Latest from Horse & Hound in Holly-smith

‘It’s like a dream’: Holly Smith’s star stallion back to his brilliant best at Hickstead

Eleanor Jones — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 17:00:18 +0000

Holly Smith brought one horse, to the Royal International Horse Show, for one class, and it paid off as she and star stallion Fruselli landed the JCL Insurance Brokers 2026 Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

Fruselli had been out of action for nearly two years but won a hat-trick of four-star classes at Bolesworth early this month, and looked back to his brilliant best as he and Holly jumped clear in 35.6sec, just ahead of Ella Dalton and Ultimo N Z.

“What a privilege to be able to ride in a ring like that in a national competition in a 1.50m class,” Holly said. “Not all horses will take to it. They need to be brave, they need to be careful, they need to stay with you, they need to handle the gradients. It really does take a true superstar of a horse, they have to have everything.”

And Fruselli does. Now 16, the compact Welsh-bred stallion looks as good, if not better, than ever. Compact and agile, he was landing, turning and accelerating with effortless speed to secure the title for Holly for the first time.

“Fruselli’s got a wealth of experience, and we know each other inside out,” Holly said. “He’s well worth the drive; when the alarm goes off to bring a horse like him, you jump out of bed with a smile on your face.”

(Image credit: Boots and Hooves Photography)

Ella had set the standard from second in the jump-off with her own big-striding scopey eight-year-old. Gemma Stevens and Envoy Merelsnest Z crossed the line in a fantastic 35.09sec but clipped the second-last to finish seventh.

“Fruselli is a very naturally quick horse, but you’ve got to get that balance of not going absolutely mad, but still not leaving the door open for anybody else,” Holly said. “I thought I’d done it but you never know!

“He’s been off for two years, and whether he was going to come back or not, we didn’t know. We dipped a toe in a few weeks ago at Bolesworth, he was exceptional there, took him easy then brought him here, and he’s gone and done it again. It’s like a dream, really. What a privilege to ride a horse with such experience.”

Ella, who won the Cindy Meade memorial trophy as the best under-25 rider, was delighted with Ultimo, whom she bought last October and has stepped up to this level this year, finishing second at the Great Yorkshire Show.

“He was amazing today,” she said. “Holly was destined to win but he was incredible. This was the first time I’ve really gone against the clock with him but he’s so naturally fast and careful – and he had the best time in there. He’s got so much stride and quality, I can just sit there and look pretty! He makes my job super-easy.”

Former Hickstead speed Derby winner Ella has also been busy eventing, competing at four-star with Chantilly Amatullah – “And I’m showing here too,” she said. “I’m doing literally everything!”

To stay up to date with the latest news from the Royal International Horse Show subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

British Olympian snares brilliant one-two aboard future stars and reflects on what makes HOYS so special: ‘It’s a celebration of the horse’

Lucy Elder — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 11:34:30 +0000

British Olympian Holly Smith bagged a one-two in Sunday morning’s (12 October) Grade C championship at HOYS aboard a brace of exciting young horses.

TJ Hall LTD’s Nike Van Het Singraven, who was crowned seven-year-old champion earlier in the week, continued his run of form to win – while his stablemate Sing Z backed up the yard’s form to finish second.

The serpentine line in the jump-off course had echoes of Saturday night’s international rankings class. It encouraged riders to angle the middle orange and white upright as steep as they dared, before testing their ability to rebalance on the turn to a double.

Sing Z showed effortless adjustability to glide into the lead, before his friend edged ahead.

A bright future beckons for this pair with Holly in the saddle, supported by her long-standing backers.

“I’m absolutely delighted, they are two top-class seven-year-olds,” said Holly. “Nike is an absolute star of the future, as is Sing Z.

“A massive mention goes to the team of owners behind this and my team at home, Ben and Lily. Su and Gordon Hall have been massive supporters of mine, and also Joanne Broadway with Nike for putting her belief in me. It’s not just me, it’s not just the horses, it’s the whole team, and days like today make it worth it.

“With the novice horses, it’s a journey to try to qualify to get here and you never quite know how they’re going to react on the night. I did have a second place earlier in the week in the Talent Seekers with Nike, where I took the seven-year-old final [which was incorporated into the class], but then I’ve had a few eight-fault rounds with them just being a bit green at screens and little bits and pieces. But for the results to come in today, I’m really chuffed for everybody.

“At the beginning of the week Sing especially was like, ‘What’s going on here? There’s a screen above the fences’. Nike is a bit more laid-back and loves it. I could feel them both grow in confidence throughout the week – they’ve had two and three classes each, and went absolutely amazing today, I couldn’t be more delighted.”

Nike had already franked his name as one to keep an eye on in the build up to HOYS, but his flashy stablemate Sing Z also deserves to be on fans’ watchlists.

“Joe Trunkville produced Sing Z originally and took him to Lanaken and as a five-year-old,” said Holly.

“Su and Gordon Hall bought him from Joe and he was produced by Tabitha Kyle for a year. She’s now furthering her career and her learning with Grey Broderick in Ireland, so I took him on.

“The Halls are long-term owners of mine, with Fruselli and Hearts Destiny, and I think he is a real star of the future. He’s been a little bit under Nike’s shadow. But watch out for him, he’s a very good horse.”

She added: “HOYS is a celebration of the horse. I grew up doing all sorts of disciplines – I’ve done working hunter ponies, show horses, I’ve evented, I’ve done most things. And just to see this celebration of the horse and all different types of people and disciplines here is an absolute pleasure and brings us all together.”

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘We’re delighted to bring loyal readers this benefit’: H&H magazine subscribers get free website access

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Home-bred wild card entry helps rider to first HOYS win: ‘You grow up watching your idols here’

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘I want to be back at the top’: Olympic rider’s Hickstead winner is a ‘horse for a big occasion’

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Watch the Horse of the Year Show TV programme live from wherever you are

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

‘I want to be back at the top’: Olympic rider’s Hickstead winner is a ‘horse for a big occasion’

Eleanor Jones — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:35:46 +0000

Medal-winning showjumper Holly Smith has her sights firmly set on a return to the top – and her new Hickstead grade C champion Nike van het Singraven could be one to help her get there.

