Author: Suzanne Ashton

Longines FEI Jumping World Cup 2022/2023 – North American League, written by Catie Staszak Expectations of Conor Swail (IRL) heading into the opening leg of the 2022-2023 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup North American League season in Sacramento (USA), were high. Swail not only won Sacramento’s World Cup leg a year ago, but he also led the NAL in points at the season’s end. However, in delighting the crowd, Swail picked up right where he left off, defending his Sacramento title with Vital Chance de la Roque and jumping into a…

Commandant Geoff Curran continued an outstanding week for Irish riders at the Horse of the Year Show by delivering a world-class performance to win the Ripon Select Foods Puissance. A capacity crowd at the NEC, Birmingham roared their approval as he cleared a winning height of 2.19 metres with Bishops Quarter to take a top prize of just over £5,000 and become the first outright puissance winner at HOYS since 2017. It was a masterclass display by a rider who has previously evented at Olympic level, with Mark Edwards and…

A total of 28 horse and rider combinations came forward for Saturday’s Horse of the Year Show 1m60 Accumulator, which boasted a full line-up of showjumping stars. It was Ireland’s Jessica Burke who triumphed as she set and held an early lead, thundering around the Andrews Bowen International Arena on the KWPN mare, Inpulss. The pair claimed a full house score of 44, after soaring over the joker to stop the clock on an incredible 33.77. The eight-fence class offers up to a total of 44 points for riders to…

Lily Attwood underlined her reputation among British showjumping’s rising talents by landing the Thistledown Cup at the Horse of the Year Show on Friday October 7th. The two-round Longines ranking competition proved a serious test for all 30 combinations, as they faced a test of power-jumping, combined with a need for speed in the latter stages of this £23,600 prize fund class. Slightly different from the other showjumping classes, competitors of the International Jumping Thistldown Cup must carefully navigate the second round, as three points are added to their overall…

The nominations for the FEI Awards 2022 are as impressive as ever, with the online voting opening today for the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete, Longines FEI Rising Star, Cavalor FEI Best Groom, FEI Against All Odds and FEI Solidarity Awards. The 20 shortlisted candidates from 15 countries include World Champions, highly accomplished up-and-coming young athletes, grooms, inspirational equestrians, judges and charities. Great Britain’s Charlotte Fry, who took home two individual Dressage gold medals at the Ecco FEI World Championships in Herning (DEN), is one of four nominees for the…

Three and a half years after taking the top spot of the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings, Tim Price (NZL) claims it once again, replacing Olympic gold medallist Oliver Townend (GBR), who held the position for the last 3 years. The 2019 World Champion won the bronze medal at the FEI Eventing World Championship held in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA) a few weeks ago. Thanks to his consistency, Price has topped the world ranking with a total of 610 points. But there’s more joy for the Price family as Tim’s…

The North American League kicks off in Sacramento this week – written by Catie Staszak All eyes will be on North America League (NAL) for the 2022-2023 World Cup season. The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final will return to Omaha (USA) in April 2023, and the first points toward qualification will be available at the North American League’s leadoff event, set for Saturday, 08 October in Sacramento (USA). About Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup is the world’s premier individual Jumping series and the breeding ground…

The Speedi-Beet Horse Inspection Area was set in front of the beautiful Blenheim Palace for the Horse Trails that took place between the 15-18th September, and it was Sasha Hargreaves’ Woodlands Be Daring that took the British Horse Feed Best Turned Out award. Owned by Sasha Hargreaves, Mr & Mrs Bill and Alison Hargreaves, the 12-year-old bay gelding wowed the judges with an immaculate turnout as he strutted up and down the Speedi-Beet Horse Inspection Area ahead of the CCI4-L* competition. The British Horse Feeds Best Turned Out was judged…

Government’s “tunnel vision” excluding cycling and horse riding from new national trail challenged Cycling UK and The British Horse Society (BHS) have written a letter before action to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Rt Hon Ranil Jawawardena MP calling on the government to reconsider proposals that would effectively prevent people cycling or horse-riding along the length of England’s next National Trail, the Wainwright Coast to Coast.  Defra announced on 12 August 2022 that £5.6 million would be allocated to improve the 197-mile Wainwright…

Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2022 – written by Louise Parkes Team Belgium enjoyed a perfect day on Sunday as they not only won the prestigious Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup 2022 Final but also earned a qualifying spot for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It was their third victory since the Longines Final was first established at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain back in 2013. They came out on top in 2015, and then did it again three years later, but Sunday’s success was particularly sweet.…

Hot to trot: Dressage rider and Reality TV star Gemma Owen, becomes Holland Cooper Equestrian ambassador Gemma Owen, a gifted equestrian athlete, influencer fashion model and entrepreneur will be joining the Holland Cooper family, as a leading ambassador for the HC equestrian collection. The 19-year-old, who shot to fame when she appeared on the hit ITV Series Love Island, has been a long-standing fan of the brand and is a perfect fit for this collection. A talented young rider, Gemma competes at elite level Dressage where performance, style, elegance, and…

Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final 2022: written by Louise Parkes Four fabulous clears from Henk Nooren’s French side put them clearly at the head of affairs in the first round of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final 2022 at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain where Ireland finished second ahead of the hosts from Spain in third.  The top eight nations have qualified for Sunday’s title-decider in which they will all start again on a zero score, and the remaining countries that have made the cut…

THE Springfield Stud 4YO Showcase at this year’s Osberton International Horse Trials proved a resounding success with 39 entered in this innovative class. After a fantastic afternoon, the class went to Andy Heffernan riding Millfield Bambalina for owner Freya Cork. A new ride for Andy, the talented youngster has been produced by Ginnie and Will Turnbull, qualifying for the Burghley Young Event Horse and showing huge potential. Bred by the Millfield Stud, the mare was originally purchased at the highly regarded Bolesworth young horse sales and is delighting all connections…

The FEI Youth Nations Cup Finals took place this year in Peelbergen in the Netherlands from 20 – 25 September 2022, where the Great Britain Team jumped under the title sponsor banner of Team NAF. Great Britain’s competitors were on top form over the weekend as they clinched the gold medal in the Nations Cup final competition, with France finishing second and Ireland in third. 1.30m opening competition In the opening 1.30m competition on Thursday 22 September, 28 horse and rider competitions from seven different nations came forward to start the first…