side.”

This logical progression has obvious connotations for a horse who is a bit “ditchy”.

“Even if a horse is solid with every other type of cross-country question, he needs to be completely confident jumping ditches at one level before moving on to the next,” says Andrew. “The questions asked of him — and therefore the trust he needs in his rider — will be tested to a greater degree every time you step up.”

“We dug a ditch at home and that was the turning point”

Event rider Ivy Fisher’s talented three-star mare, Balief De Reve (Bali), only has one chink in her armour – ditches.

“When I bought her as a young horse she had only ever showjumped and although she quickly took to jumping solid fences, she’s always been suspicious of holes in the ground,” explained Ivy, who grew up in Norfolk but has been based with Dassett Eventing in Warwickshire.

“A few years ago, when I was on the brink of giving up with her, my dad dug me a ditch at home and that was the turning point. It was a case of repetition, repetition, repetition. The penny dropped in the middle of the 2024 season and she started to take them in her stride.”

The pair won the under-21 open intermediate at Kelsall Hill in September that year.

At her current base, Ivy has access to three different ditches and incorporates them into almost every training session.

“Last season I was even including them in our fitness work, popping over a ditch mid-canter,” she says. “We still have the odd wobble, but she’s getting better all the time. Bali’s taught me so much about perseverance, getting the basics right and about not running before you can walk.”

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A quality and jolly cob is always a pleasure to watch going about its work in the ring; this year, Jackie Beatham and Leon King have the tough task of sorting through the lightweight and heavyweight combinations at the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS).

Jackie will assess each horse’s conformation, and Leon will put each one through its paces in the saddle. So who is Leon King, and what are his preferences when judging?

Leon’s background in horses

Leon isn’t from a horsey background, but started riding aged six.

“I was very lucky to have opportunities when I was younger,” says Leon. “I showjumped in junior classes up to JA level with ponies that we had bought from Reading Market.

“Then at 12 years old, I was lucky to have the opportunity to help and ride for a lady called Vicki McRae. She had vast experience and she taught me an ‘old-school’ way of doing horses.”

Vicki introduced Leon to showing, too.

“She had bred some lovely young horses that I was fortunate enough to ride, two of which got me a ride at Wembley when I was 16; one in the working hunter pony section and one in the riding horses.”

From there, Leon spent 14 years producing show horses for the Underwood family, with a host of wins and championships at the country’s most prestigious shows.

These days, you can find Leon working for Yorkshire-based Susan Tennant and the Tennant family, where he produces show horses from their home.

“Susan breeds full and part-bred Irish Draughts,” he explains. “We have four home-breds out this season.”

With a career that’s reached enviable heights in showing, Leon thinks hard on his showing highlights.

“I’m lucky there are so many to mention, but I would have to say winning hunter champion and riding horse champion in the same year at Horse of the Year Show on Loch Royal and Tattigare Watch This Space owned by the lovely Underwood family.”

Leon’s judging experience

Leon sits on the British Show Horse Association (BSHA), Sports Horse Breeding (GB), the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) and the Retraining of Racehorses judging panels and has a broad range of experience judging.

“I have been lucky enough to have judged some lovely shows,” he says, “and I have judged in Australia three times; I judged their Horse of the Year Show, which was an experience I will never forget. But judging the Royal International Horse Show is a highlight; it’s one of the best shows in the UK for horses.”

How to impress Leon King in the ring

“When I judge, I love a horse that walks with a free step, relaxed outlook and stays in a balanced and rhythmic outline,” says Leon. “A show horse should have the ‘look at me’ attitude, and type is so important – the horse must match its category.

“As a ride judge, I think a good, fitting saddle that doesn’t move with leathers that aren’t new and stretch as you rise up in trot. You also need big enough stirrup irons and worn in reins with some thickness.

“If I’m judging a show, I like to see a well thought out show with flow. Part of the show must show some walk and of course, a good show of lengthening.

“Pet hates of mine are when competitors push their horses or ponies out of their natural rhythm. Going faster doesn’t make the animal move better; it looks untidy. I also dislike short jackets and massive scrunchie! These aren’t going to lose you the class, but it’s just my preference.”

