The annual British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) international trade show always offers up an exciting glimpse of the newest products to the market, and those that will become available in 2020. We bring you a few of those you shouldn’t miss this year.

1. The award-winning magnetic lead rope system

Winner of this year’s BETA Innovation award, the Goleygo 2.0 by Covalliero is a simple yet clever magnetic system for a secure attachment between headcollar and lead rope, which allows easy, fast attachment and release using a single hand. Adaptor pins are available for use with existing headcollars, and the securing system can also be used with other animals.

Visit: kerbl.com

2. The grazing muzzle your horse will be happy to wear

The Thinline grazing muzzle attaches to your horse’s normal headcollar, and is flexible, soft and lighter than standard cage-like muzzles, being made of a durable, mould and fungal-resistant polymer material. It’s also well-ventiliated and gentle on horses’ teeth and lips, for maximum comfort.

Visit: thinlineglobal.eu, kmeliteproducts.co.uk

3. The answer to your horse hair woes

Striphair’s Sensitive Gentle Groomer will gently remove loose hair and dirt from your horse or dog’s coat, while helping to add shine. It can also be used to increase blood-flow and circulation, as well as helping strip hair from saddle pads, rugs, pet beds, furniture… the list goes on!

Visit: striphair.com, kmeliteproducts.co.uk

4. The stylish headcollar with a clever safety system

The Stellar Head Collar from Equilibrium Products is not only comfortable for your horse to wear — with neoprene headpiece and nosepiece — but also features a patent pending reusable safety system, which releases when needed to prevent injury to the soft tissue and nerves on the face, poll and neck.

Visit: equilibriumproducts.com

5. The jazzy rug that’ll brighten up your winter

Get your hands on the Tempest Original 200 Combo in ths limited edition ‘Pink Nebular’ print — you’ll never have trouble spotting your horse from the other end of the field again. This medium weight turnout rugis 600D ripstop with a waterproof and breathable outer, 200g polyfill and an integrated neck cover.

Visit: shiresequestrian.com

6. The apron that makes plaiting easy

You’ll never want to plait without this Smart Grooming Plaiting Apron again — made forom hard-wearing cotton drill, this will keep all your plaiting essentials in one place and easily to hand, from bands and thread to sprays and scissors. It features a variety of different sized pockets, with the largest big enough to store your horse’s passport, too.

Visit: smartgrooming.co.uk

7. The soothing balm your horse will love

The WildWash Best Ever Nose Balm contains natural SPF and will moisturise and sooth your horse’s nose with coconut and almond oil — although as a multi-purpose product it can be used anywhere that needs sun protection and a little extra care. the balm is lick-safe, and also be used on dogs and cats.

Visit: wildwash.co.uk

8. The piece of kit your farrier — and your back — will thank you for

The Hoof-It Blacksmith Pro is a robust hoof stand designed to make life easy for farriers and horse owners while shoeing, treating hooves or even putting in studs. Its two-in-one design with a rugged non-slip rubber base makes it suitable to use on a range of different flooring.

Visit: hoof-it.com

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A man responsible for driving a foal in a cart at Appleby Horse Fair has been sent to prison after a trial involving three people and 14 animal welfare offences.

Samuel Powell, 35, of Forstal Road, Lenham, Kent, Jimmy Price, 26, of Well Street, Maindstone, Kent, and Danny Lee Price, 30, of Victoria Court, East Farleigh, Maidstone, were sentenced on 10 January following a three-day trial at Medway Magistrates’ Court.

Samuel Powell was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison after he was convicted of seven offences relating to horses, two of which he had been convicted of at an earlier hearing at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court.

An RSPCA spokesman said Powell caused uneccessary suffering to a skewbald filly by working her when she was too young, leading her to become lame and suffer “extreme” pain and failed to provide veterinary treatment for a respiratory infection. He also failed to provide veterinary treatment for a piebald Shetland filly, for a wound caused by her headcollar.

“The incident involved the foal pulling a cart with people on it and happened in June last year at the Appleby Horse Fair,” he said.

Jimmy Price was sentenced to 225 days in prison after he was convicted of six charges; two relating to a skewbald gelding who had been allowed to suffer and dogs whose needs were not met, and four charges from a previous trial, two relating to a deer he killed with a knife and two for hare-coursing.

He is also consecutively serving 45 days for the activation of a suspended sentence relating to a previous conviction for theft and attempted theft.

A spokesman for the RSPCA said Price was arrested by police in Felixtowe, Suffolk, in November 2018 following reports of men hare-coursing.

“His phone was confiscated and passed to the RSPCA for investigation and a number of images were found including the killing of a deer,” he said.

“Following this, RSPCA inspectors and independent vets visited a location in Well Street, along with the police, who executed a warrant to search the premises in March 2019. A number of horses were seized including a young cob who had a severe wound to her nose caused by a headcollar as well as two dogs.”

The spokesman added inspectors had visited the same location in January 2019 for a separate incident and seized a number of horses.

“Vets who visited the location found horses had experienced significant suffering to a variety of failures including failure to provide suitable diet and care for them.”

Danny Lee Price pleaded guilty to one offence of causing uncessary suffering a horse who was found dead between 13 February and 13 March 2019.

**Warning: upsetting image**

“Vets who examined the horse said that the most likely cause of death was starvation and or dehydration,” said the spokesman.

RSPCA special operation unit inspector Pippa Boyd said: “These horses were all let down by their owners who saw them as a commodity rather than as sentient beings.

“It appeared that horses, some of which were pregnant, which were not classed as valuable and as a result were not given even the basic standards of care. When it came to ownership no one would take responsibility for them.”

Ms Boyd added that when investigating Jimmy Price for welfare offences inspectors found footage on his phone of him killing the deer with a knife.

“The footage is really difficult to watch and the deer would have suffered a slow, and painful death,” she said.

The spokesman added the charity worked closely with Suffolk and Kent Police rural teams during the investigations and thanked them for their support.

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Jimmy Price was disqualified from keeping dogs for five years and ordered to pay £5,000 costs and a victim surcharge of £115. The court issued a deprivation order for the gelding and two dogs. In mitigation the court heard he denied ownership of the horse. It was accepted that horses were part of his livelihood and he had a young family to provide for.

Samuel Powell was disqualified from keeping equines for five years and ordered to pay £5,000 costs. In mitigation the court heard Powell would buy horses in poor condition and rehabilitate them before selling them on.

Danny Lee Price was sentenced to a 12-month community order, 150 hours unpaid work and must serve 10 rehabillitation days. He was ordered to pay £1,500 costs and a £85 victim surcharge. In mitigation the court heard the neglect was not intentional and had been accidental.

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James Whitaker won the Equerry Horse Feeds Under-25 Grand Prix on the first day of the TheraPlate UK Liverpool International Horse Show. Riding the Lutener family’s 11-year-old Caloro Ex Z, the 22-year-old member of showjumping’s most famous family produced one of only two double clear rounds.

Stopping the clock at 42.75 seconds in the jump-off, James overtook fellow British rider Robert Murphy and Highgrove Violet, who completed Alan Wade’s track in 43.25 seconds.

Faster than them both in a time of 42.68 was Harry Wainwright on Pinheiro Beech, but a pole down in the first round meant they could only finish third, while Ireland’s Jason Foley, the only other first-round clear with Castlefield Cass and last to go in the jump-off, hit two fences and took fourth place.

James only took over the ride on the Candillo Z gelding from Elizabeth Lutener four months ago.

He said: “We didn’t have the best of weeks at Olympa, but we’ve come back, tried harder and got stronger for it. You’ve got to learn from your mistakes, and this was just as tough a course as Olympia.

“Going second-last in the jump-off played into my hands a bit as I could put pressure on Jason in pole position. This is a great way to end the year.”

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It was a British clean sweep in the showjumping classes at TheraPlate UK Liverpol today, as Harriet Nuttall took both of the first two competitions — the opening 1.40m two-phase on Night Of Glory, and the Ifor Williams Trailers Ride & Drive with Silver Lift.

Guy Williams won the Pullman Hotel 1.45m speed class on the experienced Rouge De Ravel.

“He’s probably won about 20 rankings classes this year and something like this is right up his street because he’s very fast,” said Guy. “The only person I was worried about was Lily [Attwood, who finished second] — I train her and I know her horse is really fast too.”

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 group of the “most fearful” ponies a sanctuary has ever cared for, rescued from “horrifically squalid” conditions where they were found living with the rotting carcases of animals, are continuing on their road to recovery four years later.

The ponies, named after famous Charles Dickens characters including Tiny Tim and Marley from A Christmas Carol, were part of a multi-agency operation in August 2015, and taken into the care of Redwings Horse Sanctuary.

A spokesman for Redwings said while two of the 13 ponies had been rehomed, owing to the “extremely complex” needs of the remainder of the group, they continue to live at the sanctuary’s specialist behaviour centre in south Norwich.

“The group were rescued as part of a operation which involved more than 60 feral horses and ponies being removed from a farm, having been kept in horrifically squalid and upsetting conditions,” he said.

“Alongside the unhandled horses, cattle, pigs, sheep and goats were living knee-deep in faeces with no food or water in a yard littered with hazardous old farm machinery and scattered with the rotting carcasses of animals who had sadly perished before help had arrived.”

Redwings behaviour manager Sarah Hallsworth said the ponies were some of the most fearful the centre had ever cared for.

“When they arrived they were absolutely terrified of people – they would turn themselves inside out to get away from you which considering the terrible life they had led up until that point, is completely understandable,” she said.

“It was very important for their wellbeing, and our safety, that they became more comfortable around humans as this meant interventions, such as farriery visits and routine veterinary checks, were not as daunting for them and they could enjoy a relaxed and happy new life at the sanctuary.”

The spokesman said as part of the ponies’ training they had been getting used to being approached in the paddock, wearing headcollars and having their hooves picked out.

“In a calm, predictable environment with consistent training and a lot of patience, some of the ponies have progressed well with their handling and two have even been rehomed which makes us incredibly proud,” Sarah added.

“But for some, their traumatising past ordeal means that small steps such as simply allowing us to approach them in their field or introducing them to a headcollar are real achievements.”

The spokesman said it is unlikely that any more of the group will be suitable for rehoming in the future but added they have been “pledged” a permanent home at the sanctuary.

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“Those who will require specialist handling for the rest of their lives will enjoy a loving, permanent home at the behaviour centre,” he said.

Redwings’ chief executive Lynn Cutress said the behaviour team has been doing “incredible” work to give the ponies the chance they “desperately deserved” at leading new happy and healthy lives.

“Without our dedicated behaviour centre, many horses and donkeys in need with complex behavioural issues would have nowhere else to go,” she said. “We’re very lucky that thanks to our supporters we can fund this amazing facility and turn around the lives of so many feral and traumatised horses,” she said.

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A horse who sustained a 10cm deep wound when he was impaled on a fence as he tried to flee from nearby fireworks has died four weeks after the incident.

Laura Riding’s six-year-old gelding Harry had been under vets’ care in hospital since he was found wounded on the morning of 2 November at a farm in Holywell, North Wales. It is thought Harry had tried to escape fireworks going off at a nearby housing estate the night before and attempted to jump out of his field over a five-foot hedge.

Laura told H&H Harry, who had suffered a wound to the back of his leg, had been “doing well” but her vet called at 9pm on 27 November to say the horse could not get to his feet after five hours and the decision was made to put him down.

“That morning the vet had given me a really positive update; they were pleased with Harry’s wound and we were looking at him potentially coming home soon but later that day he lay down and couldn’t get up again,” she said.

“The vet said they couldn’t let him suffer any more and I was asked to go and say goodbye to him. There was so much muscle damage to the leg he injured; he just gave up. I had been seeing him most days and he seemed bright, I just didn’t think that would happen.”

Laura said a “farewell” was held for Harry with friends and family a few days after he was put down.

“We had planned a fundraiser to help with vet bills but it was never supposed to be a farewell,” she said. “It was very sad.”

“Everyone who had been following his story is devastated. He was a horse loved by everyone who met him. I’m working as much as I can to try and keep myself busy.”

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Laura said the most difficult part about the incident is that it “could have been avoided” if she had been warned about the fireworks.

“It’s frustrating, it was one of those things that didn’t have to happen. I hope what happened to Harry can bring some attention to why fireworks need to be banned from being sold to the public,” she said.

“I’m heartrbroken. He was so young, it seems like such a waste. I’ve been overwhelmed with the support I’ve received from people who have been so kind.”

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The owner of a horse and pony who “disappeared” in quicksand on a bridlepath has spoken of her terror and urged others to be aware of riding in the area.

Claire Healy was riding her 17.2hh point-to-pointer Henry with her 14-year-old daughter Megan, on her pony Belle, when they came into difficulty on 30 November. The pair had been riding with another teenage rider on a bridlepath at Merthyr Mawr beach in Glamorgan, south Wales, when Henry and Belle went down. 

“Henry slipped and disappeared. Belle, who was behind, did exactly the same,” said Claire.

