Path to Paris 2024
A raft of top British and international riders have headed to the Netherlands this week as the road to the Paris 2024 Olympics hots up. Kronenberg (20 to 24 March) features long- and short-format four-stars among its classes, which is noteworthy because of the qualification criteria for Paris 2024. Tom McEwen (pictured, top), David Doel, Tim Price, Astier Nicolas and Chris Burton are among the top riders competing this week.
Horses behind the vertical earning higher marks
A new study has found that dressage horses at the top of the sport were more likely to be marked higher if they were behind the vertical. The research, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, considered head-neck positions (HNPs) and “conflict behaviour” in horses competing in the grand prix special at CDI5*s in 2018 and 2019. Kathrin Kienapfel, of the equine research group at the Swiss national stud, led the investigation. Researchers analysed angles of the poll, nasal plane and shoulders, as well as tail-swishing and “unusual oral behaviour” in the warm-up and the arena. They found that horses with noselines held further behind the vertical tended to receive higher scores. “The result implies that there might be concerns related to animal welfare and rule compliance. The observed HNPs used by world-class riders in this study appear to contradict the established rules, yet these deviations are not penalised by the judges during competitions,” states the study’s conclusion.
Read more on the study including reaction to its findings
Davy Russell reflects on Cheltenham
Retired top jockey Davy Russell shares his thoughts on the 2024 Cheltenham Festival and slams negativity surrounding jump racing. In his exclusive H&H column this week, Davy reflects on some of the brilliant performances and atmosphere at Prestbury Park, and suggests why throwing “more money at the top end” of the sport “is not the right way” to set right the Irish-British equilibrium. “If you throw money at the top end of racing, then the bottom end is going to fall under because no matter what walk of life you’re in, the foundations have to be built from the bottom. Everybody knows they’re not going to get rich from racing, but what they’d like is for it not to cost as much,” says Davy.
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