For someone who topped the British Eventing leaderboard as the rider with the most cross-country clears in 2025, experiencing two uncharacteristic falls with his top horse, Galileo Nieuwmoed, at both Badminton and Burghley could easily have been difficult to recover from.
But leading Wiltshire event rider David Doel is very...
Ros Canter and the stunning Lordship Graffalo claimed their second MARS Badminton Horse Trials title with a flawless round in the final showjumping phase, cementing the horse's status as one of the best eventers in the world. Canter now joins a select group of just five riders to have won...
The world’s greatest three-day event riders are eagerly anticipating the start of the 2025 Mars Badminton Horse Trials, which is just about to get underway (Wednesday 7 May).
The Barbury Castle estate saw a welcome return to British Eventing at the weekend with three days of competition, showcasing some of our top riders, including Laura Collett, David Doel, Tim and Jonelle Price, Tom McEwen to name just a few.
Badminton 2025 is nearly here, taking place in early May beytween 7 - 11th. One difference for this year - all tickets must be bought in advance as there won't be any tickets sold on the gate this year. There is the 'early bird' advance ticket discount available, but that...
New Zealander Caroline Powell pulled off a shock victory at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials at the weekend, after Tim Price and Vitali and William Fox Pitt and Grafennacht, who were in first and second respectively, had a number of fences down in the showjumping.
Will Rawlin describes himself as “absolutely fine” as he faces his first ever appearance at the Mars Badminton Horse Trials, which begin on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old first timer, based at Rockley, said he is not overthinking the competition, regarded by many in the sport as the pinnacle in the eventing calendar,...
David Doel’s past two seasons, with his star horse Galileo Nieuwmoed, are the stuff that most event riders can only dream of. A sixth place at his debut Badminton Horse Trials, eighth at Kentucky and runner up at Burghley are the highlights - but for him this is not quite...
Three former successful racehorses, stabled and trained now at Overton Manor Farm (and owned by the White family) in Wroughton have qualified for the Horse of the Year Show at Birmingham’s NEC in October.
Trained by the ladies who will be riding them, the three horses will be competing in the...
When Greta Mason drives through the famous Badminton gates for her debut appearance this week it will be a culmination of a three-year plan.
Greta and her 16.1hh gelding Cooley for Sure (Murphy) moved to base themselves with former Badminton winner Rodney Powell at his Bishopstone yard in 2020, with a...
Irish Prophecy - the horse they're talking about - with Emma Lavelle
It is less than a year since jumps trainer Emma Lavelle moved from Hampshire to the famous and now much renovated and enlarged Bonita Racing Stables near Marlborough. And Emma Lavelle Racing's first season there has been a resounding success: her tally of wins stands at 35 - against a total of 19 wins over the previous season at her Hampshire yard.
She says - modestly: "It's been a building year for us" - as in building up the yard's complement of horses. She has seventy boxes and 64 horses in training.
Newbury’s opening Flat meeting of 2017, the Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials Weekend (April 21 and 22), features well supported Classic trials, a Group race for older horses over a mile and a half, competitive handicaps and maiden races suited to bringing forward stars of the future.
It is a combination aided by excellent prize money, with the Saturday card worth £260,000 and the Friday programme totalling £112,000.
Beware Chalk Pit was twelve years-old when he won the Supreme Champion showing title at the four-day Retraining of Racehorses National Championship Show at Aintree in August last year. He is pictured here with his rider Rebecca Court and garlanded with his awards.
The former National Hunt chaser, a bay gelding by Anshan, came out of training in January 2015. And has made a remarkable switch to the show ring - with Rebecca Court. Marlborough resident Ann Leftley still has an interest in him.
A huge crowd took advantage of a fabulous dry, sunny - if a trifle windy - day on the Marlborough Downs for the annual Tedworth Point-to-Point at the Barbury Racecourse.
There were more stands and food and drink stalls than ever - and for those not riding but of an adventurous spirit there was a 'Bucking Bronco' for the older 'children' and a 'Last Man Standing' for the younger 'children' - and for the even younger a bouncy castle of wondrous proportions.
The 2017 British eventing season has got underway and the competitions now come thick and fast. In two competitions so far, leading New Zealand eventer Andrew Nicholson, who is based near Marlborough, has ridden in thirteen classes.
Nicholson came to England aged 18 and has been eventing here for thirty-plus years. The sport has, Nicholson says, 'changed an awful lot': "It's much more commercial. The positive side of that is that horses are much more valuable - buying and training them brings rewards. That's where the money is."
George Baker with his racehorse named George Baker
Manton is losing one of its two well-known trainers. George Baker who has been leasing the Barton Yard from Paul Clarke, is buying the freehold of a training establishment in the Surrey Hills - very close to the Sussex-Surrey border.
George Baker - seen here with the racehorse he trains that is also named George Baker - has been training mainly for flat racing, but also for jumps, for nine years. In December 2013 he and his wife, Candida, and children and horses moved to Manton: "It is genuinely a privilege to add our name to the list of famous and successful trainers who have trained at Manton since the middle of the nineteenth century."
The point-to-point season still has a good way to run and local trainer Laura Thomas is "Delighted with how it's going." She trains near Barbury - just over the hill from Alan King's stables.
Her ten point-to-point wins so far were capped with a hunter chase victory at Ludlow (April 3.)
Rebecca Howard holds Riddle Master as Megan King checks his back
Canadian eventer Rebecca Howard has been riding and competing around the world with Riddle Master - known to all as Rupert - for ten years. Now the sixteen year-old Canadian Sports Horse is getting regular physiotherapy sessions in preparation for their appearance at the Mitsubishi Badminton Horse Trials (3-7 May.)
The Canadian bred bay gelding looks smaller than his official 16.1 hands and certainly looks younger than his sixteen years. He was bred by Caroline Bazley and her mother Jean Watson in Orangeville, Ontario - and they still own him. Rebecca Howard was born and brought up in British Columbia - so it is a truly Canadian team.
Riders in the Bloor Homes Supporting Greatwood Charity Race: Lisa Kozak, Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, David Dennis, Simon Cross, Hannah Bishop, Georgie Norton (winner), Richard Marks, Steph Cameron, Sarah Milsom & Polly-Anna Greco
The annual Greatwood race day at Newbury Racecourse was held last Saturday (March 4), raising in excess of £90,000 (net) for the charity which is based at Clench Common, just south of Marlborough. In addition to a card of sponsored 'Supporting Greatwood' races, 360 guests attended a lunch at the racecourse. There was a silent auction with a vast array of valuable lots.
The last race on the card was a special charity race sponsored by Bloor Homes with ten amateur riders giving it their all. It was won by Georgie Norton riding Eddiemaurice - owned by Mel Mathias and trained by John Flint.
