CONSIDERING “what it’s like for a horse to be a horse” should be at the heart of efforts to improve equine mental wellbeing, it has been proposed.

A World Horse Welfare webinar on 25 August, supported by the University of Nottingham, covered how best to support horses’ mental health. Andrew McLean, a zoologist who specialises in training horses and elephants, having represented Australia in eventing and ridden to grand prix level in dressage and showjumping, was joined by former champion jockey and pundit John Francome, and long-term World Horse Welfare staff member Caroline Heard.

Dr McLean, who also co-founded the International Society for Equitation Science, spoke of what has changed in equestrian management and training in the last 100 years, and where they are heading.

“I think this is the most exciting presentation I’ve ever put together,” he said.

Dr McLean said science has had a huge impact on equine physical health, but “science hasn’t always helped us understand horses’ minds”.

He said we still understand animals in terms of the ethological effect, talking about hierarchy, for example.

“That’s a big legacy because when we talk about animals in terms of hierarchy, and say, ‘This one’s dominant over that one,’ it leads us to thinking about and training horses in terms of dominance; that narrative is very strong,” he said.

But he added that the “new frontier” is equitation science, “unpacking horse training”, and increasing understanding.

“In terms of welfare, the horse has always been seen in terms of its utility, and the aim in looking after them was to give them a better life,” he added, explaining that this has moved on from a “better life” to “a more worthwhile life”.

“What’s it like to be a horse?” he asked. “But we need to ask, what’s it like for a horse to be a horse, a fundamentally different question as it takes the human out of the equation.”

Dr McLean said all animal industries are subject to rising expectations of welfare, often driven by social media. He cited the shift towards whip-free racing – he is on the board of Racing Victoria and a whip ban is on the cards – and focus on tight nosebands and rollkur.

He believes science will be more embraced in future, to improve welfare and make training more efficient; understanding horses’ thinking will mean better performance as well as happier horses.

“It’s a great and exciting future,” he said, adding that he hopes people will move beyond anthropomorphism and consider horses’ whole lives, rather than how they are at any given moment.

He also believes there may be licences necessary for horse ownership – “nothing onerous and difficult, but there are basic elements all owners should understand”.

“We need to amalgamate behaviour and vet science and continue looking at how we use whips and double bridles; should we be instead privileging trainers who can get the best results with the least amount of weaponry and coercion?” he asked, adding that the sport needs to be “ahead of the game”, and that the FEI should consider this, and launch a think tank, to ensure horse sport has a sustainable future.

He said he hopes horse sport will endure, but with change.

“We need to modernise or perish,” he said. “Sustainability is what we all need to be looking at.”

In a panel discussion, the experts were asked whether a lack of owner understanding affects equine mental health.

Dr McLean said of all horses’ basic needs, “the one we’re worst at is socialisation”, that we tend to forget how social equines are, and how important this is, adding: “That’s an area of welfare we need to improve, and there are gold medals in it if you get it right.”

He also said people need to “get training right”; abandoning punishment for “bad” behaviour, including non-compliance.

Mr Francome added: “If you haven’t got happy horses, you won’t get the best out of them.”

He cited a trainer who would spend hours watching his horses, to know what normal behaviour was for each, so he would then know if something was wrong. World Horse Welfare CEO Roly Owers and Dr McLean agreed; each horse is an individual and should be treated as such.

Asked if owners in general have the skills to optimise equine mental wellbeing, Mr Francome said no.

“A big problem facing the horse world is the poor standard of riding and basic horse management,” he said. “People need to be educated when they learn to ride, to realise they’re on a living animal and should think about nothing but what that horse is thinking, where it’s putting its feet and what’s best for it. Basic standards of riding and horse management need a kick up the backside.”

Mr Owers agreed, adding: “There’s so much education out there, but there’s never been so much ignorance.”

Asked about tools to assess equine wellbeing, Ms Heard cited developments such as behavioural ethograms that can help, as well as having an open mind.

“The horse world is very traditional, and ‘this is the way we’ve always done it’, and it can be difficult to step back and say, ‘Although you’ve done something for 20 years, maybe something else will help,’” she said. “If you keep open-minded, you can see positive results and the benefits of change.”

