1. Horse put down after hot air balloons flew over
The owner of a horse who had to be put down after he was panicked by low-flying hot air balloons says she has lost her best friend – as well as thousands of pounds. Andrea Cox spent months rehabbing her 17-year-old gelding Taffechan Dafydd after he broke his pedal bone during flights held in place of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta (BIBF) in August 2021, but his condition worsened and she had to have him put down.
2. Horse jumps 1.35m oxer as wind takes the whole obstacle down
The weather on the Andalucia Sunshine Tour in Spain didn’t live up to its billing when strong winds kept competitors and organisers on their toes during the day’s showjumping classes. But it was British rider Will Walker who bore the brunt of a particularly strong rogue gust of wind while jumping a CSI4* 1.35m two-phase class with the 11-year-old gelding Ustino.
“A few jumps had been blowing over and I’d joked beforehand, ‘As long as it doesn’t happen as you’re coming towards a fence…’ and that’s literally what happened!” says Will.
A vet who kicked and swore at a horse who had kicked him has been reprimanded and given a formal warning after he made “heartfelt apologies” for his behaviour.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) disciplinary committee has published its findings and sanctions in relation to equine vet Samuel Hutton, a sole practitioner as Sheffield-based Hutton Equine Limited, and an incident in February 2021.
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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.
