Rescuers came to the aid of a mare who had got herself “well and truly stuck” in barbed wire fencing. The RSPCA and firefighters worked together to free the mare from the wire, which was tangled round her leg, and then hoist her to safety. The mare sustained a wound on one of her back legs and a vet was contacted to check her over. “Her owner arrived shortly afterwards so I was able to reunite her with her owner and her horse friends in the field.” said RSPCA inspector Suzanne Edgar. “I also gave the owner some advice about ensuring the fences in the area are maintained to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
Andrew Kocher riding Navalo De Poheton in the 2018 Hickstead Derby.
(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)
The decision to ban top US rider Andy Kocher for 10 years, for repeated and prolonged use of electric spurs, has been upheld, showing that “there is no room for leniency when it comes to cases of horse abuse”. In 2021, the FEI Tribunal ruled that the American showjumper be suspended until 27 October 2030, fined 10,000 francs and ordered to pay 7,500 francs in costs. Andy said at the time he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). CAS has now upheld the FEI Tribunal’s decision after the panel considered “some 77” photographs, stills and videos “showing the appellant’s use of what plainly appears to be an electric spur device of the type produced at the hearings and described by the witnesses called by the FEI”.
Have you ever dreamed of owning your own equestrian centre? Now’s your chance, as The Grange Equestrian Centre in Devon has gone on the market. The site, which hosts a range of competitions including British Dressage and British Showjumping, is located away from the house and accessed separately into a car park and turning area, which can accommodate more than 500 cars. The accommodation comprises four bedrooms, a family kitchen/breakfast room with views over the garden and the outdoor arena, a drawing room, dining room/study, a conservatory and various utility rooms.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
