The curtain came down on the final evening of the London International Horse Show on Monday (22 December) with one of the most entertaining classes of the week, the Tuffa Boots Jockeys Challenge Cup in aid of The Injured Jockeys Fund.

In an action-packed half hour of thrills – and one spill – the team of five female jockeys took on their male counterparts over a showjumping course and joker fence, under the guidance of team managers William and Pippa Funnell.

London Horse Show jockeys’ challenge: Stewards enquiry!

Earning weighing room bragging rights over the Festive period were the victorious quintet of male jockeys. Team captain and champion Flat jockey Oisin Murphy led former champion jump jockey Brian Hughes, Tristan Durell, Richie McLernon and Flat jockey Jason Hart to a Frankel-esque combined winning margin of over 20 seconds.

Oisin, who has also competed nationally and internationally in the showjumping ring, unsurprisingly produced an exhibition round over the coloured poles. But it was Brian Hughes – who had jetted in from riding three placed horses at Musselburgh racecourse earlier in the day – who stole the show, scorching round faster than London Horse Show grand prix winner Tom Wachman to post the quickest time of the evening (25.69sec) having also cleared the imposing joker fence.

“I’m just glad I didn’t make a fool of my horse,” said Brian, adding that being beaten by 0.02sec by Harry Skelton last year had spurred him on to warp speed this year. “Sometimes at the racecourse the crowd aren’t cheering for you, if they’ve bet on something you’ve got beaten on, so this was great fun.”

Without the legendary Sir Anthony “AP” McCoy in action in this year’s class, Richie McLernon took it upon himself to continue the 20-time champion’s Festive tradition of falling off. When Richie’s horse refused at one obstacle, Richie slipped gracefully out the side door but, to a huge cheer, he vaulted back on (albeit at the second attempt) and kicked on over the rest of the course, even flying effortlessly over the joker.

The dreaded “EL” appeared next to his name, but it didn’t seem to matter, the lads were smashing it.

“The boys fell off, got back on and were still faster than the girls!” quipped William Funnell, last seen stomping off to the stewards’ room to lodge an official objection to his rider’s elimination.

Team captain Oisin Murphy: “A wonderful cause and a true privilege”

The female team of jockeys were equally determined, however, with team captain Megan Nicholls leading Lilly Pinchin, Joanna Mason, Gina Andrews and Alice Stevens to a slower, but arguably more stylish team result.

There was an anxious wait however while the stewards deliberated the scores and scoured their rulebooks, eventually deciding to drop Richie’s score alongside the highest scoring rider from Megan’s team and the male jockeys were announced as first past the post to conclude another brilliant, high-octane and entertaining evening, all for a fantastic cause.

“Christmas is coming so I want to stay in Pippa’s good books, but that was too easy!” said William Funnell about his wife’s opposing team.

“It’s a wonderful cause and we’re so lucky that we’re able to take part at London Horse Show – it’s a five-star show watched by people all around the world, so it’s a true privilege,” said Oisin Murphy.

“This is my fourth year competing here and I still haven’t won it yet,” said Joanna Mason. “I need to keep coming back!

“But the IJF is an amazing charity, I’ve relied on them from a broken back to broken ankles – they’ve got me back quicker than I could ever have done, so I can’t thank them enough. So anything we can do for them is just amazing.”

Debutante team captain Megan Nicholls added: “We’re not giving up! We’re going to have a team talk and a regroup, then come back for more.

“It was so much fun and it’s for such an important cause. We’ve been so lucky to have great sponsors in Tuffa this year. Everyone behind the scenes who bring the ponies and horses for us to ride, too, thanks to the crowd for getting behind us because it’s such a cool atmosphere.”

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There’s something a bit different about this picture, it’s just tricky to determine what.

Jockeys, tick. Silks, tick. Starting gates, tick. Horses – oh.

On Saturday (20 September) at Ayr racecourse, 10 top jockeys lined up as usual to see who would be first across the line, but on their own two feet.

The riders, including Connor Beasley, Tom Eaves, Jason Hart and Paul Mulrennan, were taking part in the first half-furlong UK racecourse sprint to feature jockeys without their equine partners. Ladbrokes, which sponsors the Ayr Gold Cup Festival, hosted the charity race in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF).

Jason Hart came out on top by a “clear distance”, Callum Rodriguez finished second and Paul Mulrennan completed the podium in the 100-yard sprint.

The race was inspired by a riders’ race at Jockey Fest in July, held at Monterrico racecourse, Peru, the aim of which was to raise money for charity and promote equestrian sports to new audiences. For the Ayr version, Ladbrokes promised to donate £200 to the IJF for every runner who took part.

The bookmaker’s Alex Apati said: “Racegoers must have thought something was seriously wrong when 10 top jockeys burst out of the stalls without their horses!

“We’re chuffed so many names got involved for such a great cause, and huge congratulations to Jason Hart who walks away with the first Ladbrokes Jockey Sprint Trophy and bragging rights… for at least a year.”

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Some of the country’s leading Flat and jumps jockeys took a well-earned break from their day job to entertain the crowd in the Markel Jockeys Jumping in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund at the London International Horse Show on Friday evening (20 December).

Two teams of intrepid competitors – with varying levels of showjumping ability, it has to be said – were led into battle by champion jockey Harry “The Airplane” Skelton and his counterpart 20-time champion Sir Anthony “AP” McCoy, AKA the Champ.

There were a few anxious faces as the 10 jockeys set off over the course of showjumps set for them – including a lofty joker fence which could wipe four seconds off their time – but all made a gallant attempt and even AP McCoy managed not to fall off this year.

Victory went to Harry Skelton’s high-octane squad of Brian Hughes, Lilly Pinchin, James Bowen and Sam Twiston-Davies, although there were calls for a stewards’ enquiry when it turned out Harry was mounted on William Funnell’s former grand prix horse Billy Angelo. The now 21-year-old gelding has enjoyed his retirement with Harry and his wife Bridget and was without doubt the star of the show.

“I’m very well mounted,” admitted Harry as Pippa Funnell gave the super chestnut gelding a huge hug. “This horse has been a legend to Pippa and Willy Funnell throughout the years. We’re very privileged to have him – I’d be doing him a bad turn if I let him down.”

Jockeys jump on the train from Ascot to the London ExCeL in their riding kit

Many of the jockeys had been riding at Ascot’s Howden Christmas Racing Weekend and had jumped on a train into London to reach the London ExCeL in time for the class, before returning to the track to race again on Saturday.

“We really enjoy it – we’ve been at Ascot today and all we’ve talked about is tonight,” said Harry. “So thank you to Markel and to the London International Horse Show for having us back again.

“The only thing I’m surprised about is Nico de Boinville completing the course because if that was a race, he definitely would have pulled it up.”

Top jumps jockey Nico, part of AP McCoy’s losing green side along with Gina Andrews, Harry Cobden and Joanna Mason, is an absolutely superb horseman but he left the ring with more poles on the floor than remaining in their cups.

“It’s a tough old game but I’m going to blame the coaches today – it was definitely bad management,” he said tongue in cheek in the direction of team trainers Pippa Funnell and Laura Collett. “You are what you’re riding and Harry Skelton was on a grand prix horse – it’s a bit like me riding Sprinter Sacre in a 0-100 handicap race [for low level horses].

“But we’ll give him that one, it was all good fun. A fantastic evening.”

AP McCoy on jumping at the London International: “I have fallen off more than anyone on the planet”

Gina Andrews, who finished 12th in this year’s Grand National, summed up: “These are obviously totally different fences to the National, but it’s a totally different kind of buzz, I loved it.”

Meanwhile Sam Twiston-Davies quipped, “The money was on James Bowen taking the wrong course, but he actually managed to make it round!”

AP McCoy has experienced more than his fair share of unscheduled dismounts in this class over the years and he looked relieved just to cross the finish line while still in the saddle.

“It’s much more fun when I fall off isn’t it? I have fallen off more than anyone on the planet,” he said, going on to pay tribute to his injured weighing room colleagues Alice Procter and Graham Lee, just two of the beneficiaries of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

“I’d like to thank everyone who supports this evening. The Injured Jockeys Fund is 60 years old this year. The care it gives and everything it does is unbelievable. It costs £5m a year to run and it’s run purely through donations from evenings like this. So thank you to you all.”

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One of the highlights of the London International Horse Show (18-22 December) is always Friday night’s high-octane Markel Jockeys Jumping Class, in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

This year, team captains Harry Skelton and AP MCoy will lead a glittering cast of jockeys in the relay race over the coloured poles, including fellow champion jump jockeys Brian Hughes and Harry Cobden, Henry Brooke and Gina Andrews. Representing the Flat jockeys are Jim Crowley, reigning champion Oisin Murphy, Joanna Mason and Saffie Osbourne.

Four-time champion Flat jockey Oisin Murphy is no stranger to the showjumping ring, having won internationally and he contested the Speed Derby at Hickstead in 2022. However, having not jumped at all this year and feeling a little ring rusty, Oisin enlisted the help of five-time Hickstead Derby winner and European gold medallist William Funnell for a jumping lesson where he was joined by LIHS ambassador, ITV Racing presenter and former Love Island star Chris Hughes. Chris will be acting as a roving reporter on the night.

Oisin tells H&H he’s taken away plenty of great advice ahead of his competitive debut at the London International.

“Will was very kind to let us come down and give us a few pointers,” he says. “I’d never been to the Billy Stud and it’s a wonderful facility.

“He put a little course up for us and he allowed us to warm up as normal, like we will be doing on the 20 December, before we popped round. He’s a fantastic rider and it was very good of him to give up his time.”

Oisin Murphy: “A bit like racing, I’ll just get on and try my best!”

Oisin rode the eight-year-old Chocolat Du Rouet for his lesson, but he isn’t sure yet who he will be riding on the night.

“A bit like racing, I’ll just get on and try my best!” he says. “I’ve obviously showjumped a bit on the Sunshine Tour and so on, but this will be my first time in the Markel Jockeys Jumping class at the London International. I haven’t had a chance to compete at all this year, so this will be my first opportunity of 2024 and I’m very lucky that they’ve included me this time round.

“I’ve visited the show many times though and there’s an electric feeling there, a great atmosphere and it’s one that lots of equestrians look forward to, having a day at the ExCeL Arena in December.

“The class will be great fun, and all of us jockeys taking part will certainly be competing to win, but more importantly we are grateful to be involved in an event that raises vital awareness for a charity that is so important to us all and the wider sport.”

“I just hope I’ll be able to do a good job!”

Top tips from William Funnell for Oisin Murphy and Chris Hughes

William Funnell revealed that both Chris and Oisin had to work on memorising a course of showjumps.

“It just becomes a habit for showjumpers – you look up and there’s your next fence – but of course it’s very different in racing and people in racing sometimes find it difficult to plot a route; they’re just used to going in straight lines!” William explains.

“So I was explaining that it’s all about preparation – the minute you’re landing from one fence, you’re preparing for the next. You land, you balance the horse, you look for the next fence and your line to it; you can’t just be swinging round the corners hoping for the best!

“So I’ve hopefully given them a few tips, but on the night they all just want to win so much that they’ll all get carried away and do whatever they want! But that’s what makes it fun, and that’s what it’s all about.”

There have been plenty of thrills, spills and festive entertainment in the class over the years, with Harry Skelton even losing his bridle twice in 2018. With the option of the Markel joker fence to finish, there’s plenty to test the jockeys’ skill, bravery and horsemanship.

Chris Hughes adds: “I’m thrilled to be an ambassador for London International Horse Show this year and to be involved in helping to support the Injured Jockeys Fund through the Markel Jumping Jockeys class is really special for me. I can’t wait to see everyone down at the ExCeL in a few weeks for what is going to be one of the highlights of the Show!”

AP McCoy: “Some jockeys jump really well, some fall off – usually me – but it’s for a great cause”

The 20-time champion jockey AP McCoy, who is president of the Injured Jockeys Fund, last guided his team to victory in 2022 and he says: “We all love taking part in the Markel Jockeys Jumping. It’s always such a great night. Some jockeys jump really well, some fall off – usually me – but it’s for a great cause and the least we can do to raise awareness of the IJF and the incredible work the charity does.”

The Markel Jockeys Jumping class in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund kicks off the London International Horse Show’s evening performance on Friday 20 December at ExCeL London.

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Jockeys based north of the border can now benefit from services provided by the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) in Scotland.

The Ella MacGregor Centre in Galashiels offers physiotherapy and “injury management” on a site convenient for the Borders area racing community.

“This is only possible because the IJF was remembered in the will of the late Ella MacGregor, who owned and ran the Pinkerton Stud at Dunbar in East Lothian,” an IJF spokesperson said. “Her yellow and blue silks were carried to many victories by the likes of Macrobian, who chased home Notley in the Stewards’ Cup, and the successful horses bred there included Kayem, who competed as an eventer for Sir Mark Todd and was taken by him to the Olympics.”

Kelso course physio Libby Lindsay will offer sessions in the new facility, built in partnership with the Scottish Rugby Union on the Heriot-Watt University campus.

“We have wanted to do this for a while,” said IJF chief executive Lisa Hancock. “We are therefore enormously grateful to Ella and her trustees for their generous legacy in making it possible.

“The Ella MacGregor Centre will significantly improve our clinical services and support our activities north of the border and is the first step in expanding our operations in Scotland and supporting IJF beneficiaries of all kinds.”

The late Ms MacGregor also left a significant donation to Retraining of Racehorses for its welfare work. She was based throughout her life near Dunbar in East Lothian, and with her sister Ina ran the Pinkerton Stud, which Ella set up in 1976. They bred racehorses there until the early 2000s.

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Champion jockey Harry Cobden and Cheltenam Gold Cup-winning retired racehorse Native River are among those who will be taking on a showjumping challenge in aid of charity.

Nine jockeys riding nine former racehorses will take part in the Injured Jockeys Fund South West Jockeys Showjumping Challenge at Bicton Arena, Devon, on Friday (5 July) as part of Bicton Arena’s summer tour.

Harry, who won his first champion jump jockey title in May, will ride the much-loved Native River. The 14-year-old gelding won more than £1m before his retirement from the track at the end of 2021. He won the 2018 Cheltenam Gold Cup under Richard Johnson for trainer Colin Tizzard, and most recently has been enjoying shining in the showing world, including qualifying for this year’s Horse of the Year Show with Emma Vine.

Harry is not a complete stranger to showjumping, having taken part in the Markel Jockeys Jumping at the London International Horse Show last December under the captaincy of the great AP McCoy.