“It was absolutely terrifying, Harry was in the sand up to his back and Belle up to her head. It all happened so suddenly.”

Claire called the emergency services but said the operator had difficulty finding them.

“We were in the middle of nowhere,” she said. “Megan’s friend got off her pony to help and it took off but a man up ahead caught her and came to help us. He rang the coastguard who managed to track his phone using GPS.

“We were frantically trying to pull Henry and Belle out. Water was beginning to come in where Belle was and she was becoming more stuck. I really thought we were going to lose her, it was awful.” 

Claire said they were eventually able to pull Henry and Belle out before the fire crew reached them an hour later.

“We were so lucky that Henry and Belle stayed so calm. We let them rest when they needed to and every time they tried to move we would pull them and eventually they were free,” she said.

“I’ve never see anything like it. Thankfully they weren’t injured and we were able to walk them back to the lorry.”

Claire said the incident was “surreal”.

“You wouldn’t think anything like that could happen. It was a blessing we got them out, I think someone was watching over us,” she said.

“On our way back to the lorry we passed someone else arriving with their horse, I showed him the photos and he was shocked at what had happened.”

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Claire wants others to be aware of the area, which she said is used by many point-to-point owners for training, and has reported the bridlepath to the council.

“One of the fire service crew said it might have been caused by the weather as we’ve had a lot of rain,” she said.

“We train on the beach because it keeps the horses fresh and gives them some fun but we’ll never go there again – it’s too dangerous, not just for horses but for dog walkers too.”

A spokesman for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service told H&H the service support the RSPCA advice of, don’t put your own or another life in danger to attempt an animal rescue.

“If an animal is in trouble please call the emergency services on 999,” he said.

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A rider who stripped off in November rainfall to jump in the altogether said she hopes her efforts will raise awareness of the importance of wearing a safety helmet.

Georgie Grace, who team-chases and follows bloodhounds, came across a post about the Naked Challenge campaign set up by former model and international rider Elizabeth Charleston, who is also a brain injury awareness campaigner.

Georgie thought it a good point of Elizabeth’s that as a leisure rather than organised competition activity, hunting has no regulations on safety helmets, so less secure hats are often worn.

“I put up a post saying if I got more than 100 likes, I’d do it on [my mare] Blue,” she told H&H. “Normally, if I share a post, it might get four or five likes.

“This got three or four, then it was 20, and I was thinking ‘Oh no’, I never thought it would actually get enough! But it did, and it was November, and it was raining.”

Georgie brought Blue in and clipped her.

“There were no jumps out so I had to make one,” she said. “I was just concerned that a delivery driver would turn up and I’d have to sign for a parcel, or that I’d give some poor dog-walker a heart attack!

“I warmed up in a coat, which helped, but it was so cold and she takes ages to warm up – and she loves jumping, so she took off round the field a couple of times, but it was all good fun.”

Georgie, who added that she did also have socks on inside her boots, said the feedback to her pictures has been very positive – and she hopes hunting people especially will take note.

Continues below…

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“I know someone who had a bad accident – his horse kicked his hunting hat off his head and he’s still suffering the effects – but he still hunts in the same sort of hat,” she said.

“Even handling horses – I’m a veterinary physio student and they do everything properly, with hats and gloves, and I wasn’t sure at first. But since I’ve had a three-year-old, I’ve been doing everything with hat and gloves on, and a couple of times he’s dumped me and I’ve thought ‘that would have hurt otherwise’!

“It takes a second to put a hat on – and it keeps you warm in winter.”

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Ben Maher’s championship medal-winning horse has been sold – but the news will not signal an end for the brilliant partnership as Ben will keep the ride.

Poden Farms has sold world number one showjumper Explosion W to Pamela Wright and Charlotte Rossetter, after “multiple offers and a series of negotiations headed up by owner Neil Moffitt, whose priority was to keep Explosion W with Ben and under the British flag”.

Mr Moffitt said the four years of owning Explosion, with whom Ben won the Longines Global Champions Tour super grand prix in Prague this weekend, had been an “incredible journey”.

“Ben and Explosion have been an integral part of our London Knights team success and, with this sale, that partnership will remain intact. It was imperative to us that Explosion also continue to compete for Great Britain and so we are delighted that this agreement has been reached.

“We wish Ms Wright and Mrs Rossetter the best in their new endeavour and look forward to watching the rest of this remarkable story unfold.”

Ben, who also took individual silver and was on the bronze medal-winning British team at this summer’s European Championships with the 10-year-old gelding, said the horse has been “a huge part of my life and success these past few years”.

“My relationship with Poden Farms has been hugely successful over the past few years,” he added.

“I have been very fortunate to have ridden and developed some incredibly talented horses with them and I look forward to many more successful years together.

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“Explosion is a true character and we have a very special bond. I am overwhelmingly humbled to Pamela Wright and Charlotte Rossetter for entrusting me with this special horse. I am thrilled with the partnership and look forward to seeing what the future brings.”

Ms Wright and Mrs Rossetter added: “We are thrilled by the opportunity to be a part of Explosion’s story. He is a magnificent horse that has already made a mark on the world and we look forward to seeing what new heights he will achieve in the future.

“We are excited to embark on this journey with Ben Maher, with whom we’ve already established a fantastic partnership.”

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British rider Jack Pinkney has responded to criticism on social media of his cross-country round at the French CCI5*, Les 5 Etoiles de Pau, on Saturday (26 October).

The 27-year-old was competing Raphael, a 15-year-old gelding owned by Julia Plaisted, at the pair’s first CCI5*.

His left rein snapped while jumping through the first water complex for the second time, between fences 10 and 11. Although they were awarded 20 penalties for crossing their tracks at fence 11, a brush covered “swan” in the second water, while Jack regained control, he and Raphael continued clear round the course.

After jumping fence 27, Jack lost his hold on the rein and dropped it. Raphael veered to the right before the course went through a gap in the event’s fencing and attempted to jump the very high wooden palisade wall on the right-hand side, crashing into it and depositing Jack.

“He started brilliantly and was flying round the course as always,” said Jack, who has an eventing yard in Hampshire. “We jumped into the first water, and when I went to turn left my left rein snapped on the rubber part.

“I managed to pick up what I could to complete the ride out of the water — and Raphael showed how class he is by just doing it.

“Then there was a galloping stretch so I had a bit of thinking time to address the situation. I decided I had enough control of the horse to continue safely — I had enough rein to hold and to play with.

“I shut the canter down and turned off my stopwatch, and tried to give him as nice a round as possible. I just wanted to get him home — he felt brilliant, it was our first CCI5* and I thought I was safe to go on.

“I took long options at fences where I could, and he was really listening and concentrating on the job, jumped some really technical combinations beautifully.

“Then he jumped fence 27, a big, wide table, so well that he took the rein out of my hand and I couldn’t catch hold of it again.

“Being a very brave horse with confidence in our partnership, he eyed up the wooden dividing wall between two parts of the course, and there was nothing I could do. He took off at it, I fell off backwards and he galloped off.”

In a video of the incident that has been posted online, Jack can be seen throwing his whip to the ground.

An emotional Jack said: “I was so angry with myself at that moment as I thought I could have hurt my horse. I was so upset with myself. I made a mistake — I should have pulled up and not tried to finish the course.”

He reported Raphael to be “fine — totally sound and happy, with just a really small cut on his face.”

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Jack and Raphael have completed CCI4*-L competitions at both Bramham and Blenheim this season, finishing 24th at Blenheim with a clear round across country and just 0.8 of a time-fault. They were also 10th in a CCI4*-S at Chatsworth in May. Jack has ridden the horse for five years and they have risen through the grades together.

“He’s such a gent,” said Jack. “I will never ride a horse like him again — he’s so talented in all three phases, especially across country, and I know him so well. He’s very easy to do anything with and only ever wants to please.”

Jack received an official warning from the Pau ground jury after admitting to them that he considered himself entirely at fault for the incident.

“I made a massive mistake — my adrenalin was up and I wanted to finish. I am just so relieved that my amazing horse is unhurt,” he said.

Check back later for more from Pau, plus full report in next week’s Horse & Hound magazine (dated 31 October).

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 horse who unseated his rider on a bridleway suffered fatal injuries in a collision with a car on a dual carriageway.

The rider from Cottagers Plot Equestrian in Grimsby, north Lincolnshire, fell from her 16hh gelding on Saturday (19 October). He travelled nearly two miles to the A46, where he collided with a car.

A Humberside Police spokesman said the driver was shaken but not injured. The gelding suffered serious injuries and was put down by a vet at the scene.

Yard owner Sophie Brown told H&H the teenage rider was uninjured in the incident.

“The horse went straight past the yard on to the main road. The poor lady driving was an innocent by-passer and it just happened to be her car,” she said.

“You never wish for anyone to witness something like this. The road is beside a Morrisons supermarket so it was very distressing for the public.”

Sophie said the community has pulled together to support the horse’s owner.

“The has been a huge positive response from the public and they have been really supportive. On the day staff from a nearby McDonalds brought out hot drinks and provided water – people were helping in any way they could,” she said.

“People have been coming to the yard with cards for the owner and a lady dropped off some flowers. It has really pulled the yard together and everyone is working together as a team.”

In the current issue of Horse & Hound, 17 October 2019, don’t miss our big reveal of the shortlist for this year’s H&H Awards — time to get voting for your favourites. Plus, check out our ‘Horse hero’, we profile medal-winning showjumper Hearts Destiny, described as the “most beautiful horse ever”. In this week’s ‘Vet clinic’ find out how to trot up a horse properly and in H&H interview we talk to champion Flat jockey elect Oisin Murphy. 

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The owner of a Welsh section A who was found tethered on a roadside and bought for £150 has become a “dream pony”— and a showing champion.

Lisa Soanes from Cottingham was hacking along Eppleworth Road in October 2015 when she saw the youngster tethered alone near a traveller site.

“I saw him and I fell in love,” Lisa told H&H.

“Later that day I thought ‘I need to see him’ and I went back in the car. I called my husband, Jim, and said we had to find out who he belonged to. Jim went to the traveller site but was told he wasn’t theirs; he belonged to a man who lived on a nearby estate so they showed us where he lived.”

Lisa paid £150 and gave a driving harness in return for the now seven-year-old 11.2hh, whom she named Sonny.

“We got the trailer and collected him the same day. We took him to the yard and gave him a deep straw bed,” she said.

“He was a bit on the thin side so we spent weeks feeding him up. He got his teeth and feet done, then he was given time to mature with lots of love and TLC.”

Sonny was started under saddle in 2016.

“He has the most lovely temperament. One day we decided to pop my daughter Grace on him, who was seven at the time, and he was fine. We think he may have been ridden a bit around the estate before,” said Lisa.

“A teenager at the yard started doing a bit of ridden work with him and then Grace took over. We took him to his first show and he was in-hand champion.”

Lisa said Grace and Sonny have formed an incredible bond together.

“She loves him and he loves her. They are such a brilliant pair and have taught each other so much. They do everything together; showing, hunting, driving, and have completed a one-day-event. Sonny has a real flair for jumping so they are now taking jumping lessons,” she said.

“Sonny does everything with ease – if he was 16.2hh he’d be worth millions; he’s just one of those types, you dream of a horse like him.”

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Lisa said Sonny will be with them for life after she decided it was too upsetting to sell him.

“Someone contacted me who was interested in buying him and the thought of it made Grace ill. I told her we would have to sell him as she would outgrow him, but when it came to the vetting he had issues lunging on concrete so the person decided not to buy him – I took it as a green light that we were keeping him. Both Grace and I cried tears of joy. I’ve told Grace we won’t be selling him, I won’t put her through it,” she said.

“When Grace grows out of him she’s going to do driving with him and we’ll find another little jockey to ride him for us. I can’t let go of him.”

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 last event horse to win a long-format Olympics has died aged 34.

Custom Made (“Tailor”), who claimed individual gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics with US rider David O’Connor, has died following a glittering career and a happy retirement.

The Irish sport horse gelding, bred in Ireland by Kitty Horgan and Elizabeth O’Flynn, was found by William Micklem as a nine-year-old for David to ride.

David and Tailor won the Kentucky Three-Day Event in their first season together in 1995, before finishing third at Badminton 1996 and fifth individually at the Atlanta Olympics the same year.

The pair returned to the UK in 1997 to win Badminton. David remains the last US rider to have won the iconic event.

Badminton final scores

Tailor, owned by Joseph Zada, continued his remarkable string of results with fourth place at Blenheim 1999. Following their 2000 Olympic gold in Sydney — the last Olympics to feature eventing with roads and tracks and steeplechase — he never finished outside the top five at any event.

“Tailor was laid to rest on Wednesday [2 October]. I was lucky to have been there,” said David. “We are all saddened with him being gone, but he will never be gone from our hearts. He was truly a being that are few and far between.

“He was an amazing athlete – the best I have ever been around. I felt, especially at the end, that really I was a part of his career more than he was a part of mine. He raises my awareness of what special mean. Special athlete. Special character. Special time that we enjoyed together. You can’t trade that for anything.”