Holly and her own seven-year-old gelding finished two seconds ahead of Robert Whitaker and Forrests Rose Gold at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby meeting last week (18-22 June), to win a title Holly hopes will start the horse’s next chapter.

“This was his first time in the main arena here, and that’s just a testament to how great his brain is – he just goes in and does his job,” said Holly.

“He’s got an incredible brain, and the scope and speed as well; he’s got everything, in my opinion, and I love him to bits. He’s a real star of the future and the nicest, nicest animal.”

Holly has had the Andiamo Semilly gelding since he was five, and said she is very grateful to have “had a team of people come together to buy him so he can stay with me”.

“He’s proven that he’s a horse for a big occasion,” she said. “I always thought he was, but this just confirms it for me. I want to be back at the top level again, and this is a horse that doesn’t need to be leaving my yard.”

Holly represented Britain at the 2018 World Equestrian Games and the 2019 European Championships with Hearts Destiny, helping the team to bronze in 2019, and the Tokyo Olympics with Denver. She has been on top form recently; she picked up her ninth ticket to Horse of the Year Show 2025 by winning the Foxhunter second round with T J Hall Ltd’s Sing Z at the Weston Lawns Summer Spectacular (13-16 June).

Holly and the seven-year-old, who has also qualified for the grade C and talent seekers finals, finished 9.65sec ahead of Tatiane Mauree with her own Jantuscha, who jumped the only other triple clear of the class to finish second.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Top mare makes ‘fresh and feisty’ winning comeback and a remarkable case of déjà vu

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 15:43:01 +0000

Hitting the international showjumping news headlines this week is multi-winning mare Killer Queen VDM, who has made a welcome return to top-flight sport with regular rider Daniel Deusser after several months on the sidelines.

Meanwhile in the USA, one Irishman declares his winning mount as having the potential to be “one of the best in the world” – strong words, indeed. There’s also a remarkable case of déjà vu in the Chepstow’s CSI2* grand prix and even the 2012 Olympic champion admits to feeling the nerves ahead of a five-star class. Read on for our weekly round-up of international showjumping news headlines and results.

A welcome comeback for “fresh and feisty” top mare Killer Queen VDM

While the King, King Edward, has been making showjumping news headlines in recent weeks, this week it was the turn of the Queen, Killer Queen VDM, to take the spotlight.

Daniel Deusser and his multi-winning mare made a winning return to five-star competition at the Printemps Des Sports Equestres in Fontainebleau. The 14-year-old mare returned to competition on the Spanish Sunshine Tour this year but they stepped up to five-star for the first time since last summer, looking better than ever when landing a 1.55m class.

“I’m delighted she did so well,” said the German rider, crediting the mare’s “warrior spirit”. “She might even be a bit too fresh and feisty for a competition like this!”

Great Britain’s Joe Stockdale was also in winning form at the show with Equine Rescue Services Kandleford in a 1.45m speed class.

CSI5* Fontainebleau results

Showjumping news: “I think he’ll end up one of the best in the world”

Ireland’s Conor Swail won the $225,000 Kentucky Invitational four-star grand prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute with 11-year-old Casturano after a six-way jump-off in the Rolex Stadium. Egypt’s Nayel Nassar finished second with Igor Van De Wittemoere while US rider Charlotte Jacobs, who also managed to enjoy watching some of the three-day event at the venue, piloted Irish Sport Horse Rincoola Milsean (by Aldatus Z out of Rincoola Abu by Cruising) into third position.

“This horse jumps clear round after clear round and the confidence you get from jumping a horse with so much ability is how much he’s grown over the past year – I’m very excited about him,” said Conor, who scorched home quickest from penultimate draw. “If he keeps doing what he’s doing, I think he’ll end up one of the best horses in the world.”

Second-placed Nayel said: “I can’t even guess the number of times I’ve lost to Conor. But that’s the beauty of the sport, it’s not over till it’s over. Conor is a favourite of mine to watch.”

Kentucky invitational results

Conor Swail and Casturano win the CSI4* invitational grand prix at Kentucky. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

A remarkable case of déjà vu

There was a remarkable case of déjà vu in the grand prix at the Chepstow Spring International CSI2* at the David Broome Event Centre, Monmouthshire, when the top two places went to the same combinations as the previous week at the CSI2* Chard – Mikey Pender on HHS Cornetta and William Whitaker on Chacco’s Lando.

“It was quite cool that Will and I were first and second again!” said Mikey, who also won Sunday’s CSI2* small tour 1.30m with Cornetta’s full brother HHS Cyprus.

Poles had fallen very easily round Colm Quinn’s jump-off course, with the first third of the 12-strong field all faulting. It was Mikey who broke the jinx, delivering not only the first clear but also taking some economical early lines to clock the quickest time of the class on the big-engined grey by Cornet Obolensky. Four other riders left the fences standing, with William and the striking 11-year-old getting the spectators behind them as they looked to be the only combination in touch – but they were lagging a second behind when they landed before the turn to the final line and couldn’t gain the ground.

“I was definitely quicker from two to three,”said Mikey, who angled the second fence and turned on a scything seven-stride arc round to the third. “I don’t think anyone else had seven there. I turned her so tight but she is really switched on, she is always with you waiting for you to give her the next instruction.”

Read the full report from the show in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, in the shops Thursday, 2 May.