She added: “There’s so much research coming out. I think people want to give their horses the best but it’s easy to slip into confusion, and the things coming out give me hope that we’re on track to improving equine mental wellbeing and welfare.”

Whips and spurs were mentioned again – Mr Francome said it is “not right that in 2021, we’re still hitting horses who are trying their hardest” – and Ms Heard said such equipment should only be used as aids, adding: “If you’re using whips, spurs or whatever as punishment, that’s not a healthy way to train your horse”.

In summing up, Ms Heard said equine mental health is a “massive topic”.

“It affects everything we do with our horses,” she said. “I think we’re going to learn so much in the next few years; watch this space.”

Dr McLean said owners should learn all they can, about other animals as well as horses, and about what can be done to make their lives better.

“Think about it not from a human point of view but from the horse’s,” he said. “Think about what it’s like for a horse to be a horse.”

• What do you think are the big issues in equine mental wellbeing? Send your thoughts to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, and you could win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger

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João Torrão: the Portuguese rider with world-class Iberians, who admires Carl Hester’s ‘attention to equine mental health’ *H&H Plus*

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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

The seven-time champion was not only “poetry on horseback”, but changed the public perception of jockeys, writes Julian Muscat

Just occasionally, in the self-perpetuating world of horse racing, a shimmering talent emerges from beyond the sport’s perimeters. Since it does not emanate from familial succession, it is unencumbered by conventional wisdom.

This novel force will redefine the art of the possible. André Fabre, the son of a diplomat, is one such talent. Fabre has been champion trainer in France no less than 30 times. His equivalent in Britain is Martin Pipe, the son of a bookmaker who was champion jumps trainer 15 times in 17 seasons, starting from 1988-89.

Then there was John Francome MBE, the son of a fireman/builder who was raised in a Swindon council house.

Michael Dickinson, whose mastery of training jumpers was amplified when he saddled the first five home in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup, would say of Francome: “He is the best jockey I have ever seen.”

Francome changed everything during his 15-year reign, when he was champion jockey seven times before his retirement in 1985. His riding style was unique: a fusion of the demands of race-riding and a prowess at showjumping that saw him ride on Britain’s junior team that won gold at the European Championships.

Seeing him on horseback conjured up images of a centaur, that mythological creature with the upper body of a man and the undercarriage of a horse.

“I have watched other people try to copy him, but nobody can,” says Francome’s friend and saddle rival, Peter Scudamore. “He made the rest of us feel inadequate.”

Beyond that, Francome changed the perception of jockeys from monosyllabic serfs to the well-paid public face of the sport. He smiled a lot, wore his hair long and was seen initially as too big for his boots.

He also had a sharp sense of humour. During a lengthy stewards’ inquiry, when video footage of the finish was being replayed incessantly, Francome interrupted proceedings by asking the stewards when an usherette would be bringing round ice cream and popcorn.

Francome is happy to talk about that aspect of his professional life. Nothing infuriated him more than brazen rudeness of the kind frequently thrown at him by the authorities – in particular racecourse stewards, whom he once dubbed “Cabbage Patch Dolls”.

But try talking to him about his saddle deeds and he becomes uncomfortable. Press on with that line of questioning and discomfort quickly turns to embarrassment. “When I look back, I remember the horses as individuals more than the people or the races I won,” he explains.

Francome’s Champion Hurdle-winning ride on Sea Pigeon in 1981 was a career-defining moment as he delivered the 11-year-old fast and late with a confidence bordering on insouciance. That ride is still seen today as an incarnation of poetry on horseback.

“Nah,” Francome replies dismissively. “The horse won so easily; anyone could have ridden him. He’d won the race the previous year and Peter Easterby, Sea Pigeon’s trainer, told me when he legged me up that the horse was in better shape. There was really nothing to it.”

The closest he gets to acknowledging he may have played a small part in a big-race triumph comes when he reflects on Burrough Hill Lad, aboard whom Francome, substituting for the horse’s regular rider, won the 1984 Hennessy Gold Cup and King George VI Chase.

“I never rode a better horse,” he says of the Jenny Pitman-trained monster whose formative days were characterised by his propensity to plough headlong into a fence.

“He was like Denman: an absolute tank of a horse who won the Hennessy with 12st on his back,” Francome continues. “I suppose I probably understood how he liked to jump. When he was on a long stride he liked you to keep a good hold of his head and let him just set himself. The worst thing would have been to sit still and do nothing.”