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He competed in his final event in 2002, aged 17 and was officially retired at the 2004 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. The horse was inducted into US Equestrian’s eventing hall of fame in 2009, alongside David.

Tailor enjoyed an active retirement, taking part in demonstrations, hunting, serving as a cross-country schoolmaster and nannying young horses on hacks around Stonehall Farm in Virginia, where he spent the last 17 years of his life.

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Top dressage rider and trainer Pammy Hutton has praised the power of social media after a horse who went missing yesterday (2 October) was found the next day.

Hanoverian gelding Dante lives out at the Talland School of Equitation, Gloucestershire, but he was not in his field yesterday morning.

Pammy told H&H at first it was thought the eight-year-old must be in a stable or elsewhere on the 120-acre property but it soon became clear he was gone, at which point they put out a social media appeal.

“The whole farm is absolutely secure but unfortunately, he’d jumped out,” Pammy said. “I was in the office and I said: ‘Let’s Facebook it’. Within three-quarters of an hour, it was let loose.”

The posts by Talland and on Pammy’s page were shared about 30,000 times and calls soon started to come through.

“Someone rang to say they’d heard what sounded like a horse going past their house at about 4.30am,” Pammy said. “So we sent someone down to the road and could see where he’d skidded – so we followed the skid marks.”

Police and farmers had also been contacted but by this point, dark was falling and the search was put on hold until today – when Dante was found three miles away.

“We know he’d gone down to the main Fairford-Cirencester Road; we’re so lucky he wasn’t hit by a car,” Pammy said.

Talland manager Emma Harford told H&H she and other members of the team had tracked Dante to the A417 before they lost the light. Then this morning, they followed his tracks to a wood behind a field, behind the Post Office in Poulton village.

“We’re not really sure how he got there but we didn’t really care!” she said.

“He’s got a couple of nasty cuts but I think they look worse than they are. We’re not sure whether he went down on the road or caught himself on something; he has to have jumped somewhere.”

Emma said it was odd that police had had no reports of a loose horse, despite the fact tracks show Dante travelled along the main road.

“How on earth no driver saw him, or hit him, I don’t know,” she said.

“Bless him, he’s a real wuss on the roads too, but when we got to him, he was bright, and just looked happy to be with people. We thought we were going to find him in a ditch somewhere.”

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Pammy added that Dante was a highly sensitive horse who had been given to Talland as he had issues with being ridden, and that it had taken a year to get him to settle.

“Three days ago, I said: ‘My goodness – at last! Dante’s settled,” she said. “He’s a lovely, quality horse, but just very sensitive.

“I’m very lucky with my Facebook following as they’re very positive, but I’ve been overwhelmed by the support and attention to detail everyone’s put into trying to help us track down our horse – and it was Facebook that gave us the first clue.

“We’re so lucky, but to my horror, when I heard he’d been found, I burst into tears. I’m supposed to be tough – this has ruined my image!”

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Funds raised in memory of a much-loved pony who had to be put down as a result of a road accident will be split between the East Anglian Air Ambulance and an equestrian charity.

Family friend Fern Wilby set up a Gofundme page in memory of Beth Main’s 14.2hh mare Nissy.

The pair were hacking out in Beccles last Thursday (26 September) when they were involved in a collision with a car. Beth, 14, escaped serious injury, although she was knocked unconscious and airlifted to hospital, but Nissy had to be put down at the scene.

“Nissy saved Beth’s life,” Fern told H&H. “She took the impact, and Beth came away without even a broken bone; it’s a miracle.”

When Beth first owned Nissy, two years ago, the idea was to compete in dressage but she had also showjumped, including clearing 1.25m in a gate-jumping challenge.

“Beth called her ‘the little horse who can’, and she refers to her as ‘my hero’,” Fern said. “She told me the other day she had a lifetime of memories from those two years.”

Fern said she set up the fundraising page in Nissy’s memory.

“Often when things happen, the horse isn’t remembered but she was so special, I wanted to try to keep her memory alive,” she said.

“When I first set it up, within 20 minutes, it had had £75 and I thought that would be good – but now it’s raised over £1,100. I can’t believe it, and Beth’s family has found it a comfort.”

The money will be split equally between the air ambulance and an equestrian charity of Beth’s choosing.

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“Beth also really wants to raise awareness of horse safety on the roads,” Fern said. “That’s why I put ‘pass wide and slow’ on the fundraising page, in hope it would stick in people’s heads.

“Beth and Nissy were such a team and after everything they’d done together, this happened out hacking. Losing a horse can be like losing a family member, it’s absolutely horrendous.”

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A rider whose horse rolled on her when they fell while cross-country schooling has spoken of the importance of wearing an air jacket.

Madeleine Hubel, from York, was taking part at a training camp over 90cm fences on Saturday (28 September) when her 16hh Irish mare Holly caught her back legs over a jump.

“I jumped a drop down into water and was really pleased with Holly and then the last thing I remember is taking off at a jump coming out of the water,” Madeleine told H&H.

“I was told by my friend, Charlotte, Holly jumped really boldly and ended up straddling the fence. I nose-dived to the ground and Holly followed, landed behind me then rolled on my legs and pelvis.”

Madeleine said the next thing she remembers is the noise of the Midlands Air Ambulance landing.

“I was vaguely aware of where I was but Charlotte said I wasn’t making much sense. My instructor, Niki de Macedo, looked after me until the paramedics arrived and I was taken to the hospital,” she said.

“I had a CT scan and X-rays to check my pelvis but the doctors eliminated any serious injuries quite quickly. I had a gravel rash down my cheek, a burst lip and I broke both my wrists.”

Madeleine had surgery to insert pins in her wrists on Sunday.

“I can’t ride for six weeks and feel a bit useless having two arms out of action. Holly is kept at Charlotte’s yard so she is going to look after her. Thankfully Holly was absolutely fine after the fall and will have a holiday while I can’t ride. She’s a tough cookie and she’s such an easy horse, you can pick her up and put her down,” she said.

“I will miss riding but it’s one of those things. I’m looking forward to getting back on and hope to go cross-country schooling in spring. At the moment I don’t have any nerves about getting back on because I know it was a freak accident wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

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Madeleine said the doctors believed the air jacket prevented Madeleine suffering any further injuries and she has urged others to consider wearing one.

“The combination of my air jacket, body-protector and hat really helped and I’ve been very lucky. Niki thinks it saved my life. If I hadn’t had the air jacket things would have been a lot worse,” she said.

“Air jackets provide an additional safety level and what’s a few hundred of pounds for safety? Some riders competing at lower levels think they might not need one but it doesn’t matter if you’re jumping 50cm or a metre – you’re still putting yourself in danger – you hope not, but there are still risks.”

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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Charlotte Dujardin has opened up to Horse & Hound about her personal best grand prix score at the European Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and her subsequent elimination under blood rules.

Charlotte rode Emma and Jill Blundell’s 10-year-old Mount St John Freestyle to score 81.91%, enough to slot into individual second behind Isabell Werth and earn Britain the team silver medal. But blood was found on the Fidermark mare’s left flank at the post-competition stewards’ check, resulting in automatic elimination under FEI rules.

“When I came out of the ring I was really, really happy,” Charlotte told H&H’s reporter in Rotterdam. “I’d had a mistake coming out of the first piaffe and in the zig-zag, but on the whole I was so pleased with her — she really tried, and she’s getting stronger and more confident every time. All our other riders had done fantastically well, and I really wanted to hold that silver medal.

“We never think anything of the stewards’ check; I’m never worried about making a spur mark or having blood in the mouth — riding in front of stewards in the warm-up doesn’t ever bother me because I have nothing to hide. I ride in a way that mean my horses want to work with me. I don’t force them — it’s not the rider I am.”

With Charlotte’s mark discounted, Britain dropped to fourth place in the team rankings behind Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, missing a medal by just 1%.

“The rules are the rules and I totally accept that; the stewards were really lovely and were as devastated as we were,” said Charlotte. “We couldn’t believe it was really happening, and the worst feeling for me was that I had let the rest of the team down.

“I have never cried so much as that night — I think I cried myself to sleep. I never usually read social media but I did, and I was heartbroken by the comments — they broke me and I felt like giving up if I’m honest. I don’t feel I rode in any way, shape or form to ever intentionally give her a mark. All night I kept thinking where or how it might have happened.”

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Charlotte said: “But I’ve been overwhelmed by the support I’ve had too, from riders, supporters, judges from all over the world. Things like this make you realise who your true friends are.

“Now I have to move on and keep my head held high. It’s gutting not to be able to ride the special tonight and the freestyle, but all I can do now is support Carl and the others — and I will.”

Don’t miss next week’s issue of H&H for extensive coverage from the European Dressage, Para Dressage and Showjumping Championships, out 29 August.

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

Nearly three years to the day that Big Star and Nick Skelton clinched that momentous Olympic gold medal in Rio, the now 16-year-old stallion was back in the ring — with another legendary rider in the saddle, John Whitaker.

The pair were taking part in the stallion showcase at the Equitop Bolesworth Young Horse Championships on Sunday (18 August) alongside the likes of Je T’Aime Flamenco, Noble Warrior, SFS Aristio and Argento. And with the fences already set up in the main arena for the following class, the seven-year-old championship, John admitted he was almost tempted to give the double Olympic gold medal-winning stallion a pop over a jump or two.

“I thought I could show them all how it’s done!” John told H&H. “I said when Nick retired that it was him that was knackered – the horse was fine! And he felt really good in there. I was very tempted to have a jump on him.”

On entering the Bolesworth arena, Big Star announced his arrival with his trademark neigh and looked as though he was keen to go full pelt over the coloured fences again as John trotted him round in front of the spectators.

“When you have 10 stallions in an arena, you have to keep your wits about you,” said John, whose daughter Louise took the reins on his top ride Argento for the event. “Stallions are often very lazy at home but the complete opposite at a show, but they were all really well behaved.”

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John had ridden Big Star once before at the British Breeding Stallion Event in 2018, while his nephew Jack Whitaker took the reins on the Widdowsons’ champion son of Quick Star at the Stallion AI Services open day last year.

“The stallion parade was a great thing to have at a young horse show where you also had the elite foal auction and everyone was looking at the breeding — it was very fitting to show off these top stallions,” added John.

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German showjumper Philipp Weishaupt was lucky to escape with only severe bruising after having to jump off his nine-year-old mare Che Fantastica when the bit broke while they were jumping in the CHIO Aachen on Friday (19 July).

The pair were competing in the first round of the RWE Prize, a qualifier for Sunday’s prestigious Rolex Grand Prix, which Philipp won in 2016 with LB Convall, when the bridle appeared to fall away on the approach to a maximum-dimension oxer.

“Everything was OK until we were heading towards jump number six,” Philipp told H&H. “I wanted to add a stride to the oxer so I took a slight pull, but after the second or third stride I felt something break.

“I didn’t realise in that moment that it was the bit — I just knew that something had broken — and then it was scary to see the distance coming, a really bad distance, too, towards a big, 1.60m oxer. But I had no control and I had to jump it off no stride at all. It was pretty scary.”

Despite clearing the fence in one piece, Philipp had to make the terrifying decision to jump off the mare when she bolted on landing. The mare was unharmed in the incident, but the 34-year-old has suffered a severe bone bruise on his coccyx.

“It’s really painful and I’ve been told that it will take a while before I’m back in the saddle,” said Philipp, who has been ruled out of a place on the German team at the European Championships in Rotterdam next month as a result. “It’s OK to stand up and lie down, but it’s super painful to sit. It will be over two weeks until I can ride again.

“This is life! But the main thing is that Che Fantastica is absolutely fine and nothing happened to her.”

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It turned out that the metal link in the horse’s rubber pelham had rusted away, causing the bit to break apart “at the worst possible time”.

“It was an old bit, about 10 years old, and nowadays they’re made of stainless steel but the metal piece that goes through inside the rubber had become rusty and of course we had no way of knowing until it was too late,” said Philipp, whose birthday came the day after the incident. “It had rusted right through.

“It’s very unusual and nothing like that has ever happened to me before. You sometimes see it happen with a hackamore bridle, but I’ve never seen the actual bit break before,” added Philipp, who also suffered a tack malfunction in the 2017 Hamburg Derby when his stirrup broke.

“So I’m feeling really disappointed right now because the horse was in such super shape and I think she’d have had a great chance in the grand prix.

“But on the other hand, I’m just really glad that nothing worse happened because it could have been a really bad accident for me and the horse.”

Read Horse & Hound’s full report from Aachen CHIO in this week’s magazine, on sale Thursday 25 July

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Three horses have died in a fire at one of the UK’s largest miniature horse farms.

Three barns at Rosaphia Horses/Willock Farm in Wisbech St Mary, Cambridgeshire were involved when the blaze broke out at around midnight on 17-18 June.

The farm is home to miniature horse breeder Samantha Wheatley, her husband David and children Charlotte and Sophia. While all persons were accounted for, the majority of the working farm’s equipment was lost.