Leon’s advice for Hickstead first-timers

“The work is done at home; prepare properly. Know your horse – how much work they need and so on, so you have plenty of time to plait, turn out and get everything perfect for your class. Write a check list so nothing is forgotten. Stud holes are a must in my experience.

“Do this and you will enjoy yourself.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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In this exclusive article for H&H subscribers, top British showjumper Joe Stockdale demonstrates a simple exercise with poles that he uses to teach his horses the leg aid can mean stay straight, not just go faster

Does your horse have a tendency to drift right or left over a fence? It’s a common problem, particularly with inexperienced horses that are still working out how best to use their body.

Joe Stockdale is riding Millfield Counterfeit (Cooper) for this jumping exercise. Cooper is a 12-year-old by Cooper VD Heffinck who is competing up to 1.50m classes. While Joe is demonstrating this exercise on a relatively experienced horse, he describes it as especially useful for young horses in teaching them what the leg aids mean in terms of keeping straight.

The setup consists of three canter poles 3.2m apart to an upright. On the take-off and landing side of the fence are “tramline” poles, creating a channel through which the horse must travel. He starts with the tramlines set at about two human strides apart, making it a narrower channel depending on the rideability of the horse.

Joe uses lightweight square poles for the tramlines: “If he did happen to jump left or right and step on a pole, they stay flat, it stops them rolling, so it’s a lot safer than using a round pole, particularly on the landing side, where there’s a chance they might step on it.”

Showjumping training for straightness with Joe Stockdale

“This is a simple exercise, especially for a young horse, to teach them the aids to keep them straight,” says Joe. “They must take off and land without jumping to either side. Most horses tend to jump a little to one side, which doesn’t matter at this height, but once the jumps get big or wide it can be problematic.”

Joe starts with the planks at about 90cm high, popping through a few times so that the horse understands the exercise, before increasing the height. While Cooper stays straight through the set-up, he initially cuts the corner afterwards, so next time Joe asks for a couple of extra strides in a straight line before turning.

Both the canter poles and the tramlines serve a purpose in this exercise that encourages the horse to stay straight without rushing.

The role of the canter poles

“The canter poles are to help the rhythm, because I want to use the leg for support to keep the horse in the middle of the jump,” says Joe. “The poles prevent them from thinking that the leg only means go faster.

“The poles stop them opening the stride, so they learn I’m supporting them to keep straight – not asking them to open up.”

Joe adds: “The line of poles makes it hard to fail. If it was an isolated fence, with the tramlines, when I put my leg on to support his straightness, the temptation for the horse would be just to go faster. The canter poles contain them.”

The role of the tramlines

“First I jump it with the tramlines nice and wide, making sure he’s confident, then slowly bring in the channel so he has to be really disciplined to stay straight,” Joe says.

“Even though I have the tramlines to keep the horse straight visually, I’m giving instructions with my legs to back it up. The young horse will then learn what the aids mean. The answer’s there, I’m just showing him how to get there.”

Joe explains how his own position is paramount.

“I need to focus on my position, staying centred, tall and light. For straightness, the first thing that will make him go to one side is if I’m unbalanced, so my priority on the approach is to keep my body and head in the middle of the horse.”

The beauty of this exercise is in the mix of the two arrangements of poles.

“If I was to take this all away and put a load of right leg on to keep him from jumping right, that’s when he’d get quicker,” Joe explains. “But because we’ve got the canter poles and the tramlines, he’s naturally going to stay straight because he has to. On the approach to the tramline channel I’m going to give him the leg aid at the same time so he starts to associate my right leg with not jumping to the right, but staying straight instead.

“So it’s like I’m giving him the answer to the problem, and then showing the aid that I want to use.”

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We expect to hear that many riders, producers, horses and even stewards have busy schedules at the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS), but perhaps we don’t expect that some of the judges do, too. One such judge is Margaret Hopkins, who will officiate in four sections. She will assess the ride element in the amateur maxi cobs, the hacks and the working show horses, and will be judging the conformation phase in the intermediate working hunter pony.