“I had my first taste of showjumping at London, and apart from a slight spill in the warm-up, I absolutely loved it,” said Harry.

“I’ve had a little practice on Native River this time, and so hope we can do a good job. More than anything, it’s for a great cause that we all need and support.”

Harry will be on Team Black, alongside Michael Nolan and Truckin Away, Nick Scholfield and Royal Plaza, Josh Newman and Richard’s Friends and Lorcan Murtagh and Vandross. They will face Team White; Sean Houlihan with Shadarpour, Ollie Searle with Dawson City, Rex Dingle and Hibernian Warrior, Bryan Carver with Sheila’s Facy and Ben Godfrey and Finally Fi.

“Not only is it a fabulous showcase of the versatility of thoroughbreds but a chance to support such a worthy cause,” said Kay Scriven of Spillers, which is supporting the event.

The event begins at 7pm and is free to attend. It will include live music and a raffle, followed by a party.

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Former Grand National and Ascot Gold Cup-winning jockey Graham Lee says he has been “overwhelmed” by the support shown to him and his family following a fall in which he sustained life-changing injuries.

Graham was unseated from Ben Macdui at Newcastle racecourse on 10 November and taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle with a neck injury. Later in November he was transferred to the spinal unit at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

“It’s three months now since my accident and I thought it was appropriate for me to say something publicly for the first time,” said Graham, 48, in a statement released on Saturday (10 February). “I’d like to thank you all so much on behalf of myself, my wife Becky and our children Amy and Robbie.”

“It feels like I’m in a bit of a bubble here at the James Cook Spinal Unit, but the girls share with me all the messages they’re receiving and every single one is appreciated, as is the support of my great friends who continue to visit me so regularly and keep my spirits up.”

Graham had more than 1,000 winners over jumps before he switched to the Flat, including the Grand National on Amberleigh House in 2004, yet in his statement he said: “I never really considered that I had achieved much as a jockey”.

“It seems crazy that so many people are thinking of us all. I can’t deny it has been – and continues to be – hard for us all, but these messages help us all so much.”

He went on to thank all those who have cared for him and continue to do so.

“I would also like to thank the team of nurses here who are just unbelievable in the around the clock care and support they offer us all.”

Graham has his sights set on returning home, where his house will be adapted to suit his needs.

“As most of you know, the injuries I have suffered are life-changing and there is a long road ahead. But we have just received planning permission so that work can start to adapt our home in the hope that I will be able to leave hospital at some stage in the next few months,” he explained, signing off his statement by saying he is “truly humbled and grateful”.

A fundraising page set up by Graham’s 18-year-old daughter, Amy, raised more than £80,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund within days and now sits at an ever-increasing total of over £191,000.

Donate to the fundraising page

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Seriously injured jockey Graham Lee has moved to a spinal unit, where he will stay for the foreseeable future.

In a statement released today (24 November) the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) said the 47-year-old Irish rider is no longer in intensive care.

Graham was unseated from Ben Macdui at Newcastle racecourse on 10 November and taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle with a neck injury.

“Graham Lee has now moved to the spinal unit at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where he will remain for the foreseeable future,” the IJF said.

“He is no longer in ITU but remains on a ventilator, albeit this can be reduced from time to time. His cervical injury, which was to C3/C4, means that his movement is affected.”

Graham had surgery on 14 November, to stabilise the fractures in his cervical spine and further protect his spinal cord.

A fundraising page set up by Graham’s 18-year-old daughter, Amy Lee, raised more than £80,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund within days. Just over a week later, the total is nearly £155,000. Amy said she was sharing every message and donation with her father.

Donate to the fundraising page

The IJF added today: “His family are pleased that he is now nearer home and remain grateful for the constant support.”

Graham had more than 1,000 winners over jumps before he switched to the Flat, including the Grand National on Amberleigh House in 2004.

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Superstar jockeys with more than 16,000 winners between them are set to go head to head for a title with a difference over a showjumping course set by eventing chef d’equipe Dickie Waygood at London International Horse Show.

The ever-popular Markel Jockeys Jumping, a team competition in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), returns in the evening performance on Monday, 18 December, at this year’s show.

IJF president Sir AP McCoy (pictured, top) and Tom Scudamore will captain the two teams, with trainers Nick Skelton and Pippa Funnell on hand to offer tactics ahead of and during the competition.

Leading Flat jockeys including Jim Crowley, who names London International his “favourite event of the year”, Ryan Moore and James Doyle are among those already on the line-up. Joanna Mason and Saffie Osborne, a multiple youth medal-winning event rider who competed at advanced before focusing on racing, are also confirmed.

Saffie is currently out of action as she recovers from a knee injury and is hoping to make a return to the saddle for the class.

Top jump jockeys confirmed so far include reigning champion Bryan Hughes, no stranger to showjumping arenas Harry Skelton, and Harry Cobden – a star in his profession up for a new challenge having “never jumped a course of showjumps in his life”.

Juliet Redfern, head of equine insurance at Markel, said: “Markel is delighted to be sponsoring this fabulous event again and supporting a charity that looks after its own so well.

“As a specialist equine insurer, we are committed to supporting the wider equine industry through such charitable initiatives, and this is one of our favourite events.”

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Jockey Graham Lee has undergone surgery after sustaining serious injuries in a fall at Newcastle on Friday (10 November).

An update from the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) today (15 November) said that the 47-year-old had surgery yesterday at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle to stabilise the fractures in his cervical spine and further protect his spinal cord.

The IJF spokesman said that Graham also had a tracheostomy, a procedure to create a surgical airway, performed, to allow him to be more comfortable and improve communication.

“While Graham has recovered from the surgery well, the extent of his long-term recovery remains uncertain,” added the spokesman.

Graham was unseated coming out of the stalls on Friday evening and was taken to hospital with a neck injury.

The Irish rider has had much success in both codes during his career, including winning the 2004 Grand National aboard Amberleigh House. He switched to ride on the Flat in 2012, winning the Ascot Gold Cup 11 years after his Grand National victory.

A fundraising page set up by Graham’s 18-year-old daughter, Amy Lee, has raised more than £80,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund within a matter of days.

“I am personally writing down each and every message and donation that comes through and I share all of these with Dad,” said Amy.

“To be honest it’s simply overwhelming and we can’t believe that so many people are thinking of us.

“I wish I could explain how much of a difference it will make to Dad’s recovery knowing that he has your support – thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The IJF spokesman added that Graham’s family would like to thank everyone for their best wishes and support of the JustGiving page.

• Visit Amy Lee’s JustGiving page in support of the IJF

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We are all responsible when it comes to recognising and managing concussion, was the message from a recent conference on the condition.

The Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) and British Equestrian (BEF) jointly hosted the inaugural cross-industry concussion symposium at Cheltenham racecourse (27 October). The key point made was the need for a collaborative commitment to concussion education, across the equestrian and racing worlds.

“Racing is fortunate in that we have over 20 years of awareness as to the implications of concussion and we are very keen to share those learnings and best practice with other equestrian disciplines,” said IJF chief executive Lisa Hancock.

“What was so encouraging today is that while we all know the logistical challenges this creates, everyone seems to want to work together using education and communication to improve things for the 1.8m people that ride, regardless of skill, age or discipline.”

IJF chairman William Norris KC added that the charity is “very well placed” to help others in equestrian sport develop and follow good practice.

“Everyone needs to understand and follow good practice, partly because it’s the right thing to do and partly because that is the way in which they can discharge their legal duty of care,” he said. “It won’t be an overnight fix; it is a question of developing ways of educating and sharing our experiences across equestrian sport generally.”

Racing has specific guidelines surrounding identifying concussions in riders, baseline testing and recovery – but these only apply to jockeys. The BEF introduced general concussion guidance for all equestrians this year (2 March).

British Horseracing Authority (BHA) chief medical adviser Dr Jerry Hill stressed the importance of promoting “collective responsibility”.

“You can’t have medical staff being the only people concerned,” said Dr Hill. “You need the support of other colleagues across the equestrian spectrum, particularly decision-makers and funders, as some of the changes we need are structural. If you are the doctor, or first-aider, you need the support of the organisation behind you.”

Anna Louise-Mackinnon, lead medical advisor at the IJF and the BEF’s chief medical officer, added: “One of the key issues is that concussion is largely invisible, and it is often not treated in the same way as a broken limb. And yet correct diagnosis and recovery are vital to the rider being able to return to safely continue participating in their sport in whatever they do and at whatever level.”

A change of attitude from riders trying to “beat the doctor” by attempting to “cover it up”, to understanding how times have changed and using help on hand, particularly at the IJF’s centres, was also raised.

One cost-effective suggestion was to have cross-discipline social media campaigns.

Racing industry concussion practitioner Rosy Hyman said: “We know that if you return too quickly, you are at a much higher risk of another injury. So, the key focus must be what we call the four Rs – recognise (the signs and symptoms); remove (the injured person from all horse-related activities); recover (until all symptoms have been resolved); return (to ridden activity through a gradual, stepwise process).”

Concussion: ‘ongoing collaboration needed’

British Equestrian Trade Association chief medical officer Dr Diane Fisher told H&H that as a major trauma consultant, she welcomes the new collaborative attitude within the industry.

“It’s been a very long time coming in equestrian sport,” she said. “Traumatic brain injuries are at best temporary in the form of concussion and at worst life-ending or life-changing. Shared learning is vital to ensure the best advice, guidance and care can be given consistently across disciplines.

“I can tell you that there is nothing more soul-destroying than answering the, ‘what if’ questions from patients and their families when preventable injuries occur or are more serious than they may have been if readily available safety equipment had been used or correct assessment treatment and guidance had been followed, or both.”

She added: “It is not however enough to publish a guideline and hope it changes behaviour and attitude to injury. It is an important first step.

“There is a professional and personal accountability to actually deliver. Embedding the advice will need ongoing collaboration, consistent messaging and training across the board.”

• What do you think? Send your thoughts to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, and for the chance for your letter to appear in the magazine

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

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Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National-winning jockey Rachael Blackmore will switch saddles to compete over coloured poles at this year’s London International Horse Show.

Rachael, leading jockey at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, will be part of the girls’ team in the Markel Jockeys Jumping, held in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

Full teams are yet to be formally revealed, but she will count 20-time champion jockey Sir AP McCoy among her rivals. Harry Skelton, Bridget Andrews, Jim Crowley, will also be competing, as well as hopefully Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle.

“I did some eventing in my teenage years, but that was a long time ago now!” said Rachael, confident that “the girls… obviously” will be claiming this year’s title.

“I’ve never been before, so I’m looking forward to seeing some of the world’s top showjumpers in action. I imagine I’ll also end up spending some money in the 200+ shops there.”

The Markel Jockeys Jumping will be held during the final, Monday evening, performance of the five-day show (15 to 19 December) at the ExCel London.

Rachael, who cites being leading rider at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival and winning the Grand National in the same year as her proudest achievement to date, spoke about what inspired her to become a jockey.

“I suppose I loved going fast on my ponies and always had an interest in racing and watching it as a child. I always knew it was something I’d love to do but never envisaged it would be a career for me,” she said.

“I love riding horses, jumping and racing and being a ‘jockey’ means it’s your job and you get paid to do something you love, which is pretty cool.

“Different people at different times [have inspired me in my career], from all areas of life. Watching successful people be successful is an inspiration to me.”

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How the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) tailors its concussion rehabilitation specifically to getting riders back in the saddle, and what possible new technology is in the pipeline, were under the spotlight at the charity’s conference.

IJF head of clinical services Anna-Louise Mackinnon and racing industry concussion practitioner Rosy Hyman spoke about active recovery techniques in the IJF toolbox.

“Hand-eye coordination is important in all sport, but it is really important for racing,” explained Ms Hyman.

She added that when race-riding, jockeys are constantly taking in information – from eyes, ears and the small balance points from their position on a horse – and need to be able to filter what is important.

Dr Mackinnon explained how active techniques that focus on rehabilitating the balance, vision and movement system (vestibular-oculomotor rehabilitation), which can be affected by concussion, are used by the IJF.

Trained specialists use exercises that challenge riders to focus on specific points – for example, beads on a string, along with balance and hand-eye coordination exercises. The idea is that it helps prepare jockeys for what they go through when returning to race-riding, such as blocking out distractions to see a stride.

“We need jockeys to be able to focus on one point even when there’s a really busy crowd,” said Dr Mackinnon.

The industry is also looking into technology such as saliva tests and a system called NeuroFlex, where the subject’s eyes and head position are measured while they perform simple tasks using a virtual reality headset.

Its benefits would include level of detail and objectivity in both assessments and measuring a jockey’s progress.

British Horseracing Authority chief medical adviser Jerry Hill gave an overview of some of the latest developments in concussion.

These include the Government’s action plan (news, 13 January), microRNA biomarkers – which could potentially be used in a similar way to a lateral-flow test, and the possibility of an in-ear device that can measure brainwaves.

“Premature return to sport increases your chances of an unrelated injury,” said Dr Hill, also reminding the conference of the severity of sustaining a secondary blow when already concussed.

“You are more likely to fall off. And if you return early, you are probably not going to be very good at your sport.”

‘Not just a bang on the head’

Riders Minds has launched a “head first checker” in response to a study by Charles Owen and University of Sussex MSc student Charlotte Ricca.

The study, which involved more than 1,000 riders, found 58% of concussed participants reported a significant increase in depression and anxiety scores after their fall.

The findings were released in conjunction with Riders Minds, which launched its “head first” campaign and checker to encourage equestrians to “rethink” concussion as “not just a bang on the head”. The aim is to educate riders about signs of change from their “normal”.

“Riders Minds has found 25% of riders have suffered from depression, and [this new research] indicates that riders who have experienced five or more concussions are twice as likely to suffer from a mental health condition as a result,” Riders Minds director Victoria Wright said, adding that the research also suggests this does not always happen immediately; it can be six months to a year after the incident.

The checker can be found at ridersminds.org/Get-support/head-first-checker

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

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

Extensive research is under way taking a holistic look at spinal injuries in jockeys, with a view to preventing these in future.

Physiotherapist and University of Bath PhD student Daloni Lucas gave an overview of the projects that come under the umbrella of the analysis of prevention of spinal injuries in horse racing, at the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) conference (26 April). The research, funded by the Racing Foundation, is a collaboration between Bath University, the British Horseracing Authority and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board.

“In racing, there’s very little evidence that investigates the mechanisms of spinal injury,” Ms Lucas told H&H.