Last Thursday (18 July), Amanda Breakell, a friend of the family, set up a JustGiving page to raise funds to replace essential items. Within 24 hours more than half of the £5,000 target had been raised.

Amanda told H&H Samantha was “devastated” by what had happened.

“As it was summer most of the horses were out but there were three who were stabled — a show colt she bred who was being prepped for the ring, an American mare she imported and another pony who had just been gelded and all three were lost,” she said.

“They have lost all of the outbuildings, the tractors, the stable yards — every rug, blanket and brush has gone, there’s not even a hoof pick left. Just thank goodness it wasn’t winter or the whole stable yard would have been full and the loss would have been tremendous.”

Amanda, who runs online shop MiniHorseSales has been donating items as well as helping to rally the miniature horse community.

“The whole situation is absolutely tragic, I just can’t put it into words,” Amanda said. “I have know Sam for years, she bought her first miniature from me and she’s my best friend — I couldn’t just sit by and not do anything, so I set up the JustGiving page.

“I’m an end stage kidney patient and Sam helped me when I needed it — she took on 24 miniatures I owned, which is a big ask — we will rebuild and get her back on her feet.”

Amanda said the support received so far had been brilliant and a range of items had already been donated to keep the yard running, including brooms, buckets and wheelbarrows. She added that items that have been donated but are not needed will be sold in an online auction to raise money for other goods.

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“They have insurance cover but I hope the farming community will also rally round as much as the miniature horse community has and help David out, he’s lost his tractors and still has wheat and hay to get in,” she said.

Crews from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire spent the night trying to bring the large fire under control, with local road closures having to be put in place.

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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Showing competitors have been warned that action could be taken if ponies are travelled excessively to the detriment of their welfare – and reminded that overweight animals are likely to be penalised.

The National Pony Society (NPS) said in a statement it was “becoming increasingly concerned” that equines are being transported long distances as people chase qualifiers at shows across the country.

“At the moment, this is a warning and a reminder, but something we don’t want to see becoming a trend,” an NPS spokesman told H&H.

“Most people are sensible, and won’t drive to Scotland straight after Hickstead, for example, but one or two do need a reminder.”

The spokesman said the society is “unofficially” aware that some people, mainly those chasing Horse of the Year Show qualifiers, are “travelling ponies long distances, maybe with no rest days in between”.

“We felt we needed to remind people that they need to make sure they’re taking welfare into account,” she added.

“If we had evidence someone was felt to be travelling a pony to the detriment of its welfare, we would look at taking action.”

Any case would be considered on its own merits, but sanctions could include suspension or restricting someone’s ability to compete.

“We’re just one society but the societies are coming together and working with the Showing Council, on a common dope-testing policy and starting to work together to stop people society-hopping, so it’s something we can bring up there too,” the spokesman said.

The NPS also reminded members that overweight ponies are likely to be penalised.

“The society endeavours to communicate to the membership that the health of the ponies is paramount and would strongly recommend that owners exhibit their animals carrying the correct condition,” the statement said.

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The spokesman added that at this year’s NPS summer championships (6 to 8 August) the society and Baileys Horse Feeds will be working together to provide access to a weighbridge and nutritional advice to competitors.

“Some competitors need that education, and from someone who’s not a judge placing them in a class,” she said.

“At every judges’ conference, we drum into them about the weight issue but it still is an issue and we wanted to bring it back into the limelight.”

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

The rider who died following a cross-country fall at a riding club horse trials has been named as Clare Bedford.

Mrs Bedford, 31, from Rugby in Warwickshire, died on Saturday (13 July) as a result of a fall while competing in a 100cm section at the Solihull Riding Club one-day-event.

The horse she was riding was unharmed.

“Our thoughts are with Clare’s family and friends at this difficult time,” said the latest statement from Solihull Riding Club on 17 July.

“British Riding Clubs is carrying out an investigation into the incident and assisting the local authority with their usual inquiry.”

Mrs Bedford was first attended to by paramedics, who were on site as part of the event organisation.

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service told H&H on Monday (15 July) that staff attended Solihull Riding Club at 4.35pm on Saturday following reports a woman had fallen from her horse and was in cardiac arrest.

Two ambulances, a paramedic officer, a British Assoication for Immediate Care emergency doctor and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire air ambulance were also sent to the scene.

“On arrival, ambulance staff found people at the scene carrying out CPR on the woman,” said the spokesman. “Ambulance staff took over but sadly it was not possible to save her and she was confirmed dead at the scene.”

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 Great Yorkshire Show (GYS) says it is determined to stick to its guns over rider weight despite comments over “fat police”, as nine people were asked to dismount this year.

GYS entries and livestock co-ordinator Amanda Stoddart-West told H&H there were no major issues on the first two days of the 2019 show, which ran from 9 to 11 July.

“But on the Thursday, nine people were asked to get off, which is disappointing,” she said.

“We make it really clear in the regulations, we send out a ‘read me’ stating it’s an important rule, we even put in the exhibitor pack that people need to make sure they’re an appropriate weight, so it becomes a bit frustrating that we still see it.”

Since the 2016 event, the GYS has stated that anyone riding a horse or pony anywhere on the showground should be of an appropriate weight for the animal. Anyone deemed by the veterinary team to be of a size or weight that “compromises the welfare of the horse/pony being ridden”, with the 20% rider to horse weight ratio as a guide, could be asked to dismount.

Ms Stoddart-West said there were “one or two people we kept an eye on” for the first two days, but Thursday, on which most of the ridden pony classes are held, was when the real issues were seen, mostly concerning adults working children’s ponies in.

“Someone actually walked into reception and said: ‘You’re the fat police, aren’t you?’ What do you say to that?” Ms Stoddart-West said. “She said she thought what we’re doing is great but the minute people see us or the vet, they text each other to say: ‘The fat police are coming’.

“But it’s nothing to do with being fat. We want everyone to ride, but on the right horse or pony, it’s nothing to do with their weight in itself.

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“Surely by now, they realise they can’t get away with it at this show, so why do they still do it?”

Ms Stoddart-West said some of those asked to dismount argued their case; others saying, incorrectly, that GYS is the only show to take a stand on rider weight.

“We won’t be deterred; we will keep going,” she added.

“I heard someone say we’d gone PC mad but it’s got nothing to do with that. I hope people will start changing – but change is a long process.”

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

Nicola Wilson is on the way home to Yorkshire to continue her recovery after fracturing four vertebrae in a fall while competing in Belgium last weekend.

Britain’s reigning European eventing individual bronze medallist was riding Chiraz in the six-year-old CCI2*-S in Arville when the pair had a fall across country at fence 10, having been third after dressage. The grey gelding was not injured.

“I landed on the top of my neck, resulting in fractures to the C1, 2, 3 and 7,” said Nicola, who stayed in hospital in Belgium until Wednesday this week, then had more tests in London before heading home today.

Nicola told H&H she is expected to make a full recovery and added: “Thank you to everyone who has been so fantastic — I’m lucky in so many respects.”

Nicola and her husband Alastair were disappointed to miss Piggy French and Tom March’s Badminton party on Wednesday, which turned out also to be their wedding when they surprised guests with the news they were tying the knot that afternoon.

“I’m so excited for you both and hope you saved me some cake,” said Nicola.

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Nicola was due to ride her top horse, Bulana, on the British squad at Aachen next month (19-20 July). She has now been replaced by Imogen Murray on the MS Team and Aivar Ward’s Ivar Gooden.

William Fox-Pitt has also pulled out of Aachen because Little Fire has suffered a “minor setback and small loss of fitness”. Gemma Tattersall and Chris Stone’s Jalapeno III have been called up in their place.

Imogen and Gemma will compete alongisde Laura Collett (London 52), Piggy French (Quarrycrest Echo) and Harry Meade (Away Cruising) at the leading German event.

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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Piggy French married her long-time fiancé Thomas March yesterday (26 June) in a “surprise wedding” disguised as a party to celebrate her Badminton win last month.

Guests – who included the likes of William Fox-Pitt, Pippa and William Funnell, Tina Cook, Ros Canter, Harry Meade, Tom McEwen, Gemma Tattersall and Kitty King, as well as owners, family and childhood friends of the pair – were invited to Piggy’s Maidwell yard at “2pm prompt.”

No mention was made of nuptials, although those who suspected something might be up made sure they were suitably attired.

After a drinks reception and canapés in a beautifully decorated marquee overlooking the surrounding Northamptonshire countryside, with the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials trophy of three silver horses proudly displayed, Piggy made an emotional and very funny speech.

She read out some of the letters Mary King had written to her in response to the letters Piggy sent her as a child, as referred to in H&H’s 135^th birthday issue (20 June), and lamented the fact that Mary, sadly, had been unable to attend.

She thanked her Badminton winner Vanir Kamira’s owner Trevor Dickens and presented him with a framed set of photos of the CCI5* (previously CCI4*) victory, and paid tribute to all her owners, past and present, and to David and Belinda Keir, her landlords at Maidwell Lodge Farm.

To loud cheers and whistles, Piggy then announced that she and Thomas were getting married – and two double-decker buses arrived to take the delighted guests to the local church, St Mary the Virgin in Maidwell.

The wedding was conducted by the Very Revered Christopher Armstrong, whose sermon focused on the importance of timing and referred in passing to the fortuitous timing of Thomas arriving as a working pupil at Piggy’s yard in 2012.

Piggy’s elder twin sisters, Nini and Anna, gave readings from Winnie the Pooh and Ecclesiastes.

The bridal party also included bridesmaids Holly Campbell, Dizie Woodhouse and Piggy’s nieces Evie and Lottie Hood, Piggy and Thomas’s three-year-old son Max – who munched crisps contentedly throughout the service – and best man Tommy How.

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The double-decker buses then took guests back to Maidwell Lodge Farm for supper, speeches by Piggy’s father Wally French and Thomas, and dancing.

The occasion was largely organised – in just five weeks – by Sara Fowler, Piggy’s friend and former PA, and it is a tribute to the affection and high esteem with Piggy is held by her fellow riders that so many of them made the effort to attend in the middle of such a busy time.

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

Two horses have been rescued from an overturned horsebox involved in a “difficult and challenging” recovery operation following a collision with a car.

Emergency services including Devon & Cornwall Police, Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, Highways England, paramedics and a vet attended the accident at the A39 between Barnstaple and Bideford on Tuesday (11 June) at 9.25am.

A spokesman for Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service said on arrival crews found the Iveco horsebox lying on its side while the car was trapped underneath.

The road was closed and three fire engines attended along with a heavy rescue vehicle, and a specialist rescue team from Barnstaple fire station.

A vet was on hand while the fire crew stabilised the horsebox and freed the horses using specialist animal rescue equipment.

The Alliance Road Policing Teams said on Twitter the incident was a “truly multi-agency operation” and thanked the public for their patience during the “difficult and challenging recovery operation”.

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A spokesman for Devon & Cornwall Police said: “The female driver of the car and male passenger, a 13-year-old boy, have both been taken to North Devon District hospital. Injuries are not believed serious.”

The horses were freed by the fire crews at 2.11pm and transported from the scene under the supervision of the vet.

“Both horses were checked over by a vet and were fine,” said the police spokesman.

In this week’s magazine don’t miss our Hickstead preview in which we meet the 2018 Derby hero Billy Buckingham and more. We also talk to top riders who went from college to success in the saddle, and in this week’s Vet clinic we look at the pros and cons of lungeing. Read reports from across the disciplines, including showing and eventing action, polo from Beaufort and Cowdray Park, plus the Ardingly Hound Show and much 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

When Dutch showjumper and breeder Anne-Liza Makkinga’s foaling alarm went off one day in May, she was unaware her mare Cacharelle’s birth would quickly turned into a “terrifying” ordeal — thankfully with a very happy ending.

Her former grand prix horse had had a twin foal aborted during a previous pregnancy, but a scan this time around had revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Anne-Liza’s first inkling that there was something amiss only came when the mare began pushing.

“I tried to feel if the placenta was open and when I took my hands away there was so much blood,” Anne-Liza tells Horse & Hound. “I called the vet straight away because my first thought was that she had damaged her insides. I had him on loudspeaker and I was holding the placenta with two feet in it and pulling while she pushed. Then suddenly another placenta came out and I was absolutely terrified because I thought at first it was her insides.

“I realised it must be a second placenta, then I saw another leg — I remember screaming down the phone to the vet ‘I have three legs!’ And he said ‘But that’s impossible!’”

The vet arrived within five minutes and in the meantime Anne-Liza’s neighbour, also a breeder, arrived to help. His first reaction was that the third leg must be the foal’s hindleg before it became apparent there was more than one foal.

“He helped me to pull the two legs which had come out first and within about 30 seconds, with just one push, the foal came out,” says Anne-Liza. “The other foal by then was half-out and came out shortly afterwards.

“I was apologising to ‘Cach’ while it was happening as I thought I was going to lose all three of them — I was thinking ‘What situation have I put you in?’”

