Four-year-old Harvey rides off with awards

He handed out over 55 awards to members, the youngest of whom was four-year-old Harvey Spencer.

Harvey won four titles and just missed out on winning the overall championship for the under-12s.

Harvey, whose pony is called Knapton Tiny Tim, won the lead rein showing; the lead rein/first pony of show hunter type (where he was joint-first with Isabella Worthington); ridden veteran horse or pony and veteran horse or pony in hand awards.

The Association makes an award every year, the Biscuit Memorial Trophy, to a horse of special merit. This year it went to a courageous ex-racehorse called KT, owned by Jackie Wood.

KT started her career with local trainer, Jo Foster, before going to her new owner to compete in one day events.

When KT went lame, X-rays showed that four of her spinal dorsal processes were very close together and she was also diagnosed with having a ‘kissing spine’. A year ago she underwent an operation to remove one of the dorsal processes. It was not until February this year that she was able to be ridden. By May she was able to start flat classes at local shows and preliminary dressage competitions.

Over the summer KT became stronger and by September could compete in one-day events and was getting placed in hunter trials and showjumping classes.

Next year Jackie hopes KT will be competing at British Eventing level.

Father and son, John and Robert Whitaker, were both on winning form at the Stockholm International Horse Show at the weekend.

In the thrilling bareback puissance competition, Robert and Waterstone 11, were the only combination to clear the wall at 2.12m and it is possible that Robert has jumped into the record books with a new bareback puissance record.

Robert also won the Volkswagon Cup with the 13-year-old bay gelding, Rostaar, with a clear round in a time of 55.32 seconds.

The show finale, held on Sunday, was the Stockholm Grand Prix when both Robert, with USA Today and John, riding Casino, were in the jump-off.

Robert went clear in a time of 34.59 seconds to go into fifth place and this time his father took the honours, finishing the jump-off clear in 32.43 seconds, just 0.10 seconds ahead of second-placed Swedish rider, Jens Fredricson.

A future event horse, Greenvale Audacity, has been successfully approved for breeding by the Coloured Horse and Pony Society, CHAPS UK.

The sports horse stallion belongs to Jo Milnes from the West End Farm Stud at Thornholme, Driffield.

“We are very pleased with his grading. We bought him as three-year-old from South Wales and he has been slowly brought on and broken in,” said Jo.

Due to his normal rider, Katy Blythe, being pregnant, Dazzle as he is known at home, was sent to Beech House Stud in Staffordshire, run by Geoff Glazzard and Derek Morton, who produced him for grading.

The procedure involves full vetting by two vets, the examination of conformation, type and movement in hand by a panel of five people, examination of loose jumping, manners and way of going ridden and a jumping assessment for British Showjumping. Greenvale Audacity is a coloured, part bred Trakehner by Alderfarn out of Fleetwater Acclaim.

He was graded Approved by CHAPS UK at Arena UK in Lincolnshire and once he has a satisfactory competition record, he will be assessed to become fully graded.

“He has just started doing some showjumping and will come back to us for the 2012 stud season. We hope he will make his British Eventing debut next year,” said Jo.

The chairman of the charity World Horse Welfare, Christopher Hall, is to step down in December after five-and-a-half years and vice chairman Barry Johnson will take over.

During his time as chairman, Hall was involved in the decision to change the charity’s name, from the International League for the Protection of Horses, to World Horse Welfare which it was felt reflected the scope of its work better.

As well as overseeing the expansion of WHW’s Belwade Farm in Scotland, he encouraged the increase in overseas training projects in countries where there is a desperate need for better treatment of working horses.

Over the past three years, nearly 400 saddlers and farriers have been trained in eight different countries.

A solicitor for 30 years, he has also held positions with the Jockey Club, the charity Racing Welfare and as chairman of the London International Horse Show at Olympia.

His successor, Johnson, has had a successful career as a vet, including being a former president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

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