British medals, 10 sudden deaths plus other things the horse world is talking about

1. A young British rider makes history

Annabella Pidgley has become the first British rider to win an individual medal at the European Dressage Championships for Young Riders – by claiming double gold in Hungary over the weekend (15-16 July). The 18-year-old rode her mother Sarah’s nine-year-old Escolar mare Espe to two huge personal best scores as they secured both the individual and freestyle gold medals.

Find out how the rest of the British squad fared

2. 10 unexplained horse deaths

Australian authorities are working with vets to investigate multiple sudden equine deaths on separate premises this month. Since 4 July, 10 horses’ deaths have been confirmed, on separate properties, on the Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, and Victoria. The state’s chief veterinary officer Graeme Cook said an investigation is under way; the horses died quickly after “short-term non-specific signs of illness”.

Learn more about the investigation

3. Licensing for livery yards?

Licences for livery yards could be on the cards for Scotland – as a public consultation is launched. It is proposed that a future statutory licensing scheme for livery providers would require anyone offering livery to undergo an inspection by the licensing authority before any licence is granted. These would be for one to three years; and an online register of those who held them would be published.

Learn more about the public consultation

You may also be interested in:

British and Irish future stars deliver fistful of medals at European Championships

‘He inspires me every day’: eight-year-old diagnosed with bone cancer to ride at national championships

Medal counts, stable names and quirks – what you need to know about the British squad for the Eventing Europeans

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Carol Phillips

H&H website editor

Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.