Mesmerised by horses

It’s impossible to exaggerate the culture shock Francome experienced when, aged 16, his father frogmarched him into the Uplands stable of Fred Winter for an interview. At that point he’d never ridden a racehorse and cared not a jot for racing.

He’d become mesmerised by horses as a six-year-old when he rode one for the first time on Barry Island. The connection never abated, and led to his first pony, Black Beauty, for whom his father gave £50 with no funds left for a saddle.

In contrast to Winter’s forbidding demeanour, the teenage Francome loved nothing more than playing practical jokes. The pair were like chalk and cheese, but Francome, who had much to learn, realised he was fortunate to be apprenticed to the best jumps trainer in the land.

“Together with my parents I owe Fred Winter everything, certainly professionally and to a large extent personally as well,” Francome says. “He and Brian Delaney [Winter’s head lad] taught me three things I never forgot. How to do things properly, to avoid cutting corners and the meaning of loyalty.”

“You don’t see too much loyalty in the game today,” he continues. “In 1972 I had only just lost my claim, but Fred let me ride second favourite Cardinal Error in the Grand National because I’d previously won on the horse.”

Cardinal Error’s race ended abruptly when he refused, which was symptomatic of Francome’s fortunes in the world’s most famous race. He would never win the Grand National. He even passed over the chance to ride the 1976 winner, Rag Trade, in the process describing Rag Trade as “the most horrible horse” he had ever ridden.

He chose instead to ride Golden Rapper, and while Rag Trade’s connections started celebrating, Francome was in the back of an ambulance bound for Walton Hospital after Golden Rapper came a cropper when leading at Becher’s second time round.

It would take years of hard toil before Francome secured the position as Winter’s stable jockey. He found his apprenticeship tough; in the early 1970s his weight had ballooned and his rides were few and far between. So much so that he once wrote out his notice, which he intended to serve at lunchtime – only for fate to intervene.

That morning he was asked to school a near-lunatic called Osbaldeston. He struck up such a rapport that he was told he’d be riding the horse the following week at Worcester, where the combination posted the first of 17 victories in tandem.

“It was pure luck Osbaldeston came along when he did,” Francome says. “I once rode him in a double bridle at Fontwell, where there were 16 runners. He was last away from the tapes and three lengths clear by the time he jumped the first. He wouldn’t have been out of place in the six-furlong July Cup.”

Quirky horses like Osbaldeston allowed Francome to express his natural gifts. “I enjoyed riding him because that was how you got on,” Francome says. “When you get a tune out of a bad one, you start riding the better ones.

“To every lad who complains to me they are not getting decent rides, I tell them the only thing that matters is that you’ve got to make sure the horse runs better for you, and jumps better for you, than it did for everyone else who’s ridden it before. That’s the mindset you need.”

A natural sense of balance

It was easy for Francome to outshine other jockeys. He allied his natural sense of balance, refined by riding his first pony bareback for more than a year, to an early comprehension of the virtues of rhythm.

“When you ride bareback it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to sit in the wrong position on a horse,” Francome says. “You learn to balance, to grip with the right parts of your body. And suddenly, when you get a saddle and stirrups, you feel like you are glued on. You feel absolutely invincible.”

He gleaned about rhythm from watching one of showjumping’s all-time greats.

“David Broome was brilliant: a complete master of his craft,” Francome avers, “and rhythm was the secret of his success. Even in jump-offs against the clock, he would never change rhythm from the second the bell sounded to when he went through the finish.

“Racing is exactly the same. You can’t ride anybody else’s horse so you’ve got to concentrate on your own; know what he is doing, and ride your own race. There are a lot of sheep in the weighing room these days.”

Francome’s alliance with Winter spanned the jockey’s entire career. It was founded on mutual trust. Francome courted controversy with the way he liked to anchor horses towards the rear of the field before making his move. A former top-class jockey himself, Winter was sympathetic, if a little perplexed.

Inevitably, there were occasions when Francome closed fast, but too late, which prompted suggestions that he had “mistimed” his challenge deliberately. The very idea infuriated him, although Winter made reference to it in is autobiography.