The first foal was up quickly but Anne-Liza had to clear the second foal’s nostrils so she could breathe, but then the filly lifted her head and stood soon after her older sister.

“My neighbour’s reaction was ‘They’re both still alive, how can that be possible?’ then the vet arrived and was very surprised to see them both, apologising for not having seen it in the scan,” she recalls. “But they must have just been very close behind each other in the womb at the time.”

Amazingly, both foals have been suckling from their mother without any problems.

“The bigger first foal was drinking within half an hour. We milked the mare straight away so bottle-fed the little one every hour through the night,” says Anne-Liza. “Then we tried her on some powdered milk in the morning but she said ‘No way!’ so we were a bit worried. When she saw me coming with the bottle she stood up and went straight to her mum and drunk from her instead.”

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Nearly a month on, both filly foals are doing really well and the reaction to having three healthy horses at the end of it all has been overwhelming.

“The only difference between the foals is the size,” says Anne-Liza of the daughters of Conthargos. “If you look at the bigger foal, you wouldn’t say she’s a twin, but the little one is definitely on the small side and her legs are thinner — but she’s grown a lot.

“The little one is such a character – very cute. But that’s probably our luck, because if she didn’t have that strength of character, she may not have been quite so lucky.”

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

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A groom who suffered serious facial injuries in an accident while turning out two horses has been paid £120,000 compensation after a long legal battle.

The groom, who had limited experience of working with horses, was asked to turn two out together, in a different field from usual.

She had to walk past two other paddocks, each with one horse in it, and as she did so, the horses became agitated and pulled away, thought to be as one of them had spooked.

She was dragged to the floor and one of the horses kicked her in the face, causing what her solicitor described as “significant” injuries.

The groom had been employed by the yard on the basis that she had limited experience with horses and would be given supervision and training on the job.

This did not come about – and the yard manager went on holiday two days after her start date.

A letter of claim was sent to the yard owner’s insurer alleging negligence on the basis of “failure to provide a safe working environment; failing to provide adequate training; and failing to provide adequate, or any, supervision at the material time”.

“The claim was strenuously opposed and as part of the case, our client was filmed by the defendant’s legal team over a period of years,” Hanna Campbell of HorseSolicitor said.

“They tried to allege that the client was lying about her injuries, an argument HorseSolicitor successfully defeated.

“A settlement of £120,000 was subsequently reached after years of legal arguments.”

Ms Campbell told H&H the yard had “failed our client twice”.

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“First, by failing to provide adequate training and then by wrongly alleging that she exaggerated her symptoms, which is increasingly becoming a tactic among defendants attempting to defeat claims,” she said.

“This case is a reminder to all yard owners that they have a duty of care to their employees and that failing in those duties can have serious repercussions for both employer and employee.”

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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Eventing legend Lucinda Green says she and her “lovely” horse are recovering after a fall at Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International Horse Trials.

Lucinda and Riddick VEH fell at fence 12b, a corner, of the CCI3*-L (formerly CCI2*) cross-country course on 25 May, and Lucinda told H&H she is “mystified” as to the cause.

“I have no idea what happened,” she said.

“I remember the last few strides thinking ‘this is great, just what I wanted’, the right stride, the right power, then I don’t remember anything for 15 minutes.

“I’ve watched it on video, again and again; I’m so glad I’ve been able to watch it as otherwise I’d have thought I’d done something wrong, or he did – but the poor little horse just went straight into it.

“I just can’t see what went wrong; I’ve sent the video to all sorts of people, and we were straight, everything in our favour, I’m completely mystified.

“I just felt so sorry for him, he’s such a sweet horse, who always tries his heart out.”

Lucinda added that Riddick was well warmed up by fence 12 and had jumped other combinations on the course.

The 12-year-old gelding has developed a haematoma on a forearm but is “looking marvellous”, and expected to make a full recovery, while Lucinda was kept in hospital until Tuesday, so doctors could carry out “every test you can imagine”.

“I’m waddling around now!” she said. “I’m very lucky. I’m slightly suspicious as my hip is hurting, so I’ll have another X-ray on that to be sure.

“I don’t think I’ll be riding for a few weeks but then I had other plans so wasn’t intending to be riding much now anyway.”

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Lucinda said she will see how fast she heals and take her plans for the rest of the season from that point.

“We were very lucky, we could have got thoroughly crunched,” she said. “This is the nature of the sport but it’s a big positive as we could have been hurt a lot worse than we were.

“I probably don’t bounce as well as I used to but it’s such a privilege to still be riding; I count every blessing.”

Read the full report from Houghton International in this week’s H&H magazine, out 30 May.

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 foal who was rescued from a Portuguese slaughterhouse has become the new star of a TV soap opera.

Samuel L Jackson (Sammy) made his first appearance on Coronation Street this week, five years after he was taken in by Dylan Jones of Dolbadarn Film Horses in Gwynedd.

“I was browsing on the internet one day when we came across a charity in Portugal, which was trying to save as many horses as possible from slaughter,” said Dylan, who has links with the country, having trained there in classical equitation.

“There had been a boom in demand for Lusitanos and Spanish horses and they had started to over-breed — a recession hit and horses stopped selling overnight and the studs couldn’t afford to keep them, so big groups were being sent to be killed.”

Dylan favours Portuguese horses for film work, as they have both the looks and the temperament for the job, so he enquired about a bay foal the charity was hoping to rehome.

“We started to make arrangements to get him out of the slaughterhouse and into safe holding stables,” said Dylan. “As luck would have it, he was stabled with a minute black foal, who looked like quite a feeble thing.

“The sponsors who had helped to raise the money to get the foals out approached me and said ‘these two seem really happy together, would you be able to take a second one?’ Because I’m a soft touch, I said ‘OK’, and once they were fit enough to travel, they came over to Wales.”

The bay foal was named Indiana Jones (Indi) and the black foal, who turned grey, was named Sammy.

“I still remember the day they arrived and the lorry ramp went down,” Dylan said.

“Out jumped these two little colts and they had no condition on them at all. Both had been taken away from their mothers at a very young age, missing out on nutrition, and been stored in the slaughterhouse holding area. The sense of death around them must have been unimaginable.”

The colts were turned out into a safe paddock where they were able to “find their feet, become horses and reset themselves”.

They were fed and handled daily and began some basic training when they were a 18 months old.

“When it got to the point they were old enough to break in and start riding, because they had such a strong bond with us and because they had so much early trauma, they didn’t seem bothered by anything,” Dylan said.

“When it got to the point of leading them on the roads, when a lot of young horses are nervous, these two were just toddling along without a care in the world — their early trauma transferred into something they could use, and which was especially useful in the TV and film world.”

The more mature of the pair, Indi, was broken earlier and started working on film sets last year. His first job was alongside the Devils Horsemen in the Scottish Highlands filming Mary Queen of Scots, and he also worked on the BBC1 and HBO series His Dark Materials last summer, in which Sammy also featured.

The foals grew up to have different temperaments, with the bay Indi a “very, very chilled-out, easy going horse,” while Sammy is “very quick and intelligent”.

“I broke Indi in to drive last year and I didn’t even have to train him, he took everything in his stride and was driving round the village like he’d been doing it for years,” said Dylan, who took over the family business from his father Aneuryn, who started it in the 1970s.

“Sammy excels at liberty work and Jasmine Jackson-Lloyd, who is one of our team here, took a shine to him and started to train him up.”

Sammy’s liberty skills were one of the reasons he was ideal for the Coronation Street role.

“The first assistant director called me for advice about a scene in a script,” Dylan said. “A horse needed to be causing chaos in a conservatory and to roam free in the street and they wanted to know if it could be done and I said ‘yes, of course’.

“Sammy was chosen for the part as there were a lot of liberty scenes — he’s not a spooky horse by nature, he’s an inquisitive and bold chap, and so far he’s been good as gold throughout filming.

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“Everyone loves him and it looks like his character might be scripted for quite a while now, so watch this space,” Dylan added.

Sammy and Indi are the only two rescues Dolbadarn has ever taken on, and they fared better than many of the other horses who were not saved, or who were removed from the slaughterhouse but could not readjust.

“I heard a lot of the older horses who were rehomed were just too traumatised,” said Dylan. “Sammy and Indi were the only two foals from their group who I know were saved.

“I kept my promise to give them a chance at life and a job in the entertainment industry and now their careers are just starting out.”

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 21-year-old jockey has died following a racing fall.

Romane Brizard lost her life after a fall in a Flat race on 26 May (Sunday) at Blain Bouvron le Gavre, close to Nantes, in the west of France.

She was riding the five-year-old mare Eigle Star for trainer Xavier-Louis Le Stang when the pair were involved in an incident that caused four horses to fall.

Romane reportedly received immediate medical treatment on the track before she was airlifted to hospital in Nantes, but died from her injuries.

Her sister, Margaux, confirmed the tragic news on Romane’s Facebook profile on Monday (27 May).

“As you all know, Romane had a horse fall yesterday afternoon (Sunday, 26 May) and after fighting for life, as she knew how to do it every day, her little heart stopped and her eyelids closed,” she said.

“There is one more star that joined our sky.”

Margaux thanked everyone for their messages and said a memorial event is being planned.

“Thank you all for respecting our mourning and know that from where she, she is thinking of us and is watching over us every minute.”

A statement from Pierre Fertillet Racing, where Romane worked, said the team is mourning her loss.

“You will always be with us,”it added. “Rest in peace, Romane.”

A spokesman for France Galop, the governing body for racing in France, said the organisation feels “immense sadness” .

“France Galop extends its sincere condolences to her family and friends and is fully committed to their grief.”

H&H has contacted France Galop for a condition update on the horses and other jockeys involved.

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

The owner of a mare and foal who both died after a vet was held up by a large-scale cycling event said the worst aspect is that help was minutes away.

Helen van Heyningen told H&H her vet was prevented from using roads closed for the Velo Birmingham & Midlands ride yesterday (12 May) just over a mile from her house, for an hour as a steward would not allow him through. Eventually, her partner Mennell Watson threatened to block the road outside with a horsebox and “within two minutes”, the vet rang to say he had been allowed through.

But by that time the mare Bon Amour (Penny) and her foal had died.

“Something went terribly wrong in that hour,” said Helen, who runs competition and stud farm Euro Sport Horse with Mennell on the outskirts of Solihull.

“The only way we got anyone to do anything was when Mennell lost the plot because the mare was in agony.”

Helen said Penny, who was competed by Mennell up to 1.30 level and whose previous offspring had already been successful as youngsters, was not due until Wednesday (15 May) but went into labour at about 9.30am.

“Everything was fine; the front legs were out, then the head, the shoulders – and nothing else,” she said. “I’ve never had that; we have eight or nine foals a year and normally, once the shoulders are out, the foal just flops out, but that didn’t happen.”

Helen called the vet, who was four miles away. She ran to a steward for the race, which involves thousands of cyclists, just off her land and asked for the road closure to be lifted to allow the vet through.

“He rang his manager and the authority was given,” she said. “The vet phoned about seven minutes later to say he was at another closed road and the steward there wouldn’t let him through.

“The stewards at my end were trying to contact him to say we had authority but he wouldn’t speak to them.”

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Helen tried to pass her phone, with the vet on the line, to the stewards, who tried to contact their colleague, she said, but to no avail.

“An hour later, I’d managed to get the foal out but it had suffocated,” she said. “I think it had been kicking inside the mare and ruptured her; by the time the vet got here, she’d just passed away.

“She was in agony for a long time, with the vet 1.2 miles away – that was the worst bit.”

Helen emailed the ride organisers and asked someone to call her, but their reply read: “We are aware of the situation and are investigating the chain of events that led to this incident, and will respond in due course.”

“It doesn’t really help; we’ve got a dead mare and a dead foal,” Helen said.

“She was a lovely mare; so kind and the best mother you could wish for. Lovely to handle and just an amazing mare.

“In events like this, everyone should have a radio and be able to speak to everyone in the vicinity and for this steward to say someone’s not coming through is just not on – and all they’ve said is they’re aware of the situation and they’re investigating.

“It was all so unnecessary.”

H&H has approached ride organisers for comment.

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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It seems the unlikeliest of combinations and the phrase “pea on a drum” immediately springs to mind, but Tabitha Kyle and Grennanstown Sarco Lux Hill are proving the exception to every rule.

This unusual pairing have quickly proved a force to be reckoned with in the popular children-on-horses classes and produced one of the stand-out performances at the recent CSI2* Chepstow Spring International (3-6 May) — as this jaw-dropping video shows.

Showing superb horsemanship, Tabitha teamed up with the towering Grennanstown Sarco Lux Hill to produce two winning rounds at the show. Her first success came in the speed class, before she followed up with this victory in the children-on-horses grand prix with the only first-round clear.

“Tabitha was outstanding,” said youth team manager Clare Whitaker. “She’s well-mounted but she still has to control the horse and it’s a big beast.”

The rangy Irish-bred nine-year-old gelding, who stands over 17.2hh and is by Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan out of an Olympic Lux mare, is borrowed from Great Britain team rider Holly Smith. He and Tabitha were recent winners in Lier, Belgium, too, on their international debut together.

