The equestrian community is rallying to help owners of horses in Ukraine as the situation worsens in the country day by day. There are warnings that stables have run desperately low of feed and haylage. The Ukrainian Equestrian Federation (UEF) Charity Foundation has made it possible for those in the UK to buy feed from certain retailers to be sent to an address in Poland from which it will be taken to those stables in Ukraine with the most urgently reported need. Transport is planned for Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
A groom who spent years earning £200 for working +70-hour weeks in breach of employment law in a top competition yard said she is not surprised by staff shortages. She said she spent four and a half years working for an eventer. She was not on the books, didn’t have regular days off, holiday pay, a contract or other legal requirements. “It’s no wonder if competition yards can’t get anyone,” she said. “I was paid £200 pounds a week. I got accommodation and had a horse there but I had to pay things like my wi-fi, and my horse’s hay, bedding and feed.”
Istabraq ridden by Charlie Swan on the final lap wins the Smurfit Champion hurdle
(Image credit: EMPICS Sport)
Cheltenham Festival fast approaching
As we build-up to Cheltenham Festival week, we take in some nostalgia with a look back at the career of Istabraq, the treble Champion Hurdle winner with extraordinary jumping ability who was arguably robbed of an unrivalled fourth success.
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Sarah has worked at an equestrian journalist and editor since 2004 and has held the position of Horse & Hound Editor-in-Chief since 2014. She has reported for Horse & Hound from major championships including Europeans and World Equestrian Games. She has co-written books on horses and horse sport including The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies. She has owned and ridden horses since 1993, and worked for and trained with Olympic gold medallist event rider Leslie Law prior to going to university. While studying for a BSc at London School of Economics Sarah also worked for top British dressage rider Louise Spate.
