1. High five for Tim Price
Current world number one Tim Price scored his fifth five-star win when he topped the Mars Maryland 5 Star in the US on Coup De Coeur Dudevin. The 10-year-old five-star first-timer never faltered as the pair jumped an assured clear round with just 0.8 of a time-fault to keep their overnight lead. Tamie Smith landed second for the home side on Ruth Bley’s Danito, who jumped beautifully aside from being lucky when he hit the blue Dubarry upright at fence eight. The pair had 0.4 of a time-fault to stay just 0.1 ahead of Britain’s Oliver Townend and As Is, who finished third.
Read what Tim had to say about his recent consistency
2. Maryland cross-country timings remain controversial
The big drop at fence 26c on the Maryland 5 Star cross-country course for 2022.
At the inaugural event in 2021, the length of Ian Stark’s cross-country course was a key talking point with 11 riders finishing inside the time. This year the start and finish of the course had been changed, as well as the route taking riders through the main arena. Prior to the cross-country getting under way, Ian explained how carefully the course had been wheeled and yet the time still felt lenient with 13 horses collecting no time-penalties on cross-country day.
Find out what riders and the designer had to say about the time
3. Using of toy cars to improve rider safety
A British Horse Society (BHS) Scalextric-style track mimicking a rural road and its hazards has gone down a storm with drivers – who compete to be the slowest to complete it. The BHS has been using the bespoke slot car track at motor shows and events this summer. Users are invited to “drive” model cars around the country road track, which features “hazards” including horses and riders, approaching the road from a bridleway and on the road, a carriage driver and cattle grids, as well as loose ponies such as those seen on Dartmoor and in the New Forest. BHS director of safety Alan Hiscox told H&H the idea was a roaring success enabling the society to share its BHS Dead Slow road safety campaign messages with a wide range of drivers.
Find out more about the campaign
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