The severity and damage of the heatwave-related wildfires that swept chunks of Britain earlier this week was put into context on Wednesday, when the London Fire Brigade revealed it had recorded its “busiest day since World War II”. The National Racing College in Yorkshire was among the equestrian businesses directly affected, and a number of yards were evacuated. The picture on continental Europe is also alarming. Southwest France is one of the regions that has been badly affected with tens of thousands of people forced to leave their homes. La Teste-de-Buch racecourse is a major training base in the area. Hundreds of horses usually based there have been moved, and the racecourse is acting as a base for firefighters.
A new partnership between British racing’s aftercare charity Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and specialist racehorse retraining centre HEROS is hoped to act as a “safety net” for horses ending their careers on the track. The move will support horses on their first step out of the racing industry. “This is about providing a safe space for thoroughbreds that may need additional support via an industry-backed organisation with first-class experience and facilities,” said the racing industry’s Horse Welfare Board chairman Barry Johnson.
Piggy March (neé French) and Vanir Kamira on their way to winning Badminton 2019.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Badminton and multiple medal-winning event rider Piggy March reflects on negativity on social media, why the equestrian world needs to pull together and the power of the horse-human partnership, in her exclusive H&H column this week. “Being with horses makes us better people – they bring out the best in us, as well as us bringing out the best in them – and it’s so much fun,” says Piggy. “Social media makes the horse world so visible and we need to avoid fighting among ourselves – we must club together.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
