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.
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”.
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Sarah has worked at an equestrian journalist and editor since 2004 and has held the position of Horse & Hound Editor-in-Chief since 2014. She has reported for Horse & Hound from major championships including Europeans and World Equestrian Games. She has co-written books on horses and horse sport including The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies. She has owned and ridden horses since 1993, and worked for and trained with Olympic gold medallist event rider Leslie Law prior to going to university. While studying for a BSc at London School of Economics Sarah also worked for top British dressage rider Louise Spate.
