CATEGORIES

Racing's horse whisperer

Craig Witheford on being the first to ride champion racehorse Sea The Stars, and how he analyses equine behaviour to understand what makes a horse tick

12 to watch in 2024

Which up-and-coming riders will make their mark this season? H&H predicts this year’s rising stars

Equestrians among the 'pride of this country’ in 2024 honours

Author Jilly Cooper was recognised with a damehood, and figures from racing and coaching were also rewarded

Bucket list by the seaside

Taking your own horse on holiday with you is a big tick off the bucket list. Georgia Guerin enjoys a seaside staycation with her pony and revives her riding spark

Bob Olinger is back

Rachael Blackmore leads the way with the ultimate comeback king, while an 11/2 shot provides Ben Jones with his first Cheltenham winner

McLean's on top again

The young Scottish showjyumper continues to impress as new combinations also shine

The real WILD WEST

With a whistle-stop introduction to roping, lassoing, rodeo and swing dancing, Georgia Guerin finds her inner cowgirl on a ranch in Wyoming

Eddie

This out-and-out field master’s horse” will jump anything in front asking him to hunt in the field is another matter, though

Riders will be asked to talk after falls to improve safety

A first-person account of any incident has so far been missing from data collected in international eventing

Dressage Judges are being asked to do the impossible’

A study found it is too much to ask judges to assess the sheer volume of information required

Brookfield Equestrian

The Brookfield prefix is synonymous with top-level eventing. Gemma Redrup meets the ownership trio to find out how the syndicate works and where they source their brilliant charges

If at first you don't succeed...

For many riders, 2023 was the year they realised a childhood ambition, or followed through with a new year resolution. Alex Robinson meets those who made their own dreams come true. Could it be you in 2024?

King’s classy double

One jockey ended his year in style, while pace proves crucial for another horse's victory

Jockey turned trainer

Brian Toomey on coming back from the dead after a fall to race-ride again and starting his new venture as a dual-purpose trainer

Barney

Eventing wasn't for this horse, but hunting hounds and jumping the biggest places certainly was

Treating horses like horses, not kings: changing the commentary

Research found that changing the way we talk about welfare could help protect it, and our sport’s future

Greenacres Special Cavalier

This unexpected event horse is making her mark at the top level of the sport. Gemma Redrup meets the talented mare with the \"heart of a lion\"

Harvey Smith

The legendary showjumper tells Bernard Bale about his trajectory in the sport, the talent of his own top horses and what he would like to see change on the circuit today

Horse rehoming figures drop as living costs remain high

H&SH speaks to the major equine welfare charities for a picture of the national herd as the year comes to a close

Denman

The all-out galloping machine aka The Tank had a heart as big as himself, but that was ultimately his downfall, finds Julian Muscat of the heroic chaser

FEI to work with riders on chaotic’ tack app issues

Showjumpers say the new app, intended to clarify rules, has caused confusion and forced last-minute bit changes

‘It’s nice to have a joint win’

LASHING wind and rain did nothing to dampen competition in the Socks By Ruby Diamond Championship qualifier, in which Phoebe Sealey (Amelusina II) and Zoe Coombes (Chamora S) tied for first place on 37.39sec.

Carols and calamities

There’s something 7 magical and memorable about hunting over Christmas and the festive period, says Rory Knight Bruce

Kasino Is a good bet

The year ends on a high for Henry Squibb, and two friends share the limelight

'The class everyone wants to win'

Spectators were treated to \"the best sport you can get\", with Ben Maher leading a British one-two in the World Cup and an Irish show debutant in third

Whitaker shows how it's done

The legendary John Whitaker says that winning in front of his home crowd “keeps me young” and shows his rivals exactly how to do it – twice

Former star shines on

Two previous stars of the ridden circuit triumph as veterans on their debuts in the big city

Austin O'Connor

The event rider reflects on his rollercoaster ride to victory at Maryland, why Burghley was devastating, and how he and his not \"over-brave\" horse prevailed to give Ireland its first five-star winner for 58 years. Catherine Austen tells all

Vital slumbers

A horse’s sleep patterns vary from our own, but their need for sufficient rest is the same. Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS explains equine sleep behaviour

King as patron in Royal Windsor's show plans

Organisers will also give financial aid to riders to deal with post-Brexit costs