1. A superstar mare delivers her first foal
Dual Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle has welcomed her first foal. The filly, by Walk in the Park, was born at 11.30pm on Good Friday (29 March). Peter Molony, racing manager to Honeysuckle’s owner Kenny Alexander said he had a “lovely welcome” on arriving to visit the mother and foal at stud in Scotland and both are reported to be “doing well”. Honeysuckle retired from racing following her victory in the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last year. The Henry de Bromhead-trained mare had 17 wins from 19 starts, all with jockey Rachael Blackmore.
2. Rising standards ahead of the Paris Olympics
Tom Woodward and Jaeger Master fly a narrow fence on the way to CCI4*-S third at Thoresby. New rules are likely to come in, penalising riders if they knock a flag at a skinny.
New Zealand eventer Andrew Nicholson has discussed the rising standards of cross-country riding in his Horse & Hound column this week. He said that “a few years ago it was the dressage that was getting better and better and now it is the cross-country” and that those countries targeting the Olympics have “upped their game”. Andrew also shares his views on the loss of “educational” events such as Gatcombe, Blair Castle, and Barbury – while praising the Tweseldown team for putting on a successful event at the end of last month with only a couple of days’ notice following the abandonment of Cirencester.
Read Andrew’s exclusive column
3. A historic home, with stables, 10 acres and wonderful gardens
If you’re in the market for a new home, look no further than College Farm in Tintinhull, Somerset. The property allows residents to enjoy village living – combined with equestrian facilities. There is a floodlit arena, six stables, a tack room, workshop, feed room and hay barn – while the Grade II-listed home has four double bedrooms and a large loft for extra accommodation, plus hamstone fireplaces and original flagstone floors.
You might also be interested in:
‘The undisputed king’: heartbreak as medal-winning horse put down after accident
‘I heard a massive splash’: horse falls into river after rider unseated
7 rugs to help protect horses who are prone to sweet itch
Gold medallists, five-star winners and Zara Tindall: 17 pictures of top pairs at Thoresby
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