“So for example, there are studies that report the epidemiology, which is the sort of incidence and prevalence of spinal injuries in equestrian sports. But no previous researchers look to the aetiology [causes or reasons] to get an understanding of exactly how and why the injuries are happening, not just reporting that they are and the rate of injury.”

She added: “First, you need to understand how big the problem is and then you need to understand exactly why they’re happening. And with those two things, you can look at prevention strategies, but without understanding why they’re occurring, you can’t actually inform injury prevention.”

Individual studies beneath the umbrella include analysing 700 videos of falls, taking into factors including race type, environmental conditions such as the ground and the fence, and a person’s health and medical history alongside looking at the biomechanics of the fall itself. For every person who sustains a spinal injury in a fall, the study will look at four who did not, to try to pin down the significant variables that contribute to injury.

The next step, which will be undertaken by another PhD student, will be computerised spinal injury simulations.

The research has also led Ms Lucas to explore the current use of safety wear in racing, which is also helping in the development of body protectors and a push towards education of how they should fit.

Ms Lucas found that “alarmingly”, 64.3% of jockeys who responded had not been fitted for their current body protectors, and more than a third of those tested were not wearing the right size.

This has led to “lots of positives”, including adding weight to a push on education and also on getting fresh feedback from jockeys in terms of the flexibility and comfort, alongside protection they want and need in a body protector.

Racing’s body protector rules changed in 2017 in Ireland and 2018 in Britain, increasing the minimum standard from BETA level one to level two.

Racesafe, which produces BETA level two-standard body protectors, has produced prototypes informed by the research and the jockeys’ feedback.

Racesafe’s James How told H&H the research is “good timing”.

“From our point of view, the technology and the materials have developed and progressed sufficiently from 2017/18, which means we can look at developing an updated model,” he said.

“Now we are at the stage where we can offer the same level two protection in a new product that is lighter, more comfortable and a bit thinner.”

He added that Racesafe offers a vastly expanded range of sizes to suit different body shapes, and in-house alterations to ensure the garments fit well.

Racesafe’s retailers are all trained, and the firm is looking to educate jockeys further on licensing courses and valets, who care for and often procure equipment for their riders.

“[Correct fit is] critical,” said Mr How, adding that this covers protection, comfort and flexibility.

“There’s no way around it. It is all very well us developing a product that’s offering a certain level of protection and comfort, but if it isn’t covering the areas it needs to, it of course isn’t going to offer the same level of protection.”

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

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

IT is down to the whole sport to ensure that there is a “bright future” rather than “dark clouds” on the horizon for jockeys’ mental health.

Experts Duncan Law and Cíara Losty spoke at the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) conference at Newbury (26 April) about supporting jockeys’ wellbeing and how the industry and those around them have parts to play.

“We are interested in how we can work with the whole system to prevent problems in the first place,” said Dr Law, a consultant clinical psychologist with experience across elite sport and who has worked in partnership with the IJF since 2019.

“The more we talk about it, and can talk about it together and share our experiences, the more we are able to help ourselves.” He said talking about it is known to be important to helping others as well, adding: “We are helping ourselves and we are helping the people around us and that is a really great thing to do.”

Dr Losty, who works with all licensed jockeys in Ireland as sport psychologist for the Jockey Pathway and also provided on-site support to the Irish eventing team in Tokyo, shared concerning statistics from a 2020 study into Irish jockeys.

The research found nearly 80% of those surveyed met the criteria for at least one mental health disorder, that 61% reported alcohol misuse, 35% depression, 27% anxiety and 19% psychological disorders.

This compares to between 5% and 35% of Olympic athletes reporting mental health difficulties.

Dr Losty said barriers to jockeys reporting problems include negative perceptions, concern over stigma and career implications, plus not recognising symptoms and not knowing where to seek help.

She added that educating jockeys at a younger age and making it a part of the support structure available, as well as support from friends and family, are all part of removing those barriers and improving mental wellbeing.

“The public discourse of mental health around elite athletes has really changed,” said Dr Losty, a lecturer in applied sport and exercise psychology at Waterford Institute of Technology.

“It really is an area that is in its infancy in comparison to other areas in sport,” she said, giving examples of how much more is known about subjects such as physiology and strength by comparison.

The conference heard that media campaigns and openness from other jockeys also encouraged people to seek help.

Dr Law said elite sport is seeking to move away from the “tear and repair” attitude, where someone is sent off to a professional to be “fixed”, then back into the same environment that contributed or exacerbated their issues. He explained the four-pillar strategy for mental wellbeing among jockeys is: promoting positive wellbeing, early identification, understanding jockeys’ needs in context and appropriate and safe response.

“For a large number of jockeys, racing is a coping strategy as well as a stresser,” he said, giving the example of how injury or disciplinary action have a two-sided impact on wellbeing, being both stressful in themselves and taking away how the jockeys cope.

Looking at statistics, the prevalence of current jockeys experiencing anxiety and depression was far greater than those on the licensing courses coming into the sport.

“But it does leave us with some questions,” said Dr Law.

He queried whether perhaps the industry is selecting fewer jockeys with mental wellbeing problems, or perhaps it is self-selecting, and whether the industry is creating mental health problems or supporting people experiencing these to be able to carry on with the sport they “love and enjoy”, while the Olympic system perhaps does not.

“I think we can allow some cautious optimism,” he said. “The new cohort are really open to talking about mental wellbeing issues and open to help-seeking.”

He added that better, earlier support available – and an improved understanding across the industry of mental wellbeing – are also reasons for that optimism.

“Stigma, we think, is reducing, but we are not absolutely sure about this,” he said, adding that as more people speak out about mental wellbeing, that helps reduce stigma and encourages people to accept help.

“But we suspect there are certain pockets where stigma is still high and strong.

“There may be this brighter future and we are optimistic there is, but we have to be cautious. We have to keep mental wellbeing at the forefront of the agenda in racing in the same way as physical health,” he said, adding that these both need to be prioritised together.

“It is down to all of us to make sure that the future is bright.”

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

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

A plasterer, a builder and a PA are among those set to line up at Newbury this spring in a race to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF).

The IJF has announced the 12 riders who will take part in the race, on Al Shaqab Lockinge Day, 14 May, to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The aim is for the riders to raise at least £60,000 between them for the charity.

The riders are:

Simon Elliott, a 40-year-old plasterer from Andover, a former conditional jockey who retired owing to injury, and as someone who has benefited from the IJF, he “wants to ride in the race to give something back to the charity that has helped him so much throughout his life”.

Gloucestershire builder Ryan Newhook, 36, started riding 10 years ago and owns former racehorse Splash of Ginge, with whom who he is now team chasing. He rides out in his spare time for JonJo O’Neill.

Somerset PA Hannah Roche has worked for Paul Nicholls for years and wants to support the IJF, which “has massively supported someone we all know at some point.”

Benson Kattenhorn, 25, is a soldier from Essex who lives at Hyde Park Barracks. Having worked in racing for six years, he joined the Household Cavalry as a riding instructor. The race “gives him the opportunity to represent The Queen’s forces and pursue his dream to race-ride”.

Sussex farrier Shane Francis, 32, was apprentice to Stevie Fisher, who has written a book Blinking ‘Ell about his life before and after locked-in syndrome. Shane started riding four years ago and “working around racehorses on a daily basis, is keen to have a go himself and raise money for the IJF in the process”.

American Alexandra Haggard, 42, is a head of investment now living in Wiltshire. She has evented all her life, started riding out for Alan King last year, and is keen to ride in a race. She was a founder of the Diversity Project Charity and is “keen to utilise her skills to the benefit of the IJF”.

Full-time parent Nicola Baker, 33, is a former amateur rider, married to former jockey Gerge Baker, who had a career-ending fall in 2017. The race “offers Nicola the opportunity to support the charity that was so key to George’s recovery in the aftermath of his accident”.

Charlie Richards, 21, is a work rider and groom at trainer Andrew Balding’s. He started riding aged 16, and is a “hugely popular member of the Balding team”, whose dream has always been to ride in a race.

Also 21, Levi Capell from Luton attended the British Racing School (BRS) two years ago and has spent two years with the William Haggas team in Newmarket. Soon to join George Scott, Levi is supported by British Horseracing Authority jockey coach Michael Hills, and would love to take out his licence.

Jaydon Lee, 20, is a stable lad based in Lambourn. Having no background in racing, Jaydon became a BRS graduate and has been working for Nicky Henderson for three years. He is the regular rider for stable stars Shishkin and Constitution Hill. Jaydon was also a finalist in the newcomer category at the 2021 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards.

Annie Mania, 31, is a work rider from Scotland for her stepfather, Sandy Thomson. Married to jockey Ryan Mania, she “knows only too well of the work the IJF does and is desperate to support by being involved in this race”.

Isabel Spearman, 43, is a brand consultant from Wiltshire. She has a “very personal connection to the IJF” as the daughter in law of Lady Oaksey. She rides regularly and is “passionate about the IJF”.

The reserves are insurance broker Richard Freeman and freelance broadcaster Brett Williams.

IJF chief executive Lisa Hancock said: “We were completely overwhelmed with the number of excellent applications we had for the race and are delighted with our final line-up, which we hope covers all areas of the country and industry. All the riders have fantastic back stories and reasons for supporting us and we can’t wait to work with them all preparing for this special race to celebrate The Queen and everything she has done for our sport.”

Newbury racecourse CEO Julian Thick added that the team is looking forward to hosting the race.

“The line-up of riders looks very competitive, and we wish them the best of luck with their training,” he said. “In celebration of Her Majesty’s Jubilee, we too will be marking the occasion across the day.”

The race will be the first on the card, run over 10 furlongs.

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

Members of the public have the chance to take part in a charity race to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The race, in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), will run over 10 furlongs at Newbury racecourse on 14 May. It is open to experienced riders but from a diverse demographic. Each of the 12 riders to line up is expected to raise at least £5,000 for the IJF.

Applications opened today (19 January) and will close on Friday 28 January and riders must have a horse confirmed by a licensed trainer before they apply.

“With HRH the Princess Royal as our patron, and her grandmother, HRH the Queen Mother before her, we wanted to do something to honour and celebrate this historic Platinum Jubilee year,” said Lisa Hancock, CEO of the IJF. “With Newbury being a racecourse often visited by The Queen, we thought this would be the perfect venue. On the day, we will be welcoming guests and beneficiaries of the fund to both support the riders and highlight the important work the fund has done for well over 50 years.”

Newbury racecourse chief executive Julian Thick added: “We are delighted and honoured to host this newly formed charity race on behalf of the Injured Jockeys Fund to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee and especially on Al Shaqab Lockinge Day. Befittingly, the Al Shaqab Lockinge was first run in 1957 and was won by Pall Mall, owned by Her Majesty The Queen and who went on to win consecutive runnings of our Group One showpiece. We look forward to welcoming a big crowd to cheer on all the charity race riders on Saturday, 14 May, which will be the first time we will be able to welcome spectators to this prestigious meeting since 2019.”

Riders must not weigh more than 11st 7lb (including a saddle), must be 18 years old or over and make themselves available to attend an assessment day on Tuesday, 5 April at the British Racing School, Newmarket, at their own expense of approximately £110 unless excused by the selection committee.

For additional application guidelines and a form, visit the IJF website, and anyone wishing to support the race in any way should also contact the IJF.

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

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

A 79-year-old former jockey is dusting off his silks as he returns to the track for charity.

Colin Moore will ride his own 11-year-old racehorse Ballyrath, trained by Heidi Brookshaw, in the Newmarket Town Plate on Saturday (28 August) and hopes to raise £2,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund.

Colin rode under Rules in the 1950s and 1960s, then became a labourer, and later set up a steelfixing business.

“I’ve always had horses and have kept riding out for different yards over the years. I haven’t missed a year yet,” he told H&H.

“I still love it. I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t capable, and it keeps me fit.”

Four years ago he was offered “Raffa”, who was based at the stable of Nigel Twiston-Davies and had been sidelined with a hock injury. The gelding’s record included a win under Sam Twiston-Davies at Leicester in 2016, and point-to-point victories including the Grimthorpe Gold Cup in 2019 under Huw Edwards.

“He was turned out with about 20 horses and was boss of the field. We couldn’t catch him to start with but eventually Heidi got hold of him,” said Colin.

“Thankfully the injury has never caused him any issues. He’s a really good horse, if the ground is soft he’s a real stayer. He stays better than me!”.

Colin and Raffa took part in the Newmarket Town Plate in 2019 and were fourth.

“It was cancelled last year because of Covid and I said I didn’t want to go out on fourth. Myself and my horse have stayed fit so I thought we would have another go at it this year. It might be our last year but we will see how we get on,” he said.

“It’s a great crowd and I’m looking forward to it. I’m feeling a bit more pressure this time round as we’ve got more people coming to watch. All the memories are coming back, my valet, Phil Taylor, is the grandson and son of my valets Pat and Phil Taylor from my racing days.”

Colin originally hoped to raise £500 for the Injured Jockeys Fund. The total now stands at £1,700 and he hopes to break the £2,000 mark.

“For me there was no other charity – it had to be the Injured Jockeys Fund,” he said. “I came out of racing unscathed but I have a few jockey friends who have been injured in the past and I saw this as a great opportunity to support the charity. The charity has invited my wife Theresa and I down on Friday to show us around which will be nice.”

To donate visit Colin’s JustGiving page.

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An event rider who broke her back in a cross-country schooling accident is focusing on her recovery as she returns to saddle.

Multiple medallist Bubby Upton, 22, was injured in a fall from a youngster at home.

“It wasn’t the horse’s fault or mine, it was a complete freak thing and he ended up on top of me. I was very lucky as there were some other people using the facilities and they had come up to the field I was in as it happened. One of the ladies was a nurse and knew exactly what to do and what not to do. I’m so grateful and count my lucky stars she was there,” Bubby told H&H.

“I was knocked out for a while and an ambulance was called. I remember being in excruciating pain and I kept saying to everybody ‘I’m going to be at Hartpury next week’. I was rushed to West Suffolk [Hospital] for a scan and the doctors told me that I had broken my back. I was an absolute mess.”

Bubby had broken eight vertebrae and her collarbone.

“I was lucky that the breaks were stable and I didn’t need surgery. The first few days when I got out of hospital I couldn’t walk and was shuffling around with people helping me,” she said.

“I went to see specialists and to the Injured Jockeys Fund in Newmarket, who have been incredible. The people who first saw me when I came out of hospital couldn’t believe the difference in my progress a week later. I’m on a rehab plan, which started in the pool doing hydrotherapy, and I’ve had my first gym session. I’m such a determined and competitive person so it’s nice to have something to look forward to every day and to work on.”

