A rider who credits a body protector for saving her life in a horse fall while showjumping, has secured a £100,000 funding for a “flexible, yet incredibly supportive” new design. Esmerelda Bright is the founder of Armaros, which has developed flexible “body armour” for riders and secured the six-figure backing from the British Design Fund. “When I started asking fellow riders about their experiences, I quickly found that most riders don’t wear one because they find them incredibly stiff and restrictive. That was a lightbulb moment for me,” she said.
2. Rachael Blackmore heads the runners for BBC World Sports Star of the Year Award
The history-making 2021 Grand National winner is favourite to add the World Sports Star of the Year title to her CV at the 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. The Irish jockey’s monumental achievements in the saddle this year include six Cheltenham Festival victories, featuring the Champion Hurdle among the five Grade Ones she won, earning her the leading jockey title at the fixture. Voting closes at 1pm on Tuesday (14 December) and the winner will be revealed live on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show on Sunday, 19 December. The shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2021 will also be announced on Tuesday (14 December)
Rachael Blackmore, pictured after her Grand National win, is in the running for the World Sports Star accolade at the 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
The story of four morbidly obese ponies has highlighted an “often overlooked” welfare concern. World Horse Welfare took in the ponies, whose owner was struggling to look after them following the death of her partner, their main carer. The ponies underwent months of gradual weight loss, rehabilitation and learning basic handling and manners, and have a bright future ahead. The charity’s Belwade Farm centre manager Eileen Gillen said that in many ways, it is harder to deal with overweight than underweight horses. “It’s a real testament to the teams here that these ponies came round so quickly [to being handled] and accepted handling and learned manners, making it easier for us to help them, but also ensuring that they have a future,” she said.
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
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.
