Nick Skelton and his Olympic gold medal-winning partner Big Star made their long-awaited return to top level showjumping at La Baule, France last week (12-15 May).

This was the pair’s first major show since they finished third in the Global Champions Tour grand prix of Estoril in 2014 and their first team appearance since winning the Nations Cup in Dublin in 2013.

“He felt like the good old Big Star,” Nick told H&H.

On Friday (13 May) Nick and the 13-year-old stallion, a Dutch-bred son of Quick Star, represented Great Britain in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup. The pair looked as good as ever, jumping one of eight double clears in the team competition. The British squad finished sixth.

The recurrence of a leg injury kept Beverley Widdowson’s stallion out of competition for the latter half of 2014 and most of 2015, when he and Nick made a comeback to lower level competition.

At the start of this year, Nick took Big Star to Florida for the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) and jumped him lightly before “Henry” picked up an infection in his leg from a cut, which required another short spell on the sidelines.

“We jumped him in America just to get him going,” explained Nick. “But the Nations Cup in La Baule has always been the main plan.”

The Warwickshire rider jumped Big Star at a three-star show in Le Touquet, France, the week before stepping up to five-star level at La Baule, where they returned to their usual slot as pathfinders for the British team.

Continued below…

Graham Fletcher: ‘Nick Skelton and Big Star make an Olympic medal more likely’ *H&H VIP*

Big Star and other elite stallions: behind the scenes at Stallion AI Services [PICTURES]

Big Star out of action for a year

Nick, who won team gold with Big Star at the Games in London in 2012, is bidding for a spot on the British Olympic team in Rio in August.

“Di [Lampard, Great Britain’s showjumping performance manager] doesn’t want me to jump him too much and I don’t want to overdo it,” said Nick. “But Rio is the big aim this year.”

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Great Britain’s bid for a place at the final of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup began solidly when the team finished equal third in the first leg of the Western European League (division one) in La Baule last Friday (17 May).

The squad of Nick Skelton (Big Star), Ben Maher (Cella), Scott Brash (Hello Sanctos) and Robert Smith (Voila IV) collected a total of 13 faults — Nick producing one of only two double clears of the competition — to share the spoils with Ireland and France.

The Netherlands won with Switzerland taking second.

“It’s early days — the horses all jumped well, especially when you consider it’s so early in the season,” said Team GBR’s performance manager Rob Hoekstra.

“Big Star in particular was fantastic putting in two brilliant performances.”

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (23 May 2013)

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Top riders are being urged to keep their helmets on at all times when riding, after Irish showjumper Denis Lynch fell off in a recent lap of honour .

Denis had undone his hat to salute the crowds when Night Train spooked during their victory lap after winning the La Baule Derby.

He landed on an ornamental wheelbarrow, broke two ribs, needed six stitches in his head and more in his elbow.

He told H&H: “I had taken my hat off for the lap of honour and was just putting it back on my head when he swerved and I fell.

“I shall certainly be keeping my helmet on in future.”

He said shows encourage winners to gallop around the arena in front of the crowd and, if you’re a male rider, you feel obliged to remove your hat.

But British team doctor Peter Whitehead said he felt the safety of such practices should be discussed by the industry.

“It’s obvious that flying around the arena one-handed with your hat removed puts you at considerable risk,” said Dr Whitehead. “Riders should keep their helmets on at all times.”

The rules of the international body for horse sport, the FEI, state that it is “compulsory for anyone jumping a horse to wear a properly fastened hard hat”.

And from 1 January 2013 it will be “compulsory to wear a properly fastened hat with a three-point retention harness at all times when mounted” anywhere on the showground.

But the rules add that senior athletes may be allowed to remove their headgear in prize-givings.

FEI showjumping director John Roche said: “Following the incident in La Baule the FEI jumping committee will review the ceremonial protocol.”

A spokesman for the Global Champions Tour said: “It is for each rider to decide whether they wear a hard hat or not for a lap of honour.”