Bubby, who won the under-25 CCI4-*L at Bicton Horse Trials in June with Cannavaro, had been long-listed for the senior European Championships at Avenches, Switzerland (22-26 September) with Cannavaro and Cola.

“It was a dream come true to be long-listed, especially as it’s my first year out of young riders, but my dreams of the Europeans have been shattered. It also means that I have a lovely seven-year-old Cooley As Ice who now won’t be qualified for the seven-year-old championships at Le Lion. I truly believed he was a contender for that,” said Bubby.

“I’m not going to say tears weren’t shed, because there were a lot. I felt that my horses had been incredible this year and really held their own. The instant feeling was that I had let them down. When I went to the yard after my accident I saw them and I just cried, it was really hard because they didn’t deserve it – they deserved a shot at selection. I was gutted for them and for my whole team who have been incredible this year.”

Bubby has since returned to the saddle.

“The specialists are happy with me riding. At the moment I’m just hacking and I’m only riding the older ones,” she said.

“My plan is to keep working on my rehab to get myself strong again. I’m not going to go out competing unless I am fighting fit and I’m taking each day as it comes. We still have some of the season left so I hope I can finish it, the way it started. It‘s been very gutting but it’s horses, how I bounce back from this will define me as who I am as an athlete so I’m just trying to deal with it and make my comeback even bigger than my setback. That is what my full focus is on now.”

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A personal trainer who specialises in working with riders is setting out on a solo marathon next weekend (May 1-2) to raise money for two equestrian charities.

Former eventer and freelance groom Katie Bleekman will be tackling the 26-mile run for mental health charity Riders’ Minds and the Injured Jockeys’ Fund (IJF).

While many marathons have been cancelled because of the pandemic, Abbotts World Marathon Majors, which runs the world’s “big six” marathons, have been encouraging people to undertake “virtual” marathons, where they run individually wherever in the world they might be.

Katie, who is based near Cullompton in Devon, plans to run a route taking in portions of the coastal path between Dawlish and Exeter, setting off on either 1 or 2 May.

“I was meant to be running the Manchester marathon but because of Covid it changed to the autumn,” said Katie, who has already run several marathons including Amsterdam and London. “I will be doing this one as part of an Abbots World race — they give you a race number and you submit your time, which helps with keeping accountable.”

Katie was inspired to raise money for mental health charity Riders’ Minds, and the IJF (who have recently launched an initiative with clinical psychologist group Changing Minds) following the deaths of former jockey James Banks and Riders’ Minds founder Matthew Wright.

“I met James once or twice through having some of the same circles of friends and the news [of his death] hit me quite hard, it’s very sad to lose someone at a young age,” Katie said. “Then there was also Matthew’s passing, as well as Liam Treadwell last year.

“While everyone struggles, I particularly wanted to do this to raise awareness of men’s mental health — it seems men in their 20s and 30s find it difficult to talk about what they’re going through. It’s a huge issue in the equestrian world.”

She added that she also felt the charities were good choices as they worked directly with governing bodies of the sport.

“Horsey people have a habit of plugging on without stopping to think about themselves and they don’t always realise how bad a place they’re in,” she said. “I like to do things that challenge me and takes me out of my comfort zone. I don’t enjoy running marathons while I am doing them but running 26 miles alone is nothing compared to someone who is really struggling through mental health problems.”

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Katie has already been on one 20-mile training run and although she has suffered a “bit of a knee niggle”, hopes to be on target for the marathon next week.

“I’m hoping I can persuade a couple of people to run a few miles with me for a bit of support,” she said. “When I did Amsterdam and London the atmosphere was incredible, so it’s going to be a very different experience.”

Katie is hoping to raise £5,000 for the charities, which will be divided 50/50. Donations can be made via JustGiving.

Katies’s progress can be followed via her Instagram.

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Multiple eventing youth medallist and apprentice jockey Saffie Osborne has praised the “incredible” Oaksey House team, on her return to the saddle four months after a nasty fall.

Saffie, who has won five medals across pony and junior Europeans, is eyeing both the champion apprentice title and young rider eventing team selection this year.

The 18-year-old broke ribs and her left arm, and punctured a lung, in a fall at Windsor on 19 October. Her mount, Zeyzoun, clipped heels with another horse, whose jockey was subsequently given a 10-day ban.

Saffie told H&H this week (8 February) she “can’t describe” the brilliant feeling of being back in the saddle after a “long road” to recovery.

“I feel absolutely normal in myself and I’m fitter and stronger than ever thanks to Oaksey House and the amazing team there,” said Saffie.

“I started back on my event horse [Lakantus] first for a couple of days, and now I’m back on the racehorses and it’s full steam ahead to getting back on the track for March.”

The advanced event rider, who has been back in the saddle for exactly a week, paid further tribute to the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) team.

“I’m so lucky that I live two minutes away from Oaksey House. It is an incredible facility, but it is the people there who make it,” she said, adding that they are “so encouraging”.

“I had my fall on the Monday, left hospital on the Thursday and was there on the following Monday. Since then, I’ve been in there five days a week for the last four months for two to three hours each and every day.

“It helps physically, of course, as you are getting better and fitter, but it also really helps with the mental health side as well. As a jockey — and also having an event horse — I’m used to being so busy every day, then suddenly you come to this abrupt halt and feel like you are not achieving anything.

“That’s where the team at Oaksey House were amazing; they were so encouraging and the whole mindset was gearing you up to get back on — you achieve something every day and you’re getting up in the morning with a purpose.”

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Saffie recently signed with jockey agent Nial Hannity and has her sights firmly set on the champion apprentice title, with the aim of returning to race-riding in March “hopefully a couple of weeks ahead of the turf season”.

While Saffie stressed racing now comes first, as that is where she sees her career going, she will also target a step up to four-star eventing with Lord and Lady Blythe’s Lakantus this season alongside young rider team selection.

The 11-year-old Hannoverian gelding won team silver with Saffie at the 2019 junior Europeans and the pair moved up to advanced together last summer.

“We did our first CCI3*-L at Thoresby in October, where we jumped double clear, and he was meant to have a couple of months off, then I had my fall, so we sort of went on our break together,” said Saffie.

“He is my main motivation to keep eventing as he is so special.”

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A British rider who broke his back in a French racing fall is making good progress and hopes to move from hospital to a specialist rehabilitation centre next week.

Jacob Pritchard Webb, 23, broke his T4 and T6 vertebrae as well as dislocating his C6, and sustained broken ribs, sternum and lung damage in a fall at Auteuil on 23 June.

The horse, Galant Des Boulats, was uninjured but the fall resulted in Jacob sustaining a compressed spinal cord, meaning he is currently paralysed from the waist down. His spinal cord was not severed, but his injuries are serious.

“The operations have been successful and now my medication is down to as minimal as possible just to keep any little bits of pain away,” Jacob told H&H yesterday (23 July), exactly a month since the accident.

“I’ve just found out that I will be moving to a rehabilitation centre in Paris on 3 August and so it’s a case of keeping things ticking along here until then. That’s when the proper physio can start and I should have healed enough to be able to crack on.

“The doctors and physios have been fantastic.”

The former Hartpury College student rode as an amateur in Britain and had a number of point-to-point winners over several seasons. He spent time working for Sir Mark Prescott, Fergal O’Brien and Emma Bishop’s yards, before moving across the Channel to pursue his career as a jump jockey.

“Mum and Dad drove straight out to France after the accident and have been here ever since,” he said, adding that the support from his family, friends, Injured Jockeys Fund’s (IJF) chief executive Lisa Hancock and the racing industry has been “quite overwhelming”.

“Friends have come out from the UK and having lived her for a year I’ve got a sort of French family going on as well with the lads from the race yards, fellow jockeys, owners, my boss [trainer Emmanuel Clayeux] and his wife. They have all really got behind me.

“It was such a big accident and you never expect something like that to happen to you, or to someone you know, and they’ve all been behind me the whole way.”

Jacob’s dad, Matt, added that the physios have been “really impressed by his work ethic”.

“He has a really good rapport with them and can have a laugh at the same time,” he said.

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One of Jacob’s best friends, Alice Cosgrove, set up a GoFundMe page to help with his recovery costs, and close to £20,000 has been raised in two weeks.

“I’ve known Alice since we were studying at Hartpury together seven years ago and we rode in point-to-points together,” he said, adding he cannot believe the support it has had.

“Hopefully that money will be used to help with a new wheelchair and any adaptations to my parents’ house that might be needed with me living there. Then any money not used and the chair, when I hopefully no longer have use of it, will be donated to the IJF.”

Jacob has been using his time in hospital to further his career plans in bloodstock.

“I’ve always had an interest in it and I was living in Newmarket I would go along to the sales,” he said, adding that he is fascinated by how the industry works in France as well as the links with top British and Irish success stories from Mr Clayeux’s yard and further afield.

Since first mentioning his career plans, bloodstock agents have got in touch to offer advice and support.

“What started out as an idea is turning out to be something I’m really interested in — I’m reading the sales books and I have plenty of time on my hands!” he added.

Click here to support the fund

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Nine people whose lives have been touched by the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) are covering 560 miles in nine days to raise money for the charity.

The “9 Lives Challenge”is the brainchild of IJF beneficiary Wayne Burton, who sustained a life-changing injury in a racing fall 12 years ago.

Each of the nine participants (see below for details) has been paired with an IJF representative, including the charity’s president, patrons and trustees, who will match a similar number of miles.

“I sustained a life-changing injury in 2008, breaking my back in a hurdle race at Exeter racecourse,” said Wayne.

“I have no idea where I would be right now without the support from the IJF. I came up with an idea to give other beneficiaries a challenge while the world is very upside down.

“Myself and other beneficiaries will be challenging ourselves to train to do as many miles as we possibly can to complete the mileage it would take to travel from Oaksey House to Peter O’Sullevan House, to Jack Berry House and back to Oaksey House, which is around 560 miles in total.

“We will be doing this challenge in different forms – walking, pushing a wheelchair, cycling, running and swimming.”

Gavin Egan, one of the IJF’s rehabilitation therapists, is acting as team coach, the almoners for each of the nine will also be involved and IJF trustee and beneficiary George Baker has an active role in organising the challenge.

The public can follow their progress via the IJF’s social media and daily video blogs.

Rebecca Hewitt, who is aiming to push a wheelchair for 19 miles, said the support the IJF has given her since her accident in a 1995 hunter chase has been “immeasurable”.

“During lockdown I have been unable to go to the gym or go rowing, physical activity I really enjoy,” she said.

“I find it hard to motivate myself to work out on my own so this is a good opportunity to get out and about and push myself.

“[The charity’s] input has greatly enhanced the quality of my life and enabled me to lead a fulfilling one. I’m not sure how I would have coped without the IJF.”

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IJF president Sir Anthony McCoy added: “This is a brilliant idea of Wayne’s and to cover 560 miles in total in lots of different ways is a real challenge for the beneficiaries.

“I hope people donate as this will inspire them to keep going and I shall be cheering them on every day and be getting out there too to help them achieve their mileage target.”

Click here to find out more about the nine and to donate

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Classic-winning former jockey George Baker is in training to run the London Marathon three years after a horrific fall at St Moritz.

George will be running the 26.2 miles on 26 April in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund, of which he is a trustee, and Racing Welfare.

Three years ago, George sustained a serious head injury in a life-changing fall while racing at the 2017 White Turf meeting in St Moritz, Switzerland. His injury resulted in an end to the St Leger winning jockey’s race riding career.

“My accident led to many months of recuperation from a brain injury,” said George.

“The IJF swung into action, and the help and support of their rehabilitation teams has allowed me to lead a normal and happy life.

“I was so honoured, therefore, to be invited to become a trustee of the charity last year, as I am a simple testament to what their work achieves in supporting jockeys and their families.”

George is training for the marathon with the help of the IJF team at Oaksey House, using its gym and physio facilities, as well as the specialist Running School, London, which also helped George learn to walk again three years ago.

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“I know that tackling a marathon is a challenge for everyone, but as my balance is not what it was, I have had to learn to walk and run again,” George added.

“What will keep me going is the pledge I’ve made to raise funds for both the Injured Jockeys Fund and Racing Welfare.

“My life in racing has given me first-hand insight into the amazing work both charities do to support their beneficiaries working across the sport, and not just in the saddle.”

George’s total has already topped £2,500 — including gift aid takes it to more than £3,000.

“Three years ago, George had to learn to walk again,” said IFJ president Sir AP McCoy.

“And now he’s going to run the London marathon, one of the toughest things you can ever do. He says himself that it might not be pretty, but to me it’s totally remarkable and I admire him so much for even attempting it.”

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A jockey who broke his back in three places in a pointing fall returned to the saddle with a winner on his first ride.

Equine vet Tom Chatfeild-Roberts claimed the opening race at the Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club’s fixture at Sheriff Hutton on 12 January. The seven-year-old Smoke Man, owned by his father John and trained by Helen Connors, cruised to victory by close to three lengths in the conditions race (div one).

“It was good to get back in the saddle and we were really pleased with the horse as he progressed well from a maiden, through restricted and intermediate last season,” Tom told H&H.

Tom’s feat to be back not only in the saddle, but riding winners is remarkable given the injuries he sustained nine months ago.

Tom, who has had 37 wins between the flags, was on his second ride of the day at the Quorn meeting at Garthorpe in April 2019, when six-year-old mare Dulwich Hill misjudged the 14th fence.

“She didn’t really take off,”he said, adding the horse was thankfully unharmed. “I think I hit the ground head first and she then rolled over me, fracturing my T5, T6 and T7 vertebrae and dislocating my shoulder.

“Luckily, the fractures were stable, so no surgery was needed. The fence attendants, paramedics, doctors on course and at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham were brilliant and I was all scanned fairly quickly and discharged on pain relief and rest a couple of days later.

“A week and a half after the accident, I went to the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) base in Lambourn for an initial assessment.”

The team in Lambourn made a start on helping Tom with his shoulder and while it was too early to work on his back, he booked in for a stay several weeks later at the IJF’s Jack Berry House in Malton.

Through physio, the hydrotherapy pool and exercises, the team at Jack Berry House helped Tom recover his strength.

“They were very good and are just so used to dealing with these sorts of injuries,” he said.

Tom continued his rehabilitation at home, focusing on core-strengthening circuit exercises, pilates and swimming to build his strength and fitness, while also having regular medical check-ups to ensure his body was healing as it should.

“I was probably fitter by the end of it all than I was before the fall!” he said.