CSI2* Chepstow results

Steve Guerdat wins with Dynamix De Belheme in Fontainebleau, despite admitting to feeling “more nervous than I have for a long time” (Image credit: creditUnknown)

A “perfect” mare takes notable victory

With preparations starting to take shape for many potential Olympians, all eyes were on the CSI5* in Fontainebleau, where Swiss showjumper Steve Guerdat and his brilliant “horse of a lifetime” Dynamix De Belheme triumphed in the grand prix with an eye-catching performance over tracks set by France’s Gregory Bodo and Spain’s Santiago Varela, who will be in charge of the fences in Versailles for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“Dynamix has shown consistency since she started competing,” said the reigning European champion, who triumphed after a three-way jump-off. “She’s always been perfect, always jumped clear rounds in every age category and class.

“It’s fair to say that she surprised me this weekend. I wasn’t expecting her to be so dynamic; I thought she was still one or two competitions away from reaching top form. It gives us confidence for the rest of the season.”

Even the 2012 Olympic champion admitted to feeling particularly nervous at the start of the show’s feature class.

“More than I had been for a long time,” he confessed. “Not because of the course – at ’s-Hertogenbosch, Dynamix and I jumped really well on the Friday, but then I didn’t get things right on the Sunday; she hasn’t taken part in any competitions since, so I was left with that memory, which is why I was nervous. But she has some great qualities and made things easy for me as a rider on this really enjoyable course.”

CSI5* Fontainebleau results

Showjumping news: “A great couple of weeks” helped by “the most wonderful stallion”

British teenager Rosie Smith sealed “a great couple of weeks” as a vital member of the Nations Cup team when, after helping the children-on-horses team to a third-place finish in the youth competition in Czechia, she and the great stallion Fruselli landed the grand prix.

“I’m incredibly grateful to my owners for giving me the chance to gain this experience,” said Rosie, daughter of Olympian Holly Smith, who added: “Although Rosie is short on mileage at this level of competition, she rode to orders beautifully to win, helped by the most wonderful stallion!”

Ted Bastian-Mason also flew the British flag on the podium, finishing third with a double clear on Forest Ranger OL.

In the team competitions, the young riders took second, represented by Francesca Young (Carrickview Libretto), Glain Watkin Jones (La Vie Est D’Or), Tallulah Mackenzie Smith (Nistria VD Winning Z) and Connie Adams with Jagger. The junior squad also took the runner-up spot, this time after a jump-off, with a great performance from Henry Squibb (Diatencona PS), Alena Hughes (Hercules), Izzy Doyle (Claxon Van De Bosweg) and Ruby Barrs (Manzana De Rigo), who also finished runner-up in the under-25 grand prix on Guinot Di Nocciola.

“It was my first 1.45m so it was quite daunting,” she said.

‘She’s grafted all her life’: Olympic rider’s teenage daughter wins championship on mum’s horse

Jennifer Donald — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:42:16 +0000

One of the stars of last week’s British Showjumping (BS) Spring Championships at Arena UK, Lincs (21-24 March) was talented teenager Rosie Smith.

The 13-year-old daughter of Olympic showjumper Holly Smith made a winning debut in the children-on-horses classes with her mother’s familiar showjumping rides Azolette and Fruselli, finishing with a one-two in the show’s opener, and repeating the feat to be crowned children-on-horses champion.

Rising star Rosie had only ridden Tania Wareham’s 11-year-old mare Azolette and TJ Hall’s 14-year-old stallion Fruselli once at home before the show, but delivered two out of three first-round clears in Sunday’s 1.25m final.

They were joined in the jump-off by Ted Bastion Mason with Alex Bishop’s lovely stallion RS Chacco Bay and all three left the fences standing, with Rosie pipping her pathfinding round on Fruselli by 0.44sec to take the title on Azolette.

“They are horses I have jumped to a good level and Rosie is incredibly grateful to their owners for the chance to compete on them,” said Holly. “She’s grafted away all her life on a lot of different horses and ponies and I thought I’d give her a shot on some good ones.

“Azolette is very straightforward and a really forward going mare who is good against the clock — it says a lot about her that a 13-year-old can get straight on her and jump these kinds of courses.”

Rosie said: “Mum told me to keep them both forward and in a nice rhythm and that made it quite easy. They are very different horses; Azolette likes herself and is quite opinionated, but Fruselli is quiet, sleepy and friendly.”

Holly, who represented Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics and 2018 World Equestrian Games, and won team bronze at the 2019 European Championships, recently returned the chestnut Royal Windsor five-star and La Baule Derby winner Fruselli (by Zambesi TN) to the ring after nearly a year off following an injury. The pair rapidly found form with 1.45m wins in Vejer De Frontera at the beginning of March, including in the CSI2* grand prix.

“Rosie hadn’t had a chance to ride the horses as I was away with Fruse, and Azolette was at home with her owners, so we came here as a warm-up for the viewing trials at Pony of the Year Show,” explained Holly.

“At Fruse’s age, it’s nice to keep him out jumping and enjoying it — it’s fun for him and experience for Rosie.”

You can read the full report from the BS Spring Championships in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, in the shops Thursday 28 March.

‘My heart was thumping’: an unusual Irish team celebrates, a 14-year-old stallion returns and a coming-of-age performance

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:20:13 +0000

In this week’s international showjumping news round-up, there is plenty to celebrate for a unique team of Irish horses in the Nations Cup at Wellington International’s Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) – something team manager Michael Blake said he’d never seen “in 100 Nations Cups”.

A young British rider also posts a landmark first five-star victory in Doha, Qatar, and a highly anticipated rising British equine star achieves a watershed coming-of-age performance.

Read on for a round-up of the highlights of this week’s international showjumping news and results.

Showjumping news: “This team is a little unusual”

Ireland fielded a mix of Olympic veterans and team debutant horses for the $150,000 CSIO4* Nations Cup during week eight of WEF, which proved to be a winning formula as they topped a cracking contest between the 10 teams.

