Paris Olympic gold medallist retires
Romeo 88, the Olympic gold medal-winning ride of Britain’s Harry Charles, has bowed out of competition and will spend his retirement with stablemate Balou De Reventon. “They’ve been great friends all their lives; they’ll know each other instantly,” said Harry’s father, Peter Charles. “He’ll hack around and go in the field, and do exactly what he wants to do.” Ann Thompson’s gelding and Harry represented Britain at two Olympic Games, including Paris 2024 where they won team gold. They also finished fourth in the 2022 World Cup Final, were part of the bronze medal-winning side at the World Championships the same year and secured podium places in top grands prix.
Defining ethical training
The FEI has suggested a definition for ethical training, as work continues on creating a framework for horses in all its disciplines. The wording proposed at the FEI Sports Forum (31 March to 1 April) defines an ethical training method as one that minimised negative welfare effects and maximises positive, and results in self-carriage without physical force. The newly appointed FEI Equine Advisory Welfare Group is overseeing the action plan, and working with the FEI’s ethical training methods expert consultative group. “The objective of our project is to formulate a globally applicable framework, and our main goal is to define ethical training and its principles, but also to identify acceptable practices that are supported by both science and expert consensus, which is super-important,” said Malin Axel-Nilsson, a researcher and member of the welfare group.
City riding stables’ plea
Park Palace Ponies, a charity city riding stables in Liverpool, is appealing for help to avoid “imminent closure or the sale of ponies at the end of April”. Rising costs and decreasing income mean its future is under threat. “While lessons are much in demand, we must keep our lesson prices low. We want to be a riding school for the community, to dispel the myth that horse riding is only for those who can afford it. There is nowhere else in Liverpool city centre that offers riding lessons like ours,” said trustee Karen Scott. “Our plans are to apply for funding and partnerships that will make Park Palace Ponies a more sustainable charity and we have developed a business plan with the help of Sport England. But we just need time to enable us to get going and ‘keep the lights on’ in the meantime.”
- To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
You may also be interested in:
‘We’re delighted to bring loyal readers this benefit’: H&H magazine subscribers get free website access
‘Looking forward to my next life chapter’: record-breaking jockey announces retirement and pregnancy
‘This is our fight’: rallying call as Government pushes on towards trail-hunting ban