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Twelve weeks after the accident, Tom got back on a horse —“a nice sensible hunter”. As it was the pointing off season, he took his return to riding steadily over the summer, picking up the pace in the autumn.

“I was very lucky that it was just bones that I’d broken,” he said. “Thank you to my mum, dad and girlfriend Meisha Micklewright, who were all brilliant as while I was recovering I was probably quite bored and irritable! The IJF were also great in terms of rehabilitation and getting me going again and I’m also very lucky I haven’t had any ongoing issues.”

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Friday night at Olympia is race night and the Markel Jockeys Jumping in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund always delivers with superb entertainment, some friendly (*fierce*) rivalry and donations a-plenty for this fantastic charity.

Lining up for the boys were 20-time champion jump jockey AP McCoy, Harry Skelton, Jim Crowley, Tom Scudamore and Nico de Boinville, with team manager Nick Skelton at the helm.

They were taken on in a relay challenge over the coloured poles — with a joker fence to finish — by the girls’ team of Grade One winners Lizzie Kelly and Bryony Frost, Cheltenham victor Bridget Andrews, and weighing room colleagues on the Flat, Josephine Gordon and Nicola Currie, with Pippa Funnell coaching from the ground.

The girls were much the favoured side among the packed crowd, receiving rapturous cheers as first rider Lizzie Kelly set the bar sky high with a flying clear in 38.25sec before clearing the joker to knock four seconds off her time.

Next up was Nico de Boinville, a last-minute replacement for Ryan Moore. Nico had hotfooted straight in to London from winning at Ascot earlier in the day.

“I hope he hasn’t been doing any moonlight schooling on my horses when I haven’t been looking!” said trainer Nicky Henderson of his stable jockey.

Nico rode a surprisingly cautious round in 40.19sec — 36.19sec after the joker fence was cleared — showing superb horsemanship but not quite at the speed his team-mates were expecting.

“We’re all getting very competitive out the back — Lizzie was brilliant but she did miss one of the inside turns so I told the girls: ‘Concentrate — you have to get that inside turn to number six’,” said Pippa Funnell as in came Josephine Gordon as second rider for the girls and immediately upped the pace, heeding Pippa’s instructions by taking every short cut.

Tom Scudamore looked determined in his red silks for the boys but hit two fences, plus the joker, before Nicola Currie, whose equine partner was beautifully adorned with tinsel, kept the girls out in front with a clean and quick round.

The fastest round of the day came from Jim Crowley who, urged on by the crowd, went faster and faster, punching the air in delight as he cleared the joker and put the boys back in the game.

“I don’t think I was very good – I was well horsed!” he said. “He looked after me round there. It’s totally alien to me but it was great fun.”

Bryony Frost attacked the course with great panache but two fences, including the joker, hit the ground.

“Hopeless Harry” was the commentator’s tongue-in-cheek verdict of Harry Skelton’s poles-all-over-the-place-round. He finished with a big grin nevertheless: “It was still a better result than last year because my bridle stayed on,” he laughed, referring to the tack malfunctions he suffered in the competition last year, which were fixed with cable tie provided by his father Nick.

The competition was clinched for the girls by another nifty round from team captain Bridget Andrews, wife of Harry Skelton.

“There should be a stewards’ enquiry — she went before the bell!” said father-in-law Nick Skelton at the gate, in a vain attempt to wipe out the opposition for his boys’ team.

Resigned to another humiliating defeat at the hands of the girls, AP McCoy announced before he set off for the final round of the evening: “I’m not very happy with my team, but it’s a bit too late to change them isn’t it?”

Clare Balding then challenged AP to jump a raised joker fence in return for a whopping eight seconds off his time — and she immediately raised the cups a couple of holes, leaving a rather unconvinced AP to kick on over the first fence on his heel-kicking grey.

No sooner had he turned away to jump the second fence, in ran Nick Skelton and William Funnell to put the joker fence up even higher.

Meanwhile, it was all unravelling for AP. He missed the third fence and the horse decided enough was enough when faced with what was now a towering final vertical thanks to some cheeky meddling by Skelton and Funnell and the greatest jockey of all time was deposited unceremoniously on the Olympia ground.

His second attempt was equally unsuccessful and, after offering the horse to Nick Skelton to have a go — “He’s broken his neck, don’t make him do it!” shouted Clare Balding — AP finally cleared what was now a cross-pole sized joker on foot, with his horse in tow…

“Harry Skelton said I had to let the girls win,” disputed AP afterwards. “He’s nothing like his Dad, let’s be honest!”

It’s fair to say, the girls well and truly trounced the boys in this contest — by an accumulative time of some 20 seconds in fact. But what a brilliant evening’s entertainment it was.

“It’s very kind of Olympia to let us come here and showcase the Injured Jockeys Fund and the great work they do and thanks to Markel for supporting us this evening,” said AP.

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

Three university students are set to take to the roads of Ireland on unicycles to raise funds for the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund.

The trio of 21-year-olds, Will Forsyth-Forrest, Hector Chamberlain and Wilfrid Ward, currently studying in Dublin, will be starting their ambitious 400-mile challenge on 4 July and hope to break the world record by completing the ride in 11 days. The route will take them from the southernmost point to the northernmost point of Ireland.

“We initially planned to do the challenge on penny-farthings but then we visited a museum of them and realised it may be a bit over-ambitious! So we opted for unicycles, as the next best thing — we were never going to do the challenge on two wheels,” said Hector.

“We learnt to ride a uniclyle in October, so our training has been under a year, but we finally feel confident enough to take the challenge on.

“We have been training two or three times a week and it has been getting easier and easier until it’s become second nature. The most miles we have reached in training so far in a day is 30 miles, and during the challenge we anticipate doing about 40 miles each day.”

The racing fans, who are from the UK, will wear silk colours throughout the tough challenge.

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“We have set a goal to raise €20,000 and we are currently at just over €5,600,” added Hector. “One of the sources of our sponsorship is through racehorse owners, who are donating €200 so we can wear and promote their racing colours.

“As many can imagine, unicycles are not at all comfortable — I know I’m going to be sore afterwards. However, I am really excited for the challenge, hopefully the weather will be good and we’ll have some wind behind us.”

The adventurous trio will be keeping everyone updated on their progress via Facebook and their blog.

Anyone looking to sponsor them can do so via their fundraising page.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

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

Five years is a relatively long time for any of us, but for point-to-point rider, George Henderson, the past five years have been frustratingly slow as he battled to get back in the saddle following a “silly accident”.

Rewind the clock to 2014 and George had just graduated from the University of Reading and, with 21 pointing wins already under his belt, he was an aspiring jockey too.

In June that year, George slipped from a roof and sustained horrific injuries, including a broken lower back and pelvis, which could have been catastrophically worse.

“I spent a month in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, before having intense rehabilitation at the Injured Jockeys Fund’s [IJF] Oaksey House in Lambourn — I was lucky it wasn’t worse,” said George, who now works full-time in London and rides out racehorses at the weekend.

With the help of the IJF, George got back into the saddle but it was then that his battle to make a race-riding comeback began. With his injuries affecting his balance, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) would not pass him fit to ride in point-to-points, and he spent the next few years fighting his cause to get back riding between the flags.

“It has been a very long process, but I kept fit by doing plenty of team chasing and hunt rides. I had to watch my brother, Fred, pick up rides while I was sat on the sidelines — it was frustrating,” said the 26-year-old.

After four-and-a-half years, George went for extensive tests at the British Racing School in Newmarket with senior jockey coach Richard Perham.

“Fortunately, the tests showed my balance was much better and Richard was happy enough, so the BHA let me have my licence back,” added George.

His comeback ride was in a hunter chase at Taunton in January aboard Newsworthy for his father and trainer James, where the pair finished second.

George hit the winning jackpot on only his second ride back since May 2014, winning on 12/1 shot The Caller for trainer Dougie Gittins at Cocklebarrow point-to-point (27 January).

“It meant a lot to have a win on just my second ride back — Fred and I now squabble over who rides what and I was lucky I picked up the phone to this one! Dougie is an old university friend of mine and was supposed to ride the horse himself but had an injury setback,” he said.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday.

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

The inaugural girls verses boys edition of Olympia, The London International Horse Show’s Markel Champions Challenge, in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund, ended with a clear victory for the boys, under the tutelage of Nick Skelton.

The quintet of Jim Crowley, Ryan Moore, Richard Johnson, Sir AP McCoy and Harry Skelton thrashed their opposition — comprising Bryony Frost, Josephine Gordon, Lizzie Kelly, Bridget Andrews and Hollie Doyle — albeit aided by some flagrant rule bending along the way.

There was an all-round upping of horse power from previous years for both teams, with the boys appearing to have captured the ride on some particularly well-schooled show jumpers.

The girls’ squad, coached by Pippa and William Funnell, were first to jump, taking a strategy of gambling on the inside routes that didn’t always pay off. Pathfinder Bryony, Josephine, and last-to-jump Hollie Doyle all added time for rails down, while Lizzie and Bridget produced clears.

Bridget laid down a particularly strong round on a bay mare who looked to really know her job, crossing the line with the fastest time of the competition on 33.88sec to take the individual win.

“She was brilliant,” said Bridget, “although I didn’t have much control in the warm up.”

Team trainer Pippa said: “When Bridget came to our yard a few months ago [to train] I told her she had a job if she wanted one. The offer still stands!”

Nick had opted for a different tack for his team, telling them to “play it safe, but be quick.” They played to their strengths, opting for wider routes but in a decent galloping rhythm.

Even with rails down, all bar AP stopped the clock under the 40sec mark — whereas only Bridget from the girls had come home below this marker.

It was left to last-to-jump Harry to challenge his fiancé’s excellent lead, and he set off well on the somewhat over-qualified grey Charming Fellow Z, borrowed from Laura Kraut.

But partway into his round, a tack malfunction saw the horse’s hackamore slip up over his head. After a quick dismount, and with the help of Nick producing a cable tie, they were back in action and permitted to restart.

As they turned to the penultimate fence however, the bridle broke again, leading Harry to accost the mount of one of his team mates and set off for a third trip round the course.

“This is the most extraordinary sporting event I’ve ever seen,” marvelled commentator Clare Balding.

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This time, Harry completed the course, but threw away his chance to steal an outright victory by a premature celebration over the penultimate fence that led him to take a pole.

Asked what he thought of his team’s performance, Nick confessed that there was “so much excitement going on, he didn’t really know what happened”.

“If he’d beaten Bridget, there might not have been a wedding though,” he said.

Harry said the win had “really set us up for Christmas.”

“We’ll be back next year with some better tack!” he added.

Don’t miss a moment of H&H’s extensive coverage. Check out dressage and Wednesday-Saturday showjumping reports in the 28 December issue (out Friday, not Thursday this week because of Christmas schedules), while showing, driving and Sunday showjumping coverage will be in the 3 January 2019 issue.

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

Keep track of all your horsey appointments — and support a good cause — with one of these charity calendars for 2019.

1. World Horse Welfare

Featuring a striking selection of World Horse Welfare horses and ponies, this calendar is professionally printed in full colour with a wire bound top to hang on your wall.

Price: £4.95

Telephone: 01953 498682

Visit: shop.worldhorsewelfare.org

2. The Injured Jockeys Fund

This calendar features 12 of the greatest living National Hunt and Flat jockeys, who have chosen their most memorable race or horse and explain in their own words why it means so much to them.

Price: £12

Telephone: 08080 453453

Visit: shop.ijf.org.uk

3. Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Traditional calendar featuring images of the charity’s horses and donkeys from across the sanctuary.

Price: £6

Telephone: 01508 481000

Visit: redwings.org.uk

4. The Horse Trust

Featuring residents such as retired police horses Caesar, Rivington, Huntsman, Hadrian and military horse Captain Greatgun, and some of the other popular rescue residents and rural Shire horses.

Price: £8.99

Telephone: 01494 488464

Visit: helping-the-trust.horsetrust.org.uk

5. Countryside Alliance

This 2019 calendar features 12 evocative scenes capturing rural life. The rear of the calendar has a handy list of forthcoming events and festivals along with a useful table with the seasons for game and wildfowl.

Price: £9.99

Telephone: 0370 2709011

Visit: shop.countryside-alliance.org

6. The Moorland Mousie Trust

An A4 landscape month-to-view calendar which opens to A3 and features Exmoor ponies in the care of the Moorland Mousie Trust charity.

Price: £6

Telephone: 01398 323093

Visit: moorlandmousietrust.org.uk

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7. The Equine Grass Sickness Fund

Larger than their usual calendar, it features images by artist Madeleine Juniper with a different equine image on every page.

Price: £9

Telephone: 0131 445 6257

Visit: grasssickness.org.uk

8. Bransby Horses

Back by popular demand, this exclusive postcard calendar features residents at Bransby.

Price: £5.95

Telephone: 01427 788464

Visit: bransbyhorses.co.uk

Get a great £5 Amazon.co.uk gift card when you subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

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

This week four leading jockeys headed down to the Surrey yard of Pippa and William Funnell for a showjumping bootcamp — some, perhaps, with a certain amount of trepidation as they stepped way out of their usual comfort zone on the racetrack.

The intrepid quartet of Bridget Andrews, Lizzie Kelly, Hollie Doyle and Josephine Gordon are taking a crash course over the coloured poles ahead of the annual Markel Champions Challenge in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Bridget will be captaining the team of female jockeys, which will also include top National Hunt jockey Bryony Frost, and they will be pitted against the 20-time champion AP McCoy and his all-male team for Friday’s big “race night” in the International Arena at The London International Horse Show, Olympia (17-23 December).

Under the tutelage of showjumping and eventing legends William and Pippa Funnell, the star-studded team of jockeys were put through their paces over the coloured fences and now have victory firmly in their sights.

“The training today with Pippa and William has been lots of fun,” said Bridget. “They’re heroes of mine and we couldn’t have asked for better coaches. I can’t wait for ‘race night’ — the atmosphere is going to be electric and I just hope we can make Pippa and William proud.”

Pippa Funnell said: “They’re obviously all incredibly talented in their own right and I’ve been impressed with how quickly they have adapted and improved throughout the day. The girls have mastered the technical side and we’ve almost managed to perfect their jump-off style, so I really fancy their chances against AP McCoy and the boys!”

Race night at Olympia is sure to be faster than a five furlong sprint at Epsom and always makes for great entertainment — and the box office is open so snap up your tickets now via www.olympiahorseshow.com or phone the box office 0844 995 0995

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

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

A point-to-point jockey who was told he would never walk again after being kicked in the neck is defying the odds to walk a lap of Newbury racecourse’s parade ring.