Pathfinder Darragh Kenny (Eddy Blue), David O’Brien (El Balou OLD), Shane Sweetnam (RR Combella) and Cian O’Connor with Fancy de Kergane topped the leaderboard ahead of Canada and the USA. Great Britain’s squad of Jessica Mendoza (I-Cap CL Z), Tim Gredley (Imperial HBF), Sameh El Dahan (Oscar-A) and Ben Maher (Ginger-Blue) finished in fourth.

“This feels amazing – I’m so lucky that my parents had their flights organised, all my students, my clients and my sponsors are here, we’ve had a great night,” said Irish squad debutant David, who jumped clear in round one, just adding two time-faults in the second leg for owners Chansonette and Leap Year Farms.

David O’Brien of Ireland makes his Irish debut in the Nations Cup at WEF with “fighter” El Balou OLD. (Image credit: Sportfot)

“It was a very strong team, I was thinking to myself how many times have the three of them [Shane, Cian and Darragh] competed for Ireland compared with some other teams. It’s really special for me to be sitting up here with three Olympians. They are so experienced.

“I came in on a horse who was willing to fight for me and who doesn’t want to knock any poles down. The horse has a long history and I got him because he was a difficult child, and he needed a continuing program. To me, he’s my number one, so every day we’re out for a long time and it’s a process to keep him focused. But results-wise, I’m very happy with him. He’s probably been the reason I was able to go out on my own and have a business.

“I’m delighted it paid off and everything came together. It’s a great atmosphere, when you come in the ring everything is pumped up. My heart was pumping, the horse’s heart was pumping. There was a big cheer when we cleared the last fence.”

Darragh Kenny jumped for clear and four on Kerry Anne LLC’s Eddy Blue.

“I love to ride for Ireland. It’s one of my favorite things, second to winning, of course,” he said. “But winning with an Irish team, that’s even better.

“Eddy Blue has never done two rounds like that before, but he seemed to step up to the occasion very well.”

Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue in action for Ireland in the WEF Nations Cup. (Image credit: Sportfot)

Anchorman Cian O’Connor on Coolmore Showjumping’s Fancy De Kergane jumped clear in round one but was able to sit out round two, with team victory already in the bag.

“We saw a bit of everything in the course tonight,” said Cian. “Obviously, it plays a part with one round in the daytime then one at night. Both rounds were light, delicate and the plank was difficult to judge.

“This horse is only nine, so he’s just stepping up to this level. There aren’t many nine-year-olds able to do this, so I’m very happy with him. There’s something very special about the night classes here. So many people were here tonight and it’s one that everyone wants to win.”

Shane Sweetnam and the mare RR Combella jumped for four faults in each round.

“That’s the purpose of giving her a chance in this – you really do learn a lot,” he revealed. “She showed her character and how good a horse she is. I think the rider could have done better, but I was very happy with her, especially at the end to go and give a solid round to make sure that we did win.”

Irish chef d’equipe Michael Blake said: “This team is a little unusual. In 100 and something Nations Cups that I’ve been involved in, I’ve never had a full team where none of the horses ever jumped a Nations Cup before. That shows true depth in that we could put out a team of new horses, very good horses, but still new horses.

“On paper we didn’t look like the favourites, but I knew we’d be hard to beat. Canada looked strong, the US looked very strong, but we had a lot of experience, and we know how to dig deep.

“We love to come here because the atmosphere is amazing. To see a full house, that’s what lifts you, it’s very special.”

WEF Nations Cup results

Olli Fletcher and BP Pocahontas land a memorable win in Doha, Qatar. (Image credit: LGCT)

“A big day in the office” for 20-year-old Olli Fletcher

British rising star Olli Fletcher described winning his first five-star class, at the LGCT of Doha, Qatar, as “a big day in the office” and he couldn’t have been happier with Alison Walton’s 12-year-old BP Pocahontas after winning the opening tw0-phase.

“It was an amazing show – the stadium and the arena are beyond anything I’d ever jumped in, so I’m happy the horses enjoyed it with some good results,” Olli told H&H. “Winning my first five-star is definitely a memory that won’t be forgotten, that’s for sure. It was very special.

“My mum and owners Alison and John Walton had come from South Africa to watch, which was lovely because they’ve been instrumental in my career,” added Olli, who also made his debut for GCL team Monaco Aces on Hello William. “Both the horse and I learnt a lot and we’re looking forward to the season ahead.”

Another five-star winner at the show was Ireland’s Denis Lynch with the mighty stallion Vistogrand.

LGCT Doha results

Holly Smith and Fruselli win the grand prix on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour. (Image credit: Mackenzie Clark/Andalucia Sunshine Tour)

Holly Smith’s 14-year-old stallion makes sensational comeback

Making a welcome return to the showjumping news headlines this week was Holly Smith’s 14-year-old stallion Fruselli, who jumped to a victory double after a year on the sidelines.

The flying duo landed the ClipMyHorse.TV grand prix on the CSI2* Andalucia Sunshine Tour in Spain, having topped the Vejer Trophy speed class on Thursday, where she beat Tabitha Kyle on last week’s six-bar winner Desterly. Holly described it as “a bit of an emotional” result after “a long road back from injury” for the stunning chestnut.

Guy Williams was among the other British winners this week on the tour, landing the 1.45m ranking class on 12-year-old stallion Ernie Of Greenhill Z.

Andalucia Sunshine Tour results

Abdel Said lands the LGCT grand prix of Doha, Qatar, with “big, sensible lady” Bonne Amie. (Image credit: LGCT)

Showjumping news: an emotional victory as LGCT season kicks off

The first Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) crown of the new season was earned by Belgium’s Abdel Saïd riding Bonne Amie in the €375,000 grand prix of Doha, Qatar, after a 10-way jump-off. The winning duo edged out Ireland’s LGCT grand prix first-timer Harry Allen on Calculatus by less than a quarter of a second, with Marcus Ehning third on relatively new ride Coolio 42.

