Bureaucratic buffoonery, eventing poised to return and other things the horse world is talking about

1. Fluttering in the dovecotes

In his most recent H&H column, respected showing judge Stuart Hollings discusses new rules for 2022 and the ensuing “fluttering in the dovecotes”, adding that those involving amateurs “can at best be described as bureaucratic buffoonery”. Anyone who has operated as a professional showing producer, rider or groom will now always be deemed a professional, to which Stuart says someone joked “this was akin to being given a life sentence or acquiring a criminal record!”

Find out Stuart’s thoughts on the 2022 rulebooks

2. Leaving the start box

March is here so spring has officially arrived, even if the weather hasn’t been told yet, and so, almost, has the first event of the season. Aston-le Walls and Poplar Park Horse Trials in Suffolk kick off British Eventing’s 2022 from 5-6 March, and it looks set to be a cracking opening weekend. Poplar is running classes up to open intermediate, with top riders including Oliver Townend and Tom McEwen, Ros Canter, Piggy March, Gemma Tattersall and Pippa Funnell entered. Equine stars due to appear include Gemma’s 2018 World Equestrian Games team gold medal-winning ride Arctic Soul, now aged 19

Events we’re looking forward to this week

3. Taking over the reins

Olympic and European medal winner Gio and his new rider Annabella Pidgley made a winning start to their competitive partnership. The 17-year-old rider and “Pumpkin”, who won four medals with Charlotte Dujardin last summer, won the inter II at Onley Grounds Equestrian Complex on 26 February with 72.64%, on Annabella’s debut at that level.

Read what Annabella had to say about her win

You might also be interested in:

‘Difficult decisions need to be made’: Charlotte Dujardin’s Olympic medallist Gio changes hands

5 events we’re excited about this week: from first British Eventing fixtures to John Whitaker at the Global Champions Tour

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Eleanor Jones

H&H news editor

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.