Winter Dressage Championships
Jezz Palmer enjoyed a superb start to the 2024 NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships with a double of titles on the opening day (Wednesday, 10 April). Jezz partnered the six-year-old gelding Toddington Debut,who is owned by Martin Price, to win Bailey’s Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Gold Championship on 75.37%, then won the Magic Prix St Georges Gold Championship aboard Emily Ivins’ nine-year-old Anglo European Studbook licensed stallion Ketcher B. Dannie Morgan, who won four classes at the 2023 Winter Dressage Championships, took his tally of national titles to 15 with victory in the Spillers Medium Freestyle Gold Winter Championship aboard Kristina Rausing’s seven-year-old mare Vive La Reinne VH on day one.
Catch up on news from the 2024 Winter Dressage Championships
Princess Margaret’s riding boots
Riding boots belonging to the late Princess Margaret blew their estimate out of the water to sell for nearly £7,000 at auction this week (9 April). The brown leather boots had a pre-sale estimate of between £300 and £500, but were sold for £6,930 at the Dreweatts sale. They were auctioned as part of the private collection of Serena, Countess of Snowdon. Joe Robinson, head of house sales and collections at Dreweatts, said the company is “pleased to have had the honour of being entrusted with finding these items new homes”. “The last few years has seen a renewed interest in iconic figures, thanks to television programmes such as The Crown. This has further added to the mystique and public perception of people like Princess Margaret, who are appreciated for their sense of style, forthright manner and contribution to public life,” he added.
Find out more about the auction
A Badminton-winning rocking horse
A rocking horse made in the image of reigning Badminton and European champion Lordships Graffalo is the top prize in a fundraising draw to support the British squads at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. The “path to Paris” prize draw has been launched by British Equestrian (BEF) and the British Equestrian Federation Fund. He is made from oak, including some of the fallen tree used for the new Mars Badminton Horse Trials trophy, and features some of “Walter’s” tail hair, one of his shoes, replica tack, a 75th anniversary Badminton saddlecloth and a BEF travel rug.
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