Author: Louise Lotmore

The London International Horse Show has announced an extraordinary addition to its 2025 programme that promises to captivate audiences with centuries-old equestrian artistry. For the first time ever, the world-renowned Hungarian Lipizzaner horses will grace the show with their breathtaking ‘Spirit of the Horses’ display, powered by Ineos Grenadier. A Historic Debut at ExCeL London Taking place from 18-22 December 2025 at ExCeL London, this groundbreaking international equestrian display will showcase the remarkable talents of Hungarian Lipizzaner horses during every performance of the five-day event. The display represents a significant milestone in the show’s history, bringing together British and Hungarian

The entry list for Defender Burghley Horse Trials 2025 has been revealed, showcasing an exceptional field of 59 combinations from eight nations, all set to compete from 4-7 September in the magnificent Burghley Park. Defending Champions Return Leading the charge are 2024 Burghley champions and Paris Olympics British team gold medallists Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. The Lincolnshire pair made history last autumn with the best-ever finishing score of 26.6 in Burghley’s illustrious history. Their dominance continued into 2025 with their second MARS Badminton title in May, making them clear favourites for back-to-back Burghley victories. International Stars Ready for Battle

The equestrian world is gearing up for Great Britain’s most prestigious competition dedicated exclusively to former racehorses, as The Jockey Club RoR National Championships returns to Aintree International Equestrian Centre from Tuesday, 19 August to Sunday, 24 August 2025. Record-Breaking Entries for 2025 This year’s championships have attracted an unprecedented 341 former racehorses, marking the largest field in the event’s history. The competing horses boast an impressive collective racing heritage, having won over £11.7 million in prize money during their racing careers. The competition has reached new heights across all disciplines, with dressage entries alone totalling an remarkable 517 —

Louise and Nancy Lyons secure five HOYS qualifications between them at Northern Ireland Festival An Irish Olympian and her talented 11-year-old daughter have taken the Working Hunter world by storm, securing an impressive five Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifications between them at May’s Northern Ireland Festival. Louise Lyons and daughter Nancy, based in Kilkenny, demonstrated the depth of their equestrian talent with their diverse string of ponies and horses, proving that success truly runs in the family. From Olympics to HOYS Louise’s equestrian journey began in lead rein classes in her native Cheshire before representing Ireland at the

The FEI has opened an investigation into the actions of Australian equestrian athlete Heath Ryan, following allegations of horse abuse reported to the FEI and Equestrian Australia, as well as the posting of a video on social media showing abusive training techniques. Equestrian Australia and the FEI have imposed a provisional suspension against Heath Ryan. The FEI suspension is reflected in the FEI Database. The investigation will be led by the FEI, in close cooperation with Equestrian Australia.  “The scenes depicted are profoundly disturbing and stand in stark opposition to the core values of FEI horse welfare,” FEI Secretary General

Interactive robots should not just be passive companions, but active partners–like therapy horses who respond to human emotion–say University of Bristol researchers. Equine-Assisted Interventions (EAIs) offer a powerful alternative to traditional talking therapies for patients with PTSD, trauma and autism, who struggle to express and regulate emotions through words alone. The study, presented at the CHI ’25: Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems held in Yokohama, recommends that therapeutic robots should also exhibit a level of autonomy, rather than one-dimensional displays of friendship and compliance. Lead author Ellen Weir from Bristol’s Faculty of Science and Engineering explains: “Most

The 2025 Royal Windsor Horse Show wrapped up on Sunday after four days of world-class equestrian action, culminating in a spectacular CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix that saw Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet storm to victory aboard Bond Jamesbond de Hay. Wathelet, who previously won the class in 2022, edged out the competition in a fiercely contested jump-off to claim his second Windsor title. “The last four years competing at Royal Windsor has been really good; winning in 2022, coming second in 2024 and winning again this year – so I’m very happy. I really enjoy riding here, it’s a great show and

Germany’s Isabell Werth added another prestigious victory to her record in Stuttgart, taking home top honours on Wendy de Fontaine on Saturday, 16 November 2024. Scoring an impressive 86.745%, Werth claimed the third leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Western European League 2024/25, finishing over 6% ahead of her closest competitor. Just two weeks earlier, Werth triumphed in Lyon with her other mount, DSP Quantaz. Werth remained well ahead of the competition in Stuttgart with Wendy dancing through the arena and excelling in the piaffe. The judges unanimously saw her as the winner. Belgium’s Larissa Pauluis made an indelible

MPs pledge support for changes to fireworks legislation at event in Westminster A dozen MPs pledged their support to a campaign for changes to fireworks legislation in Westminster on 30th October 2024. The drop-in event, organised by The Fireworks Working Group (FWG), forms part of a wider campaign raising awareness surrounding the adverse effects of fireworks on not only animals, but people too. The FWG features a strong line-up of well-respected charities such as Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Help for Heroes, Blue Cross for Pets, Dogs Trust, The British Horse Society, The Kennel Club and more. Campaigns and Policy Manager at

Laura Tomlinson and Forest Hill lit up Thursday night at the Horse of the Year Show with an outstanding display to win the Dressage Future Elite Championship. Laura, an Olympic team gold medallist and individual bronze medallist at London 2012, showcased all her experience and quality to coax a winning score of 75.833% aboard her home-bred ride. “I enjoyed myself,” she said. “It was his first ever Freestyle to Music and it was quite a big atmosphere, so I was delighted with how well he coped and how onside he was. I am really excited about him. “It is not often with