The €4m mare, London calling and other things the horse world is talking about

1. The mare who sold for €4 million

Six-year-old mare Chyazint, by Casallco and out of Heartbreaker mare Hyacint 2, set a auction record when she was sold for €4 million (£3.39million). Chyazint’s former co-owner Paul Schockemöhle described her as “one of the best” he’s seen and said under the “expert guidance” of Swedish rider Ebba Johansson, she has developed into a “truly absolutely exceptional jumper”. Chyazint was bought by the Auerr family for the seven-figure sum.

Read more about the auction

2. The first day of the London International Horse Show

The sporting action got under way at the ExCeL yesterday (15 December). Young British star Harry Charles started the show as he “means to go on”, with a win in the Voltaire Design under-25 British Championship on the 11-year-old mare Chavira, beating his sisters Sienna and Scarlett, who were fifth and sixth respectively. He will defend his 2021 grand prix and World Cup qualifier titles at the weekend. In the World Cup dressage yesterday, second-last-to-go world champions Lottie Fry and Glamourdale stormed into the lead in the grand prix, recording a score of 84.03%. All eyes will be on the pair as they take to the centre line in the World Cup freestyle this evening.

Keep up to date with all the news from London

3. Rugging

Winter truly arrived this week in the UK with many areas recording sub-zero temperatures and dealing with snow. But as the Met Office forecasts milder temperatures returning early next week, many owners will be debating which rug to use. Horses have a much wider thermoneutral zone than humans do and research has shown a fit and healthy unclipped horse typically feels cold only when the temperature is below 0°C. But before deciding which rug to put on, all the different variables should be considered such as their level of work, feeding and stable management routines, and whether they are clipped. And if shelter is available and horses have plenty of access to forage, they still may not need to be rugged.

Check out our useful guide of when a horse is likely to need a rug

You might also be interested in:

How to watch London International Horse Show: TV guide, live streaming, free BBC coverage

‘You’ll see a lot more of her in 2023’: Harry Charles picks up where he left off at London International with ‘misunderstood’ mare

‘I have to break the news to Geoff Billington’: John Whitaker teams up with Marcus Ehning for fancy dress at London International Horse Show

‘A chain was embedded in his face’: meet the rags to riches traditional heading to London

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