“Bonne Amie is incredible, but she’s a big, sensitive lady and I struggled a little in the jump-offs last year,” said Abdel after securing his first LGCT grand prix victory. “I would maybe over-ride her a little, or not ride with enough feeling. But today it felt as though she matured and grew with some small changes and I’m thrilled it all came together. She truly deserves this win.”

Abdel has qualified for the new-look LGCT Super Grand Prix at the GC Playoffs in Riyadh this year.

LGCT grand prix of Doha results

Tom Wachman and Cathalina S find winning form at WEF. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Tom Wachman and 15-year-old mare soar to glory

Next in this week’s showjumping news round-up is young Irish rider Tom Wachman, who teamed up with his European team gold and individual silver-winning 15-year-old mare Cathalina S (Salt N Pepa S x Sandro) to win a 1.45m speed class at WEF.

“I think I was the only one in the class to do five strides to the double of verticals,” said the 19-year-old. “Cathalina has a huge stride and that’s one of the big things for her, how she can be very quick in the speed classes. I think that’s where I probably won. She’s super.”

WEF results

Ben Maher and Point Break land the grand prix at CSIO4* WEF. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

A winning streak for Ben Maher and a coming-of-age performance

And finally in this week’s international showjumping news round-up, the reigning Olympic champion Ben Maher celebrated a coming-of-age performance from rising star Point Break in the $200,000 CSIO4* grand prix at WEF, Florida.

The 10-year-old Swedish warmblood Action-Breaker x Balou Du Rouet stallion, owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright, produced the only double clear after a five-way jump-off.

“This is probably the biggest grand prix he’s won,” said Ben, who acquired the stallion as a six-year-old. “He’s just an incredible horse. He started at WEF in the seven-year-old jumpers. It wasn’t so long ago he was spooking off every golf cart and we were in the back arenas; I kept switching arenas trying to get the groundwork in. But he was always a very talented horse and he’s progressed very nicely.

“He’s a stallion and he’s had quite a few very nice foals now, but he’s like a pet when you’re not on him. But his athleticism is what separates him from the other horses. The way he can bend his body and move his shoulder allows my job to become much easier. I can ride at the jumps and trust that he can do the job for me.”

Earlier in the week, Ben had triumphed with Jane Clark’s 13-year-old mare Ginger-Blue in the WEF Challenge Cup, who also made her Nations Cup debut with Ben this week.

“It’s always special to win any FEI competition, especially here in Wellington; there’s a lot of good horse and rider combinations any week,” said Ben. “But there’s a lot of people that fly in especially for this week, so to start it like this is a confidence boost.

“There’s strength and depth in my team, both horses and people. It’s a great time to be able to ride right now,” added Ben, whose groom Kirsty Bond won the groom’s award in the grand prix.

WEF results

‘I had a string of great horses… and two weeks later it was gone’: how to bounce back after a string of bad luck

Rhea Freeman — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 07:02:47 +0000

It can be hard to pull yourself back in line after a string of what might be described as ‘bad luck’ — when not one thing goes wrong, but a number of things follow in fairly quick succession. Sometimes these ‘things’ are caused by the first incident, sometimes they aren’t. Here, we catch up with four successful riders who have had strings of bad luck due to various reasons, find out how they came through this, and the tips that helped them.

Harriet Morris-Baumber won team bronze at the 2009 CIC2* (now CCI3*S) Europeans and had a string of three really good event horses. And then all three retired from competing at that level, and her novice/intermediate horse sustained an injury too, so she was left with no horses to ride, no additional funds to buy horses, and no owners at that level.

“I just filled the yard with anything I could,” explains Harriet. “It was only when I saw a friend who was doing the same but in racing that the situation hit home. I was riding anything, but when I saw what she was doing it gave me the impetus to send the horses back home, refresh and revaluate. I only rode at two events in a two-year period.”

After a high profile car accident, event rider Aaron Millar’s life changed forever. Not only was Aaron left with serious injuries that led him to spend two-and-a-half months in hospital, he also had to process the accident that saw two of his friends also sustain life-changing injuries and, sadly, the death of a friend that was also travelling in the car at the same time. If this wasn’t bad enough, horses were leaving the yard as he was still in hospital, and some left before he’d even come around following the accident.

“It was awful,” says Aaron. “The accident was horrific on every level, and then having horses that I’d worked on since they were four-years-old leaving was so hard. I’d just moved to a new yard with better facilities, I had a string of great horses… and two weeks later it was gone. I understand why the owners moved their horses, but it was an incredibly hard thing to deal with for me.”

Showjumper Holly Smith also lost owners after picking up an injury. She sustained a bad break that completely shattered her ankle after falling off and landing on her feet. “It was so hard to deal with at the time,” she said.

Franky Reid- Warrilow had a run of bad results, then her top horse sustained an injury. This followed breaking her hip and collarbone over the course of a few years.

“Together it sounds awful, but I accepted that the issues I was facing were very much part of the sport,” says Franky. “You get bad results sometimes, horses get injured, and riders break bones… and seeing it for what it was was really important for me.

“The broken bones were the easiest to deal with. The horse injury was much worse as there’s so much emotion connected to a horse injuring itself.”

In all, Aaron didn’t compete for a year. During this time a syndicate that had been set up fell through via email — there was a large financial impact as the business still had overheads and so much more too.

“I also had the extra issue that, because of the accident and how high profile it was, people had concerns about my fitness, and I get that, but it made me incredibly determined.”

Harriet used the time after she sent horses home to concentrate on teaching, look at what other professionals were doing, and researching syndicates and how they worked.

“I knew syndicates worked really well in racing so I spent a lot of time looking at the reasons people pay to be a part of them and it was mostly down to the experience,” says Harriet. “It wasn’t always about winning, and I knew that I could provide owners with the most amazing experience and that mum and dad would be able to help with that too — it’s worked so, so well.”

