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A top horse changes riders and other things the horse world is talking about

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

  • Changing reins

    Mount St John Freestyle, the mare who Charlotte Dujardin partnered to two world medals and countless international wins, has joined top Danish rider Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour as a Paris 2024 prospect. A half-share in the 14-year-old has been bought by the joint company Cathrine has with her long-term supporters the Zinglersen family. Cathrine, who led the Danish team to world gold in 2022, said the first minute she sat on the mare, “we clicked”.

    “To me, it is a dream come true”

    Fellers jailed

    Top US showjumper and coach Rich Fellers has been jailed for sexually abusing an underage girl who was his student. The 63-year-old, who represented the States at the 2012 Olympics, was sentenced on 12 October, to 50 months in a federal prison, and five years’ supervised release. In a statement, the District of Oregon US Attorney’s office said: “According to court documents, from late 2019 until the summer of 2020, Fellers maintained an intimate sexual relationship with a minor female equestrian student who he had been coaching since the student was 14 years old.”

    Read more

    Top horse bows out

    The wonderful National Hunt mare Snow Leopardess has been retired from racing. The 11-year-old grey, who was trained by Charlie Longsdon throughout her career, clocking almost £250,000 in the process, will go to stud. “She’s retired now, she’s back home and she just didn’t owe us anything,” Charlie said to Racing TV. “She had a few soundness issues at the end but she’s just been the most amazing servant.” Snow Leopardess is owned by the Fox-Pitt family and is a fifth-generation home-bred, having been bred by William Fox-Pitt’s mother, Marietta Fox-Pitt.

    Read more about this super mare

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