Horse & Hound

FOR eons, the last issue in February has always been the Horse & Hound show guide special, and this is the first year in which we have ummed and ahhed about running it. So much is uncertain in 2021; many events are unable to commit to dates, many hav

BRITISH EQUESTRIAN (BEF) has appointed a new CEO. Jim Eyre, a former Pony Club member and Household Cavalry commanding officer, will take over from acting chief executive Iain Graham on 6 April. Malcolm Wharton has been confirmed as chairman of the B

The dual Arc winner, who retired following a record-breaking career boasting 11 Group One wins, was covered by Classic-winning Kingman at Banstead Manor Stud. The mating was chosen by the late Prince Khalid. New Zealand’s Tim Price has taken on the r

TRIBUTES have poured in from across the equestrian world to five-star British event rider Matthew Wright, who has died at the age of 38. He lived with his wife Victoria and three children in Nottinghamshire, and his family announced the news last Mon

RACING is continuing to work on safety, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has confirmed, following five deaths. Five horses died on 20-21 February. The deaths were not related to falls and one suffered a heart attack. Tributes were paid to Yall

Italian showjumper Alberto Zorzi has returned from injury to win a grand prix at Oliva Nova on 21 February. Alberto had been sidelined after breaking his neck in a fall in October. Dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin is joining Brain Tumour Research’s

Great to hear some Continental-style jumping tours may run in the UK, and hats off to all those behind them. We’re just wondering about what they may be named, as “the Sunshine Tour” may not be apt here. The Slightly Overcast Tour? The This Wasn’t Fo

FURTHER to your news story about the dangers of feeding horses without their owners’ permission (4 February), it is so important to educate the public about this. We need to promote awareness of the dangers inappropriate feeding can cause. Surely a s

Editor-in-Chief Sarah Jenkins Magazine Editor/Eventing/Pony Club Pippa Roome (07815442555) Website Editor Carol Phillips (0330 390 6598) News Editor Eleanor Jones (0330 390 6386) Features Editor/Polo/Riding Clubs Martha Terry (0330 390 6327) Showjump

jennifer.donald@futurenet.com @jen_donald The Cotswolds-based National Hunt handler has trained over 1,200 winners, including the “big three” – the Grand National (Mr Frisk), Cheltenham Gold Cup (Master Oats) and Champion Hurdle (Alderbrook). LAST we

ALLISTER is one of the country’s leading show horse producers. With son Oliver and wife Anne, he has produced over 75 Horse of the Year Show winners. He has also scooped countless victories at the Royal International and all other major county shows.

“USUALLY big horses like him take a long time to be able to balance themselves around a course and down a distance, but because Diamo’s so active with his hindlegs he always found it easy. It was actually nearly easier to get him back than to ride hi

BE prepared for an out-of-hours visit by: • Knowing the postcode of your yard or field, ideally making sure that the premises are signposted clearly from the road. • Maintaining a well-stocked first-aid kit for basic treatment such as bandaging. • Ch

“A VETERINARY emergency is usually obvious, such as profuse bleeding that won’t stop, difficulty in breathing or any obvious or suspected fracture,” says H&H vet Karen Coumbe MRCVS. “But other problems may require immediate attention. Continuous diar

“IT’S a tough sport and having a supportive sponsor to help is invaluable. Despite knowing sponsors are a big help, I have found it difficult to approach new companies. I find it hard to talk about and promote myself. Recently, I’ve had help and supp

• Be proactive and fulfil the guidelines outlined by your sponsor. • Build a mutually beneficial relationship. • Maintain excellent communication in terms of expectations and progress. • Represent the company well at all times; both in person and onl

“I DIDN’T have any money at the start of my career, so I needed sponsors to provide everything. For this reason, treating sponsors well is very important. The time I invest in each brand is different depending on what they give me. The higher the val

DEBRA HARGRAVE is the PR for dressage rider and trainer Kate Cowell (pictured, below left), who is sponsored by clothing brand Cavallo. “Kate has a good working relationship with Cavallo because they like how Kate looks in their clothing, and Kate ge

SUNSHINE TOUR (HIGHLIGHTS FROM EACH GRAND PRIX) H&C and H&C+ 9 February-28 March THE DUTCH MASTERS (LIVE) H&C+ 12-14 March BADMINTON HORSE TRIALS Badminton website 5-9 May BBC (highlights plus top 10 showjumping live) 9 May• H&H preview 29 April; for

IN a team situation, particularly in eventing on cross-country day, the team manager or coach has another very important role to play in the immediate aftermath of a rider’s round. “One of my jobs is to pass on information from riders who have just f

HAVING a family member or partner competing and training alongside you can be extremely advantageous when it comes to the debrief. Dressage siblings Maria and Michael Eilberg make a point of watching each other’s tests whenever possible. “We have bec

DRESSAGE rider Becky Latimer (pictured, right) put training on hold during the first lockdown, but when competition ground to a halt again over the winter she was determined to find a way to stay motivated and on track with her aim of competing at pr

FLORIDA-BASED Jackie Bachor has been training with Ernest Dillon for 20 years and says that Zoom lessons have filled a much-needed training void during the pandemic. “I feel I have made real progress with my young horse this year despite the situatio

IT is usually about the winners, but with all due respect to Sceau Royal, Alan King’s heroically consistent jumper who has spent most of his career bashing against the immovable object of Altior, the story after Sunday’s rearranged Betfair Game Spiri

PRIOR to Athens, the Lawtons were offered “a lot of money” for Shear L’Eau. “The accountants were saying ‘sell him’,” Jeremy (pictured) says. “But I was enjoying the sport so much. You hear many stories of riders producing a horse and it getting sold

WHEN German eventer Bettina Hoy rode a circle before the first fence in the first round of showjumping at Athens 2004, Nick Skelton came straight over to chef d’equipe Yogi Breisner to have a word. World Class performance director Will Connell took o

5TH HIS POSITION AT KENTUCKY 2003 AND BURGHLEY 2002 43.2 Shear L’Eau’s dressage score in Athens, a personal best 2 THE NUMBER OF OLYMPIC MEDALS HE EARNED – TEAM SILVER AND INDIVIDUAL GOLD 3 THE NUMBER OF DAYS IT TOOK BETWEEN JUMPING CLEAR IN ATHENS A

EVERY morning I go down to the stables to let the ponies out. Eildon is there to do the horses, having taken on the roads in the style of an ice-road trucker in her new Suzuki. Every morning we give each other the same rueful look as we take in the w