It was another battle of the Swedes on day two at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final as Henrik von Eckermann and Peder Fredricson went head-to-head for the second night in a row. Tonight the showjumping World Cup Finals (18 April) featured a 1.60m jump-off class, and Henrik conjured two magical rounds out of the peerless King Edward to pip his compatriot on Catch Me Not S by more than 2sec on 43.38. This pair were in a class of their own, with America’s Jill Humphrey third on Chromatic BF, nearly 3sec adrift. This means that Henrik sits out in front of the World Cup Finals sta ..read more

Paddy Brennan and Imperial Commander after winning the 2010 Gold Cup at Cheltenham. Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Paddy Brennan signed off on his 27-year career in the saddle with his 1,526th winner yesterday (17 April). Paddy partnered his final ride, Manothepeople, to victory in the Weatherite Air Conditioning Handicap Chase on the opening day of the April meeting at Cheltenham, for long-standing supporter, trainer Fergal O’Brien. The 43-year-old landed his biggest career win in the 2010 Gold Cup aboard Imperial Commander. He also has five other Cheltenham Festival wins to his name, pil ..read more

Library image. More than 500 horses have been found “slaughtered” at a property in New South Wales, Australia. Authorities are investigating after the equine carcasses, some of which were “no more than skeletal remains”, were found near Wagga Wagga this week. Wagga Wagga City Council has been leading a joint investigation into the incident. “Council was supported by New South Wales Police in investigating reports that horses had been butchered at the property and their carcasses left in a dry creek bed,” a spokesman for the council said. “The information led to council entering the property su ..read more

Davy Russell is a three-time champion jockey in his native Ireland and a dual winner of the Grand National with Tiger Roll. He rode 25 winners at the Cheltenham Festival before he retired in 2023. I AM MAXIMUS ridden by Paul Townend wins the RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL HANDICAP CHASE at AINTREE 13/4/24 Photograph by Grossick Racing Photography 0771 046 1723 What a race we were treated to in this year’s Randox Grand National. There were no fallers, just four unseated jockeys, and the spectacle at the end, with so many horses coming through with a chance, was something I’ve never seen before. It was f ..read more

This spacious home has plenty of room for a growing family, plus great facilities for horses and humans alike. Both the house and equestrian facilities are in good order enabling the new owners to move in with little or no work required. So could it be your dream property? It is just outside the village of Woodgate, which is two-and-a-half miles from Dereham in mid-Norfolk, 13 miles south of Fakenham and 19 miles from the city of Norwich. Local equestrian centres within easy reach include Forest Edge Arena (18 miles), Squirrel Wood (23 miles), Kimblewick (four miles) and Weston EC (10 miles ..read more

The king proved he’s still on the throne as world number one Henrik von Eckermann piloted the brilliant King Edward to victory on day one at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final. The opening event of these showjumping World Cup Finals (17 April), held for the first time in its 44-year-history in Saudi Arabia, was a 1.60m speed class in front of both packed stands and the two-tier VIP suite. The defending champions had to pull out all the stops to take the €46,000 first prize. Riding second-last of the 34-strong field, the Swede knew what he had to do, and he raced round with pinpoint accu ..read more

Lottie Fry and Everdale topped the leader board on 75.38% in the grand prix. Britain’s sole representative in the dressage World Cup Finals won the grand prix in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The reigning world champion Lottie Fry, riding her second string Everdale, headed the field by more than 2%, scoring 75.38%. Sweden’s Patrik Kittel was runner-up with his European Championship ride Touchdown on 73.29%. Lottie goes down in history as the first international dressage winner to be crowned in this country. Bar a slight blip where Everdale took his eye off the ball before the rein-back, Lottie’s test ..read more

Four “discarded” stallions who were running loose for a fortnight by a main road have been rescued – and given names befitting their experience. The Lluest Horse and Pony Trust has taken in the group and named them all after Lord of the Rings characters, “in honour of their adventures”. A spokesman for the charity said the stallions’ journey began by the A48 between Pyle and Margam, “where they had been running loose, lost and alone, for nearly two weeks; a danger to themselves and to the users of the road”. “Recognising the peril they faced and the potential danger they posed, the local auth ..read more

First of all, it’s important to recognise that both dogs and children need keeping safe from one another, rather than it just being children that need to be kept safe from dogs. Very rarely will a dog ever harm a child “just because” and nothing is as simple and clear cut as it seems when it comes to dogs and children. Judgements are often made too quickly and usually to the detriment of the dog and the child.  Relationships between children and dogs The important things to establish in child-dog relationships are respect, kindness, spacial awareness and the understanding of how behaviou ..read more

The Welsh section B is has been added to the ‘at risk’ category on the RBST watchlist. The Welsh section B has been classified as “rare” for the first time, following a decline in numbers. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) released its 2024–25 watch list today (17 April). A sustained decline in Welsh section B dams producing registered progeny – from 1,044 in 2009 to below 400 in 2023 – that the breed is now considered to be rare. The watch list uses a traffic-light system to identify breeds of most and least concern. These are “priority” (red), “at risk” (amber) and “UK breeds” (green). T ..read more