World racing in 2020, like everything else in 2020 has had to make huge adjustments to its programme and organisation due to the Corona Virus pandemic. However, as we reflect on the flat season of 2020, it has coped really very well. Just as the season in the UK was about to start with the
The weekend saw the first and only five star horse trial eventing take place in 2020 in France at Pau, won by Laura Collett. There was also top class racing around the globe, on what was mainly atrocious heavy ground. To make a change, there were also World Cup qualifiers in the USA, the first
In recent days, Hickstead managed to stage its scheduled national showjumping behind closed doors, the world rankings were published for September, racing of the classics, The Kentucky Derby and Oaks at Churchill Downs finally took place and in dressage, one of the few National Championships took place in Sweden. Showjumping Yesterday saw the final day
With the flourish of top racing around the world following lock down things are slowly returning to normal with less top races being run as the catch-up has abated somewhat. In dressage, a couple of CDI’s and the first FEI 5 star CSI took place in France for the showjumpers. Eventing This weekend saw the
At last sport horse competition is gathering momentum. In the UK the last week, and it’s still continuing, British Showjumping have been staging their annual but greatly enlarged National Championships. In dressage, there have been a handful of FEI 3 star CDIs. Racing has quietened down a touch with fewer major races throughout the world.
In the weekend just passed, we should have been able to celebrate two equine festivals. The first, which did happen behind closed doors was the Goodwood Festival and the second, abandoned some time ago was the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead. We have already written a considerable amount about the Goodwood Festival, and discussed
As the world of equestrianism stutters back to life, the weekend saw the running of two Group 1 races in Ireland, The Irish Derby and The Pretty Polly Stakes. In dressage the first 3 star CDI took place in Hungary and in France the first 4 star CSI Grand Prix for showjumping also took place.
The main news for this week surrounds once again our old subject of corona virus. The good news is that instead of lamenting the loss of all equestrian sport, we can report firm plans for the start of most equine pursuits. Racing has been in the fore front of return to sport and with their
It seems extraordinary that the flat racing season has been going only for five days before the first classic of the season is run at Newmarket? Obviously the whole of the season so far has been mutilated and several re-drawing of plans have had to be done to allow the sport to get this far.
Racing is back! Hurray! Today, we are in the third day of horse racing in England, and so far, of the 39 races run at both Newcastle and Kempton, all limited to 12 runners each race there have been 468 runners. Every race full, with a long waiting list for each race, and many unable
To continue our video series, we post the video taken by Goldeneye of the sale of Dancing Rain – Champion race mare, winner of the Epsom Oaks and bred in the purple. See the video below. I have attended the sales at Tattersalls in Newmarket, selling the best of bloodstock the world has to offer
There were many who thought that Cheltenham would be called off due to the on-going Coronavirus, but thankfully, reason prevailed and as the first day dawned, it was on. Typically for National Hunt meetings, the day started windy, blowing across the course with bouts of rain, but the weather certainly was not to dampen the
This week, the Coronavirus has really come to the fore with shows, race meeting and all sport having to look very carefully as to how to continue as safely as possible with the continuing virus spreading like wide fire throughout the world. Racing in France and now the UAE is taking place behind closed doors
Showjumping continued at the highest level in Florida; Racing concerns in the UK following figures published that race going attendance had fallen once again in 2019; and Dujardin comes fourth on the FEI dressage rankings. Finally in the news this week; the Coronavirus has taken its first show off the calendar in Hong Kong. Show
This weekend saw two World Cup qualifiers, one for dressage from Wellington in Florida USA and the second a showjumping qualifier from Basel in Switzerland and considerable pledges for the bush fire sufferers in Australia. Last week two horses were destroyed following the confirmation of an EVA (equine flu) out break in Hampshire in the