Margaret Hopkins’ background in horses

“I’m not from a particularly horsey family,” says Margaret. “But I was brought up in Gloucestershire in a very horsey area.

“I’m the eldest of three sisters, and we bullied our parents into getting us a pony. We were very lucky that we had people around us who encouraged us to have a go at everything.”

As a result of this encouragement, the sisters attended Pony Club and from there, showjumped, evented, and rode in point-to-points among other things.

“And I was lucky enough to have hunted with many packs all over the country from an early age.

“I was competitive, but now I prefer the training and producing of young horses to make them become the best horses they can be in whatever field they are in.”

Margaret’s job – stable manager on the Badminton Estate – has her engage in a host of equestrian activities.

“Anything horsey that happens on the estate is in my remit,” explains Margaret.

Consequently, there’s never a dull moment in this varied role, from preparing the family’s hunters in winter, to the Badminton Horse Trials, a host of Pony Club and other events and rallies.

She also keeps her own band of broodmares, aiming to breed quality all rounders.

Margaret’s judging experience

“I was persuaded to go on the old HIS panel by some eminent judges of the day and from there I went onto the British Show Horse Association panel, and more recently, the British Show Pony Society panel.

“I enjoy being able to ride others’ horses – it’s a privilege – and it’s a pleasure going to shows and looking at some lovely horses and seeing what’s out there.”

When it comes to judging highlights, Margaret says that she’s always enjoyed officiating at the Great Yorkshire Show.

“It attracts some of the best producers and horses, and the rings are amazing,” explains Margaret, “and you’re taken care of with some good Yorkshire hospitality.”

What will Margaret be looking for as a judge?

“The last thing I look at is whether a horse is on the bit as so many are over bridled and behind the bit,” she says.

When it comes to the hacks, Margaret says that a hack must have abundant presence.

“They need to draw the eye; they are the Kate Moss of the showing world. They need to have a good and supple walk, be light in the hand and have a soft, supple way of going and appear to give a comfortable ride.”

Margaret will expect to find a maxi cob that has a “purposeful and workmanlike” way of going.

“You granny, grandad or anybody should be able to ride them and them remain the same – going forwards, looking through the bridle with active paces.

“I don’t like roly cobs. They tend not to move as well the heavier they are, but they should nevertheless sit up and go through the bridle and travel forward without being on the forehand.”

Despite a cob’s heavier build, Margaret expects that they are “not on the forehand – they should be uphill and not heavy through the shoulder; the power should still come from behind.”

Once on board, Margaret expects that whatever she is riding, the horse should take her forwards and be well balanced, and quick off her aids, both upwards and downwards through the gears.

She also explains that ordinarily, she would “forgive a wrong leg once on a young or novice horse, providing it comes back to trot and strikes off again correctly.”

However, in a hack, this is unacceptable.

“I would penalise that in a hack class,” she says. “I feel a hack, you should just sit and think canter, and it should take you. You shouldn’t need to position a hack too much.”

In the working show horse class, Margaret and her co-judge Sarah Coward will assess each combination’s jumping round together, before she assesses the ride and Sarah casts an eye over each exhibit’s conformation.

“In these classes, we tend to see a mixed bunch in terms of the types of horses, and you have to be careful that you award style marks fairly and accordingly. For example, a riding horse type might be able to jump the fences naturally and show a lot of scope. On the other hand, it’s not often that you see a cob that jumps with a lot of scope, but a cob that jumps with a correct jump and a good technique deserves to be scored highly.

“The style marks here are where there is the greatest room for difference.”

As combinations tackle the course Margaret expects: “A forward rhythm and a good canter, and that the horse should be able to keep coming to the fence in that rhythm and canter.

“And I like to see the horse is actually enjoying itself, too – especially with the cobs as when they come in and give it their best shot, they put a smile on your face.”

Finally, Margaret will be taking a close look at the conformation of the intermediate working hunter ponies.

“In this class, I’ll be looking for something that is not too light in its frame with good quality limbs, not too closed behind, and a straight mover. I also don’t want to see too many lumps and bumps. That said, I’ll forgive a small splint in a working hunter pony and wouldn’t expect that limbs are as clean as a hacks due to their job.