“He’s better in a bigger ring — he flies over the fences like a bird, but he’s kind and calm,” said Tabitha, who has already proved to be a real star on the pony circuit in recent years.

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The 11-year-old’s father, top Irish eventer Mark, who is based close to the Smiths’ yard in Leicestershire, added: “We got him by chance when riding a couple of ponies for Holly and Graham Smith and asked if they had a horse we could take for the children-on-horses tour in Lier.”

Watch out Scott Brash, there’s an 11-year-old who will be giving you a run for your money very soon!

Don’t miss the full report from the four-day show at Chepstow in next week’s Horse & Hound, out Thursday 16 May.

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Getting to the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which takes place this week (8-12 May 2019), is a career highlight for many — not much beats the prestige of competing in The Queen’s back garden. But things don’t always go to plan...

1. A food thief

Dogs have not been allowed into the showground since 1944 — in part thanks to a lurcher who stole a piece of chicken from King George VI’s lunch plate at the first show in 1943; a mortifying incident for the committee.

2. A close shave

“I had bagged myself a chair on the members’ lawn to report on the H&H British Isles showing championship final in the early 1990s, when two chaps came and stood in front of me in deep conversation,” remembers H&H showing reporter Tricia Johnson. “I sighed loudly and moved my chair, before one of the men sauntered across and stood in front of me again. I was about to say something until he turned, and in profile I recognised him as the Duke of Edinburgh. A close shave…”

3. Loose horse!

“We were just tucking into dinner after a busy day at Windsor when Simon’s phone rang,” says Natalie Reynolds, wife of producer Simon. “It was fellow competitor Simon Charlesworth. Simon answered, to be told, ‘Don’t worry, we’ve caught him now, but one of your cobs got out!’ We quickly hot-footed it back to the showground and were horrified to find the whole of the front of the box on the other side of the stable aisle. The cob was completely unscathed, but apparently a cannon fire had unsettled him — it looked like a juggernaut had ripped the stable up. Moral of 
the story? Read the schedule to find out when there may be cannon fire.”

4. Pungent problems

The day that bad weather caused an underground effluent tank to leak and overflow into the craft tent stands out for event organiser Simon Brooks-Ward, who remembers saying to a girl who was selling potpourri: “You have the right product for the right occasion.” “But it didn’t go down quite as well as I had hoped,” he laughs in hindsight.

5. Panicked Friesians

The Duke of Edinburgh’s carriage was clipped and a showing class disrupted at Windsor in 2013 by a pair of runaway carriage horses. Prince Philip was not hurt, but the panicked Friesians careered 
into the Copper Horse Arena, where the intermediate show hunter class was taking place. Luckily, a spectator was on the ball. He quickly leapt over the fence and fortunately managed to stop the pair.

6. Tactical dismounting

Tantoni Sir Soccrates gave Alice Oppenheimer a sticky moment in the prize-giving in 2015 (pictured, top). Having just won the advanced medium freestyle, the former licensed stallion produced some impressive airs above ground that forced Alice to make a ‘tactical dismount’ on her lap of honour.

7. A fall to remember

“In 2016, I took my veteran Popsters Loaded Weapon,” says H&H blogger and show rider Chloe Chubb. “With 37-plus in our class, I wasn’t expecting a placing, but I was delighted when we were called in fourth. ‘Jacob’ had got himself a little excited waiting in line after standing next to a ‘keen’ mare, and started bouncing around as the back line left the arena. He caught me off-guard, bolted and I ended up coming off — a 20-year-old veteran deposited me in The Queen’s back garden.”

Don’t miss the full coverage of Royal Windsor Horse Show in next week’s Horse & Hound, out 16 May

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*Updated: 13 June 2019* This article has been edited because the injection Away Cruising received was Osteopen, not Cartrophen as originally stated.

Harry Meade has withdrawn Charlotte Opperman’s Away Cruising from the cross-country today (Saturday, 4 May) at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, because the horse has suffered a reaction to an injection earlier in the week.

After his dressage on Thursday, Harry explained: “We’ve had a difficult couple of days. On Monday, he had a shot of Osteopen — a joint lubricant — which is perfectly normal and perfectly legal. We would usually give three shots over the two weeks leading up to a big event.”

Away Cruising was fine on Monday, but on Tuesday a swelling started to develop on the site of the injection.

“Since then he hasn’t been able to put his neck down — he has had all his food and drink at human chest height,” said Harry.

Badminton final scores

“There’s very little you can do other than ice and then heat packs and gentle physio, not too invasive. It wasn’t a welfare issue for him to do the dressage, but we will have to monitor him and see how he goes over the next few days. I care passionately about his welfare and if we are not 100% happy with him, we won’t run him.”

The soreness in Away Cruising’s neck is due to a rarely-seen reaction to the needle (not the medication), which has caused deep bruising.

Harry reported today: “The stiffness in his neck has been improving all week, but without him being 100% there’s no way I could consider running him.

“I’m so proud of the brave face he put on to do a still competitive dressage test with a massively debilitating handicap throughout it. He came here in the form of his life with a genuine chance, so I’m deeply disappointed for him, his owner Charlotte, and for all our team who’ve worked so hard.

“My whole year revolves around preparing for Badminton so this week has been heartbreaking, but the dream will have to be transferred to next year’s event. Wishing everyone else the very best of luck today.”

Away Cruising has has had round-the-clock care from Jess Errington, Harry’s “highly conscientious groom”, who has looked after him since he was a four-year-old, as well as the vets and physios at Badminton.

Away Cruising scored 35.1 for his dressage test, in which he had no mistakes, but because of his soreness Harry could not ride him in a proper outline.

“He has been working better than any horse I have ever had at this level in this phase and before this happened, I thought we could be challenging for the lead,” said Harry.

“I’m very proud of him. He lacked suppleness and feels sorry for himself on top of being stiff, but he did everything we asked him to do.”

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Harry and Away Cruising were on the British long-list for last year’s World Equestrian Games and finished sixth at Burghley 2018.

The cross-country today at Badminton starts at 11.30am.

Check back later for more updates from Badminton. Full 25-page report in Horse & Hound magazine this Thursday (9 May).

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 new Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials record was set this morning (2 May), when Oliver Townend and Cillnabradden Evo scored the lowest ever dressage mark here of 19.7. They hold the dressage lead after the first morning session.

Oliver and the 13-year-old, owned by Sally-Ann Eggerton had one mark of 6.5, but the rest were all 7+, including 11 8.5s, four nines and two 10s, which both came for the final halt.

“I’ve had this horse a while and I know him inside out,” said Oliver. “So far, so good.”

Oliver’s record beats the one set by Andrew Hoy in 2000 aboard Darien Powers when they scored 20.5.

Badminton final scores

Australia’s Chris Burton is in second aboard his own and the Graf Liberty Syndicate’s, Graf Liberty. They scored 27.7, so sit some eight penalties behind Oliver at the moment.

“I was really pleased with him as that score was the one I was punching for — ideally I wanted something between 25 and 30,” explained Chris. “He can find flying-changes difficult, but the movement in this test suits him for two of the flying-changes, going from extended canter, to collected and then the change. To be fair, he didn’t do much wrong.”

William Fox-Pitt and the 10-year-old Badminton first-timer Little Fire are in third on a score of 29.2.

“I’m very pleased as he’s new to this level and apart from the last flying-change which we muddled, he didn’t really do anything wrong,” said William. “I think the judges were actually a bit stingey with their marks for him.”

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Pippa Funnell and Izzy Taylor share fourth on Majas Hope and Call Me Maggie May respectively on a score of 31. While Emily King is sixth on 31.6 with Dargun.

The dressage continues after the lunch break, resuming at 2pm.

Pick up this week’s magazine (dated 2 May) for the full H&H Badminton form guide and check back to the H&H website for more dressage news and rider’s thoughts on the cross-country course

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

There was drama at the first horse inspection at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials this afternoon (1 May), when two horses were withdrawn from the holding box and one horse got loose.

Many horses were spooking on the atmospheric trot-up strip and Springpower (pictured top), the second of two rides for Izzy Taylor, took particular exception to it. The 10-year-old gelding, owned by Andrea and Jeremy Brereton and Linda Mars managed to trot halfway up the strip before spinning and getting loose from Izzy. He started to bolt towards the entrance to the trot-up and the stables, but fellow eventer and 2018 Burghley winner, Tim Price, managed to stop the horse, averting disaster. He was then accepted by the ground jury comprising Nick Burton, Jane Hamlin and Christian Steiner.

Quite Survivor (pictured above), the ride of Badminton first-timer Hanna Berg of Sweden was sent to the holding box after his initial inspection. The 14-year-old gelding, owned by Mathilda Berg was withdrawn from the holding box before representing and will therefore take no further part in the competition.

Badminton final scores

Another pair to withdraw from the holding box was Tamra Smith’s ride, Wembley (pictured below). The 16-year-old grey gelding, was also contesting his and his rider’s first Badminton, but it was sadly cut short.

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The Hiho Silver best-dressed male award went to James Sommerville, while the best-dressed female prize was awarded to Louisa Milne Home.

Therefore, 80 combinations now start the competition, with dressage starting at 9.30am tomorrow morning (Thursday 2 May).

Pick up this week’s magazine (dated 2 May) for the full H&H Badminton form guide and check back to the H&H website later to see a full gallery of some of the most eye-catching outfits from the first trot-up

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

Germany’s Ingrid Klimke has withdrawn SAP Hale Bob OLD from next week’s Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (1-5 May), which is dramatic news as this pair were favourites to win the competition.

“Unfortunately in the last few days SAP Hale Bob OLD has not been himself — he’s just not as energetic and fit as I am used to with him,” said Ingrid. “In order to avoid any potential risk for Bobby I have made the disappointing decision to stay home this year.”

The waiting list has also now closed. The Badminton ballot is done according to horse’s FEI points won at the higher levels over the past two years and those on the waiting list replace any horses who are withdrawn up until 2pm the Sunday before the event.

Fifteen horses were accepted from the waiting list this time, with three horses withdrawn from the waiting list and six still on the list, who will not be able to start the event.

The final horse accepted from the waiting list was Pennlands Douglas, a second ride for first-timer Emma Hyslop-Webb.

Badminton final scores

Another late acceptance was 19-year-old King Eider, who will make his fourth assault on the event with Scottish rider Louisa Milne Home. He has completed on every attempt, with 29th in 2014 his best placing.

“King Eider has been feeling amazing this year and I would have been really disappointed if he hadn’t got in as he loves a big party,” Louisa told H&H. “It’s going to be a full on couple of days just to get in all the polishing touches to make sure he is all set.

“At the start of the year we just wanted to see how he felt as at 19 he doesn’t have to do another Badminton, but he has felt so good and has really enjoyed all his preparation that it was getting very stressful watching the wait list, as again at his age you don’t want to put on any unnecessary miles on to him.

“I’m so pleased to have him in, but sad to see others with Scottish connections lose out — Nicky, Emily and Caroline have all spent lots of time on the Scottish circuit,” added Louisa, referring to withdrawal of Nicky Ronocoroni, Emily Parker and Caroline Powell.

Other recent acceptances from the waiting list include US rider Savannah (known as “Woodge”) Fulton on Captain Jack, and home side riders Matthew Heath (The Lion) and Becky Woolven (Charlton Down Riverdance).

Recent withdrawals besides Ingrid have come from New Zealand’s Caroline Powell with On The Brash and France’s Regis Prud’hon with Kaiser HDB 4175.

Those who remain on the waiting list and so have missed out on a chance to start at Badminton include H&H blogger Nana Dalton (Absolut Opposition).

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Pippa Funnell and Oliver Townend still have more than two horses entered, but they can only bring two horses to the event and present two at the first horse inspection on Wednesday. Pippa has to pick between Majas Hope, Billy Beware, Billy Walk On and MGH Grafton Street, while Oliver must pick from Ballaghmor Class, Cillnabradden Evo and Ulises.

Check back for more updates on Badminton online all this week. Full form guide in Horse & Hound magazine this Thursday (2 May issue) and report the following week (9 May 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

A delightful country set-up with equestrian facilities suitable for a competitive rider is being offered for sale.

Grafham Paddocks is located in the village of Buckden in the county of Cambridgeshire. The property is in rural countryside, while also being just five miles from Huntingdon, 18 miles from Bedford and 25 miles from Cambridge. It is also within easy reach of several mainline railway links via the train station at Huntingdon.

The College Equestrian Centre, Keysoe, is just 10 miles away, while other local equestrian centres include Fenland (43 miles), Fenning Farm (37 miles) and Grey Fern Park (28 miles).

Drive one hour north and you can access the shows and facilities on offer at Arena UK while the East Of England Showground is just 20 minutes from the door step.

If you fancy getting in some cross-country schooling this summer head to Keysoe, the Thurlow Estate (41 miles), which is just over an hour away, or you could go to Ely Eventing Centre (33 miles).

