Trainer Sally Randell leaves Broad Hinton stables to join Fergal O'Brien in the Cotswolds

Written by Tony Millett.

Sally Randell at her Broad Hinton yardAfter ten months training at Broad Hinton, Sally Randell is handing in her trainer's licence and moving away from Wiltshire to join her partner Fergal O'Brien who trains at Naunton in the Cotswolds.  She will be his assistant trainer.

Having helped re-establish Andy Turnell's yard after he had a stroke, Sally Randell applied for her licence in July last year.   Speaking to Marlborough.News she said she approached this move "...with a stab of sadness, but with bubbling excitement."

"It's been six tough years since myself and Brodie Hampson started in a caravan in Wales and a handful of point-to-pointers - and it feels like a dream come true that we were granted a licence and most of all that I trained winners!"

After a very successful career as a jockey, Sally Randell retired from riding last year.  In 2009, she became the first woman to win Sandown's Grand Military Gold Cup - riding Oakfield Legend.  She won it again in 2014 on Bradley and again in 2015 on Loose Chips.   
 
"Just over 2 years ago I made the best decision I have ever made and took a gamble and moved to Andy Turnell's yard. I worked under Andy for a year and put a lot of hard work into improving the facilities which had very much deteriorated since Andy's stroke which put him out of physical work for the year prior to taking me on."

"Horse numbers were very low and we built it all back up and as our results started to flow in so did owners!"  

During that year she completed her trainers' courses at the British Racing school, Newmarket:  "Andy was only too happy to let me take on the reins last autumn. I have had a great team all along the way and I owe everything to them."

Sally Randell & Brodie Hampson - with Donna's Palm (2015)Memory of Light & Breezy Kin on the Lambourn gallops (April 2016) On February 28 she had her first winner as a licensed trainer:  Brodie Hampson rode her father's horse Goal to victory at Southwell.  "It's quite fitting too that Goal - in the wonderful colours of the late Mark Hampson - would also give me my first flat winner at Brighton earlier this month."

"Racing is a tough game...and in such a financially testing climate where the cost of living is constantly increasing, we have needed constant support of our owners and with a few owners moving abroad and horses getting injured, we have been hit with a depletion in numbers and I would hate to get into financial difficulty."

Sally also cites the Broad Hinton yard's lack of a work gallop.  The weekly trips to the Lambourn gallops are costly and take up valuable time.   

"I have had a lot of help and support from my family, but with no backing and no big owner to replace horse numbers, we decided that to move forward we needed to join a bigger team with top class facilities."

She says she and Fergal "...are really excited to join our teams and make something even bigger for our futures. Fergal has a fantastic yard of horses ready for the winter season and we will be taking eight horses which I think will really add to an exciting time ahead."

All but one of her owners are going with her to Naunton: "I am really excited about all of the horses I am taking with me, but I am especially eager for Benechenko, Good Man Hughie and Lord of the Island to get back to the track."

Brodie Hampson, Kate Leahy and part-time racing secretary Emma Owen will become part of the team at Fergal O'Brien's yard.

Elm Cross Stables at Broad Hinton are now being marketed by Pilgrim Bond and Brewer at a rental of £2,000.  The yard includes a three-bedroomed semi-detached house, 17 stables, shared use of a horse walker, lunge ring and canter track.

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Rio 2016: Minal's Tim Price joins New Zealand's eventing team after injury to Jock Paget's horse

Written by Tony Millett.

Tim and Jonelle Price - in their Olympic stripMinal based event rider Tim Price, in Rio with Ringwood Sky Boy as travelling reserve, has been drafted into the New Zealand team - it will be his first Olympic appearance.  

Equestrian Sports New Zealand high performance director Sarah Dalziell-Clout says they are an exciting and experienced combination and Ringwood Sky Boy - known at the yard as Oz - has good eventing form at the highest levels.
 
This last minute change in the team follows a freak injury to Marlborough based Jock Paget's horse Clifton Lush.  The horse cut his cheek on a pipe that had come loose outside his stable.  

The cut was healing well and Clifton Lush passed his trot up examination, but it was decided the horse needed more time to make a full recovery.

Tim Price checks the depth of the water on the Rio cross country courseA New Zealand website quoted Jock Paget: “Obviously it is very disappointing for me and Clifton Lush’s owners, but we’ve decided this is best for the horse."