Although Holly lost some of her competition horses following her accident, the issue also led her to find a new owner and the horse that took her to the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG).

“I had known Gordon (Hall) for a while, but when I came out of hospital he came on board as an owner and we bought a horse that took me to WEG. Without the accident I wouldn’t have done that.”

As for tips, staying positive was a big thing for Harriet and, in fact, this positivity helped her to attract owners to her syndicate, which allowed her to invest in the horsepower she needed.

Self-belief can play a huge part in navigating hard times, as Holly well knows.

“For me, just keeping going is what changed things around. I had to look after myself and kept focused on what had worked well for me before the accident, although it wasn’t always easy.”

“I was given a really good piece of advice by a sports psychologist that helped my mindset — and that’s not to look sideways,” said Franky. “When you start comparing yourself to others, it can make your situation seem a lot worse. Being realistic with where my horses are in terms of being competitive has helped me too. But now, instead of comparing myself to other people, I focus on my personal bests as that’s something I can influence.”

Aaron suggests that finding that support network is really important.

“Make sure the people around you want the best for you — that’s been such a huge help for me. Seeking professional help too, in the form of fitness as well as for the PTSD I suffered has been key.

“The thing is, truly horrific things can happen, they can change your life in an instant, and it can be incredibly hard to process, but it does get easier. My perspective on life has changed and I have a lot of qualities I didn’t have before, and that has helped me with other aspects of my life. But for me, one piece of advice that changed things has to be that I needed to be the one to make the change, get up, and keep going.”

You may also be interested in…

(Image credit: Liverpool Horse Show)

H&H caught up with two event riders who have sustained high profile injuries, a mental skills coach, and a soft

(Image credit: Liverpool Horse Show)

Young talent follows in her father’s footsteps to claim Hickstead victory

Becky Murray — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 16:03:31 +0000

Shane Breen’s daughter Darcy has followed in her famous father’s footsteps by winning a prestigious title at Hickstead – just a week after he lifted the Hickstead Derby trophy for the first time.

Young riders from across the country descended on Hickstead on 1 July for the Hurst College National Schools and Pony Club Jumping Championships. The competition, in its 58th year, features junior, senior, and Pony Club team and individual categories.

Darcy Breen was part of the winning Cottesmore school team in the 90cm junior category with the experienced 15-year-old gelding Cearoin Mor Lad. Darcy was joined by cousin Mia – daughter of fellow Hickstead Derby winner Trevor Breen – with Golden Frisky, Orla Burrell-Thompson and Maxi Million, and Daisy Andrews on Woodwards Vinnie.

The Cottesmore junior team (Image credit: Suse Martin Turner)

The team fought off competition from nine other schools and finished on a zero score, to take the victory over Hurst Red.

Darcy, who said she’d like to follow in her father’s footsteps one day and win the Derby, took over the ride Cearoin Mor Lad from her older sister Lorna.

“He’s a really reliable pony who is good at everything,” she said.

Darcy’s mother Chloe Breen said the school was very nearly unable to provide a team owing to the competition clashing with the school play.

“Fortunately the headmaster and the headmistress were very understanding, and one of the teachers stood in for Orla in the play,” said Chloe.

“It was a really young team and Mia was only enlisted at the last minute, so that was an amazing achievement, and Darcy and Daisy are in their last year so it’s lovely for them to win. They all played their part and we’re delighted.”

Daisy, a former Olympia and Horse of the Year Show winner, went one step further and was crowned winner of the Hickstead elite 1.10m National Schools Equestrian Association individual championship with nine-year-old Cevin Z son Bermudez BDA, who she is aiming at senior newcomers second rounds this year.

Another showjumper’s offspring to reign victorious was Rosie Smith – daughter of Olympic rider Holly Smith – who was part of the winning senior Tudor Hall team. Rosie and her teammates Xanthee Anstee Marriott on Ardough Boy, Hettie Turcan with Capard Lady and Molly Turcan on Star Smokey, beat Seaford College into second. Rosie was also third individually with Caherlistrane Glass, with the individual senior top spot going to Georgie Beeby Wynn and Afficks Eclipse from Berkhamsted school. Matilda Jackson Clutton of Mayfield school won the individual junior section on Corriview Molly.

The Tudor Hall senior team (Image credit: Suse Martin Turner)

Talented 16-year-old event horse Amsterdam 21 – the former four-star ride of New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell – showed his versatility, winning the individual Pony Club competition with Charlotte Bull of the Eridge branch.

“He’s a phenomenal horse and it was so lovely to come here and have such a great experience on him,” said Charlotte, who got the ride in February.

In the Pony Club team competition the Crawley & Horsham branch, featuring Briony Martin and Tynan Express, Ella Bubb and Happy, Felicity Reynolds and Directeur and Georgia Stephens on Gorsehill Jack, took the honours ahead of Eridge.

A glorious British victory for Holly Smith and her ‘lionheart’ horse at Royal Windsor

Jennifer Donald — Sat, 14 May 2022 20:49:28 +0000

British supporters finally had a very good reason to celebrate at Royal Windsor Horse Show on Saturday as Holly Smith and the brilliant Fruselli triumphed after an epic three-way battle to land the prestigious 1.55m CSI5* Kingdom of Bahrain Stakes for The King’s Cup on Saturday evening (14 May).

This was Holly’s second victory in the class after she collected the silverware with championship horse Hearts Destiny in 2019. But she admits her ambitious challenge in Saturday’s jump-off came from a sudden “rush of blood to the head”.

“Fruselli is just the most genuine horse and all credit to my owners Su and Gordon Hall,” said Holly. “He’s trying his best to fill the gap that Hearts Destiny has left. So for him to win the same class that Hearts Destiny did two years ago is amazing.

“At the first rollback [in the jump-off] I was too tight really – and then I did plan to take a stride out, but only about half a second before! I had a rush of blood to the head and thought ‘Sod it, I’m going’!”

