6 H O R S E & R I D E R

horse worldPho

to: Pet

er M

eade

Started in 1943 to raise money for the war effort, the popular Royal Windsor Horse Show celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

Being held on 8-12 May within the beautiful private grounds of Windsor Castle, the show will

play host to a variety of events including top-level showjumping, international carriage driving and showing. A true celebration of all that is equestrian, classes range from grass-roots to international-level competition. It’s perfect for

spectators and competitors of a variety of ages and interests.

A show that has always been closely associated with the Royal family, the Queen is the show’s patron and the Duke of Edinburgh

A royally good show

H O R S E & R I D E R 7

s

is the Show President. A keen driving competitor for many years, competing on British, World and European teams, he takes an active role in the event. Rumour has it that another royal, King

George VI, banned dogs after the first show because a badly behaved lurcher stole a chicken drumstick off his plate – this rule still stands!l www.rwhs.co.uk

A driving team in the beautiful grounds of

Windsor Castle

14 H O R S E & R I D E R

Pho

tos:

ww

w.r

acin

gfot

os.c

om/M

atth

ew W

ebb

Clare might not have taken over the family racing business (see p16), but she has made a career from her love of horses

Clare might not have taken over the family racing business (see p16), but she has made a career from her love of horses

horse world

H O R S E & R I D E R 15

▲

Growing up as the daughter of a champion racehorse trainer, TV personality and sports commentator Clare Balding

was surrounded by animals. Unsurprisingly, they played a major role in her upbringing, and became some of her closest friends and the source of her most vibrant memories.

In ‘My Animals and Other Family’, Clare shares some of her most intimate childhood stories. From balancing on the back of Derby winner Mill Reef (still referred to as one of the best Derby winners of all time and trained by her father) aged only 18 months, to accidentally throwing a sausage across the table at the Queen, it is a touching and amusing reflection on the life of one of our favourite on-screen personalities.

What is nice about the book is that it feels like Clare hasn’t held back. There are lots of things that you might not know about her, such as how she managed to anger Princess Anne by unintentionally cutting in front of her in a race, and plenty of raw emotion – for example, her heartbreak when her mother’s horse, Ellie May, dropped dead when Clare was hunting her.

One of the most vivid descriptions is of her relationship with the rather quirky pony Frank, described by Clare as her ‘first love’. From demolishing showjumping courses at the Pony Club

to the search for her grandmother’s whippet, Dusk, Frank might not have been the conventional pony-mad girl’s dream, but to Clare he was perfect. It’s a relationship all Horse&Rider readers can relate to.

We have delved into Clare’s book to bring you a little more about Frank, so you can fall in love with him, too. She takes up the story…

Ugly but adorableFrank was the ugliest pony I ever had. He had a short, spiky mane, rubbed raw in places, a pink nose, pink eyelids, brown ears and a grey body with brown splodges down his neck. He suffered from sunburn, so had to have liberal applications of sunblock on his nose in the summer. He was what they call a ‘Heinz 57’. Frank was nothing, and he was everything.

His mouth was as sensitive as a block of wood, and he frequently took hold, putting his head slightly on one side and galloping off in whichever direction took his fancy. He was not straightforward, he was not handsome and he was not even affectionate, but I adored him.

Frank understood me. Fine, he trod on my feet and barged me out of the way when he wanted to get out of his box. Yes, he never looked clean and we were the laughing stock of the Pony Club. Yes, I wasn’t

allowed near the racehorses with him because they spooked and whipped round because he was ‘a freak’.