"It’s been a real team effort from the Rio 2016 Veterinary Hospital and our own vet Christiana Ober – they have all given Lush exceptional care and attention.”

Tim now joins his wife Jonelle in the team along with Olympic veteran Sir mark Todd (based at Badgerstown) and Clarke Johnstone.

Tim Price will go out first for the New Zealand team.  He will be followed by Sir Mark Todd on Leonidas II and Clarke Johnstone with Balmoral Sensation.   

Jonelle Price and her feisty grey mare Faerie Dianimo will go last - a spot usually held for those with a good chance of an individual medal.

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Marlborough College's Jemima Stratton wins National Jumping Championship

Written by Tony Millett.

Jemima and prize (Photo: Julian Portch) A young rider from Marlborough College has been crowned individual senior winner at the Hurstpierpoint College National Schools and Pony Club Jumping Championships (August 4).

Jemima Stratton, who lives in Salisbury, was victorious in the Senior Schools division riding her own Jefke – who is known in the stable as ‘Rambo’.

“He acts like his namesake!” said Jemima, who turned 14 last week. “We event and compete in Pony Trials, and are aiming for the European Championships. He definitely finds the showjumping phase the easiest.”

It was Jemima’s first time competing at the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead in West Sussex: “I didn’t have a plan in the jump-off as I have never done one on him before. But he’s really quick and seems to turn for the next jump before I’ve even asked him to.”

Jemima and Jefke provided two perfect rounds to keep all the poles up in a competitive class.  They posted a time of 39.14 for the jump-off to beat her closest rival by a tenth of a second.

Deputy Headmaster of Hurstpierpoint College Tim Leeper (see photo) was on hand to present the prizes.

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Marlborough company's dominant role in Rio Olympics' equestrian events

Written by Tony Millett.

Canada's Rebecca Howard & Riddle Master in the Barbeury ERMThirty-four horses flown from Stansted Airport, have arrived in Rio for the Olympic equestrian events - among them are ten British-based combinations who are supplied with feed and supplements by the Marlborough company Keyflow.  

The ten include three members of the home Olympic team - Brazilian event riders based in Britain.

This company probably has more British-based Olympic horses on its books than any other feed company.  Cam Price, Keyflow's founder and its managing director, told Marlborough.News: "We are extremely honoured and privileged to be feeding that number of Olympic horses."

Sir Mark & Tim Price see theie horses off on their way to RioThe Brazilian eventing team is trained by a Keyflow director, the very experienced New Zealand Olympian, Sir Mark Todd.  The home team's Keyflow trio are Carlos Parro (based in Shropshire), Ruy Leme da Fonseca (based in Wantage) and Marcio C. Jorge (based in Baydon.)

It was Marcio Jorge who caused a sensation during the Event Rider Masters competition at the Barbury International Horse Trials early in July with his near perfect dressage test to lead the world's top riders at the end of the first day - his score of 32.5 was the best dressage score to date in the ERM's series.

He took overall fifth place in the ERM's Barbury leg.

Another official Keyflow rider at the Games will be Canada's Rebecca Howard.  She used to be based in Marlborough, but is now based at Little Cheverell near Devizes. This will be her second Olympic Games as a member of Canada's eventing team.

The New Zealand eventing squad has three Keyflow riders:  Sir Mark Todd (based at Badgerstown), Jonelle Price (Minal) and travelling reserve Tim Price.  Another Keyflow eventer is Swedish Olympic team member Ludwig Svennerstal, who is based at Sir Mark Todd's yard.

Marcio congratulated at Barbury - a coach Sir Mark Todd looks on Marcio interviewed by ERM's Alice Plunkett Marcio Jorge in the ERM cross country at Barbury

The other two Keyflow riders now in Rio are the British show jumpers Michael and John Whitaker.

Coming soon: Keyflow binsSo the feed experts at Keyflow will be keeping a careful eye on the Rio results.  But they are busy too following Keyflow's takeover of Chestnut Horse Feeds - a Warwickshire feed company that was three times the size of Keyflow.   This branch is now based in north Nottinghamshire.

Some of the Chestnut staff - like sales manager Sharron Harrington - have moved across to Keyflow.  One of the main attractions in this tie-up was Chestnut's use of bulk bins for delivery.  These wheeled bins stand one metre high and hold 200 kilos of feed - and they avoid the use of environmentally unfriendly paper or plastic sacks.

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