It’s not often you see a horse appearing to be waiting to board a train but that’s what passengers in Sydney, Australia, encountered last week. CCTV caught the equine passenger entering Warwick Farm railway station just before midnight on 5 April. It wandered up and down the platform then as a train pulled in – drivers had been warned to be on the alert and travel slowly – it “patiently waited for it to stop”.
As the first two CCI5* events of 2024 approach rapidly, there have been changes to the entry lists for the Mars Badminton Horse Trials and the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, with title contenders withdrawing and wait-listed entries accepted. Ros Canter has withdrawn her own and Alex Moody’s Izilot DHI from Kentucky to target Badminton, so British fans will have a chance to see the pair in action. Gemma Stevens has withdrawn from Badminton on Chris Stone’s Jalapeno, who finished sixth there last year.
Police Horse Blaise, of the Avon and Somerset Police mounted branch, has died after a sudden bout of colic. The 15-year-old, who had been with the force for six years, could not be saved despite vets’ best efforts. The force paid tribute to a “cheeky” but “brilliant” member of the team, who was steadfast and brave in his work. He was on duty during the 2021 Bristol riots, after which the Avon and Somerset Police mounted section was honoured in 2021 with the first ever Police Horse and Officer Action of the Year award, presented on the last night of the Horse of the Year Show that October.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
