Category: News

New Visitor Centre Hailed a ‘Fantastic Achievement’ by HRH The Princess Royal World Horse Welfare Glenda Spooner Farm Rescue & Rehoming Centre’s new facilities officially opened by charity’s President The redevelopment of World Horse Welfare’s Glenda Spooner Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre near Somerton, Somerset was described as a ‘fantastic achievement’ by the charity’s President, HRH The Princess Royal when she officially opened the centre on Friday (15th July). The final stage of the completed development includes an indoor arena and visitor centre which enables the centre’s rehabilitation work to…

Olympic stars line up for the Amlin Plus Eventers Challenge A number of Olympic-bound event riders will compete in the popular Amlin Plus Eventers’ Challenge at the All England Jumping Course, Hickstead next week (28 July). Sir Mark Todd, who will be competing in his eighth Olympic Games in Rio, will head to Hickstead shortly before the Games to compete in the class on NZB Land Vision. New Zealand’s Rio team reserve Tim Price also lines up in the Amlin Plus Eventers’ Challenge with Xavier Faer. Likewise, Pippa Funnell – who…

Equestrian sport gallops into the Rio limelight By Louise Parkes Equestrian sport arrives in Rio with its head held high, the bit between its teeth and on the crest of a wave of expansion across the globe. The Rio 2016 sport entries (FEI Definite Entries) are all in, and a total of 200 athlete and horse combinations from 43 countries will chase their dreams of glory in three separate disciplines, soaring over massive obstacles in Jumping displaying athleticism and grace in Dressage, and powering around a cross-country track in Eventing.…

Australia on top of the world at Aachen By Kate Green On the eve of the Rio Olympic Games, a confident, new-look Australian team put up a brilliant performance to take their first FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing victory and break Germany’s winning run at their home leg at Aachen (GER), the sixth in the 2016 series. The Australian quartet led a competitive nine-nation field from the start and extended their lead of just 0.7 penalties after Dressage to a convincing final margin of 9.5 penalties with four fast Cross Country…

Pedal power on The Jo Cox Way The Joe Cox Way Event will bring cyclists from Yorkshire and North East together along with others from across the UK, to pay tribute to Jo Cox Sarfraz Mian, CEO of bit specialist Neue Schule, is organising an event that will pay tribute to murdered Labour MP Jo Cox’s zest for life and passion for people and communities – with the full support of her family. Named The Jo Cox Way, the gruelling, 260-mile cycle ride will celebrate some of the fantastic community…

Trailblazers 2017 – Showing & Working Hunter for 2017 Trailblazers are delighted to introduce the new and exciting developments to the Showing & Working Hunter Trailblazers 2017 Series and Championships. Trailblazers are increasing the number of showing classes at the Championship Finals, which sees the introduction of the following classes: – In Hand Trailblazers Spotted, Appaloosa, Palomino & Roan Championship In Hand Trailblazers Best Foreign Breed Championship Ridden Trailblazers Show Hunter under 148cm Championship Trailblazers Riding Horse Championship Trailblazers Ridden Novice Cob Championship Trailblazers Ridden Open Cob Championship Ridden Trailblazers Spotted,…

Horses Stabbed and One Dies, Police Appeal for Witnesses Horses stabbed in brutal attack  – warning graphic images Police are appealing for witnesses following two horses being attached in Haltwhistle, Northumberland. The attack happened somewhere between the evening of Friday 8th July and the Saturday morning. Both horses were found by the their owner, hiding in their field shelter in a state of shock. 19-year-old mare Tara, was stabbed in her throat, neck and abdomen. Unfortunately she didn’t pull through the attack and died with her owner by her side a…

Paralympic Equestrian Team GB Confirmed Glittering line-up of multi-medallists to represent Paralympic Equestrian Team GB  at Rio 2016 The British Paralympic Association (BPA) today confirmed the high calibre squad of five equestrian riders that will represent Paralympic Equestrian Team GB at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, each a multi-Paralympic medallist in their own right. Natasha Baker MBE, Sophie Christiansen OBE, Anne Dunham MBE, Lee Pearson CBE and Sophie Wells MBE have 13 Games’ worth of experience between them and a shared haul of 30 Paralympic medals. Great Britain has been…

British Dressage presents ‘Dressage for all’ Plans launched for this year’s BD National Convention Dressage is the foundation to all equestrian activity; a well-trained, responsive horse gives the rider the advantage to make that tight turn in the jumping ring or angle that skinny cross country fence.  But in its purest form, more and more horse and rider combinations are discovering that dressage is so much more than ‘flatwork’!  It’s a challenging sport with great rewards for the hours of training put in and, most importantly, it’s not just for…

Written by Amy Bennett In a seriously competitive section at the international CIC*** class at St James’s Place Barbury International Horse Trials, the king of Barbury Castle reigned supreme once more. New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson stormed around the third leg of the Event Rider Master (ERM) series to take his fifth Barbury title in a row with the only sub-40 score of the section. But in the absence of his now retired Barbury champion Avebury, the title this year was awarded to Nicholson’s trusty championship campaigner and London Olympics partner,…

