Whitaker and Smith suffer blow to Olympic prospects

John Whitaker’s horse, Peppermill, is definitely out of contention due to injury and it was announced this week that Robert Smith’s winning partner, Talan, has been sold to Saudi Arabia.

Fourteen-year-old stallion Peppermill has suffered a tendon injury which has put him out of action and he will not be able to compete at all this year.

Peppermill is now on box rest at the Whitakers’ yard at Upper Cumberworth and will be returning to his owner, Rebecca Stones, in Surrey who will decide what the future holds for this talented, but injury prone horse.

Tendon injuries have been a problem for Peppermill who only returned to competition in June after nearly a year off due to a previous injury.

In July he and John were on great form at the Great Yorkshire Show to win the Cock o’ the North championship and in November they won the grand prix in Munich.

“He has done both legs twice now,” said Clare Whitaker. “It holds up for so long and then it goes again and we don’t think he will recover so readily this time.”

There was disappointment for the pair at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 when Peppermill had to be withdrawn at the last minute. He was found to be unfit for the first round of jumping due to being stiff with a muscular problem and was then not eligible to compete in the rest of the competition.

Now John Whitaker’s Olympic hopes rest on the less experienced Argento.

The 10-year-old belongs to John and Clare and they are hoping he turns out to be a dark horse. “If he improves as much as he did last year, then he could be in with a chance,” said Clare.

“He’s careful, he’s got everything he should have, he just needs to step up to the next level and that’s what John is going to be concentrating on.”

Smith’s top horse, Talan, has been sold to Saudi Arabia and will be ridden by Prince Faisal.

Midnight on December 31 was the deadline for a horse to be sold and then be eligible to compete in this summer’s Olympics.

Talan was a last-minute purchase by Saudi Arabia whose team only recently qualified for places at the 2012 Olympics.

The 12-year-old bay stallion was owned by Smith, the son of Harvey Smith, and Pennie Cornish.

“We got the offer and it’s something you have to consider in these times. We decided to go ahead,” said Robert Smith. “I am a bit disappointed about the sale because I think he would probably have been one of the certainties for London.”

Robert and the Cornishes have owned Talan since he was a three-year-old and Robert has been riding him for the past five years. Last year the pair were part of Britain’s winning Nations Cup team in Dublin.

Robert is now hoping that his new horse, Ude, will follow in Talan’s footsteps.

He said: “I think he could be quite special as well and we will have to see if he is good enough.”

He has only had Ude since November but was pleased with his performance at Olympia where he jumped clear and was second in one class.

Robert divides his time between his yard at Warwick and Eindhoven in Holland where he has a base with his partner, Shelly Redbart.

Oliver Townend will be holding a jumping clinic and giving an evening demonstration at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire next month for which some tickets are still available.

The four jumping clinics on February 17 will cover different heights from 2ft 6in to 3ft 3in and there are five places on each for horses and riders. The clinics cost £50 and spectators can also watch from the viewing gallery, tickets priced £5.

In the evening demonstration, Townend will show how he trains his horses for events including warming up, dressage and jumping. Tickets for this are £10.

The event is being organised by Countrywide. For more information and tickets go to www.countrywidefarmers.co.uk/olivertownend

Did you get a new mobile phone for Christmas and now don’t know what to do with the old one?

The charity World Horse Welfare is asking people to re-cycle their old mobiles and help raise money. The charity’s Penny Farm near Blackpool has a recycling point where people can donate unwanted phones.

Zoe Clifford at Penny Farm said: “We have managed to raise thousands of pounds in the past through recycling peoples’ old phones and as we are helping more and more needy horses each year donations are vital.”

Penny Farm is open on Wednesdays and at weekends. For more information go to www.worldhorsewelfare.org