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A bridleless showjumper, Gemma Owen, and other things the horse world is talking about

Horse & Hound’s daily debrief, brought to you every weekday morning
Sarah Jenkins Sarah Jenkins

    • 1. Young dressage rider Gemma Owen’s return to competition after Love Isand

    Gemma Owen has wasted no time in getting back out competing since her summer on ITV’s Love Island. Riding the 17-year-old gelding Sirius Black III, Gemma has already managed to get three shows under her belt and has won at all three at prix st georges. “It’s been nice to get back out competing and doing something I love with a bit of normality,” she said.

    Read more from Gemma

    2. The showjumper who finished fourth with no bridle

    There were dramatic scenes at the CHI Geneva horse show on Saturday night when Irish rider Conor Swail’s brilliant gelding Vital Chance De La Roque lost his bridle.

    The pair had completed a scorching round in the five-star class when the gelding threw in a mighty buck to celebrate, as he always does. The bridle came clean off. As Conor told H&H: “I was forward in the saddle, riding through the finish, so this time when he bucked, he threw me up his neck. I was pushing myself back to try and get back in the saddle but that was when his head suddenly came up and I just pushed the bridle right off. Then, with the bridle off, he just started to run, and I almost came off the side.”

    See this dramatic moment as it happened

    3. British Dressage’s rider weight guidance

    British Dressage (BD) has introduced guidelines on maximum rider weight for 2023 as part of its code of conduct for equine welfare. It is recommended that, from January, the maximum load carried by any equid should not exceed 20% of its total body weight “based on a horse with a ‘good’ condition score”.

    More on this story

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    Sarah Jenkins
    Sarah Jenkins

    H&H editor-in-chief
    Sarah has more than 20 years experience as an equestrian journalist and editor. She has reported from major championships including the Europeans and the World Equestrian Games. She has co-written books on equestrianism including The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies. Sarah has ridden since childhood, owned horses and ponies for over 25 years, and worked for and trained with Olympic gold medallist event rider Leslie Law prior to going to university.
    Sarah Jenkins

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