Tim Stockdale’s former top ride Fresh Direct Corlato is due to have a foal by Rebecca Stones’ stallion Peppermill as a result of an embryo transfer pregnancy set up after the mare won a British Equestrian Federation prize.

Peppermill was on the 2008 British Olympic team with John Whitaker, but was unable to compete after missing the first round due to stiffness and then not being eligible to compete in the second round.

After making a successful return to competition, he was ruled out of London 2012 with a tendon injury last December.

Fresh Direct Corlato was the highest-placed British horse at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with Tim Stockdale. But the mare was retired in 2010 due to a tendon injury sustained at Calgary in September 2009.

On 11 July she gave birth to her first foal – a colt by Quainton Quirifino Z.

Peppermill’s semen is now available fresh and chilled, having previously only been available frozen.

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (21 June 2012)

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Peppermill, John Whitaker‘s top horse, looks set to be out for at least a year with a tendon injury.

The 14-year-old, who suffered a tendon injury last year, has damaged the opposite foreleg this time.

Peppermill, who is owned by Rebecca Stones, returned to competition in June after nearly a year out due to injury. In November John and Peppermill won the grand prix in Munich.

But despite Peppermill’s setback John is still aiming at the Olympics – with Argento.

“I don’t think there is a realistic chance of Peppermill going to the Olympics,” said John.

“If you’d asked me this time last year whether Argento would be ready for the Olympics I’d have said no. But the way he’s improved, I’m more inclined to say yes.

“He picked up a small injury at the end of the summer, so we’re giving him a bit longer off to give him a chance and see how he progresses next year.”

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Britain finished a disappointing eighth in the Meydan FEI Nations Cup in Aachen, Germany yesterday. This drops Britain to fourth place on the leaderboard with two rounds of the series left to go.

In a similar situation to the bout of azoturia suffered by Rebecca Stones’ Peppermill at the 2008 Olympics, the stallion tied up after jumping in the first round for John Whitaker, and failed to make an appearance in round two.

“He was a bit tied up, it wasn’t as bad as in Hong Kong, but similar,” said John, “but he is much better this morning, pretty much perfect in fact.”

In their regular anchor position and displaying their customary exuberant, big-jumping style, the pair had produced a vital jumping clear, albeit marked with one time fault, to lift Britain out of the danger cut-off zone to make the second round.

However, without their contribution in round two and down to three riders, Britain dropped to eighth.

“He [Peppermill] doesn’t get wound up for the big occasion, but I think he sometimes puts pressure on himself with the way he jumps [extravagantly],” said John, who is unsure whether he will jump the stallion again this weekend.

“I was relying on our performance in the Nations Cup to qualify for the grand prix, and to qualify you had to jump in both rounds. I’ll know more later today, but I don’t think I will be in [the grand prix].”

Ireland’s quartet scored a superb victory in the Nations Cup with two double clears from Dermott Lenoon and Cian O’Connor.

The next round of the competition will be at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead on Friday 30 July.

For full report and comment, don’t miss next week’s H&H, on sale 22 July

Nations Cup results

1. IRELAND, 4 (Tinka’s Serenade (B Twomey) 4/0; Hallmark Elite (D Lennon) 0/0; K Club Lady (C O’Connor) 0/0; Lantinus (D Lynch) 5/DNS)

2. GERMANY, 9 (Cash (M Kutscher) 0/4; Cellagon Lambrasco (J-F Meyer) 4/1; Gotha (L Beerbaum) 18/0; Plot Blue (M Ehning) 0/DNS)

3. USA, 12 (Quick Study (L Hough) 0/4; Skara Glen’s Davos (C King) 0/4; Tristan (N Simpson) 4/0; Cedric (L Kraut) 4/4)

=4. SWITZERLAND AND FRANCE, 16

6. THE NETHERLANDS, 24

7. SWEDEN, 31

8. GREAT BRITAIN, 35 (Murka’s Pom D’Ami (P Charles) 4/5; Chamberlain Z (D McPherson) 4/17; Intertoy Z (S Brash) 25/4; Peppermill (J Whitaker) 1/DNS

9. POLAND, 17 (first round)

10. SPAIN, 18 (first round)

Points leaderboard after 6 rounds

1. France – 43.5

2. USA – 31.5

3. Ireland – 28.5

4. Great Britain – 28.5

5. Germany – 28.5

6. Spain – 21.5

7. Netherlands – 17.0

8. Switzerland – 15.0

9. Sweden – 14.0

10. Poland – 0

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John Whitaker has confirmed his withdrawal from the Global Champions Tour (GCT) Final in Doha next month.

