The Princess Royal was one of nearly 300 riders who took part in a centuries-old ride through Edinburgh on Sunday 14 September – part of a celebration that marked the city’s 900th anniversary. The ride is called the Edinburgh Riding of the Marches, and originated in the 16th century as an important inspection of the city’s boundaries. It has since become a public event that attracts thousands of spectators and celebrates “civic pride, heritage and horsemanship”. We rarely see Princess Anne in the saddle these days and find readers are very enthused whenever she is seen riding in public.
Olympic event rider Sharon Hunt has been extolling the virtues of schooling without a bridle when it came to finding the key to showjumper Igor – not that we suggest anyone tries this at home without the right support. Sharon told H&H she had tried a variety of tactics to help the horse become happier in the contact, to stretch and open up his frame. She was inspired by those riding high level movements either bitless or without a bridle and doing so has resulted in a eureka moment in her schooling.
“Igor could be sluggish because he struggled to get going, and open his shoulder, then obviously he wasn’t wanting to take me forward,” she said. “And all of that has started to change within a week.”
The horse world is mourning the death of Jim Lang, described as an “eternal optimist” and influential figure in the hunting world. Jim passed away on 31 July, aged 86. He came to the Burton Hunt as whipper-in at the beginning of the 1966 season and maintained a friendship with the Lockwood family and relationship with the Burton Hunt until the day he died.
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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.
