In our 18th weekly episode of the first series of The Horse & Hound Podcast, we kick off by speaking to current British national champion Louise Saywell, who chats to our showjumping editor Jennifer Donald about her success on ponies, why she thinks all young riders should spend time based with a top rider away from home, her favourite show on the circuit and what is her guilty pleasure. Moving on to the week’s top news stories, H&H news regulars Eleanor Jones, Lucy Elder and Becky Murray join our host Pippa Roome to discuss how horse sport is coping with the latest Covid-19 restrictions, ways to make the British show circuit more appealing to riders and the British Show Horse Association’s new anti-doping code. We also welcome back British supergroom Alan Davies, responsible for Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin’s top horses, who explains what's involved with flying horses around the world for championships and how different horses in his care have reacted to the experience.
Episode 18 of The Horse & Hound Podcast, our exciting new audio service available exclusively every Thursday morning for our H&H Plus subscribers, is now live.
Each episode is available for all H&H fans to listen to 24hrs after its early release to our H&H Plus members. Search for “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your prefered podcast app and click subscribe to be notified about each new episode. This will allow more listeners to make The Horse & Hound Podcast an essential part of their week on Friday morning.
In episode 18, British national showjumping champion Louise Saywell talks to H&H’s showjumping editor Jennifer Donald about her career to date, from ponies and learning her trade in Europe to her recent national success at Bolesworth and why horses are great levellers.
“I got on a five-year-old… he had a little spook, spun around – I didn’t fall off, but my hand went over his neck and I broke a bone in my hand so that was the end of me for a few weeks” – Louise Saywell
Our podcast host Pippa Roome is joined by Eleanor Jones, Lucy Elder and Becky Murray of the H&H news team to evaluate this week’s top stories including how horse sport is coping with the latest Covid-19 restrictions, what the future may hold of the British show circuit and ways to make it more appealing to riders, plus the British Show Horse Association’s (BSHA) new anti-doping code.
“[The new anti-doping code] is what BSHA members asked for. Members were not happy with the sanctions given [after last year’s positive bromide case] and asked the association to put some work into this policy” – Eleanor Jones
We also welcome back to the podcast British supergroom Alan Davies, who cares for the horses ridden by dressage stars Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin. Alan shares his experiences of flying horses around the world for championships.
“Going to Tryon I was more worried about Delicato, but he put himself into the crate, put his head in the corner and was like ‘I’m fine dad, I’m just going to stand here and I don’t want to know what’s going on’, whereas Freestyle is the busiest, nosiest madam you’ve ever met — she’s a right curtain twitcher — so she got a right shock when she looked out and saw planes and everything going on!” – Alan Davies
We hope you will enjoy our latest episode and would love to hear your feedback, so please do send your thoughts to pippa.roome@futurenet.com.
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.
