The Agria Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) is well underway at Hickstead and H&H is bringing readers all the news as it happens. Stories so far include Hickstead debutante Gabriella Douglas winning the winter JC championship on a pony who “wasn’t bred” to showjump, and a diminutive star beating his bigger rivals to be crowned Enablelink supreme show hunter pony champion (pictured, top). Looking ahead to tomorrow, all eyes will be on the showjumping Nations Cup and whether Britain can land a home victory for a third consecutive year.
A teenager saved the lives of four horses after a neighbouring barn caught fire. Blanka Bodi and her mother, Réka Lestyán, were travelling home from a show when Réka spotted smoke. Réka called the fire service as the pair rushed over to help. The panicked onlookers and Réka carried as much water as they could to try and prevent the fire from spreading. The horses were in stables metres away from the barn, and Blanka led each one to safety. “I just wanted to save them and help them get to safety,” said Blanka.
Graham Fletcher celebrates the “fantastic European Championships” in his exclusive H&H column this week. “Brilliant courses by Santiago Varela tested the utter concentration of riders as well as the total athleticism and scope of the horses throughout the competition,” says Graham, as he reflects on the 2025 showjumping Europeans. “Full marks to Spain and A Coruña for providing the backdrop, facilities and top-class going to produce such a spectacle.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