“At times Johnny is absolutely brilliant,” Winter wrote, “but there have been occasions when he has upset me. He will go right round the outside, come in fifth or sixth and then jump off and say he’s pleased.

“I have to bite my tongue then, because he’s a sensitive bloke. But the silence on those days is worth it for the winners he has ridden which no one else would have come close on. Everyone has bad days. Jockeys are no different.”

The only time the mud vaguely stuck came when Francome was fined £750 and suspended for the last five weeks of the 1977/78 season for his relationship with the bookmaker John Banks.

Francome’s conversations with Banks about the horse he rode were born of naivety, rather than anything more sinister. The jockey was unaware he was breaking any rule and openly admitted to the relationship under questioning; hence the lenient penalty. The sanction applied to Banks was altogether more draconian. He was banned from the racecourse for three years and fined £2,500.

A prodigious talent

Unlike most jockeys of his era, Francome was tee-total and looked after his money. There’s a deal of truth within the jocular assertion that he is the biggest landlord in Lambourn, where he lives.

Since his retirement from the saddle he has fastidiously added to those assets, among them Beechdown Stables, which he built himself before installing Clive Cox as resident trainer.

Francome’s retirement, the year before he was awarded an MBE, was unexpected by all except those closest to him. It came soon after he’d tumbled from The Reject in the Arkle Chase at the 1985 Cheltenham Festival.

“When he fell, he slid down on to his withers and turned over,” Francome recalls. “I went down the right side of him and my foot went through the iron, the leather wrapped itself around my ankle and I was hung up. If the horse had got up and started running it would have been the end of me.”

He was then buried by The Reject when that horse fell at Chepstow four weeks later, prompting Francome to draw stumps on the spot. He would never tighten his girth on a racecourse again; instead he made a seamless transition to television punditry with Channel 4 Racing, where he worked for more than 20 years.

“I have only had two jobs in my life,” Francome says. “There was my time with Fred Winter and then with Andrew Franklin and John Bromley at Channel 4. In both jobs I worked for nice people with nice people, which makes all the difference. I have been absolutely blessed.”

Those who followed racing during the Francome era maintain it is they who are blessed to have witnessed such a prodigious talent at first hand.

Peter Scudamore on Francome

“You can’t talk about John without remembering his devilment, which is a large part of him. He was always pulling pranks in the weighing room and he has great natural charm. I’ve seen people try to copy his riding style, but nobody can, because when he rode he became part of the horse.

“When I came along he was possibly getting comfortable as champion jockey and I made him more competitive. It was the greatest disservice I could have done to my career.”

Oliver Sherwood on Francome

“Working, schooling and doing everything else with John was unbelievable. You didn’t realise at the time how good he was; you took it for granted because you were with him every day. He was a horseman turned jockey, rather than a jockey.

“God gave him the gift of looking totally natural on a horse, whereas the likes of AP McCoy had to work at it. He could see a stride 10 strides away, it was three or four for the rest of us.”

Greatest horses Francome rode

Lanzarote: won Christmas Hurdle in 1975

Midnight Court: 1978 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner

Sea Pigeon: Champion Hurdle winner (1981)

Wayward Lad: King George VI Chase victor in 1982

Brown Chamberlin: Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup winner in 1983

Burrough Hill Lad: winner of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and King George VI Chase in 1984

“Three horses I remember”

“Sea Image, who was an absolute legend. He wasn’t much good, but he tried his heart out every time. You could never get to the bottom of him,” said Francome.

“I rode Looks Like Trouble one morning just before he won the 2000 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was a fabulous, well-mannered horse who went through his paces with no fuss, and stood still afterwards for you to wash him down.

“The other one is Pipper, a hunter of Enda Bolger’s in Ireland. He fell back into a ditch with me, but all he wanted to do was turn around and have another go. He was the most extraordinary horse.”

Jim McGrath (TV pundit with Francome on Channel 4 Racing)

“Everybody knows about his brilliance in the saddle, but John has many other qualities. One of the lots at a charity auction was a round of golf with John, and it was bought by a lady from Fakenham. On the appointed day John drove all the way there from Lambourn – only to find the lady had completely forgotten about it. He’d spent nine hours in his car, but he drove back there two weeks later and played the round with her. That’s the sort of bloke he is.”

