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Drama at dressage Europeans, the Burghley cross-country course, and other things the horse world is talking about

Horse & Hound’s daily debrief, brought to you every weekday
Carol Phillips Carol Phillips

    • Difficult moments on day one of Europeans

    Day one of the European Dressage Championships did not go entirely to plan for either Britain or Germany, who look set to battle it out for top spot on the team podium. Britain’s pathfinder Andrew Gould was eliminated from the grand prix on Indigro and Germany’s Ingrid Klimke posted a below-par mark on Vayron saying it was “the worst grand prix we have ever done”. Going into day two, Germany is on top after Katharina Hemmer and Denoix Pch scored 75.7%, but Britain is close behind after Becky Moody and Jagerbomb scored 74.83%. Carl Hester will be in action with Fame at 11.46am (UK time), followed by British anchors Lottie Fry and Glamourdale at 3.17pm.

    Keep up to date with the latest from the Europeans

    A sneak peek of the Burghley course

    If you want to know what double Defender Burghley Horse Trials winner Pippa Funnell thinks of Derek di Grazia’s new-look Burghley cross-country course ahead of next week’s competition (4-7 September), make sure you pick up a copy of today’s Horse & Hound magazine. Inside you’ll find Pippa’s thoughts on all 31 fences on the course, the route of which has been reversed this year. To help whet your appetite, we have pictures of just a few fences for you here. Our exclusive videos of Pippa walking some of the key combinations on the course will be available on horseandhound.co.uk from Saturday (30 August).

    Take a look at these fences

    What does “suitably mounted” look like on a thoroughbred?

    The debate about what is the correct rider weight ratio for a horse to be expected to carry rages on. After Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) announced that it intended to actively enforce its rules on rider-horse weight ratios, the comments on our Facebook pages ranged from active support for RoR to claims of misogyny, fat-shaming and much “whataboutery” as people questioned why this is being addressed when there are worse welfare issues. But what it really comes down to is that this is a potential welfare issue and the suitability of the rider-horse combination must be key – it’s not just about weight. As H&H Eleanor Jones asks in her follow-up column: “Does anyone really think a small thoroughbred should be asked to carry more than nearly 16 stone?” as that’s where the cut-off point is under the current guidelines.

    Read Eleanor’s thoughts

    Catch-up with more from the dressage Europeans:

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    Carol Phillips
    Carol Phillips

    H&H website editor
    Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.
    Carol Phillips

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