It was a very difficult week for the Equerry International Bolesworth Horse Show near Chester in the UK as constant rain meant that the show directors decided that it was not suitable for the general public to attend. On the first day, Wednesday, an announcement from the show declared that the public would not be
With the main summer season of competition beginning in earnest this week – the one person who will be missed is showjumper and sportsman Tim Stockdale. This article is not meant to be an obituary but some context is needed for people to understand what an amazing sportsman he was and why it is so
The quiet way Aiden O’Brien saddles his horses before a race – even the really big races which matter, is a marvel to watch. He calmly saddled up his seven runners for this year’s Derby, one by one outside in the paddock, and it is thought that he saddles each horse from his least hopeful
The quintessentially British past time of attending agricultural shows comes round again, most of which have Royal patronage. The Royal Bath and West Show in Somerset is no exception. The show was started by philanthropist Edmund Rack in 1777. It runs for more days than any other agricultural show in the UK. Sophie, Countess of
In this short video, we look at what assessments are made for young horses. Many countries have special competitions for young horses which concern themselves with whether a horse has the potential to carry on in a long career of competition. In the UK the British Equine federation run a special competition every year during
Our last article related the fortunes of the younger generation of racehorses at the May York meeting. Now we look at two races for the older generation, the Group Two Yorkshire Cup and the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury. The Yorkshire Cup, a race over 1 mile 6 furlongs, and the first UK qualifier
The May meeting at York is always a meeting when owners, trainers and punters alike are more able to see how realistic their chances are in the big two at Epsom in early June. (Derby and Oaks) This year, particularly is no exception. The Dante Stakes looks to be the best race of the year
There are two separate weeks each year which Her Majesty The Queen loves more than any others. Both feature her beloved hobby of horses and both conveniently happen in her back garden at Windsor. The first is this week’s Royal Windsor Horse Show and the second, next month is Royal Ascot. As the major event
The Badminton Horse Trials, the last to be sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors, ended with a real exciting twist in the tail. The penultimate rider, Piggy French riding Vamir Kamira came in and produced a superb clear round with no time penalties. All the pressure was on Oliver Townend the last to go and in the
Riders and commentators alike regarded Eric Winters course clever and testing but fair. Of the 78 starters at today’s cross country section of this five star event there were 15 retired and a further 4 were eliminated. It was a large course, some of which flowed really well, but some of the elements were rather
Over the past two days, the seventieth anniversary saw the first element of the event (the dressage) a record broken. Oliver Townend riding Cillnabradden Evo the fourth combination to come in for their dressage test broke the record for any combination in a dressage test at Badminton with the highest score for the test. Perfect
We are back at Badminton for the Mitsubishi Motors Cup. Since it started in 2010, (as the Grassroots Championships before its name change in 2016) these championships have gone from strength to strength and have become so successful that they have been completely integrated with the whole Badminton event. The Championships are run for amateurs,