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (24 May 2012)

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Britain came into the first leg of the Top League Nations Cup as one of the favourites, but could only finish equal fifth of the eight teams in La Baule, France.

The competition was won by Belgium after a tense jump-off with the Netherlands.

Sweden impressed for third on a team total of five, with all four riders jumping clear in round two, while Germany took fourth place on six.

Great Britain, Ireland and Switzerland all tied for fifth on 12 faults while France – who decided to field their “B” team after an equine virus outbreak in Normandy – trailed in eighth.

The most exciting performance came from Nick Skelton, who rode one of seven double clears in the competition with Big Star. Peter Charles scored 0 + 4 on Murka’s Vindicat W, Ben Maher and Tripple X III came home with 4 + 4, while Guy Williams (Depardieu Van’t Kiezelhof) finished on 4 + 8.

There was better news in the pony Nations Cup in Moorsele, Belgium, where the British team of Beth Adams (Some Like It Hot), Darby Ward (Maradonna), Alex Chitty (Amelie JR Z) and Emily Ward (Dafina K) landed a tremendous victory. The

Don’t miss full reports in next week’s Horse & Hound (out Thursday 17 May)

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William Funnell (pictured right at another competition) notched up an impressive victory in the prestigious Derby class in La Baule on 15 May.

William, with Katinka Traaseth’s mare Kannelle De La Baie, jumped one of only four clear rounds in the first round and followed this with a swift turn of foot in the jump-off, which, as a single-phase competition, followed straight after.

The pair headed runner-up, French rider Julien Epaillard, by nearly eight seconds.

William said: “We brought Kanelle De La Baie here with this class in mind and she hasn’t failed us.

“She won the Flasterbo Derby last year and also came third at Hickstead, so she’s proving herself to be a superb Derby horse.

“I was fortunate to be drawn late to go in the class, which meant I’d managed to see Julien’s round. I knew exactly where I had to be and when if I was going to beat him.

“Some days things go perfectly to plan and today was one of them.”

World Class Showjumping Performance Manager, Rob Hoekstra added: “This was a brilliant class. Derby’s are always popular and this competition was no exception; the grandstands were packed and the atmospherewas electric.

“It was a great day for British showjumping.”

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Ireland clinched the opening leg of the FEI Nations Cup in La Baule in a nail-biting competition that went right to the wire.

The Irish quartet of Billy Twomey (Romanov), Cian O’Connor (Larkhill Cruiser), Cameron Handley (VDL Southwind) and Shane Sweetman (Amaretto Darco) all delivered to their best ability to finish with a two-fault advantage over second-placed Belgium.

Germany had to settle for third spot in the eight-nation clash.

Britain was lying in equal second with Ireland at the halfway stage, just behind Belgium, but slipped to fourth in the final reckoning.

David McPherson’s grey, Chamberlain Z, was eliminated in the treble combination after frightening himself by taking off too far away from the second element, while Nick Skelton (Carlo), Robert Smith (Talan) and Peter Charles (Murka’s Nevada VI) all had a rail down apiece.

Ireland’s Billy Twomey, who lowered one rail in each round, said: “This was my horse’s first Nations Cup, so I’m really pleased.

“Cameron’s clear in the first round kept us in the shake-up and Cian’s second-round clear helped us to clinch it.”

Irish chef d’equipe Robert Splaine added: “This is a very proud day for Ireland.”

France, the host side and defending series champions, failed to impress, finishing second-last.

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World Class showjumping performance manager Rob Hoekstra has announced the British squad for the first leg of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup in La Baule, France on Friday, 14 May.

Rob has selected a mix of youth and experience with Michael Whitaker (GIG Amai), Peter Charles (Murka’s Pom d’Ami), Mark Armstrong (Thesaura), David McPherson (Naomi 152) and Scott Brash (Intertoy Z).

Peebles-based Scott (25) will be making his Super League debut. “I’m really looking forward to it,” he told H&H.