Francome’s career in numbers

7 times champion jockey (1 shared with Peter Scudamore)

1 Cheltenham Gold Cup

1 Champion Hurdle

2 King George VI Chases

2 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cups

1,138 winners (1970-1985, then a record)

Ref Horse & Hound; 30 July 2020

AP McCoy was not happy when the jump jockeys lost against their Flat rivals during the Markel Champions Challenge, in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund, at Olympia last Christmas.

So, this year the 20-time champion jump jockey has decided to pull together a crack team, including John Francome, Peter Scudamore, Richard Dunwoody and nine-time Irish champion jockey, Charlie Swan, to do battle once again.

This time AP has some fierce ammunition as they are five of the finest horsemen you can find — and while they may have a combined age of 219, they also have an impressive 38 jump jockeys’ titles between them. However, they will come up against some tough competition in Frankie Dettori and his “Flat” team of Jim Crowley, Ryan Moore, Jamie Spencer and Richard Hughes.

In preparation, for the big occasion on 15 December, the ex-jump jockeys — minus Mr Swan — met for a training session with their team trainer, H&H columnist Graham Fletcher (pictured, below) and we joined them behind the scenes to find out how the prep is going…

“The main difference these boys are having to get used to is the change in stride pattern — they are used to going on long strides,” explains Graham. “With showjumping you have to come round the corner and ‘check’ before the fence.”

The top trainer sets a course of 1.10m fences for the quartet to have a jump over — including a water tray seven strides to a double, followed by a right-hand turn to a double of uprights.

“They are all champion jockeys — they are proper horsemen and can get on any horse and get a feel for that horse straight away,” adds Graham, as one-by-one the former jockeys pop round the course making it all look far too easy.

They will all be partnering experienced showjumpers — two of which are from Graham’s Faringdon yard.

“It is for a really great cause [the Injured Jockeys Fund] and I’m lucky to be riding a nice horse,” says AP (pictured, below), who had ridden out at the yard of Nicky Henderson before the training session.

“It’s obviously very different to what we are used to racing. On a racehorse you just want to get from A-to-B as fast as possible, whereas showjumping is so much about striding and precision.”

Team-mate John Francome, who is going back to his roots having showjumped from the age of 14 until 17 and nearly ended up working for Harvey Smith before switching to racing, adds: “It is probably harder for the Flat boys because it is a bit more outside their comfort zone, although they did win it last year…

“We just need to make sure we don’t interfere with the horses — they know what they are doing — and get into a nice rhythm.”

Peter Scudamore, meanwhile, has travelled down from Scotland with his partner, Grand National-winning training Lucinda Russell, in their trusty camper van especially for the training session. “He is taking this really seriously, which is great,” adds Lucinda of “Scu” as she watches proudly from the sidelines.

“I got back riding out the racehorses in the summer after about seven years away from it — just to get fit for this!” explains Peter.

After about half-an-hour under the expert eye of their team trainer, the quartet certainly look fine-tuned — can they pull it out of the bag and claim the title from the reigning champions, the Flat jockeys? Well, they certainly think they are a force to be reckoned with…

Olympia, the London International Horse Show takes place from 12-18 December — don’t miss full coverage of Olympia in the Horse & Hound

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

They have been at the top of their game on the racecourse but how will the quartet of AP McCoy, John Francome, Peter Scudamore and Richard Dunwoody cope within the famous Olympia arena? The team received a ‘lesson’ from top showjumping trainer Graham Fletcher ahead of their appearance in the Markel Champions Challenge (15 December) — in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund — when they will go head-to-head against Frankie Dettori and his team of Flat jockeys.

The 20-time champion jump jockey AP McCoy makes this showjumping malarkey look easy...

Team captain AP McCoy poses alongside Richard Dunwoody (left), Peter Scudamore (second left) and John Francome (right)

Richard Dunwoody takes to the saddle aboard a horse borrowed from team trainer Graham Fletcher

The jump boys — who have 38 jump jockeys' titles between them — pose with their trainer Graham Fletcher, who they hope is going to guide them to victory at Olympia

Should the Flat boys be worried? The champion ex-jump jockeys may have a combined age of 219, but they say they're a force to be reckoned with...

Francome, where has your horse gone?! Let's hope he finds it by the time Olympia comes round...

