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
Yesterday (24 March) the independent disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority met to consider whether Sir Mark Todd breached a rule by engaging in “conduct prejudicial to the good reputation of horseracing” by striking a horse multiple times with a tree branch on 29 August 2020. In February Mark was issued an interim suspension by the BHA and is currently unable to race in Britain or abroad, while investigations into the incident continue.
Contessa Riding Centre has announced it will close its doors for the final time on 31 March. The Hertfordshire centre was founded in 1977 by Tina and the late Sheila Layton and has welcomed hundreds of riders through its doors. In 2020 the centre announced plans to scale back owing to the pandemic and reduced its horse numbers to 11, but Tina said it was now the right time to close. A lecture demo and end of era party is being held on 26 March to celebrate the centre’s 45 years.
With spring in the air, why not take to the garden and grow your own tasty horse treats? From cleavers to mint, there is something to tickle every horse’s appetite – and you don’t need to be an expert gardener to get involved. Check out our guide on some of the things that can be grown at home.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
