A rider who is undergoing intensive chemotherapy on the breast cancer she had overcome once before said her showjumping is a “joy” that takes her mind off her health, and hopes sharing her story will encourage others. Catherine Pritchard and seven-year-old Knockbridge Dancer, aka Ronnie the Connie, have been in flying form since they switched […]
1. Why Carl Hester is quite so busy right now Carl Hester is a particularly busy man at the moment. As well as flying all over the world to teach, he is also riding several of Charlotte Dujardin’s horses while she is pregnant with her first child. “Charlotte is still riding, but she’s not riding […]
The owner of a horsebox that was destroyed inside by a fire while parked at a show has urged others to fit smoke detectors – as “if it had happened two hours earlier, we’d be dead now”. Sarah Knight was at Aintree International Equestrian Centre last week, with her head groom Maria Neal, for the […]
Among the many worthy winners at last week’s National Amateur and Veteran Championships at Aintree International Equestrian Centre (8-13 November) was Surrey University veterinary school graduate Paige Staff. Norfolk-based Paige teamed up with her Irish-bred 15-year-old Laraghlease Blue Jeans to win the hard-fought amateur 85cm final by 0.22sec after a 30-way jump-off. Paige spotted the […]
Showjumper Kath James achieved a long-time ambition when winning the major veteran title at the National Amateur and Veteran Championships at Aintree International Equestrian Centre (8-13 November) riding Herciro Van’t Kiezelhof. Her victory came 20 years after Kath won the national amateur 1.05m championship with Cornish Quest. “I’ve been second, third, fourth; I’ve finally won,” […]