If you are a hunting fan you can look forward to following the famous Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt when the season comes around.

Showing shows in the area will be held by BSPS Area 17 and local clubs include the Cambridgeshire Hunt Pony Club and the Cambridge and District Riding Club.

You will also be close to Newmarket Racecourse (35 miles) and Cambridge Polo Club (23 miles).

This well-placed horsey home is offered for sale by Fine & Country and is on the market for £1.5m.

Shall we have a look around? Prepare for some mega views…

Set in 6.5 acres of land, the property has several paddocks and is in a prime location for quiet country hacking.

Next to both the paddocks and the gardens is the floodlit outdoor school which is fenced with post and rail and has an all-weather surface. You can see the arena from the kitchen window.

There is a block of eight spacious stables. The yard has power and light and also incorporates a hay barn, a WC and a tack room.

As you can see, the main house is a few metres from the yard, so early morning feeds won’t be problem.

One of the features of the property is the kitchen/breakfast room which sits at ground level. It has French doors opening outside and has been fitted with country-style units and work surfaces.

The home has five dreamy bedrooms located on the first floor. One is en suite while the other four are served by a family bathroom.

Accessed from the patio is a swimming pool room complete with built-in bar-style area.

Could you make this house your home?

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

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Badminton title contender Pamero 4 has been withdrawn from the CCI5* after sustaining an injury at home.

Ridden by World Equestrian Games gold medallist Gemma Tattersall, this would have been the 12-year-old’s second time at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.

The Clive Smith-owned gelding jumped clear across country at the Gloucestershire event last year, before going on to take the runner-up spot at Pau CCI4* (now CCI5*) in October.

Gemma remains in the running for the 2019 title with her team gold medal-winning ride, former racehorse Arctic Soul, who is drawn number 10.

In a statement, Gemma said Pamero 4’s withdrawal is not linked to their fall at Belton in March.

Badminton final scores

“I am extremely sad to say that we are having to withdraw the amazing Pamero 4 from Badminton Horse Trials,” said Gemma, adding she and her team are “absolutely gutted” and very sad for his owner.

“He will come back absolutely fine but he just needs a little rest. This injury had absolutely nothing to do with the fall we had at Belton and he has been on brilliant form at home as well as giving me a perfect ride at Burnham Market earlier this month.

“This sport sure is tough but we will stick together as a team and give him all the TLC he needs to get him back to full fitness.”

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Other notable recent withdrawals include Tim Price’s Xavier Faer, who is competing at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day-Event this week, as Tim bids to become the third rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam. Tim has Bango and 2018 Burghley winner Ringwood Sky Boy still in the mix.

Likewise Oliver Townend’s Cooley Master Class is off the start list as he aims for back-to-back Kentucky victories. Oliver still has Ballaghmor Class, Cillnabradden Evo and Ulises entered, of which he will be allowed to start on two.

Canada’s Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High, tipped by EquiRating’s Diarmuid Byrne in H&H’s Badminton preview as likely to finish within the top 12, withdrew this week.

Nicky Roncoroni and Watts Burn, Lauren Blades on Jesmond Justice, and Emily Parker with Cryptonite have also withdrawn.

At Friday (26 April) lunchtime, nine combinations remained on the waitlist, who will replace withdrawals up until 2pm on Sunday (28 April).

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 police horse has died in the line of duty following a horrific accident outside a football stadium.

Lancashire Constabulary announced yesterday (22 April) that Morecambe suffered a serious injury outside Blackpool Football Club’s Bloomfield Road stadium.

“Morecambe came into contact with a metal pole on Seasiders Way at around 5:20pm today following the Blackpool vs Fleetwood football fixture,” a police statement said.

“As a result he suffered a serious injury to his stomach and despite receiving urgent medical attention from a vet, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.”

Morecambe’s rider was taken by air ambulance to the Royal Preston Hospital with “some injuries”. It is believed he fell into the side of a horsebox after Morecambe was injured, the police said, adding that there were no suspicious circumstances, and “this was a tragic accident”.

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“We are all completely devastated by the loss of Morecambe in such tragic circumstances,” said Chief Inspector Sue Bushell of Lancashire Constabulary’s mounted branch.

“The horses are a big part of our police family and Morecambe will be sorely missed by his riders and many colleagues from across the force.

“Our thoughts remain with our injured colleague at this extremely difficult time.”

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 rider who suffered concussion in a fall in which his ride suffered a fatal injury has spoken out on the effects of head injuries.

French eventer Gaspard Maksud’s ride Pizazz II, owned by Jill Tasker, had to be put down after the fall, at fence seven of the OI class at the South of England Horse Trials on 7 April.

Gaspard said he can remember nothing of events immediately before or after the incident.

“It was just a normal oxer, nothing major,” he told H&H. “We couldn’t understand what happened but from the video, it looked as if he took off but never landed – he didn’t bring his front legs forward. We’ll never know exactly what happened but his bum went up into the air and he fell head first.”

Gaspard was knocked unconscious for what he later found out was about half an hour, coming round in the ambulance.

He was taken to hospital, where he had a CT scan and was discharged.

“I’ve never been knocked out before and it’s hard to explain; I wasn’t sick or anything – but it took me over a week to come right,” he said.

Gaspard said he tried to drive five days after the fall but felt so dizzy, he had to stop.

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“When I left A&E, it was without [doctors] giving any advice but lots of people have since told me that it can take a good while to recover so I’ve been very careful,” he said.

“People can try to get back riding quickly but you can’t with a head injury; if you can’t do other simple stuff, it wouldn’t be sensible to ride.

“I feel fine but I’m not 100% and if you hit your head again after an injury , it would be very bad.”

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The Olympic dressage horse Toots has died suddenly aged 19, just six months into his retirement.

The Jazz son, who competed successfully under the Dutch rider Imke Schellekens-Bartels and then Japanese rider Akane Kuroki, had moved to spend his retirement with Kaiko Krahnke in Colorado, US.

“He was spending a second life in the USA with a friend of mine, having a great time there. When he got on a trailer to go out, he suddenly fell down and then died,” said Akane.

Toots competed successfully under Imke Schellekens-Bartels until 2015, winning at the Addington CDI3* in 2012 with nearly 80%. The KWPN gelding was sold to Akane Kuroki at the end of 2015 and the pair went on to represent Japan at the Rio Olympics in 2016. They also won team gold at the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018, the horse’s final competition.

“I have lots of memories and experiences with him. He took me to the new world – the Olympic Games in Rio, Asian Games in Jakarta, Olympia in England and so on,” said Akane. “I have learned a lot of things from him and he brought me happiness.

“You are always in my heart and I’ll never forget having precious time with you, Toots. I can’t believe it. I can’t stop crying.”

Imke described the tall gelding as “our big friendly giant”.

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“For 10 years he was the greatest friend of mine, my mother and everyone here at the stable, the sweetest horse you can imagine,” she added.

“I’ve been allowed to experience wonderful years with him and made a lot of good memories. He was an incredible teacher and friend for Akane Kuroki and he spent his ‘old days’ with Akane’s friend Keiko Krahnke. Unfortunately she has only been allowed to enjoy him for six months.”

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A rider who thought she had lost her horse when he fell to the floor in a terrifying dog attack has urged owners to use a muzzle if their dogs are not safe with other animals.

Clare Hurd from South Yorkshire was returning from a hack with friends on her 14.1hh seven-year-old cob Max on Sunday (7 April) when two dogs tied up outside a shop in Goldthorpe got loose.

Clare told H&H: “As I approached the shop I saw the dogs tied up, they started to bark and and next thing I knew both dogs were loose and charging at Max.

**Warning: graphic image**

“We’ve met dogs before and they’re always investigative, but these dogs – you could see there was something a bit different about them.”

Clare said one of the dogs, believed to be a Staffordshire bull terrier, started to attack Max.

“The owner came running out of the shop and grabbed the other dog. Max is such a diamond, he stood while I got off him but as soon as I got to his shoulder he started moving back, trying to get the dog off him,” she said.

“Max started spinning round and as he spun the dog was at his face, neck, chest and his legs – anywhere it could try and get him. The next thing I knew Max pulled away. I couldn’t keep hold of him and I saw him running up the road with the dog on him.”

Max made his way towards home, a few streets away.

“A man stopped in a van and told me to get in. I saw Max turn on the lane towards home and as I got there the dog was stuck on his face,” said Clare. “Max reared trying to get the dog off, then fell to the floor and wasn’t moving – he totally gave up. It was terrifying – I thought I’d lost him there and then. I wasn’t even looking at the dog, I was watching Max’s eyes and he looked so tired.

“The owner and I tried to get the dog off but it was pulling at Max’s muzzle. It finally released and as the owner pulled it back, it grabbed Max’s leg and tried to drag him across the floor.”

The police attended the scene and Clare got Max to his stable and called the vet.

“It took about 15 minutes to get Max up, he had sweated up and was breathing erratically,” said Clare. “The vet arrived and gave him two lots of sedation – he had gone into shock.

“He’s got wounds on his body where the dog tried to latch on. The most damage was done to his muzzle and inside his lip but the vet said he’d been really lucky.”

Max has to spend 10 days on box rest and has been given antibiotics and bute.

“The vet is back on Friday to make sure everything is healing as it should be and we’ll go from there. If he’d been a finer horse it would probably have been a bad ending. Because he‘s got plenty of feather, when the dog was going for him it couldn’t really get to his leg fully – he does have puncture wounds, but nothing that is going to affect him in the long run,” said Clare.

Clare said the incident could have been prevented.

“I’m angry – when it was happening I was in shock and just thinking about Max and getting the dog off. I didn’t sleep Sunday night, I was checking on him to make sure he was ok. On Monday the shock wore off and I sat and cried for two hours. It finally hit home everything that happened, and how lucky I am that he’s such a fantastic placid cob. He meets dogs all the time; where we ride there are a lot of dog walkers and dogs will come up to us, sniff and run round him. If it wasn’t for his personality it would have ended worse.

“The owner said the dog had never done it before, but I’ve never known a dog to go at a horse’s face like that. I want people to be aware a dog isn’t just going to attack a horse’s legs, it will do anything it can.

“People have said the owner hadn’t tied the dogs up properly outside the shop. If you’re going to go out and you know your dog isn’t safe with other animals you shouldn’t tie them up outside a shop. I don’t wish ill on the dog, it’s not its fault – it should have been muzzled and correctly handled.”

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Clare hopes to hack out with Max again in the future but said she dreads meeting another dog.

“I’d like to think because I know Max inside and out we’ll hack out again. I hate thinking about how I’ll feel if another dog approaches him – it’s something that’s going to take time to see how we both deal with it,” she said.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said officers attended and offered advice to the owner of the dog.

“The incident was sorted between the two parties. No further action was taken by the police,” he said.

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Sport horse breeders are mourning the sudden loss of the showjumping stallion Cobra 18, who died at home in Ireland following a bout of colic on Friday, 5 April.

The 16-year-old son of Cornet Obolensky x Ramiro Z was bred at the Ligges Stud in Germany, and competed at international 1.50m level with Germany’s Markus Kolz before an injury in 2014 cut his own competitive career short. Since then, he has focused on breeding at the Drumhowan Stud in Co. Monaghan, Ireland.

The most well-known of Cobra’s progeny is the 12-year-old grey gelding Dublin, who competed successfully at five-star level with the USA’s Kent Farringdon — clocking up several grand prix victories — before moving to join Britain’s Jessica Mendoza late last year.

The majority of Cobra’s progeny are still under the age of four; the jumping sire will remain available to breeders through the availability of frozen semen.

“I am devastated; he is gone far too soon, just as we are about to start seeing his progeny in Ireland and UK come of age,” said his owner, Tony Noble. “He was a lovely horse with a kind temperament and bundles of presence. I feel honoured to have had him in my life and to be the custodian of ensuring his legacy continues by careful management of his frozen semen and through his offspring.”

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Gladys McArdle of Drumhowan Stud added: “I have no doubt that he will prove his sire abilities to produce more serious performers like Dublin. They are developing into lovely blood models and those breeders that have given them a pop are impressed.

“Cobra 18 was a real character and a big showman. He was full of drama, yet the most genuine and uncomplicated stallion to daily work with in the breeding yard.”

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Sam Griffiths has withdrawn 2014 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials winner Paulank Brockagh from this year’s Badminton (1-5 May).

The Australian rider has decided to take the 16-year-old mare, who belongs to Dinah and Stephen Posford, Jules Carter and Sam, to the German five-star (previously four-star) at Luhmühlen (13 to 16 June) instead, with a view to aiming her at the 2020 Olympics.

“I have half an eye on Tokyo and Badminton is such a taxing event,” Sam told H&H. “She’s done it six times and doesn’t need to prove herself, so I thought it was better to campaign her to go to Luhmühlen.”

If Paulank Brockagh had completed Badminton this time, she would have joined Ballycotton, Comanche, Lenamore and Over To You as the only horses to record seven finishes at the event.