Just eighteen riders lined up for this, the fourth CSI5* jumping class at this year’s Royal Windsor Horse Show, and the first-round track caused all sorts of problems resulting in a slimline jump-off consisting of only three clean-jumping combinations.

The pathfinder going into battle for the €6,375 first prize was Italy’s Lorenzo De Luca riding Poden Farms 10-year-old stallion Cash Du Plessis, who has been produced by Emily Moffitt’s team for the past six years. The pair laid down a serious target, remaining clear in 33.63sec.

The cheers then rang out for Holly Smith as she returned with the 12-year-old Fruselli, once a phenomenal speed horse, who has stepped up so impressively in recent years to become one of the country’s greatest assets on the five-star circuit.

Showing such willingness over this lofty 1.55m track, he and Holly absolutely motored through the finish well over a second faster than the Italian.

The crowd at Royal Windsor Horse Show held their breath as the final rider entered the arena, Belgium’s Abdel Said on the speedy mare Casalor and, despite a thrilling assault at Holly’s leading time, they stopped the clock in 33.31sec to take second.

“Fruselli is just one of those lionhearted horses who does whatever I ask him to do,” said Holly. “He’s hitting the highest level.”

David Will (Primus Vom Neumuehler Hof) and Trevor Breen (Toyger) were back in the ribbons, taking fourth and fifth respectively with just a time-fault apiece in round one.

Don’t miss all the action from Royal Windsor Horse Show with Horse & Hound, both online and in next week’s issue of the magazine, in the shops on Thursday, 19 May.

Teenage Derby horses, Holly Smith, and a son of the great Hickstead: who won showjumping ribbons at the weekend?

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 09 May 2022 14:42:30 +0000

There was another bumper action-packed weekend of international showjumping over the weekend (4-8 May) with plenty of success for British and Irish riders — as well as some star-studded equine progeny. Here is your weekly round-up of international jumping action.

1. “We trained in a lake near my home”: La Baule Derby victory for Denis Lynch

Irishman Denis Lynch and the 16-year-old stallion Rubens LS La Silla tackled La Baule’s famous 22-fence Derby track on Saturday and triumphed with the fastest of two clear rounds from a field of 14 riders. Taking second was French rider Nicolas Delmotte (Denerys Du Montceau) with another Irish rider, Mark McAuley and the 18-year-old Miebello, in third with the fastest round of the day but with four faults to add. Denis also won the La Baule Derby in 2012 riding Night Train when he was injured in the prize-giving, and he attributes this year’s victory to some cross-country practice at home.

“I knew Mark McAuley had a horse that was very fast and my Irish teammates in general are good, so I had to prepare myself well,” said Denis. “My horse and I know each other very well, we’ve done all kinds of competitions, and before La Baule, we trained in a small lake near my home. This Derby of La Baule was really a goal for me. Thanks also to my owners who have been with me for a very long time.”

Full results from the La Baule Derby.

2. Holly Smith and Fruselli surge to grand prix glory

British Olympian Holly Smith and the speedy chestnut Fruselli continued their phenomenal winning surge, claiming victory in the CSI3* grand prix of Le Touquet, France, doubling up on a win on Friday, while it was a hat-trick for Holly who had also won with Azolette on Thursday. Holly and Fruselli, who will be in action in Royal Windsor’s five-star classes this week, scorched home in Sunday’s grand prix just a fraction ahead of Ireland’s Richard Howley riding Consulent De Prelet Z. Sienna Charles was another winner at the show, riding Valkiry De Zance, as was Joe Whitaker (Icaterina), and Trevor Breen took the runner-up spot in the Derby riding Mandy Hall’s Toyger.

Full results from Le Touquet grand prix.

3. A victory on home soil for Robert Smith

On home soil, Northcote held its inaugural CSI2* show where victory in the AW Jenkinson-sponsored 1.45m world ranking grand prix was secured by Robert Smith with the 14-year-old Ilton (Dulf Van Den Bisschop x Calvaro Z) he owns with Karina Reilly. Robert steered the tightest of lines to win by 0.94sec.

“He’d had one down earlier in the week so I just went round – today he was good,” said Robert, who will look to the county circuit in the immediate future. “I voted for Brexit, but at the moment it’s making the horse job difficult.”

Full results from Northcote CSI2* grand prix.

4. “Eric told me to go for it”: Olympian’s former ride takes Rolex grand prix honours

The Rolex grand prix of La Baule went to Canada’s Beth Underhill riding the former top mount of her mentor Eric Lamaze, the 13-year-old stallion Dieu Merci Van T&L.

“I have a great track record in riding, with a little break in my career; I started again not too long ago,” said Beth, who was also part of the Canadian team who finished third in Friday’s Nations Cup. “I’ve been riding my horse for two months and this is the third 1.60m course I’ve done with Dieu Merci. He suits me perfectly because he is fast and has very long strides so we match up very well.

“This morning I went around the stadium and saw all the names of the winners on the marble in the René Pasquier stand, where my name will soon be. I saw the name of Eric [Lamaze], inscribed twice in 2011 and 2014. Eric told me after the first round to go for it because I could do it. I’m thrilled with my performance and thrilled to be with Eric who has given so much and continues to give us everything.”

The only other double clear from 50 starters came from runner-up Yuri Mansur of Brazil riding the 14-year-old Vitiki – the top six were all horses in their teens. In seventh was Frenchman Simon Delestre riding the 10-year-old Cayman Jolly Jumper, a son of Eric’s late great Hickstead.

View Rolex grand prix results.

5. Sam Hutton conquers in Belgium

Sentower Park’s CSI3* 1.55m grand prix also resulted in a British win, this time for Belgium-based Sam Hutton riding the 11-year-old gelding Givenchi. Victory came after a highly competitive 11-way jump-off.

Full results from the Sentower Park grand prix.