“Rob let me know that I’d be going a few weeks ago, so I’ve got the horse as fit as he possible can be, I’m doing a few warm-up shows and he feels as good as he’s ever been.”

La Baule is the first of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup’s eight legs. Great Britain’s participation had been in doubt when the FEI relegated the team to the Promotional League for 2010.

This decision was overturned by the Court of Arbitration last month after an appeal by the British Equestrian Federation (BEF).

A squad of British Para Showjumping riders will also make the journey to La Baule to compete in an international competition taking place on 14 May, during the Nations Cup competition.

They will take part in a range of competitions ranging from 70cms up to 1.20m, graded according to the riders’ disability, including a competition for the guided blind.

Seventeen-year-old Toby Bevins from Chippenham in Wiltshire will ride Caroline Phillips’ 10-year-old chestnut gelding Askan Van Overis.

Nineteen-year-old Alex McNamara from Louth in Lincolnshire will partner his own 14-year-old skewbald gelding Just Azbach.

Karen Bostock from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire will ride her own eight-year-old chestnut gelding Rossini IV.

Heather Bennett from Goole, North Hunberside will take two horses; Uptown, a nine year-old chestnut gelding and Relite, a 12-year-old bay mare.

Susi Rogers-Hartley from Kings Lynn in Norfolk will ride her own Dante Silver Dollar, a nine-year-old grey gelding.

Louise Hacker from Clevedon, North Somerset will ride her own nine-year-old brown gelding Enrico IV.

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British veteran riders made their mark at the recent international jumping show at La Baule, France, where they won all the major classes.

The British riders threw down the gauntlet on the first day, when Liz Howes won a jump off class with Iman du Preclair from John Williams on Attorney General, while Jennifer Patty and Houdini took a second and third places in other classes.

The Brits went on to excel in the following day’s derby class. The class was won by Laureen Evans on Clarissa, who jumped the only clear round in the competition. “Clarissa really enjoyed the challenge of the cross-country fences, and went from strength to strength”, said Laureen. In second and third places were Kim Vernon (Ramosa) and Lynda Birke (Carlanstown Grandpa) with four faults each, then Lynda again in fifth (Simply Cider) and John Williams (Tazzer van Tenhaegendoorn) in sixth, completing almost a clean sweep for Britain.

The small tour grand prix — the Challenge Cup &mdash, was won by Ann Berry with Patsie’s Dream with the only clear round in the jump off. Ann was delighted with her win as Patsie has not long returned to competition after having a foal last year.

Jennifer Patty won the big tour grand prix (the Europa Cup) with her home-bred eight-year old Houdini. “It’s always been my ambition to have a big win on a home-bred horse,” she said.

The winning British veteran Nation’s Cup squad: (left to right) Lynda Birke, Liz Howes, John Williams and Jennifer Patty

On the final day Lynda Birke and Simply Cider were narrowly beaten into second place in a jump off class, before the Nations Cup got underway with two British teams in action. It was touch and go between Britain I and France all the way, but a pole down at the final fence in the second round put paid to French chances, giving Britain the win. Britain II finished in fourth place.

• The British veteran riders will be in action on home soil at the international veterans show in England, at Addington Manor in August.

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Although Britain’s riders in La Baule produced some superb individual results, things went wrong when it really mattered and our team finished last in the opening leg of the Samsung Super League.

Germany beat the Swiss by two faults, with Ludger Beerbaum not needing to jump a second time in the heavy rain.

Michael Whitaker led off for Britain on Mozart Des Hayettes, who collected an uncharacteristic 13 faults. This meant that the eight faults from Mark Armstrong (Thesaura) and William Funnell (Cortaflex Mondriaan) had to count.

The best score came from David McPherson, whose ride Pilgrim II made a single error.

In round two, the Brits totalled 18 faults, while the German squad of Ludger Beerbaum, Marcus Ehning, Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst and Heinrich Engemann looked untroubled en route to top points.

Read this report in full in this Thursday’s Horse & Hound (24 May, ’07)

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