John, one of Britain’s top show jumpers, broke his ankle at the weekend falling from top ride Peppermill.

John fell from the stallion during the early stages of Assen CSI*** in The Netherlands last weekend — Peppermill’s return to international competition following a break through injury.

Global Champions Tour organisers have not yet confirmed which rider will be invited to take John’s place in the final in Qatar, 11-14 November.

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Top British show jumper John Whitaker will be sidelined for weeks after breaking his ankle in a fall at the weekend.

John was taken to hospital after falling from Peppermill at the Assen CSI*** in The Netherlands on Saturday. The pair were competing in a 1.45m two-phase, but Peppermill jumped John off over a fence in the first phase.

He has a badly broken and dislocated ankle which required an operation.

Released from hospital, John was back at the show on Sunday and making arrangements to travel home.

The three-day meeting at Aintree the previous week had marked the return to competition for Peppermill. Becky Stone’s 12-year-old stallion had a five-month break due to injury — and Assen marked his comeback to the international stage.

Despite the fall, John reported Peppermill was unscathed.

“Peppermill’s fine” he said, “He’s fit but I’m lame.”

John Whitaker and Becky hoped to take him to next month’s Global Champions Tour in Doha.

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John Whitaker and Peppermill have not been allowed to compete for the British team in today’s second round of the Olympic team jumping competition in Hong Kong.

Following the horse’s withdrawal from the first round, due to the horse having come out of the stable extremely stiff, the British team requested that the horse be allowed to run today. The ground jury agreed.

However, 7 out of the 9 teams competing today — only Germany abstained — lodged a protest. The ground jury upheld its original decision to allow Peppermill to run.

The 7 nations then launched a formal appeal to the appeal committee. The appeal committee decided that the horse was not eligible to compete.

Had he just been cantered through the start in the first round, he would have been eligible, but the team decided it was neither in the horse’s nor the sport’s interest to do that.

Article 264.4 in the Rules for Jumping Events (nations cups) states:

4.1 A full Nations Cup team comprises four competitors, each riding the same horse throughout the competition. All members of each team must take part in the first round, except as stated in paragraph 4.2 below and in apragraph 7.2.

4.2 If a team, comprising four competitors, cannot improve its placing in the first or second round after its third competitor has completed his course, the fourth competitor may be withdrawn.

Because they have not competed in the team competition, John and Peppermill will not be eligible for the individual competition.

Stay in touch with all the Olympic show jumping news from Hong Kong on Horseandhound.co.uk

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Britain is well in the hunt in the team show jumping competition in Hong Kong, lying in equal fourth place after the first round.

They are on 16 faults with Canada behind Sweden (13), but the team is down to three men after the shock non-appearance of John Whitaker and Peppermill.

Team manager Derek Ricketts reported the stallion to have emerged from the stable in the morning in a very stiff state.

“We don’t know what happened,” said Derek.

“It’s almost as though he’s tied up, though that isn’t necessarily the problem. We’ve been working on him all day with physios, and even had him out in the break this evening, but we can’t risk a horse like this.

“It’s a terrible blow, but I couldn’t be happier with the way the others are jumping.”

The American team is on target to defend their gold medal, despite Beezie Madden’s Authentic stopping. The US is tying for the lead with Switzerland on 12 faults after an exciting first round.

As predicted, the test was been vastly increased, the course containing twists and turns, the requirement to go forward and then hold, plus a number of light poles and confusing looking fences.

The water at 4, preceded by a difficult curving line on six, seven or even eight strides, is the most influential fence.

Nick Skelton rode a masterful round on Russel but just touched the tape in the water before clocking another four faults at the oxer at 8.

“I wanted him to go on at the water but he wouldn’t and when I wanted him to hold at the oxer he wanted to go on!” said Nick.

Tim Stockdale and Ben Maher both produced excellent four-fault rounds, their horses both jumping brilliantly.

“The others told me to go slowly into the treble, and Rolette spooked a little in the middle — I’ve never felt her jump like it!” reported Ben.

“The water didn’t suit her because she’s a big horse. It was a big push early in the course and I think it unsettled her.”

Germany has just scraped into the second round, and is lying in joint eighth with Australia.

The USA’s McLain Ward on Sapphire is in jointly in the lead for the individual qualifier, with Canada’s Eric Lamaze on Hickstead.

There were seven clear rounds, including for World champion Jos Lansink, Ireland’s sole contender, Denis Lynch, and defending champion Rodrigo Pessoa, but there was considerable chaos among early riders, who tended to average a score of around 24.

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