1. Who needs a rider? Horse finishes team chase without jockey
What do you do when you lose your rider early on in a team chase? You keep going regardless, and cross the finish line solo feeling pretty proud of yourself. That’s what Mo did, anyway, in the Cotswold Team Chase on 28 October, leaving his owner Emma Masters to video him finishing in style.
2. ‘Some goodbyes are harder than others’
Medal-winning Dutch team horse Long John Silver 3 has been sold to Switzerland, as part of a flurry of recent top horse moves ahead of Paris Olympics. Jur Vrieling and the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding helped their country to team silver at the 2022 World Championships and were also part of the Dutch side at that year’s Nations Cup final, and the 2023 European Championships.
The horse previously had NOP (Dutch Olympic Horse) status, which is a way in which the Netherlands helps secure horses for teams. But the contract only ran until this year’s European Championships. A statement from the Dutch federation (KNHS) said that the sale is “a loss first and foremost” for Jur, “but also for the Dutch team […] which has gratefully made use of the qualities of the powerful Holsteiner and his experienced rider in recent years”.
Read more about this lost partnership
Jur Vrieling and Long John Silver 3, pictured during the Rolex Grand Prix in Rome in May 2023.
3. A dream equestrian home
This week, we’re dreaming of moving into this beautiful home with 15 stables, arena and 30 acres in Gloucestershire…
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