A showjumping clone, reining boosting dressage and other things the horse world is talking about

The late showjumping stallion Pacino has been cloned, as Clem MacHon is pictured with the now three-year-old clone, Pacino II — (Image credit: Damien Eagers/The Irish Field)

A cloned superstar

A clone of the late showjumping stallion Pacino is a “carbon copy” of the original horse, his owner says, as he turns three this year. H&H spoke to Clem McMahon, who bought Diamant De Semilly stallion Pacino as a three-year-old and enjoyed huge success for Ireland. But Pacino became ill and died aged nine, a decade ago. Clem now has Pacino II, and he says the similarities between them are “uncanny”.

An unorthodox training regime has helped propel Dutch dressage rider Dinja van Liere into the big time. Dinja and Hartsuijker won the grand prix at the Commercial Bank CDI Al Shaqab last weekend, on 75.15%. For the past four years, Dinja has been training with reining champion Rieky Young, which is an unusual path for an elite dressage rider. However, the two disciplines have an alliance, especially in the Netherlands – Anky van Grunsven switched to reining after retiring from international dressage.

In his H&H column this week, former top showjumper Graham Fletcher proposes possible new approaches to tackle the issues experienced by riders and horse travelling to the continent since Brexit. “While I appreciate the efforts being made, I believe we need a fresh approach to solving this problem – my point being that international competition horses should be treated differently from general goods and livestock,” Graham says.

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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.

A showjumping clone, reining boosting dressage and other things the horse world is talking about

A cloned superstar

It’s reining men

Post-Brexit travel issues

You might also be interested in:

‘A carbon copy of the original’: clone of top showjumper revealed

How reining trainer helped dressage rider win at grand prix

Graham Fletcher: ‘We need a fresh approach to tackle this problem’

A cloned superstar

It’s reining men

Post-Brexit travel issues

You might also be interested in:

‘A carbon copy of the original’: clone of top showjumper revealed

How reining trainer helped dressage rider win at grand prix

Graham Fletcher: ‘We need a fresh approach to tackle this problem’

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