Sam admitted: “Part of me is torn, but I spoke to a few people and they said not to think of those records, but to think what’s best for the horse and we’ve decided that’s best for her.”

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The rider still has a Badminton ride in Billy Liffy, who belongs to Viscount and Viscountess Rothermere and Sam. The 12-year-0ld chestnut gelding was a new ride for Sam last year.

“The two horses are very different to ride, so it also made sense to focus on each of them individually,” said Sam. “I’ve ridden Paulank Brockagh for about 10 years so I know her inside out, whereas Billy Liffy is quite sharp and spicy, so I have to be more sensitive with how I ride.”

Seven other horses have also been pulled out of Badminton so far. Britain’s Alex Bragg has taken Barrichello and Shannondale Percy out of the running, but he will still line up on Zagreb. The home side’s Georgie Spence has withdrawn Wii Limbo, while she still has Halltown Harley in the mix.

Fly Away V/D N Ranch, the ride of Sweden’s Anna Freskgård, has also been withdrawn. From the waiting list, France’s Pascal Leroy has withdrawn Minos De Petra and Britain’s Kate Honey will not compete with Fernhill Now Or Never.

The first withdrawal from Badminton this year was in tragic circumstances as Ireland’s Sian Coleman’s intended ride Kilroe Hero died as a result of a freak accident in his field at home soon after returning from competing at Belton.

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The riders accepted from the Badminton waiting list as a result of withdrawals at this point comprise four for the home side — Nicholas Lucey (Proud Courage), Katie Preston (Templar Justice), Simon Grieve (Drumbilla Metro) and Nicky Hill (MGH Bingo Boy) — and one for the USA, Tamra Smith with Wembley.

Don’t miss H&H’s Badminton preview issue, including cross-country course walk with world champion Ros Canter (out 25 April), and our form guide issue with details of every horse and rider competing (out 2 May).

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 police force’s most recent equine recruit has been given the royal seal of approval – as he was named by The Queen herself.

Her Majesty named the newest member of the Avon and Somerset Police mounted branch, Windsor, during a visit to east Somerset on Thursday (28 March).

The seven-year-old black gelding, who stands 17hh, has been with the branch for nine months, going through his specialist training as an equine recruit.

His rider and trainer is PC Kath Pitman, who has been with the mounted section for 17 years.

Ms Pitman told H&H she has taken his training slowly owing to his age and lack of previous experience, but that she has high hopes for his future.

“The hours put into his training were also rewarded on Thursday as he was impeccably behaved throughout and took the three cheers from the surrounding audience in his stride,” she said. “He will do most things for a Polo reward and even put his nose towards The Queen’s handbag expecting a treat when she was presenting him his name plaque.”

Jubilee, a 14-year-old gelding who was also named by The Queen in 2012 during her Diamond Jubilee tour visit to Yeovil, joined Windsor for his naming ceremony.

“It was a great honour to meet the Queen,” Ms Pitman said. “I have been working for the police force since 1987 and am due to retire next year so this was such an amazing way to end my mounted career. We were also accompanied by groom Natalie Box who looks after both horses and was extremely proud of them.”

Avon and Somerset Police chief constable Andy Marsh, who was also present at the ceremony, said: “We are delighted to have had this opportunity of having one of our horses officially named by The Queen.

“It is our second horse to be named by Her Majesty in the space of seven years, which is a rare achievement. Having both horses – Jubilee and Windsor – together today for the royal visit was quite special for us.”

It was a day of equine engagements for The Queen, who also visited trainer Paul Nicholls’ yard in Ditcheat, Somerset.

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She met seven-year-old Cheltenham Festival winner Topofthegame, who lived up to his name to take the RSA Insurance novices’ stakes for Paul on 15 March, and fed carrots to a number of his racing stars. Paul described the visit as “a great honour” on Twitter.

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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Weight gain more than doubles the risk of equines’ developing laminitis – as do some techniques aimed at reducing the risk.

The study, carried out by the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and Rossdales Equine Hospital and funded by World Horse Welfare, found the condition developed “significantly” more often if horses gained weight, compared to when they lost or maintained it.

Owners recorded estimates of their horses’ or ponies’ weight at regular intervals over 29 months, more than half of them using a custom-built online tracking tool.(Link)

“Worryingly, weight gain was often occurring unintentionally, even when owners were aiming for weight maintenance or loss,” an AHT spokesman said.

“This emphasises the importance of consistent weight and body condition recording, so undesirable weight gain can be recognised before it has a negative impact on health.

“Owners need to review their animals’ current diet, exercise and health management routines as soon as undesirable weight gain is detected and take action.”

The study also identified groups at particularly high risk of developing laminitis.

Owners of native ponies, full- or part-bred, those with a history of laminitis and who suffer lameness or soreness after routine hoof care should be “particularly vigilant”.

Equine shod or trimmed at intervals of longer than eight weeks were also at high risk of future episodes, as were those who showed a “lengthy return to soundness” after their most recent episodes.

“Earlier recognition of laminitis, along with adequate and prompt veterinary attention, farriery support and diagnostic testing of underlying metabolic disorders should give animals the best chance of recovery and a potential to reduce the risk of future episodes,” the spokesman said.

Other factors associated with laminitis development include features of grass management. Equines who wore grazing muzzles for only part of the time they were at grass were more likely to develop the condition than those who had it on all the time or not at all. Similarly, those who were only turned out to graze for a brief period in the mornings were at more risk than those who went out all day, overnight or not at all.

It is thought these findings maybe owing to the fact the horses gorged on grass when they had limited access to it, but they need to be investigated more fully.

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“These findings suggest that some grazing management interventions were not optimal at preventing laminitis,” the spokesman said.

The study involved more than 1,000 horses and ponies.

Dr Dee Pollard of the AHT said: “This is one of the largest laminitis studies where we collected regular information from the same group of owners in real time. We assessed the relationship between laminitis and many potential management and health factors and identified those more likely to be present before a laminitis episode was reported.

“We now have good evidence to develop laminitis prevention guidelines, and a number of different avenues to explore in the future. We cannot emphasise enough how important systematic and regular weight and body condition monitoring are. It’s very easy to miss weight gain when you are just relying on your eyes and you see your horse or pony every day. You need to get hands on, feel for the fat deposits and take measurements; remember the figures don’t lie!”

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 owner of a former rescue horse who was chased by quad bikers along roads, into a ditch and into a wall said those responsible need to realise how serious the consequences could have been.

Peri Thomas’s 12-year-old gelding Jim fell twice as he tried to escape from the bikes, whose riders surrounded him, “whooping and shouting” as he galloped along the road.

Peri told H&H she and a friend were riding along a country lane they use frequently on Sunday (24 March), when they saw the bikes coming. The pair hesitated to see where they planned to go, and the bikers waved them out of a junction.

“To our surprise, they then came up behind us,” Peri said. “They were waving us to go ahead and we thought maybe they were going to turn into a field.

“We trotted on to get out of the way – and they started getting closer and closer, coming up behind us and revving their engines.

“It spooked my horse, who shot off, and they thought that was hilarious – they chased after us, whooping and shouting about how fast he was going, waving their arms and coming up next to us.”

Peri managed to get Jim under control and pulled into a gateway, hoping the bikers would ride away. But they followed her, circling Jim and shouting.

“It was like it was great fun to them,” Peri said. “I got off and was holding him but as they got closer, he reared up and up. I was trying to hold on but ended up slipping underneath him.

“He was so good; he really tried not to stand on me but he was jumping about with me underneath – I had to let go.”

Peri said her memory of the next few minutes is somewhat hazy, but she was given a lift by a passing driver to follow her horse, who had taken off again with the bikes in pursuit.

She managed to grab Jim but again the bikes circled and again, he took off, heading towards a main road.

“I was shouting at them, saying please stop, it isn’t a game; someone’s going to die,” Peri said. “But they didn’t and he shot off again.”

By that time, people at the yard, which was nearby, had heard the commotion.

“The bikers chased him over the brow of a hill, which is really steep,” Peri said. “He’d already fallen into a ditch and gone right over, got back up, then the hill’s so steep, he couldn’t stop himself crashing into a wall at the bottom.

“They saw him fall twice, get up and go galloping on towards the main road, and they didn’t stop.”

The yard manager and others managed to divert Jim into the yard, while the bikers “shot off”.

“The yard manager thought he was a goner when she saw him,” Peri said. “The vet was amazed too; she thought he’d be worse but it’s only surface wounds to his back legs, and bruising.”

Warning, graphic image

Peri reported the matter to North Yorkshire Police and officers are investigating. And although she has been told her horse should not suffer any long-term physical effects, she believes the psychological damage may have been done.

“He’s a rescue who I got from the RSPCA and it’s taken me years to get him confident on the roads – that’s the end of that,” she said.

“For them to keep coming after us when I’d been underneath him and he’d fallen twice – it was like it gave them more of a thrill the worse it got.

“I want to raise awareness, in riders but also to let the bikers know how serious it could have been, to make them realise what they’ve done, and the damage they could have caused.”

CCTV images of the bikers have been shared on social media, and Peri hopes this might help bring them to justice.

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“I think what we want to do is raise awareness so we can help the police progress this case in the right way,” she said.

“It would be great if there was a positive outcome from the community all working together, which it feels like the social media campaign has started. Rather than getting frustrated that there is a group causing dangerous, anti-social behaviour all over the area and getting away with it again and again.”

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said it is thought the group may have travelled from the Bradford area, having been sighted in Queensbury at around 1.30pm. It is believed they then headed towards Keighley, going through Laycock and Sutton-in-Craven to Crosshills, before going towards Draughton where the incident occurred, at about 3.50pm.

Following the incident it is thought they travelled back to the Bradford area via Addingham and Ilkley.

The spokesman added: “This was a serious incident, which could have resulted in life-changing injury to the rider and horse. Any photographs, videos, dashcam, CCTV footage or information that could help identify this group would be gratefully received.”

Anyone with information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference 12190053024.

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 horse who was found “mutilated” in its field had to be put down, after a number of reports of sheep being deliberately injured and killed in the same area.

The attack on the horse, who was turned out in a field near Newport, Shropshire, was reported to West Mercia Police at just after 5.30pm on Friday, 15 March.

“The mutilation of a dressage horse in a field at Tibberton was reported,” a spokesman for the force said.

“A vet said that the horse could not have injured itself and sadly, the animal had to be put to sleep due to injuries sustained.

“There have been recent reports in Shropshire and in Warwickshire of sheep in fields being mutilated and slaughtered.”

The spokesman urged locals to “remain vigilant around your area and report suspicious persons, vehicles or activity to the police”.

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West Mercia Police told H&H the force is making enquiries into the incident, asking anyone with information to call officers on 101, quoting incident number 557s of March 15.

Information can also be given to Crimestoppers, in confidence, by calling 0800 555111 or visiting the service’s website.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday. The current edition (21 March) is our eventing special, including an interview with British event rider Gemma Tattersall, how to get the best out of your cross-country schooling and much more. In this week’s vet clinic, we explore why rest days are vital for horses, plus we speak to top showjumper William Whitaker, and check out our full 12-page report from the Cheltenham Festival, including expert analysis, comments and pictures.

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 family of a young rider who died last year have set up a trust in his memory to help others “achieve their Everest”.

George Crawford (pictured, below), 20, passed away in October after he was hit by a car while walking back to his university halls at Harper Adams.

The Crawford family has founded the George Crawford Legacy Trust, which is supporting many causes including the Riding for the Disabled Association and the Injured Jockeys Fund.

George’s father, Cameron Crawford, told H&H they want it to help individuals, as well as recognised charities, with bursaries for those who need help to achieve their passion — whether that is music, sport, art or riding.

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“That is the type of person George was, always helping out,” said Mr Crawford. “We wanted to reflect this and along with supporting recognised charities, we want to help individuals get to their Everest.

“We want this to be a lasting legacy that will hopefully be there for years to come.”

The trust has already bought a pony for its local RDA group with the proceeds raised so far.

Fundraisers planned for this year include a cycle from the family’s farm in the Scottish borders to Harper Adams on 2 to 5 June, plus a gala at the end of the season.

George’s horse Cryptonite is also on course to make his Badminton debut in May with fellow first-timer Emily Parker and will be running in the livery of the trust, which will be printed on her eye-catching cross-country colours.

Mr Crawford said they are hoping to bring some other riders on board to help raise the trust’s profile.

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Bought out of a field in Ireland via Greg Kinsella, the horse was initially evented by Cameron, with the plan that George would take over the reins.

But after a fall at Belsay in 2015, the ride went to Emily who has taken him up through the levels over the past four years.

“He is not your classic looking event horse — he makes Ben Hobday’s Harelaw Wizard [a 16.3hh part-bred Clydesdale] look small,” said Cameron.

“He is a dude, all he wants to do is please you and he doesn’t understand the word ‘no’.”

Emily and Cryptonite finished second at Ballindenisk CCI3* (now CCI4*-L) in September and are heading to Belton this weekend following a good opening run for the season in the advanced intermediate at Lincoln (15 March).

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