6. Belgium tops the Nations Cup podium

La Baule also hosted an independent Nations Cup, and eight countries fielded world-class squads for the event. A decade after they last won here, Belgium topped the podium with eight penalties, just ahead of France and Canada, who each came home on a score of 12 but were separated by time. All the riders praised Gregory Bodo’s track.

“What a place, what an atmosphere, what a public!” said Belgium team pathfinder Gregory Wathelet (Nevados S), who was also on the winning team 10 years ago. “To enter this arena is just incredible, we don’t often have this atmosphere. The course-designer has put together a very technical, tricky, but really enjoyable course to ride. We didn’t see the horses, I think, going too hard, it’s really what we needed. This win is well deserved by the whole team.”

Belgium’s chef d’equipe Peter Weinberg gave his insight: “I’m German and I’ve been here before with Germany, with whom I’ve already won the Nations Cup. I am happy to win again with the Red Devils. I set up this strategy to put Gregory first, if ever there was a jump-off, because the horse is the fastest and it allowed him to recover. It was a beautiful course, which was a bit technical, it required a good intelligent horse, but also a good rider.”

Nations Cup results here.

‘I jumped round obstacle courses pretending to be John Whitaker’: hands up if you identify with Holly Smith’s pony-mad childhood?

Jennifer Donald — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 12:02:09 +0000

Anyone who enjoyed a pony-mad childhood probably has fond memories of soaring over makeshift fences – either with or without a horse – pretending to be your childhood hero, and, it turns out, our Olympic riders are no exception.

As leading British showjumper Holly Smith reveals to H&H showjumping editor Jennifer Donald on this week’s episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, she spent many happy days building obstacle courses and watching videos of her heroes on repeat.

“I followed all these riders like John Whitaker,” she says. “My mum always laughs now because I used to have the ‘Thrills And Spills’ video, the ‘Milton – Simply The Best’ video, then some Ginny Leng training videos – it was just videos back then!

“My mum used to work nights as a midwife so I would ride my ponies all day then watch these videos over and over and over again. Then I’d build an obstacle course and jump it in the style of the horses on the Thrills And Spills video – that’s what my holidays between the ages of five and 15 consisted of!

“But joking aside, just being able to watch people like that and have the opportunity to practise on my own, riding and copying them, was brilliant – I used to try to get my ponies to go like the horses in the videos. Everybody has their own style don’t they? So I just used to play around doing that all day. But I was lucky to be able to do that – just hours and hours of practice after watching the best riders on TV.”

In “real life” Holly took part in all Pony Club activities, hunter trials, eventing, hunting – “a bit of everything”.

“My mum and I used to buy ponies and break them in and when I was around 13 we had a few that jumped well enough to take the British Showjumping seriously, so for a few years we did that before I started doing my GCSEs,” says Holly.

“I had a pony qualified for the Foxhunter final but that was as far as I took it – I never jumped above 1.20m, I never did any of the JA classes or anything like that. Then for the next few years I focussed on my education and playing other sports as well, such as county hockey and I like playing netball, just any sports really.”

Holly’s showjumping career didn’t develop until she purchased a young Dougie Douglas – who turned out to be a life-changing acquisition and became a world class showjumper.

“I was 21 or 22 when I got Dougie Douglas. He turned up just at the right time really,” says Holly.

Hear more from Holly Smith as she talks about what she’s learned about producing world class horses and how it felt to compete in the legendary Golden Button Challenge on episode 99 of The Horse & Hound Podcast – listen here or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.

The Horse & Hound Podcast 99: Top showjumper Holly Smith | Winter Dressage Championships | Bridle design | News round-up

Gemma Redrup — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 05:45:19 +0000

In our 99th weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, H&H’s Jennifer Donald talks to top showjumper Holly Smith, who discusses what she looks for in a top horse. H&H’s Pippa Roome then catches up with H&H’s Polly Bryan to discuss last week’s NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships. Pippa then talks to the H&H news team to discuss spinal chord injury research, data in horse sport and why we need to worry about the future of Hackneys. Finally, we’ll be hearing from bits and bitting expert Tricia Nassau-WIlliams, who talks about bridle design and what will work for your horse. We hope you’ll enjoy listening.

Episode 99 of The Horse & Hound Podcast, our popular audio service available every Thursday morning for our H&H digital subscribers, is now live.

Each episode is available for all H&H fans to listen to via your favourite podcast app 24hrs after its early release to our H&H digital subscribers. Search for “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your preferred podcast app and click subscribe to be notified about each new episode. This will allow more listeners to make The Horse & Hound Podcast an essential part of their week on Friday morning.

View all episodes of The Horse & Hound Podcast

In our 99th weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, H&H’s Jennifer Donald talks to top showjumper Holly Smith, who discusses what she looks for in a top horse.

“I like them to jump and they’ve got to be sound to take the work and they have to be brave, scopey, careful – all horses have their faults, it’s just trying to find ones that you can work with” – Holly Smith on what she looks for in a showjumper.

H&H’s Pippa Roome then catches up with H&H’s Polly Bryan to discuss last week’s NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships.

“It was great to be back at Hartpury with the championship’s atmosphere back to normal post-Covid” – H&H’s Polly Bryan on the Winter Dressage Championships.

Pippa then talks to the H&H news team to discuss spinal-cord injury research, data in horse sport and why we need to worry about the future of Hackneys.

“It’s jaw-dropping what has already been achieved in this research” – H&H’s news editor Eleanor Jones on research into spinal-cord injuries.

Finally, we’ll be hearing from bits and bitting expert Tricia Nassau-WIlliams, who talks about bridle design and what will work for your horse.

“However well designed your bridle is, if it doesn’t fit your horse properly, it’s not going to serve him well or give him any greater comfort” – Tricia Nassau-Williams

We would love to hear your feedback on all our podcasts, so please do send your thoughts to pippa.roome@futurenet.com