“For me, curbs are a ‘no-no’ as you assume if a horse has a curb, then it’s weak in its hindleg. I also don’t want to see a horse that is too straight in its hindleg as the hindleg is vital to get them off the ground. I want rounded hindquarters with power in them.”

• For more expert training advice and to keep up to date with major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Polly Eddis and Judy Bradwell will be sorting through the plaited working hunter pony contenders at this year’s Royal International Horse Show (RIHS). The tracks these contenders face at Hickstead are arguably the toughest of the season. Polly will assess each combination as they negotiate the jump phase, and Judy will cast a careful eye over their shows and conformation phases.

For many working hunter buffs, Hickstead is the ultimate place to win! That’s because the meaty courses are built in a ring that has an incline, with the kinds of natural obstacles that most ponies won’t encounter in their qualifying rounds. To help you prepare, Polly has given us some insight into what she’ll be looking for on the day.

What is Polly Eddis’s background in horses?

“I’ve been obsessed with horses since I was about three,” says Polly. “I can still remember the first time I sat on a pony as if it was today. He was a little pony called Ali Baba. And growing up, I just adored working hunter ponies. I used to read magazines and look at the ponies, then Mary Rimell said she would take me to a competition.

“I had an ordinary pony, but he went very nicely, and Mrs Rimell took us to the NPS championships at Malvern, which was near where we lived.

“I did the working hunter pony and I won it. And I just couldn’t believe it,” she recalls.

Polly later evented, but her affiliation with the working hunter ponies remained strong.

“My eldest daughter Lucy wanted to have a go, and I just loved watching my girls coming through the workers. We had some gorgeous ponies and some lovely times.”

Polly’s showing highlight

As well as lots of fun on the circuit, the Eddis family enjoyed some extremely successful days showing, with high-profile wins and championships including in the tough Desert Orchid ranks, and seven wins at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

Yard stars include Kyregate Peter Pan, Nobel Sir Prize and the inimitable Cashel Bay JJ, who was champion worker RIHS. Polly’s younger daughter Susie was supreme at the Royal International having claimed the working hunter pony championship aboard Beat The Boss, so Polly will understand just how combinations are feeling as they negotiate a day’s competition at Hickstead in these classes.

“We also had some fantastic days at Burghley for the sports pony competition – a fabulous competition; everyone loves the atmosphere there,” adds Polly.

“And we had some brilliant days when the girls were on the working hunter pony teams, too. That was great fun.”

Polly is a member of the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) council, and sits on their working hunter pony panel.

“My business – Parasol UK – is extremely busy and time consuming, but I wanted to give something back, so I only sit on the workers panel,” she explains.

What will Polly be looking for at Hickstead?

“A lot of my thoughts as a judge are based on what I used to teach my girls, Susie and Lucy, who did quite a lot of workers. I think we used to do more of our training in the kitchen than we did in the arena – we would think about previous rounds, and imagine future rounds,” says Polly.

“It was just a family chat, but we really used to sort of put our heads together and make a plan of how to improve their performances.

“We were always searching for that one extra mark. As a judge I’m so aware that that one mark really matters, so I am very careful when assigning marks.

“Overall, I want to see a combination who exude quiet confidence, harmony and a pony who looks as if he’s loving his job and leaves me with a smile on my face.”

How can riders achieve this?

“I would hope that my lineup will all show measured confidence as they go round. I’ll be looking out for combinations that are purposeful and positive, but that are never careless – it should never feel out of control. It’s all about confidence. I want to see a very confident pony and a cool, calm rider. The combination should make it look effortless. I used to say to my children, ‘make it look as if anyone could ride this pony round; make it look effortless.’

“I also want to see that the riders have a plan to negotiate the course. I’d like to see them set up a good round. One thing that I always used to say to my girls is ‘ride in between the fences and the fences will look after themselves’. Rhythm and balance are hugely important to me.

“I don’t want to see a rider who just thinks that it’s all about the fence; it’s everything that happens between the fences. If you approach the fence in a balanced and forward rhythm, you’ll almost certainly get a very nice jump.