Ed Barrett was riding in a point-to-point at Upcott in Devon on 12 April 2015 when his horse fell.

Ed was kicked in the neck, breaking and dislocating his vertebrae, and a bone fragment went into his spinal cord, causing paralysis.

Following an operation to rebuild his neck, Ed spent three weeks in intensive care at Plymouth Hospital, before being transferred to Oswestry Spinal Hospital to start his rehabilitation.

After 10 weeks of complete bed rest and intensive specialist physiotherapy, he started to regain some movement. After six months, he left hospital, able to walk with a Zimmer frame.

He spent four months living at Oaksey House, one of the Injured Jockeys Fund’s rehabilitation and fitness centres, where he received physio and strength and conditioning training.

Ed can now walk short stretches with crutches and a little without.

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“While at Oaksey House, I came up with the idea to walk a lap of a racecourse paddock both to give myself a goal and to promote the work of the Injured Jockeys Fund and all the help they have given me,” he said.

“I also hope one day there will be a cure for spinal cord injuries so have chosen to raise money equally for The Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation.

“Having a spinal injury changes your life and there is a lot to overcome. However, it’s not all doom and gloom — I have managed to walk short distances without crutches, ride a pony, swim in a pool, drive a car, drive a tractor, swing a golf club and scuba dive.”

On Saturday (22 September), Ed will walk a lap of the parade ring without crutches ahead of the first race, which he expects will take him around 20 to 25 minutes.

To sponsor Ed, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EdwardBarrett2

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

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

A team of amateur jockeys has battled sore knees, questionable map-reading and 900 miles of Irish roads to raise more than £10,000 for two charities.

Zac Baker, Hugh Nugent, Ed Henderson and Ed Bailey cycled between all 26 Irish racecourses in 11 days in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) and mental health charity Mind.

“It has been an amazing adventure,” Ed Henderson told H&H.

“We originally set out with a target of £2,000, then upped it to £5,000 because of the support we had, then it was £10,000 — and we’ve reached it.

“We chose to support the IJF because of the help it has given to our family and friends.”

Among these is Zac’s brother George Baker, who received help from the IJF following a serious fall in St Moritz in 2017.

Ed added they wanted to broaden the cause, so also chose to raise money for Mind in support of friends, family and all those who have gone through mental health issues, and in memory of trainer Richard Woollacott.

The quartet started at Wexford on 24 June and finished on 5 July at Waterford and Tramore, visiting racing yards and studs along the way.

“The people were so friendly on the second day of cycling we stopped at the Tattersall Derby sales and went around with some buckets, raising €700 (£622) — everyone was so generous and welcoming,” said Ed.

He added that highlights from the trip included the welcome they received from all their hosts and racecourses, in particular the hospitality from David Fitzmaurice of Listole racecourse.

Meanwhile, there was plenty of drama on the bikes, including fancy tractors, plenty of singing, gruellingly-long days in baking heat and the occasional sat-nav error.

“Zac fell off twice on the first day, once before we had even started — he was cycling across the track at Wexford racecourse, pedalled over some sand on the crossing and skidded off,” added Ed.

“But we only had three punctures during the whole trip, I got two of those in one go — there was a very smart looking tractor that went by, I took a hand off to wave at the tractor driver, hit a pot hole and punctured both my tyres.”

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Ed, a law student, admitted some of the team were more prepared than others for the mammoth challenge, with their longest day featuring a 170km slog from Down Royal to Sligo.

“Zac and Hugh do quite a lot of cycling, but myself and Ed Bailey hadn’t done a huge amount… Ed Bailey bought his bike about four days before we went, and by the second day both of us had doubled the total amount of cycling we had ever done,” he laughed.

“Speed-wise we were quite fast, averaging around 28/29km an hour, my legs were feeling it but it was our knees that were the most painful.

“We’re all quite tired and ready not to have to sit on a bike for six hours a day!”

Click here to support Ed, Ed, Zac and Hugh

In this week’s magazine, out on 5 July, don’t miss our bumper show guide issue, with complete show listings for 2018 plus features on keeping horses sound on hard ground, the best show venues in Britain and much more.

In this week’s H&H interview, we talk to international event rider Izzy Taylor and check out our new feature ‘Fix it’ — Laura Tomlinson on improving a horse’s self-carriage. Read reports from across the disciplines over the weekend, including dressage action from Sheepgate, showjumping from Royal Highland and more.

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

Badminton winner Jonelle “speed queen” Price will head the eventers’ team in a head-to-head clash with leading jockeys at Barbury’s JCB Champions Challenge this weekend.

A team of eventers will compete against a team of jockeys in a relay race over fences on borrowed horses in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

It is held in the main arena at the St James’s Place Barbury Horse Trials during a break in the eventing timetable, at 1.45pm on Saturday (7 July).

A full Antipodean contingent makes up the eventing squad — Jonelle is joined by her husband Tim Price, Australian rider Lissa Green and the legendary Sir Mark Todd.

They will face three-time champion jump jockey Richard Johnson, Tom Scudamore, Wayne Hutchinson and Sam Twiston-Davies.

“We so much enjoy our trip to Barbury for the JCB Champions’ Challenge every year,” said JCB’s Tim Leadbeater.

“It’s such good fun and couldn’t be for a better cause in the Injured Jockeys Fund.”

Last year’s challenge was won by the jockeys, captained by Bridget Andrews.

“We were keen to get the changeovers right, as that is key, and also you need to choose your horse carefully,’ she said after her team’s 2017 victory.

“We spent all morning watching the inter-hunt relay and earmarked our horses – you need ones that are quick but careful.”

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Barbury International runs from 5 to 8 July and features the fourth leg of the CIC3* Event Rider Masters (ERM) series, as well as another CIC3* section, a CIC2* and novice classes.

Riders from 21 nations and around 1,000 horses will compete over the four days.

Nine former ERM-winning riders are entered for the Barbury leg, including 2017 victors Tom Carlile and Upsilon.

“I’m delighted with the entries, which include CCI4* winners, CCI3* winners and lots of contenders for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in September,” said event director Martyn Johnson.

“Several leading nations are using Barbury as a WEG trial, which is a great compliment to the event.

“Anyone who wants to watch real superstars, both equine and human, in action, should come to Barbury. We have the best viewing of any event in the country, so feast your eyes on the best of the best.”

In this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, out on Thursday 28 June 2018, don’t miss our full report from the Hickstead Derby meeting, including all the showjumping and showing action, plus don’t miss our six-page report from Royal Ascot.

We also have a feature on the much discussed whip rules across the disciplines and in this week’s ‘Vet clinic’ we find out how to spot the signs of sand colic.

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

Having gone for 28 years without breaking a bone in my body, my time came on a freezing February morning this year while riding out racehorses.

I had previously wondered whether you know straight away when you break a bone and I can now confirm YES you absolutely do know — the pain was excruciating (thank god for morphine).

I can also confirm (having now tested it out) that falling from a horse onto sheer ice is not to be recommended and can result in a broken femur (thigh bone) in two places.

After being pinned back together and sporting a pair of crutches, the rehabilitation began and now, over two months later, I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

And the main reason for this surge of positivity, is because I have been one of the many fortunate riders, jockeys and sportspeople to benefit from the incredible rehabilitation centre that is the Injured Jockeys Fund’s Oaksey House in Lambourn.

This place is like no other that I’ve come across; you have access to brilliant facilities — now boosted thanks to the addition of a hydrotherapy pool — and a top-class team of physiotherapists and conditioning coaches.

The racing industry and the wider equestrian community are so lucky to have Oaksey House available to them. So much so, even other sports, such as rugby, are sending their athletes for rehabilitation at Oaksey House.

Because I hold a point-to-point jockey license, I had free access to all the treatments/gym sessions and just had to pay a small fee for the accommodation — staying in one of their lovely self-catered flats.

I enjoyed four days of intense rehabilitation at Oaksey House, which included three sessions a day varying from physiotherapy to hydrotherapy and gym sessions. I say “enjoyed” because it was so amazing to get back doing exercise, regain focus and kick start my goal to get back walking without crutches or a limp.

Most of my sessions were in the gym and the hydrotherapy pool with strength and conditioning coach Gavin Egan. I’d say he had his work cut out with me, and he certainly worked me hard. However, if you’d told me on day one that, by the end of the week, I’d be standing on just my broken leg throwing and catching a ball, I would have laughed — he worked miracles.

In the gym

Having effectively been inactive for two months, Gavin firstly explained that my muscles basically needed reactivating — especially my core muscles and my “glutes”. He also wanted to get me off the crutches and get me back walking without a limp.

The loss of strength in my knee was also an issue and contributed to my limp. Gavin introduced a resistance band (placed just above my knees) to stop my knees falling inwards during the lower body strength exercises, such as squats and bridges.

To get my glutes back in action, Gavin had me doing lots of lower body exercises and leg lifting in the gym (pictured, below) which involved contracting (squeezing as hard as I could!) my glutes.

Some of the exercises caused, not pain, but a weird feeling in my leg — a bit like an elastic band being pulled. Gavin explained this was the iliotibial band (IT band) being stretched. The IT band runs from the knee to the hip joint and provides attachment for the glutes and “thigh muscle” for hip abduction, also providing stability to the knee. He added that this was probably cut through during surgery (eurghhh).

I also did a lot of work on the TRX suspension trainer and by the end of the week I was doing step ups on only my broken leg, having started off as wobbly as jelly.

After each gym session, I was hooked up to the Game Ready ice machine, which was pretty cool. It wraps around the leg, while the control unit it’s connected to continuously circulates cold water through the wrap and pneumatically applies compression.

The hydrotherapy pool

This recent addition to Oaksey House is remarkable — a specially heated pool (pictured, below) with not only a treadmill in it, but jets and underwater cameras, so you can analyse the range of movement and for me, in particular, my gait in walking on the screens in front of you.

Going in the hydrotherapy pool meant I could achieve a variety of exercises that I would struggle with out of the water, because the water makes it non-weight bearing and reduces the pressure on my joints and broken leg.

Gavin had me walking both forward, backwards and sideways while also throwing a ball at me (lucky I did a bit of netball at school…) and with weights around my ankles. It took some multitasking to think about two things at once — catching the ball while trying not to come off the end of the moving treadmill.

Among other exercises, I did some squatting, jumping, static swimming against the jet streams and some balance exercises. It was a great feeling to have that range of movement back again and I can’t recommend hydrotherapy highly enough.

Before the hydrotherapy pool was built at Oaksey House, the Alter G anti-gravity treadmill (pictured, below) was the go-to machine for non-weight bearing rehabilitation, it is an awesome piece of kit and still used a lot there.

It’s impressive technology works by reducing the bodyweight. Once zipped in, it fills with air below the waist, effectively lifting you slightly off your feet, and allows you to do exercise with decreased bodyweight. For me, it was so nice to walk without a limp and I was able to focus on my stride pattern.

Physiotherapy

During my stay, I also had physiotherapy from both Emma Edwards and Heidi Preece, which usually started with a soft tissue massage because the muscles in my leg were so tight and there was tightness in my hip and knee joints too.

We also ran through strengthening exercises that involved using a resistance band.

I was also introduced to “electrotherapy” which is when electric energy is used to mimic the nerve impulses that cause muscles to contract — the electrodes taking the place of the nerves that normally cause the muscles to move. The electrode “pads” were put on my leg which was the weirdest sensation, especially when your leg is moving without you doing anything.

The muscles are exercising independently, in turn increasing strength in my leg and improving the healing process, helping the muscles recover faster.

I am due back at Oaksey House at the end of May for further rehabilitation and Gavin has promised he’ll have me running out of the door…

On a final note, I cannot give enough credit to the whole team at Oaksey House, the work they do is brilliant and I found staying there an eye-opening experience — I met people with much worse injuries than mine and it certainly put everything in perspective.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

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A leading amateur jockey has made her return to racing after breaking her back in a fall last year.

Tabitha Worsley broke her T11 and T12 vertebrae in a fall in a hurdle race at Ludlow on 16 November.

She was back in action at the Cottesmore fixture at Garthorpe on 25 February, just over three months since her injury.

“I wanted to get this first ride back under my belt,” Tabitha told H&H. “It felt very good to be back out there.”

Tabitha was injured when The Lion Man clipped the final hurdle in a handicap race at the Herefordshire course, resulting in a nasty fall. The horse was not injured.

“When I hit the ground I was quite winded, I rolled up and over on to my hands and knees to get my breath back, then rolled back on to the ground,” said Tabitha.

“Obviously you hope it is just a bit of bruising.”

Tabitha was taken to Hereford District Hospital, where she stayed overnight before being transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for surgery.

Surgeons used six pins and three metal rods to stabilise the fractured vertebrae and Tabitha was allowed home on 20 November.

It was originally thought that the 23-year-old would be out for the rest of the season, but her injuries healed well. Following extensive rehabilitation at the Injured Jockeys Fund’s Oaksey House, it started to look likely that she could be fit to return to the saddle by the end of February.

She visited Oaksey House several times early on in her recovery, later spending two full weeks there.

Tabitha added having the end of February target to work towards helped her focus.

“They worked me hard,” she said. “We did a lot of stuff in the gym, working the right parts of my back and my shoulder [which I also injured in the fall] to get everything back to strength.”

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Tabitha had to be signed on by her surgeon and pass a physio test at Oaksey House before the British Horseracing Authority’s chief medical officer Dr Jerry Hill approved her fit to race again.

She started riding again a week before her comeback race at Garthorpe and thanked her mum and friend Raheela Khan for keeping her horses going at home.

“The whole racing community is amazing,” she added.

“The support from everyone in racing has been unbelievable.”

Tabitha rode her mother Georgina Howell’s Pierlow in the ladies’ open at Garthorpe. They kept up with the field, but pulled up on the second circuit.

Tabitha explained the gelding needed quicker ground and the intention had been to run the horse at Higham, but the fixture was abandoned.

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The knowledge gathered since the opening of Oaksey House nine years ago is “phenomenal”, the Princess Royal said, as she reopened the centre after a major refurbishment.

The patron of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) joined the charity’s president AP McCoy, chairman Brough Scott and vice-president John Francombe at the IJF’s fitness and rehabilitation centre in Lambourn yesterday (20 February).

The princess was shown Oaksey House’s new hydrotherapy pool, which is named after AP McCoy and boasts an underwater treadmill, massage hoses and performance monitoring technology.

As part of the refurbishment the centre now has a gym three times the size of the previous facility.

