Sir Mark Todd with Dusk Till Dawn (potential Tokyo 2020 horse) at Badgerstown, his stables in the village of Foxhill near Swindon in Wiltshire in the UK on the 26th February 2017
Following a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) disciplinary hearing last week (14 April), the former Olympic eventing champion turned Flat trainer was given a four-month suspension, with two months of that deferred for two months, after he “accepted” he had breached a rule by engaging in “conduct prejudicial to the good reputation of horseracing” by striking a horse with a tree branch on 29 August 2020. The decision allowed him to resume training immediately. Mark told H&H he was “really looking forward to putting this all behind him”, saying: “It’s been a very tough two months, particularly on my family and myself. I would also like to express huge thanks to my family and my staff, and especially the owners who have supported me and stayed with me through all this, and also to the many people who have sent messages and letters of support throughout the period.”
Charlotte Dujardin claims the Horselight medium gold on Times Kismet at the Winter Dressage Championships.
(Image credit: KEVIN SPARROW)
The most talented up-and-coming dressage horses and riders in Britain across the levels have been in action at Hartpury for the 2022 NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships and the Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships. The show has been packed with fantastic stories of triumph over adversity and brilliant stories of success from prelim to small tour, including a hat-trick of titles for Becky Moody and Charlotte Dujardin, so make sure you haven’t missed a moment with our online coverage.
Twenty-year-old Jack Whitaker has taken over the reins of 13-year-old stallion Arena UK Winston, who has been a top ride for his cousin Ellen Whitaker for the past seven years. The pair made their debut in Leipzig, where they jumped round for just four faults in the CSI3* grand prix. Although Ellen has described Winston as “very easy to ride for a big [17.2hh] stallion”, she admits that there have been occasions when she has “struggled” and “felt over-horsed,” so it will be interesting to see what the future hold for this new partnership.
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.