“It’s not the end of the world to me if a smaller pony goes around a corner on the wrong leg providing they are in absolute balance. I’d rather that than see them repeatedly break the rhythm and concentration. However, I would hope that the older riders in the 143cm and 153cm combinations will have sufficient experience and skill to anticipate corners and ensure the right leads as they land from the fences.”

In a similar vein, Polly says: “I don’t mind if, for example, a rider is on a smaller pony with a short stride, they go through a one-stride double in two strides. I’m happy with that as long as it’s planned that way with two even strides. To me, that’s intelligent riding and it’s working as a partnership.”

That said, Polly is careful to remind riders that the “best round isn’t necessarily one that everything goes perfectly”. Instead, she explains that “it will often be a round where something needs a quiet adjustment from a rider. But the pony stays in rhythm and it’s enjoyable to watch.”

Polly’s pet hates

“I don’t want to see a pony being kicked along or gagged,” says Polly. “I want them in their rider’s hand and off their leg. I also don’t want to see ‘willy-nilly’ slapping on takeoff. One tap in an emergency, I can live with, but sometimes I think it has become an absolute habit.

“And I don’t want to hear any parents giving any outside assistance – I will mark it down. At this level, riders should be confident.

“I also can’t stand too much use of the voice. I don’t want to hear a running commentary as a combination goes around. It’s thankfully very rare at this level.”

As a parent who has prepared ponies for these classes, what are Polly’s tips?

“We would always go cross-country schooling before RIHS,” says Polly. “We went regularly anyway, but made sure we’d always go before Hickstead to prepare for the ground and the type of obstacles there.

“We also always built a flimsy, wispy bullfinch, rather than a big, thick, bushy one so that it’s encouraging for them to go through.

“Beat The Boss was deeply suspicious of anything where he couldn’t see his landing and 10 strides behind it, so we only ever did a thin bullfinch to practice so that he just got the impression it’s a lovely feeling going through and to have Susie being pleased with him the other side at home. On the day at Hickstead, the bullfinch was stiffer than he was expecting so we’d then go back to the wispy one at home to re-establish his confidence.

“The other thing that riders and parents should be aware of, it’s a long way around the course compared with one on a surface. Make sure the ponies are fit. If I hear a pony huffing and puffing and breathing heavily, that’s something I would mark down.”

Polly’s advice for someone making their Royal International debut

“Enjoy it. You’ve earned your place there; you deserve to be there,” she says. “Don’t be over-awed by the occasion.

“Lots of people lose their class in the warm-up because they’re worried about it. Don’t over warm up. You have a warm-up plan that you use at every competition so follow exactly the same routine. Don’t change it just because it’s the Royal International – your pony doesn’t know that. Then ride with a plan, not panic.”

• For more expert training advice and to keep up to date with major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

‘Go find a space where you stand out’: meet Royal International coloured ponies’ judge Nathan Arnold

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“Turnout should be smart and workmanlike...”

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

I know first-hand how hard it is to find qualifier details and keep on top of entries, so I’ve collated your need-to-know information for all the 2026 HOYS M&M qualifiers, from minis to workers. From the Royal Highland to the New Forest, working out where to go to attempt to secure Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifications for you or your child’s mountain and moorland (M&M) ponies is no mean feat.

While the HOYS qualifiers list has been announced for 2026, the some fixtures are still confirming their judges. I’m frequently updating this page with all the new details as they are released so it can be your one-stop-shop for planning your qualification.

2026 HOYS M&M qualifiers

• Thor Atkinson Steel Fabrications Ltd Junior M&M Ridden Pony of the Year
• Colne, Sweet Dreams Show Confectioners & Westown Stud M&M Mini Pony of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Connemara of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Dales of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Dartmoor of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Exmoor/Shetland of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Fell of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Highland of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden New Forest of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Welsh Section A & B of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Welsh Section C & D of the Year
• Jacksons of Yorkshire M&M Working Hunter Pony of the Year

HOYS qualifiers for native ponies 2026

Thor Atkinson Steel Fabrications Ltd Junior M&M Ridden Pony of the Year

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