“Having just come back from the Winter Olympics in South Korea, and seeing the injuries some other sportspeople such as snowboarders suffer, your brains could be picked and the skills you have could be of such benefit to a range of other sports,” the princess said.

“It seems extraordinary that Oaksey House opened only nine years ago. The knowledge achieved in that time has been phenomenal.”

IJF chief executive Lisa Hancock said: “We are very committed to ensuring we provide state-of-the-art facilities in our centres and a hydropool is essential to modern rehabilitation.

“Oaksey House can now provide all jockeys, riding and retired, and the local community, with a facility that can support every type of injury. This is very much part of our charitable vision and we will complete the loop with the build of Peter O’Sullevan House in Newmarket, set to open in autumn 2019, and for which we are now starting the fundraising campaign.”

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A donation from former postmistress Doreen Rackham, who was known as the “angel of Lambourn”, who died in 2011, contributed to the cost of the project, as did a “sizeable” contribution from AP McCoy’s 2015 celebration dinner.

“I am delighted to be here today and that the IJF is able to now provide these amazing facilities for jockeys, both injured and riding,” AP said. “If I’d had this 20 years ago, I’d probably still be going now!”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

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Space hoppers may handle a little differently to horses, but that didn’t stop top jockeys from getting competitive in a charity race.

Some of the leading names in jump racing lined up at Plumpton on 12 February to take part in the fiercely competitive Grand Hop Gold Cup in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF).

Tom Cannon was an early faller — taking a tumble ahead of the start following co-ordinated sabotage by a couple of his weighing room colleagues.

Wocket Woy’s partner in crime Mattie Batchelor was keen to get going, which nearly caused a false start, but after this initial eagerness the field settled and the flag dropped on a clean start.

The race was marked with a high rate of fallers, and several loose space hoppers — and jockeys — threatened to take out the leaders.

Amid the chaos Tom Scudamore broke free from the rabble and bounced into a strong lead.

A forward roll over the line secured a clear 10-hop victory for Tom, while last year’s winner Joshua Moore never really travelled and finished well down the line.

The hoppers were signed by their jockeys and have all been auctioned to raise money for the charity — with the exception of Tom’s winning “ride”, which will be auctioned this week.

The total raised at the IJF race day is still being calculated.

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An IJF spokesman told H&H: “This was the second year we have done the IJF race day at Plumpton and it was a great success, enjoyed by racegoers and the jockeys alike.”

The charity offers help, support and rehabilitation from injury to all jockeys. It has two centres — Jack Berry House in Malton and Oaksey House in Lambourn — with plans for a third base at the British Racing School in Newmaket.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

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The jump jockeys gained their revenge after last year’s defeat to the Flat boys in Friday night’s thrilling — and fiercely competitive — Markel Champions Challenge over the coloured obstacles at Olympia.

Captained by 20-time champion AP McCoy and trained by H&H columnist Graham Fletcher, the five-man team of legendary former National Hunt jockeys produced the winning performance over Frankie Dettori’s squad, coached by reigning Olympic champion Nick Skelton.

“It’s nice to beat Dettori!” said AP, who lined up alongside former champions Peter Scudamore, Richard Dunwoody, John Francome and Charlie Swan, who boast an astounding 47 championship titles between them.

“The first year we did it [the Markel Challenge], the jump jockeys won, then we were a bit disappointed last year when we had a team of current jump jockeys and the Flat jockeys won — so I sacked them all,” said AP with a grin. “It was time to bring in a slightly older A-team.

“I said we needed a team of champions to put the Flat boys in their place — not knowing that they had lined up a team of champions for this year, too.”

With such huge rivalry between the two teams, who were raising invaluable funds for the Injured Jockeys Fund, the Flat jockeys’ team captain Frankie Dettori announced himself “devastated” to lose.

“You know what AP’s like — he’ll never let me forget this now,” said the Italian. “And now he works for ITV racing, every time I ride a winner he’s going to mention the fact he beat me. But ‘Scu’ [Peter Scudamore, from the winning team] was brilliant he said ‘Imagine how good we were when we were young!’”

Frankie’s team-mates were three-time champion-turned-trainer Richard Hughes, Jamie Spencer, Jim Crowley and three-time champion Ryan Moore.

There was some comeuppance for Frankie, however, as his accomplished round on the brilliant “Barry” — an experienced showjumper borrowed from Tim Gredley — was well over a second quicker than AP’s.

So will the jump jockeys return to the saddle to bid for a winning double next year?

“No — we’re firmly retired again now!” said AP.

Don’t miss the full report from the London International Horse Show at Olympia in next week’s issue of Horse & Hound, out Thursday 21 December.

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

Spectators at this year’s Olympia, the London International Horse Show (12-18 Dec) will be treated to a head-to-head battle between two of the world’s greatest jockeys.

Twenty-time National Hunt champion Sir AP McCoy and Flat legend Frankie Dettori will be heading to the London venue to test their skills over a course of showjumps.

Last year, crowds witnessed the Markel Champions Challenge, in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund, which saw Frankie’s team defeat Richard Johnson’s band of jump jockeys in a relay contest against the clock.

This year, it will be AP who steps out of retirement to spearhead the opposition during Olympia’s Friday night “race night”.

Both Frankie, AP and their team members will receive specialist coaching from top international showjumpers in the run-up to the show down.

“Last year, I watched from the sidelines as my fellow jump jockeys got thrashed by Dettori’s boys, so this year I shall be picking my own team and shall be looking to the greats of the past to help me do this,” AP said. “Whilst we’ll be ultra-competitive, it’s all for such a great cause in the Injured Jockeys Fund.”

As two of the most successful jockeys in history, there is no doubt that Frankie and AP will be seeking to field the most competent team members, with their line-ups to be announced closer to the show.

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Juliet Redfern, managing director of Markel’s equine and livestock team said: “Markel are so pleased to continue its involvement with the Markel Champions Challenge. As a child I remember watching similar classes so having the opportunity to be involved in resurrecting this concept and bringing it to the public on the Olympia stage was really exciting.

“Over the past three years the success and support we’ve seen just keeps growing.”

“The jockeys love it as much as the audience,” said Lisa Hancock, CEO of the Injured Jockeys Fund. “It also serves to highlight the important work the Injured Jockeys Fund does in racing and across the wider equestrian world.”

Friday night at Olympia will witness an entire evening of racing-themed excitement. Spectators can also expect to see appearances from racing legend Bob Champion whose charity, The Bob Champion Cancer Trust, is supported by The Shetland Pony Grand National.

For tickets and more information about Olympia’s London International Horse Show, visit www.olympiahorseshow.com

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

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

Zara Tindall will go head-to-head with rising National Hunt star Bridget Andrews as the JCB Champions Challenge returns to Barbury on Saturday (8 July).

Zara and Bridget were announced today (Monday, 3 July) as the respective captains of the eventers’ and jump jockeys’ teams.

The timed jumping competition takes place in Barbury’s main arena over a specially-designed course and is in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

For World and European eventing champion Zara, this marks a return to the competition for the first time since the inaugural challenge in 2014.

Meanwhile former champion lady amateur Bridget is the first lady to captain the jockeys’ squad — which has a strong track record at Barbury, with back-to-back victories in 2014 and 2015.

However last year the eventers — led by Mark Todd — scored their first victory in the challenge and will be keen to hold on to the title for a second year.

“I hope the eventers can ‘lay up’ [keep up] with the jump jockeys as we are hungry to regain our JCB Champion Challenge crown at Barbury,” said Bridget.

The competition looks set to be close with both teams boasting serious credentials.

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Joining Zara on the eventing squad are Olympians Jonty Evans and Dan Jocelyn, representing Ireland and New Zealand, and multiple young rider medallist Holly Woodhead.

“The eventers are ready and plan to put on a real show for visitors to Barbury and the jump jockeys should expect to see just a distant rear view of us,” quipped Zara.

Lining up next to Bridget are weighing-room stars and multiple Cheltenham Festival winners Nico de Boinville, Wayne Hutchinson and Harry Skelton.

Tickets will be available on the gate, at £20 on Saturday, with free entry for under-12s. Visit barburyhorsetrials.co.uk for details.

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The equestrian community has rallied together in support of Essex-based rider Robert Walker, who was seriously injured in a fall earlier this year.

The hunting and showing enthusiast sustained spinal injuries in a rotational hunting fall on 18 January.

His horse — former champion working hunter Orbital — was not injured.

Mr Walker is currently in Stanmore Hospital but his family and friends are raising funds so he can be transferred to the Injured Jockeys Fund’s Oaksey House for rehabilitation.

An online auction launched this evening (1 May) will run for 48 hours, with further auctions in the next two weeks to cover the dozens of lots on offer.

Among the items are hunting experiences, including a day for two with the Ledbury Foxhounds. This includes dinner with showman Robert Oliver and stabling and bed and breakfast at the Corse Lawn House Hotel.

Lessons will also be up for auction, including a training session with Allister Hood at his home in Norfolk, as well as lunch for the rider and their family.

A faux Horse & Hound cover, holidays, tickets to Horse of the Year Show, an extensive wine hamper and a personalised photoshoot are also up for grabs, alongside many other lots.

“We have launched this online auction, with all the lots being donated by the showing and hunting circuit pulling together, to try and help fund Rob’s transfer to and stay at Oaksey House,” said Mr Walker’s fiancé Olivia-Jade Greig.

“We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity shown, and what started as a small idea has grown into something really exciting that will have a huge positive impact for someone very special to us all.”

Ms Greig said Mr Walker has a complete T4/5 fracture with a fixation and a bulging disc at C2/3, which has caused tetraplegic paralysis affecting all four limbs.

“However he has experienced significant flickers in several fingers which, it is hoped, may lead to the use of his arms in future with the possible intervention of surgery and specialist Hobbs Rehabilitation and physiotherapy at the Injured Jockeys Fund’s Oaksey House,” she added.

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“Therefore we are desperately trying to raise money to aid his rehabilitation by funding his transfer to – and stay at – Oaksey House, the renowned clinic for injured jockeys.

“Rob is booked in for a taster week in June, and all being well, will then spend the whole of July there – we hope this auction will fund all this rehabilitation and longer at Oaksey House if needed.”

The auction will begin at 7pm at www.facebook.com/groups/699672936901808

Popular horseman

Originally from Worcestershire, Mr Walker has been amateur whip to the Essex Hunt and is a regular with the Essex Farmers and Union Hunt.

He is also a popular figure on the showing circuit.

He bred and formerly owned the successful hunter Bournebrook Golden Law, who is still the only horse to have won the ladies’ class at Horse of the Year Show three times, standing supreme there in 2005.

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Freddy Tylicki has been discharged from hospital to continue his rehabilitation after being paralysed in a horrific fall at Kempton Park on 31 October.

He was flown to St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London, where he underwent an operation on his spine. His surgical team then confirmed Freddy had a T7 paralysis, meaning he has movement in the upper half of his body but not his lower.

Freddy revealed on social media today (Tuesday, 20 December) that he was leaving hospital to begin the next part of his recovery.

“I have been waiting on this day for a long time and it’s finally come!! On the road to the rehab clinic #nextchapter #keepfighting,” he tweeted.

Lisa Hancock, chief executive of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), added: “Freddy has been in St George’s Hospital for seven weeks now, so to get him into rehab before Christmas is positive news.

“I’m sure it’s a great relief to Freddy and his family that he is now on the road to rehabilitation.”

A charitable trust for the rider is being set up by his mother and sister.

A donation of £272,000 from an online fundraising page, set up by television racing presenter Matt Chapman, will open the trust.

The IJF is collecting money on behalf of the trust.

“The IJF will hold these monies for Freddy until the trust has been established at which point all monies will be transferred with no deductions,” said an IJF spokesman.

“The IJF will continue to support Freddy now and in future for as long as our help is needed.”

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The fall, which involved four horses, happened during a fillies’ maiden race.

Freddy was in second place when his mount, Nellie Deen, appeared to clip leader Madame Butterfly as the runners turned into the home straight.

Nellie Deen then brought down Electrify, ridden by champion jockey Jim Crowley, Skara Mae partnered by Steve Drowne, and Ted Durcan aboard Sovrano Dolce.

While Steve escaped uninjured, Jim sustained a broken nose and Ted a broken ankle. All four horses were back on their feet following the fall.

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

The “Flat Boys” team, captained by Frankie Dettori, triumphed over Richard Johnson’s band of jump jockeys to win the Markel champions challenge — in aid of the Horse & Hound’s charity of the year, the Injured Jockeys Fund — by a whopping 45.51 sec at Olympia, The London International Horse Show earlier today.

Trained by Scott Brash, Frankie’s team of Adam Kirby, Jamie Spencer, Jim Crowley and Bridget Andrews were clear winners over the Nick Skelton-backed side of Victoria Pendleton, Tom Scudamore, Sam Twiston-Davies and Harry Skelton.

“I had a very good team and I didn’t just come here to take part. I wanted to win,” said Frankie. “I think we’ll be able to dine out on this one for many days.”

AP McCoy, watching in the ring, had backed the jump jockeys as natural favourites to win the eight-fence “rescue relay”, but admitted “they’ve never done anything as complicated as this in their lives”.

“If they don’t get lost, they should have the advantage,” he said.

Adam Kirby, first out for the Flat Boys, happily hunted round to add just 3sec for a rail at the third fence. While Jamie Spencer saw a stride no-one else could see at fence six and demolished it, he made it safely through the finish with just one other down to add to the tally.

Jim Crowley made some time up on the clock with a good turn back to the fifth, but also added a 6sec penalty, while Bridget Andrews looked at home throughout a tidy round but had 9sec to add.

Last out for his team, Frankie led them in exemplary style — although the less sporting may have termed it “cheating” — when he produced a clear on a scopey bay showjumper he had borrowed from neighbour Tim Gredley.

“I don’t know his full name, but we call him Barry. He looked after me great,” Frankie said. “It’s very hard to find the balance but I went as fast as I could without knocking stuff over — I had a good horse.”

Continued below…

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Victoria Pendleton, first to go for the jump jockeys on a dependable grey, was certainly not rivaling her gold medal-winning cycling times, but did her trainer Nick proud as she produced the only other clear of the competition.

Richard Johnson, meanwhile, was seeing some steeplechasing strides and kept Nick on his toes as a brake failure saw him throw down the whip to make the handover. Once the baton was retrieved and he was able to get going, Tom Scudamore set off at speed only to have a run out at a red vertical. He successfully negotiated it at the second attempt — a feat which was unrelated to Nick standing in the gap next to the wing waving his arms.