I loved him with a passion of which I had no idea I was capable. I loved him partly to defend him against the world and partly because I genuinely believed we were soul mates. If I had ever thought that my mother might sanction me having a tattoo, it would have read ‘Frank’. Instead, I carved it into the bark of the Hollow Tree at the top of the Downs: ‘CLARE LOVES FRANK, 1/8/80’. In the years to come, I figured, people would see

TV personality Clare Balding shares her love for her ‘Heinz 57’ pony, Frank, in an exclusive extract from her autobiography

talks FranklyClare

While other girls my age had posters of tennis players or pop

stars on their walls, I had photos of Frank‘‘

‘‘

H O R S E & R I D E R 15

▲

what they call a ‘Heinz 57’. Frank was

took

Clare �s FrankClare �s Frank

24 H O R S E & R I D E R

THE CROSS-COUNTRY CONFIDENCE COURSE

Schooling on course

Badminton veteran Lucy Thompson prepares you for the eventing season with

her training tips and techniques

In this feature...Lucy Thompson explains ● A cross-country state of mind● The correct position over a fence● That rhythm rules!● Her seven secrets to success

with an experienced horse

Pho

tos:

Bob

Atk

ins.

Tha

nk y

ou t

o Li

ttle

ton

Man

or E

ques

tria

n, S

urre

y, f

or u

se o

f th

eir

faci

litie

s (w

ww

.lmeq

.com

)

CONFIDENCE SPECIAL

horseandrideruk.comTo see videos of the techniques used in this feature, as well as other practical tips and tricks, visit www.horseandrideruk.com.

Either scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit tinyurl.com/X-Country4 to access the page.

H&R training online

Sarah and Morse fly over the brush

PART FOUR

H O R S E & R I D E R 25

s

Our trainerLucy Thompson has had great success at all levels from Pony Club to International. Lucy became Open European Three Day Event Champion 1995-1997 and has competed at Badminton nine times, never placing out of the top 20.

Our modelsCaroline Steranka is riding Leo, a six-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. The combination is currently running at British Eventing Pre-novice. Leo is a big boy and a late developer so Caroline has been working on his straightness and co-ordination.

Sarah Ingleson is riding Morse, an 11-year-old gelding. The combination is aiming for Novice this year. Morse is easily distracted, so Sarah has been working on keeping his attention and improving her control when on course.

In the saddle

PLEASE PICK UP ‘sarah’ PIC FROM SPRING

ISSUE P24

32 H O R S E & R I D E R

Our trainerTina Sederholm has evented to international level, and has been training horses and riders of all levels for over 20 years. She is also author of ‘Words of a Horseman’ and ‘Unlock your Riding Talent’, and is a regular contributor to Horse&Rider magazine.

Building confidence, staying relaxed and balanced, and promoting feel are all key to jumping successfully, says Tina Sederholm

Pho

tos:

Bob

Atk

ins

Our modelsAnnabelle Hasloch rides eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse Harry, a good all-rounder. He has competed to Novice level affi liated dressage and showjumps at British Novice level.

Katherine Watters rides her 19-year-old Hanoverian ex-Grade A showjumping mare, Elessa, who is schooled to Advanced Medium level dressage. Together they showjump and do some combined training.

One jump ahead…

PART THREE

H O R S E & R I D E R 33

In the saddle

Last month, in this series on promoting good position and instilling a well-balanced and effective seat – the foundation

for successful riding – the emphasis was on fail-safe canter strike-offs and increased forward movement. This time around, however, we’re cranking things up in readiness for leaving the ground, so look ahead, feel what your

horse is doing underneath you and prepare for lift-off!

Remember, these exercises are designed for helping sort out any positional issues and if executed properly, will build confidence and create a better bond with your horse. And it helps if you have an assistant to lend a hand and be your eyes on the ground!

s

Aiding and abettingProblem My horse is slow to react. How can I improve this?

Solution On a circle, make a transition at a chosen point – for example, go up

into trot inside some jump wings, then come back to halt inside the poles. Then move off in trot, decide where to make another transition and commit to that point. This will sharpen up your

horse’s response to the aids and your commitment to the transition. Use the

outside aids of bringing the outside rein to the neck and outside leg to turn your horse, with no pulling on the inside rein.

This improves your balance, co-ordination and the ability to respond at a moment’s notice when you ask your horse to do something. Set him tasks that require you to change your aids and ask certain questions of your horse in quick succession.