British Equestrian Team – Rio 2016 Olympic Games – Update Following the announcement of the Team GB Equestrian Eventing team on 5 July 2016, it has now been confirmed that Gemma Tattersall, age 31, based West Sussex, will partner The Pebbles Syndicate’s Quicklook V at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The announcement confirms Gemma’s ride of Quicklook V and not Christopher Stone’s, Chicco Bella P. Quicklook V, stable name Pebbles, is a 12-year-old grey mare by Urkel, out of Unabresse M (Image below) Gemma has enjoyed tremendous success this year…

Somerford Park International Horse Trials 19th – 21st August Exciting times as entries open this week – Friday 15th July – for Somerford Park International Horse Trials Somerford Park Farm is well supported by competitors all year round and an impressive line up is anticipated at this years event which runs 19th – 21st August, allowing time for many of the riders to fly home from Rio and compete with their stars of the future in the beautiful Cheshire countryside. No stone is left unturned and attention to detail is paramount…

FEI Nations Cup Eventing: USA team makes history with win at The Plains By Kate Green FEI Nations Cup Eventing: Clark Montgomery (USA) flew back from Britain to his home country to lead a strong American quartet to victory in the fifth leg of the 2016 FEI Nations Cup Eventing, held for the first time outside Europe, at the Land Rover Great Meadows International at The Plains, Virginia. Riding the Irish-bred Loughan Glen, the horse he is hoping to partner at the Rio Olympic Games next month, Montgomery finished the…

Charlotte Dujardin has set the expectation for Rio during last night’s Gala Evening in the Superflex FEI CDI Grand Prix Freestyle at Hartpury Festival of Dressage. Maintaining top form, Charlotte Dujardin and her humble steed Valegro, finished a staggering 17% (90.62%) ahead of second placed rider Henriette Anderson riding Warlocks Charm (73.87%). Irish rider Roland Tong finished less than 1% behind Anderson, in third, riding the 2005 bay gelding, Rybrook Ambience. Dujardin rode to music she has planned for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, wowing the audience to finish off another…

Hartpury Festival of Dressage Sets Dujardin and Hester up for Rio There’s no such thing as pre-event nerves for world-renowned dressage duo Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester as they take 1st and 2nd place in the Hartpury Festival of Dressage Grand Prix, ahead of their venture to Rio. Dujardin and Hester, who will ride for Team GB at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, have proved themselves and their horses, yet again, worthy of Team GB selection whilst competing at Hartpury this week. This is the last event the pair will ride in on…

Sixth leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Super Swiss sweep to Furusiyya victory in Falsterbo – FEI Showjumping – by Louise Parkes Sixth leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup – Andy Kistler’s Swiss side produced a superb performance to win the sixth leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2016 Europe Division 1 League at Falsterbo (SWE). Tied for the lead with the host nation and Brazil at the halfway stage, the winners were simply faultless while Sweden lined up second ahead of Brazil, Great Britain and The Netherlands…

Last Racehorse to Riding Horse Qualifier held at Burghley Horse Trials The last of the 2016 Last Racehorse to Riding Horse Qualifier will be held at Burghley Horse Trials. in the Main Arena on Sunday 4th September. The opportunity provides the final opportunity to qualify for the prestigious finals at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). The event recognises the huge popularity of this class with both competitors and spectators alike, and is delighted to be able to provide an opportunity to see how correctly re-schooled ex-racehorses can go on to…

Smile You Are On Camera Waistcoat from Equisafety From the Equisafety Air Waistcoat range comes this extremely practical garment with rear signage warning drivers that the rider has a camera in situ. This fluorescent, Smile You Are On Camera Waistcoat from Equisafety, reflective and stylish waistcoat has been cut beautifully to ergonomically fit the body making it very comfortable to wear. Fastened by a strong front zip and, by utilising the touch & close fastening side straps, can be fully adjusted enabling it to be worn throughout the seasons over different thicknesses of…

Rider Development Pathway Pony Club Riders Selected Pony Club Stars of Tomorrow Are Selected! Twenty-nine talented Pony Club Members from across the country made their way to Rider Development Pathway (RDP) Camp, supported by the Sport England funded BEF Excel Talent Programme, at Somerford Park in Cheshire July 2-3 for a weekend of top class coaching in their chosen discipline of Dressage, Show Jumping or Eventing. The riders were selected for the RDP Camp following ten Regional Assessment Days, and worked throughout the weekend with recognised and experienced coaches, including…

Rehomed Rescue Horses are Stars of Show at Royal Norfolk New World Horse Welfare sponsored rescue classes a resounding success Rescue horses and ponies took centre stage at this year’s Royal Norfolk Show where more than 30 competed in brand new classes sponsored by charity, World Horse Welfare (WHW). WHW Little Lion stood overall Champion of the section after winning the four years old and over in-hand category and then fighting off tough competition from the other class winners. Lion came into WHW Hall Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre as a welfare…

Kate Humble Hosts Take up the Reins TV presenter Kate Humble hosts Take up the Reins in Monmouthshire Almost 200 people seized the chance to get a feel for life in the saddle when the Take up the Reins Tour of Great Britain arrived at TV presenter Kate Humble’s farm in Monmouthshire for the Humble by Nature Big Day Out 2016 (Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 July). The campaign’s mechanical horse RoboCob took his place at Upper Meend Farm, in the Wye Valley. He featured alongside demonstrations of outdoor cookery,…