Team captain AP McCoy will partner a borrowed horse from Graham Fletcher's yard

Peter Scudamore started riding again in the summer, after a seven-year hiatus, in a bid to get fit for the challenge at Olympia

We reckon that was a racing stride there, AP...

John Francome leads the charge (no they are not at a Pony Club rally...)

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 Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) celebrated its 50^th anniversary last year, and I’m thrilled that the charity has formed an association with Horse & Hound — a brand even more established than our own.

The late Lord Oaksey was the racing reporter — known as Audax — for the magazine for nearly 30 years and he would have been particularly proud to hear the news that the charity he founded is to be supported in 2016 as H&H‘s charity of the year.

When the IJF was set up in 1964 — to help injured jockeys Paddy Farrell and Tim Brookshaw — never in a million years would they have expected it to have grown to such a size.

The founders had a whip round to raise some money for those two, and half a century later the IJF has helped more than 1,000 jockeys.

The IJF now has two fantastic rehabilitation centres, Oaksey House in Lambourn as well as Jack Berry House in Malton, which opened this year.

Both provide excellent care for jockeys, and now also other riders, including Kitty King and Laura Collett, both of whom H&H speak to in 31 December’s magazine.

For anyone who wants to recover quickly the centres are an excellent facility — we have anti-gravity treadmill and hydrotherapy pools.

Noel Fehily says in the current issue that the IJF has helped racing advance, and I believe it’s now even ahead of other professional sports.

There are so many different things available to young jockeys now that weren’t around in my day – fitness coaches, nutritionists and training.

It’s fantastic that the charity is so well-known now too. There have been remarkable cases recently, such as lsabell Tompsett who was back on a horse this year after a fall in 2011 that left her in a coma, and Brian Toomey, who in 2015 regained his jockey’s licence after being given only a 3% survival.

Chris Kinane was kicked in the head at Wolverhampton more than 10 years ago and the IJF has been helping him ever since. I went to visit him recently and his progress was a joy to see, he is now able to speak and interact, something he wasn’t able to do two years ago.

It’s not just about rehabilitating physical injuries though — the charity is also here to help jockeys get back on track in life.

One ex-jockey had come off the rails and an almoner went to visit. She filled up his car with petrol, bought him new tyres and filled up his fridge. He’s since found a job and paid it all back, but that’s what it’s about, making life easier for people and helping whatever the issue.

As president I’m just the front man — the heroes are the almoners, John and Jackie Porter who run Oaksey House, Lord Oaksey, Jack Berry all those people that put in so much hard work every day.

Happy new year to all, I urge you to support the IJF’s initiatives and follow it through H&H in 2016 — I couldn’t recommend the charity more.

John Francome

Injured Jockeys Fund president

For a behind the scenes look at Oaksey House, plus interviews with Kitty King, Aaron Miller, Noel Fehily and Laura Collett — who have all been helped by the IJF — don’t miss this week’s issue, out today (Thursday, 31 December)

Move over eventers — the jockeys are winning on your home turf.

A team of four National Hunt stars were victorious at Barbury International Horse Trials on Saturday (5 July) in the Champions Challenge.

Former champion jockey John Francome spearheaded the team, which was completed by Sam Twiston-Davies, Richard Johnson and Noel Fehily — who was standing in for an injured AP McCoy.

The jockeys triumphed over the three other teams — eventers, showjumpers and the VWH Hunt team, who qualified for the competition by winning the inter-hunt relay.

“The hunt gave us a real run for our money, the boys certainly need to watch out for their day jobs, but where were the eventers? Did they show up? We barely broke a sweat against them!” said John Francome.

“It was a real buzz to ride in front of such a great crowd here at Barbury and all in aid of the fantastic work of the Injured Jockeys Fund,” added John.

The runners up were the hunt team of Tintin Belsham, Ella McEwen and Scarlett Crew.

Finishing in third place were the eventers team consisting of Zara Phillips, William Fox-Pitt, H&H columnist Sir Mark Todd and Laura Collett.

The showjumping team of Angie Thompson, Michael Duffy, Tim Wilks and Rowan Willis were fourth.

Read our full report from Barbury in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 10 July.

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Hickstead Derby Bank: how NOT to do it

Over the years horses have jumped straight off the top, refused to descend or even gone down backwards. So here are a selection of less-than-copybook attempts from the Horse & Hound picture archives.