Problem Do you look down instead of ahead and around you? Solution If you’re one of the culprits who look down on the floor instead of up and ahead, you’re not alone. You must break the habit, however, because with your head being the heaviest part of the body, the weight of it as you look down can throw you off balance and your horse onto the forehand.

To solve this problem, on a circle set up a ‘tunnel’ of poles and a pair of jump wings on the opposite side of the circle to ride through, with a friend on the ground to guide you. As you ride around the circle, look 5m ahead – imagine a clock face with you looking 15 minutes ahead to whatever keeps your eyes up, be it a tree, the fence-line, anything! And ask your helper to make sure you’re not looking down. If you do, your line will ‘bulge’ on the circle, so you must be disciplined to look where you’re going and feel what’s happening. Focus ahead, and you’ll be consistent and accurate, and able to maintain the line of the circle perfectly. Do this on both reins, and in trot and canter.

Look where you’re going!

Top tipWhether warm-up flatwork or jumping

exercises, ensure your horse is ‘through’ from engaged hindquarters

and responding to your aids.

looking 5m ahead, ride through a ‘tunnel’ of poles…

looking 5m ahead, ride through a ‘tunnel’ of poles…

…and then a set of jump wings…and then a set of jump wings

Decide where to make a

transition…

Decide where to make a

transition…

…commit to that point……commit to that point…

…then decide where to

make the next transition

…then decide where to

make the next transition

48 H O R S E & R I D E R

Finding the right

young horse

Finding the right

young horse

Buying and educating a young horse can be an incredibly rewarding experience. This month, The Billy Stud’s co-founders, William and Pippa Funnell, advise on how you go about choosing the right one for you. Lisa Harris reports…

Buying and educating a young horse can be an incredibly rewarding experience. This month, The Billy Stud’s co-founders, William and Pippa Funnell, advise on how you go about choosing the right one for you. Lisa Harris reports…

Pho

tos:

Ste

ve B

arde

ns,

Bob

Atk

ins

Two youngsters enjoy their time in the field at The Billy Stud

H O R S E & R I D E R 49

Taking on a youngster is a dream for many riders. “Producing a young horse is the best feeling,” says Pippa

Funnell. “You’re starting with a blank canvas that could end up as anything! I love it.” With a baby, you mould and shape his entire education, and because you’re putting in a lot of the hard work yourself, buying a quality youngster is often cheaper than going for a horse that’s ‘ready-made’.

Having said that, choosing a youngster is by no means a straightforward process. “It’s so hard to predict a young horse’s future,” says Pippa. “I take notes on each and every one of ours the fi rst time we see them loose-schooled. Some will be more impressive than others at that stage, but they still all get educated in the same way. There are so many factors to take into account – I can never tell which ones will make it to top-level competition and which will make lovely riding club horses.”

Even the professionals fi nd it hard to assess a young horse’s potential – so how do you go about ensuring you have the best possible chance of making an investment when you purchase a four or fi ve-year-old? Let’s look at some of the key factors you need to take into consideration…

Good breedingNever underestimate the value of good breeding. “All of the horses we breed here are from proven bloodlines,” says William – the breeding stock that The Billy Stud use are all descended from long lines of successful sport horses. If a youngster’s parents reached the top echelons of a sport, you know they must have had a

▲In the saddle

value of good breeding.

successful sport horses.

Top tipGood bloodlines don’t

have to mean a big price tag. As more quality horses

are being bred in this country, they are becoming more affordable.

The professionalsWilliam Funnell is a world-renowned showjumper with over 20 years’ experience at the top of his sport. He has won over 20 international titles and has represented his country at the highest levels. Legendary eventer Pippa Funnell has consistently been at the top of three-day eventing throughout

her career, having cemented her place in the history books in 2003 when she won the Rolex Grand Slam.

horseandrideruk.comTo see videos of the techniques used in this feature, as well as other practical tips and tricks, visit www.horseandrideruk.com.

Either scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit tinyurl.com/BuyingHorse to access the page.

H&R training online