A tiny rider who at five is thought to be the youngest ever to have competed at the British Riding Clubs (BRC) winter novice championships did herself and her pony proud – and wants to do it again. Henrietta Henton and 12hh Winneydene Countryman (Frank) qualified to represent Saxon Dressage Group and BRC area nine at Arena UK last weekend. “We were astonished and thrilled when she qualified and we had the opportunity to go to the national championships,” Henritetta’s mother Laura said. “We did wonder as it’s such a big occasion but had a lot of encouragement from BRC, who said ‘You’ve qualified, come and enjoy it’, so we did.”
In his H&H column this week, five-time Burghley winner Andrew Nicholson says the start of this eventing season has been far from ideal. “While the 2023 eventing season is officially under way, it has been beset by so many problems that I rather feel we should press “stop” and then start again,” he wrote. “The weather is what it is and nobody can sort that out – it will do that itself in time. There are man-made issues, however, that do need resolving.”
The 2023 World Cup final has kicked off, with three days of action to go. Among the top riders battling it out in Omaha is 51-year-old World Cup debutant Phillip Steiner of New Zealand, who bought his first piny with the proceeds of 10 calves he had reared.
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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.