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AP McCoy and Zara Phillips will be pitting their wits against each other — and a special course of obstacles — at Barbury International Horse Trials next month (3-6 July).

The champion jump jockey and former eventing world champion will be taking part in the JCB Champions Challenge — an all-star celebrity race on Saturday afternoon (5 July).

Four teams — eventers, jockeys, showjumpers, plus the winning team from the inter-hunt scurry — will battle it out over a jumping track which will include the water obstacle in the main arena.

Joining Zara on the eventers’ team will be William Fox-Pitt, Sir Mark Todd and Laura Collett. AP’s team-mates are 7-times champion jockey John Francome and young star Sam Twiston-Davies.

John Francome, who is president of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), Barbury’s official charity this year, said: “Visitors to Barbury are going to be treated to some serious competitive riding. I am now in intense training and using the Oaksey House [the IJF’s rehabilitation centre] gym every day. I’ve also gone into the loft and found my original racing breeches, which are now ready for action!”

Nigel Bunter, chairman of Barbury International Horse Trials, added: “We are pleased to be hosting such an exciting and unique competition. We are also delighted to be supporting the IJF, which provides such an important role to the entire equestrian community.”

For tickets and more information, visit: www.barburyhorsetrials.co.uk

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Laura Collett has told H&H she’s “feeling good” as she continues her recovery at Oaksey House.

“I’m much better,” she said this afternoon (Wednesday 24 July). “It’s been a tough few weeks, but it’s been much more traumatic for everyone else. I just woke up and didn’t feel too bad!”

Laura was released from hospital last week (17 July), after several days in a coma in intensive care following a rotational fall at Tweseldown (8 July).

She suffered serious crush injuries in the fall.

“I was out of hospital a bit quicker than expected,” she added. “But as soon as I was awake I just cracked on and starting walking around.”

Laura has settled in well at Oaksey House, a rehabilitation centre for jockeys in Lambourn, Berks, run by the Injured Jockeys Fund. And earlier this week she even caught up with former top jockey — and IJF president — John Francome (pictured).

“That was cool,” she said. “He was surprised though, he said I looked fine! He was lovely. We had a nice chat.”

Laura’s been back home to her yard near Membury see her horses. Her trainer, British eventing team manager Yogi Breisner, has been working them, which she described as “very nice”, but admitted she found not being able to get on “frustrating”.

“I feel good, I’m surprised really. The next couple of weeks will be testing and I was very lucky so I need to take it slowly,” she added.

“My injuries are more internal — the damage to my lungs and liver was pretty bad — so we’re just playing it by ear. I’m having some physio and massages and slowly starting to build up strength and condition.”

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John Francome is to take over as the new president of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

The former champion National Hunt jockey, turned author and presenter said he was “honoured and delighted” with the appointment.

He will succeed IJF founder Lord Oaksey, who died last month, in the role.

Lord Oaksey founded the charity in 1964 to assist injured jockeys and their families. More than 1,000 people have been helped since.

“John is not just a famous name,” said Brough Scott, chairman of the IJF added.

“I’ve always been struck by how often he’s done things for other jockeys in ways that usually go unreported. I couldn’t be more thrilled that he is becoming President and I know Lord Oaksey would too. John is still worshipped by current jockeys and connects us to the future”.

John added: “I am very honoured to take on this role especially following in the footsteps of John Oaksey. I hope I can do it justice and carry on the great and essential work the Fund does. Although unlike the indomitable Lord Oaksey, I shan’t be standing out in the cold selling Christmas cards!”

The Household Cavalry will be performing their famous Musical Ride at the Lambourn open day tomorrow (Friday, 2 April).

The Lambourn open day, which was established in 1990, gives racing enthusiasts the chance to see behind-the-scenes at of training yards in the Berkshire village and meet their equine heroes.

Kingwood Stud, Chapel Forge Farriers, the racing museum and the equine veterinary hospital are also open to the public.

And the highlight of the afternoon’s entertainment will be the Household Cavalry’s Musical Ride.

The Household Cavalry Musical Ride consists of 28 horses and 36 soldiers including the four state trumpeters and the Queen’s drum horse, who demonstrate their skills in a stunning display.

There will also be a parade of the Vine and Craven Foxhounds and terrier racing.

