A tiny rider, resetting the event season and other things the horse world is talking about
Starting young
A tiny rider who at five is thought to be the youngest ever to have competed at the British Riding Clubs (BRC) winter novice championships did herself and her pony proud – and wants to do it again. Henrietta Henton and 12hh Winneydene Countryman (Frank) qualified to represent Saxon Dressage Group and BRC area nine at Arena UK last weekend. “We were astonished and thrilled when she qualified and we had the opportunity to go to the national championships,” Henritetta’s mother Laura said. “We did wonder as it’s such a big occasion but had a lot of encouragement from BRC, who said ‘You’ve qualified, come and enjoy it’, so we did.”
Read more about Henrietta and Frank
Pressing reset
In his H&H column this week, five-time Burghley winner Andrew Nicholson says the start of this eventing season has been far from ideal. “While the 2023 eventing season is officially under way, it has been beset by so many problems that I rather feel we should press “stop” and then start again,” he wrote. “The weather is what it is and nobody can sort that out – it will do that itself in time. There are man-made issues, however, that do need resolving.”
Selling calves
The 2023 World Cup final has kicked off, with three days of action to go. Among the top riders battling it out in Omaha is 51-year-old World Cup debutant Phillip Steiner of New Zealand, who bought his first piny with the proceeds of 10 calves he had reared.
You might also be interested in:
Five-year-old rider has ‘wonderful time’ as ‘youngest ever’ to compete at national championships
‘I sold some calves and bought a pony – this is the dream’: meet a 51-year-old World Cup Final debutant
Andrew Nicholson: ‘Can we press the reset button on the 2023 eventing season?’
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