Anna Ross shares her thoughts on the NexGen finals at Hickstead and discusses what’s needed to train a horse through to grand prix level...
THE recent Nexgen championships were a huge success. With Hickstead as an iconic venue, with great prize money, prizes for breeders and embryo transfers for the highest-scoring mares, it made for a really exciting final. The multi-discipline approach made it feel akin to Germany’s Bundeschampionate and I think it will continue to be a real draw.
The top five combinations in each class were outstanding. British breeders were out in force and four-year-old Romanno Weltino, bred by Jennifer Gilchrist at Romanno Stud, was well presented by Jezz Palmer and stood out for me as a fabulous future prospect.
{"content":"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"}
.
You may also be interested in reading…
H&H’s dressage columnist on the price tags for purpose-bred horses, and savvy ways to save
Credit: Kevin Sparrow
H&H’s dressage columnist on where the sport succeeds in diversity, and where it needs work
Credit: Storm Johnson
H&H’s dressage columnist discusses virtual training and why we must be open to change
Credit: Kevin Sparrow
H&H’s dressage columnist on the importance of considered decisions and sticking together
H&H’s dressage columnist on why ‘naming and shaming’ isn’t the way to stop horse abuse