And top jockeys past and present including John Francome and AP McCoy will be competing against the Household Cavalry in a showjumping competition.

The day benefits the Lambourn Valley Housing Trust which works for the welfare and the Lambourn stable staff and their families and Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

Training yards are open from 8.30am and the afternoon entertainment commences from 1pm

Tickets cost £12 for the whole day and £6 for just the afternoon.

For more information visit: www.lambourn.info

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A group of faces familiar to racing fans might be topping the charts in March when the charity single “Cheltenham” is released.

Clare Balding, Paul Nicholls and John McCririck are among 20 racing personalities who have been signed up to the charity single, which will be a song about the Cheltenham Festival put to the tune of Petula Clark’s 60s hit “Downtown”.

Clare told H&H: “My singing is not very good but I’m hoping I’ll be able to fit it in before I head to the winter Olympics.

“Anything that encourages more people to get interested in racing is a great thing.

“The more people who can become passionate about Cheltenham and the clash between Kauto Star and Denman the more we can get passionate about the rest of the sport.”

John Francome is also set to be showcasing his vocal abilities.

“I’ll probably end up singing as it’s for charity, but I’ll most likely have to mime,” he told H&H.

“I’ve never done anything like this before and for good reason — I could sing the national anthem at you for three hours and you wouldn’t recognise the tune. I can’t talk let alone sing!”

AP McCoy, Ruby Walsh, Richard Johnson and Sir Alex Ferguson are also reported to have been approached to sing.

The idea for the single came from point-to-point trainer Richard Guerney and has been approved by Downtown writer Tony Hatch.

Apparently the stars’ singing quality is “immaterial” as they’ll only be singing the chorus which can be “tuned’ digitally.

The single will be released as a download and a CD in the week before the Cheltenham Festival (16-19 March). There are also plans to release a mixed version for nightclubs.

It is in aid of the Bob Champion Cancer Trust, Racing Welfare and the Riding for the Disabled Association.

So sing along: “We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares, so go to Cheltenham — things’ll be great when we’re at

Cheltenham — don’t wait a minute boys

Cheltenham — the Festival’s waiting for you….”

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Former top jockeys John Francome and Peter Scudamore will be passing on their top tips to budding young jockeys at a pony racing instruction day next Tuesday.

Former leading amateur jockey and H&H racing correspondent Marcus Armytage will also be on hand to give advice. And Katie Williams, head nutritionist at Dengie will be talking about feeding and care of ponies.

The instruction day will be held at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire on Tuesday 17 February.

Topics such as feeding, fitness, etiquette and race day procedure will be covered as well as practical demonstrations.

The instruction day will also mark the launch of the 2009 Pony Club Race Day Season.

Eight venues across the country — including Cheltenham and Ascot — will hold Pony Club Race Days this year.

A spokesman for the Pony Club said: “The race days were introduced as a grassroots level for the young jockeys of the future.

“We had about 200 children riding in last year’s days — lots know about the industry and come from a racing background but many don’t, so it’s a way of educating them with an entertaining day.

“More than 120 kids have signed up for the instruction day already, it is a discipline that is really growing in popularity.

For more information visit: www.pcuk.org

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Jump racing’s legends will take to the saddle again next month for a charity race at Kempton.

Richard Dunwoody, Peter Scudamore, John Francome, Adrian Maguire, Steve Smith Eccles, Norman Williamson, Brendal Powell, Simon Sherwood, Hywel Davies, Colin Brown and Barney Clifford will ride together in the Cortaflex National hunt Legends Charity Race.

Phil Middleton, managing director of Cortaflex, will also ride as a “wild card”.

The flat race will raise charity money for Richard’s forthcoming trek to the South Pole — upon which he embarks in November.

Since retiring from the saddle eight years ago, Richard has undertaken two arctic challenges, but this is his toughest to date. With two others, he will trek 650 miles in temperatures averaging -40c for about 14hr per day, for 60 days — pulling a 200lb sled on skis.

He is doing the trek to raise money for Spinal Research, Sport Aiding Medical Research for Kids (SPARKS) and Racing Welfare.

“The race will inevitably be ultra-competitive,” said Richard. “Unfortunately, I have to get my weight down for the race, and up for the expedition, which makes things interesting!”

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