1. Eventing star who came back against the odds has now died
Upsilon, the superstar stallion described by his rider as “our waking dream” has been put down aged 15. Tom Carlile, who co-owned the Canturo grey and evented him to international success including two Barbury wins, said “every horseman’s dream is to one day cross the path of such a horse”.
Upsilon won nine times internationally and was second in the seven-year-old World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers. In 2019, he became critically ill, “fighting like a lion against an undetectable evil”.
Upsilon spent nearly a year in and out of veterinary hospitals, until a human doctor suggested what might ail him and proposed a treatment that saved his life. By November 2020, Upsilon was back in work, happy and comfortable. Tom told H&H at the time it was everything to see his horse happy; whether or not he evented again was not important.
But this week, Tom said that “the injustice of life has returned to strike you without warning”.
Find out more about this incredible stallion
2. An 18.3hh dressage horse
Ireland’s Lily Kelly scooped her first Petplan Equine Area Festival final title with the towering “gentle giant” High Boy Van De C on the opening day (19 April) at the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships at Hartpury.
The Hartpury University undergraduate topped the prix st georges silver class on a score of 69.46% with her “best test to date” aboard the 11-year-old Jazz son.
“He’s 18.3hh – he’s big, but he’s been really good for my riding, he’s taught me so much. I forget about his height when I’m on him, but getting on at a show is a bit difficult!”
Read all about this gentle giant
Lily Kelly and High Boy Van De C
3. New opportunity at HOYS
The organisers of the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) have revealed that ponies of hunter type can now compete in the HOYS part-bred pony of the year class.
Grandstand Media announced a change to the rule book which now permits riders to wear tweed jackets and ponies to wear plain tack in HOYS part-bred pony qualifiers and at the final.
In a statement, Grandstand said: “In recent years, the class has specified that animals must be exhibited in coloured browbands and riders must wear a dark coloured jacket. It was felt that this restricted many animals that would be eligible to compete under the part-bred ruling but would not naturally ‘fit’ into the tack/dress stipulated.
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