Not learning from his team mate’s mistake, Sam Twiston-Davies followed suit and ducked out at the same fence, so it was left to Harry Skelton to redeem the side. He proved himself a chip off the block as he whizzed round the inside routes to just add 3sec at the penultimate fence.

“I actually thought I was a good jockey, but watching them go round no wonder I beat them!” AP ruefully observed.

The experience over the coloured poles further cemented Victoria’s conversion from two wheels to four legs.

“It’s something that makes me very happy — I almost feel sick sometimes, I love it so much,” she said. “I couldn’t have anticipated how much I love it, I think horses will be a part of my life forever.”

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

Jockey Ryan Hatch is expected to remain in hospital for the “foreseeable future” after breaking his neck and back in a racing fall on Friday (9 December).

Ryan suffered a heavy fall with the seven-year-old Cogry in the Grade 3 handicap chase on the first day of the International at Cheltenham and was taken to Bristol Southmead Hospital.

The Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) has been providing updates on his condition this week on behalf of Ryan and his family.

“Following his fall at Cheltenham racecourse last Friday, repeat X-rays carried out in Bristol Southmead hospital yesterday have shown that Ryan has suffered fractures of his C6 and C7 at the base of his neck,” said Lisa Hancock, chief executive of the IJF this morning (14 December).

“He has also fractured his sternum and has fractures of his T6, which is just below the shoulder blade. He has a spinal haematoma which is shown to be decreasing.

“It is anticipated that Ryan will remain in Southmead hospital for the foreseeable future.

“Any visitors to the hospital should please contact either Ryan or his father John in advance of visiting.”

He had been booked to ride The New One in the International Hurdle the following day (10 December), but Richard Johnson took over the ride on the eventual winner following Ryan’s injury.

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So far this season the National Hunt jockey, who is attached to Nigel Twiston-Davies’ stable, has ridden 17 winners — 13 over hurdles and four over fences.

In the 2015/2016 he rode 22 winners, with major wins including the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, held at Aintree during the Grand National meeting, aboard Ballyoptic in April, and the Grade 1 RSA Chase at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival with Blaklion.

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

What a memorable year 2016 has been, with the Rio Olympics and Britain’s two incredible individual gold medals.

 Horse & Hound is commemorating all the action in its 2017 calendar — which forms one of the final projects supporting the magazine’s chosen charity for this year, the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF).

As well as some superb images from the past 12 months, the calendar will also have you looking forward with all the major show and event dates for the year ahead included.

Both the Rio Olympics and Paralympics feature heavily in the calendar, which includes individual gold medallists Nick Skelton and Big Star and Charlotte Dujardin with Valegro.

“We hope people enjoy this calendar and find it useful. Please do continue to support the IJF as they help the brave men and women who provide so much entertainment on our racecourses in times of need,” said Horse & Hound magazine editor Pippa Roome.

“We are delighted to have had the opportunity to support such a worthy cause and to find out more about the IJF’s vital work.”

The IJF has provided help and support to more than 1,000 injured jockeys in the 51 years since it was founded.

It now boasts two state-of-the-art rehabilitation centres — Oaksey House in Lambourn which was opened in 2009, and Jack Berry House which was unveiled in Malton, Yorks in 2015.

It is also due to open a new rehabilitation and fitness centre at the British Racing School (BRS) in Newmarket in 2018. Peter O’Sullevan House takes its name from the legendary “voice of racing” who died last year aged 97.

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Through the rehabilitation centres and a team of almoners across the country, jockeys hurt in their line of work have access to free rehabilitation, training, support and advice.

The calendar is available now for just £9.99 and can be purchased from the IJF’s website.

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Jockey Henry Brooke has made a strong return to the racetrack just seven weeks after he was placed in a coma following a serious fall.

The 25-year-old rode the Martin Todhunter-trained Sophie Olivia (not pictured) to fourth place in the bumper at Catterick yesterday (Wednesday, 30 November), which was won by Getaway Whiskey and Harry Skelton.

This was the first time Henry had raced since sustaining multiple injuries in a fall in the novice handicap at Hexham on 8 October.

His mount, the Brian Ellison-trained Old Storm (not pictured), fell at the second fence and racing was delayed for two hours while Henry was treated on the track.

He sustained broken ribs, a punctured lung and a fractured shoulder blade and was placed in an induced coma.

Sam Twiston-Davies, who has been on the sidelines since bruising his spleen and kidneys in a fall from One More Go at Chepstow on 9 October, also enjoyed a successful comeback from injury yesterday.

He finished second to Super Sam and Charlie Deutsch in the handicap hurdle at Ffos Las aboard Southport, who is trained by his father Nigel Twiston-Davies.

Both Sam and Henry have had help from the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) — H&H’s 2016 charity of the year — in their returns from injury.

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Henry has been at Jack Berry House in Malton, while Sam has been using the help and facilities on offer at Oaksey House in Lambourn.

Both have further rides this week.

“When a jockey gets injured, they are always keen to get back in the saddle as soon as they can,” an IJF spokesman told H&H.

“Through the work we do at our two rehabilitation and fitness centres, Oaksey House and Jack Berry House, our aim is to help to get them back as mentally and physically strong, fit and ready as they possibly can be.”

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A video promoting the work of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) has helped bookies Betfair raise £50,000 for the charity.

The short film was circulated in time for National Jockey Day 2016 last weekend (19 November).

It features some of the jockeys reaping the benefit of the facilities at the IJF’s Oaksey House rehabilitation centre.

Comments include: “People underestimate the role the IJF plays”, “Every pound that’s given is money well spent” and “If they weren’t here, we’d be lost”.

H&H blogger and para dressage rider Suzanna Hext, who was seriously injured in a riding accident in 2012, also features in the footage.

Betfair donated £1 to the IJF for every use of the hashtag #nationaljockeyday on social media.

The campaign was supported by professional jockeys and trainers including Ryan Moore, Sam Twiston-Davies, Nick Scholfield and Paul Nicholls.

“Recent events have brought into perspective the tough job jockeys face more than ever,” said Betfair’s Barry Orr.

“We’re pleased to have run National Jockey Day for the third year running, raising awareness of the work the Injured Jockeys Fund as well as donating £50,000 through our social media campaign.”

The IJF is Horse & Hound‘s charity of the year for 2016. Throughout the year H&H has been raising awareness of the charity’s work with riders across the disciplines, as well as fundraising for the charity.

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Lisa Hancock , CEO of the IJF, added: “We are really grateful to Betfair for their initiation of and support towards National Jockeys Day.

“The risks that jockeys take every time they ride are very evident and as the jockeys’ charity we try to do everything we can to support them not just while they are riding but into retirement also.”

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To celebrate the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) being Horse & Hound's charity for 2016, we meet some of the equestrians who have benefitted from its help. Jo Mason talks to H&H about her head injury, and how the IJF's new rehabilitation centre, Jack Berry House, has helped her recover

Granddaughter of legendary dual-purpose trainer Mick Easterby, Joanna Mason is a successful amateur jockey based in North Yorkshire who readily admits she was on a horse before she could walk. A regular on the circuit, she point-to-points in the winter and flat races in the summer.

On Saturday 21 March 2015, Jo was piloting Comedinewithme at Hurworth point-to-point, a “very good mare” on which she had previously been “just beaten into second” on her maiden race at Friars Haugh and won at Sinnington earlier that month. However, at Hurworth, the mare buckled on landing, throwing Jo to the ground.

“I pegged the floor, head first,”says Jo. “And I don’t remember much after that.”

The 25-year old was knocked out cold by the fall and later, taken to hospital. X-rays revealed she had broken her back in two places: fractured her T8 and crushed her T9 vertebrae. The following Wednesday, she was operated on at the James Cook hospital in Middlesborough.

“The doctor told me that normally they would insert four pins and two rods,’” remembers Jo. “But due to what I do and the instability of the crushed vertebrae, they decided to use eight pins and two rods.”

Jo returned home the following day. “My head injury took more than I realised out of me — it alters your character,” she recalls. “It was so frustrating — I couldn’t get back on and I couldn’t do anything. I’m normally so busy and going from that to doing nothing was so boring.”

Five weeks later, she returned to the hospital for a check up. Happy with her progress so far, the doctor advised she could “kick on with physio but not fall off a horse!”

Luckily for Jo, Jack Berry House, a new IJF rehabilitation centre for northern-based jockeys was just 10 minutes away from home. Displaying admirable grit and determination, Jo utilised the state of the art facilities at Jack Berry House three to four times a week.

She went to the gym, had physiotherapy and worked in the hydrotherapy pool, which allowed her to exercise whilst minimising impact on her back. She also rode out her ex-racehorse, Liverpool (pictured below), who she later went on to enjoy success on in the side-saddle show ring.

Gemma Darling, the resident physiotherapist at Jack Berry House monitored Jo closely and after three months, sent a report to the BHA.

“I got my license back straight away. Gemma advised I could ride out two to three horses a day and before I knew it I was back to the usual eight,” she says.

Four days after having her license returned to her, Jo was back race riding. She finished third in her first race back at Doncaster on 9 July aboard Annabel Murphy-trained Todd and celebrated her first win post-injury on Space War in an amateur ladies’ race at Chester on 10 July. This horse was also trained by her grandfather, Mick.

The season culminated in Jo being crowned the joint amateur lady jockeys Flat champion with Serena Brotherton.

“I could not have wished for a more amazing season after what happened,” she says.

Jo credits her return to race riding to the work of the IJF: “If Jack Berry House hadn’t been there I don’t think I’d have been back race riding after three months. Without the rehab I would have been weak and useless on a horse but instead I felt like I hadn’t missed a day.”

Jo had the metal work taken out of her back this January. Although she is back in action and more determined than ever, she continues to attend circuit classes at Jack Berry House on Monday and Wednesday nights.

“It’s not just for injured people,” she explains. “It’s for jockeys to get fit, seek guidance and get simulator experience.”

A usual 30 seconds on, 20 seconds off circuit includes sled pushes, skipping, burpies, the SkiErg, medicine ball slams, battle ropes and cycling before repeating it all, seven or eight times.

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“I only used to ride out my horses and that was it but now I go to the gym and I do circuits as well. It has definitely improved my performance. I don’t care what anyone says — you need to be fit to ride.”

The Injured Jockeys Fund is Horse & Hound‘s charity for 2016. Donate now >>

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With 50 point-to-point winners and 14 under Rules to her name, Sarah Gaisford was beginning to think about starting a new career when a fall at Exeter Racecourse left her paralysed from the chest down. She tells H&H how the Injured Jockeys Fund has helped her on the road to recovery

Devon-based Sarah Gaisford grew up riding, hunting with the Devon and Somerset Staghounds and the Taunton Vale, as well as dabbling in a little bit of polo at Taunton Polo Club. After leaving school she rode out for trainer Jimmy Frost and throughout her twenties worked for National Hunt trainers including Martin Hill and Miranda Bragg, as well as a couple of flat trainers in Australia.

Altogether Sarah rode 50 point-to-point winners, including 14 under Rules and in 2005/6 was crowned joint runner-up with Charlotte Tizzard to Rose Davidson for the NH Ladies Championship Title (Amateur Jockeys Association of GB).

At the age of 39, Sarah was starting to think about a change in career, and had sat an A level in Anatomy and Physiology with a view to go on and study the Bowen Technique.

One foggy December day in 2007 Sarah was racing at Exeter, riding a horse called Festival Flyer for Miranda Bragg. She suffered a crashing fall over hurdles, which resulted in a five-horse pile up.

“The last thing I remember was the horse flying over the hurdle,” says Sarah, “and then I woke up on a stretcher.”

Sarah was immediately rushed to the Royal Devon & Exeter. “I knew I couldn’t feel my legs when I signed the surgery consent form,” she says. Sarah had crushed vertebrae T4, T5 & T6, and after a blood transfusion and a five hour operation to insert metal rods into her back she woke up in intensive care.

‘How am I going to walk my dog?’

The fall had left Sarah paralysed from the chest down and in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. “It didn’t really hit me until I saw my new walking boots and I thought, ‘how am I going to walk my dog?’”

She stayed at Exeter hospital for six weeks, before being transferred to the Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury.

“The IJF were brilliant – they were on the phone, they’d come and see me to put my mind at ease, and if I needed anything or something sorting out they were there,” remembers Sarah.

With a 12-year-old daughter at home, Sarah was keen to get back to Devon. “If I’d been in different circumstances, I know I would have benefited from going somewhere like Oaksey House, but I had to get home,” she says.

Sarah and her daughter moved into a bungalow, and with the help of the IJF, had the house adapted for a wheelchair user — the doors widened, an en-suite bathroom fitted and the kitchen remodelled to include a lower hob and surfaces. The IJF also send a gardener once a month to do the jobs Sarah can’t do, like mowing the lawn.

Thanks to the IJF, Sarah also sees a private physiotherapist once a week in Stroud. These sessions give her the impetus to keep working at home, using light weights to build upper body strength or walking around the house using her mobility aid. “It’s important to try and keep strong,” she says.

Taking up wheelchair tennis

Five years ago, Sarah took up wheelchair tennis. “It was a real challenge learning,” she laughs, “I don’t like losing.”

The IJF contributed towards her sports wheelchair, and she also received a grant from the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust.

With tennis coaches Anna Howe (Taunton Tennis Club) and Tonia Gooderham (Totnes Tennis Club) by her side, Sarah now trains six to 10 hours a week, and is competing regularly. The IJF sponsor her in five British tournaments a year, assisting with travel costs. This June she also hopes to go and compete in France.

As a wheelchair tennis player, Sarah is currently ranked 131st worldwide and 9th in Great Britain. “This year, I’d like to get under 100 in the world rankings,” she says.

“I’m pretty good in the head at the moment because tennis is keeping me focused. I’m really competitive so it gives me something to aim for and work towards.”

With the help of the IJF and Riding for the Disabled, Sarah has also been back on a horse following her accident.

In 2014, to raise awareness of the work of the IJF in recognition of their 50th anniversary, Sarah embarked on the Liberty Trails Dartmoor Challenge — a sponsored 10-mile ride across the moors — where she was joined by 30 supporters, also on horseback.

Later that year, she also rode two miles round Exeter racecourse, accompanied by John Francome, MBE and Richard Pitman, and anyone who wanted to walk alongside her on the inside track. In total, she raised £21,000 for the charity.

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“The racing community have been really supportive, says Sarah. “They’re my extended family, and that’s how I feel about the IJF — I’d be stuck without them”.

The Injured Jockeys Fund is Horse & Hound‘s charity for 2016. Donate now >>

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