MANY riders compete alongside a full-time job, but few are as busy as commodities trader Nikolas Kröncke – who works in London and whose wife Kathleen is expecting their second child this week. Nikolas rode his breeding stallion Flanell (pictured) to

ROYAL WINDSOR Ponies SECOND-PLACED combinations cemented the notion that you should always return for a championship. While bridesmaids came to the fore across the horse and pony sections, arguably the fairytale triumph of the week was witnessed on d

Lime Kiln Farm, Norfolk ZOE KIRKPATRICK’S seven-year-old broodmare is proving herself under saddle. Mint Ice Diamond US won both elementaries, one with 72.35%. “She is co-owned by myself and Sarah Forder and I’ve had her since she was three,” said Zo

HIGHLIGHTS 4–5 May Fernie, Dingley, Northants A THRILLING edge-of-yourseat finale in the Fernie fourmiler mixed open resulted in nine-year-old gelding Ragnar Lodbrok finishing victorious under Alex Chadwick for trainer Jennifer Owen. The “quirky” Fam

ROYAL WINDSOR 1–5 May alexandra.robinson@futurenet.com @alexrob_journo_ Royal Windsor, Windsor Castle, Berks THE youngest member of a leading showing family proved a chip off the old block as she dominated the hunters at the 2024 renewal of Royal Win

Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_ THE FEI has set out its much-anticipated action plan to ensure “a good life” for equines – but questions remain on whether “the voice of the horse” is being h

AN agile maxi cob provided his rider with his first-ever Windsor title. Stella Chetcuti’s 15-year-old Bastille and Kieran Price (née Baslington) jumped one of eight clears in the working show horses en route to the top spot. “Stella enjoys him at hom

Dean Valley, Cheshire SCARLETT WARD headed a 12-strong jump-off with 4.62sec in hand to take the Nupafeed Supplements discovery second round with promising six-year-old Mareno Z. “I probably wasn’t intending to go as fast as I did but I set off for t

THERE is a risk that the senior European Championships in eventing, showjumping and para dressage will not go ahead next year, if no hosts are found. In his opening speech at the 2024 FEI Sports Forum (29–30 April), FEI president Ingmar de Vos said t

ROYAL WINDSOR Natives A BIG-MOVING Welsh section A took a break from his main post as a ridden pony to become the new Horse & Hound mountain and moorland (M&M) supreme in-hand champion. Melanie Peters’ 11-year-old Hoekhorst Example (Harry) is a well-

HIGHLIGHTS 4–5 May Mid Surrey Farmers, Godstone, Surrey GINA ANDREWS marked up a treble, started by heading the mixed open with nine-yearold Yeats gelding Loughan and the conditions (level two) with 11-year-old Beneficial gelding Benefaktor. “He was

LAURA KRAUT’S Manama Rose show stakes winner Calgary Tame was on flying form throughout the show – assisted in finding vital extra millimetres by his lightweight, rubbercoated aluminium front shoes. “When Julien Epaillard had him before me, he had no

ROYAL WINDSOR Amateurs FULL-TIME lawyer Rose Bailey kept her cool to go one better than the reserve position she occupied here 12 months ago and lift the overall Rosettes Direct-sponsored amateur hunter championship. “I’ve finally got my Royal Windso

THEY may call her Angel, but Heartbreaker Star Quality was not a match made in heaven for Libby Seed in the early days. Libby was handed the mare as a sales livery when the mare was a six-year-old, and “didn’t get on with her at all”. “I used to ride

NORTHERN IRELAND FESTIVAL 26–28 April Northern Ireland Festival, Cavan EC, Co Cavan A COLLEGE student and her 153cm campaigner defied the odds to land the coveted Festival supreme pony workers for the second year running. Competition was fierce but t

oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscarw_dr HIGHLIGHTS 22–28 April Cherwell Competition Centre, Oxon A CHANGE of tactics is paying off for Ali Dane and Lusitano gelding Lidador (Baluarte Da Broa x Iberico) who won the elementary 55 with 71.45% and medium

THERE is arguably more benefit to putting a red ribbon in the tail of a horse known to kick than not, it is thought. Confusion has arisen as to whether they could be seen as acknowledging that a horse is likely to kick, and so render the rider liable

Suffolk EC ZOE SMITH took home four tickets across both qualifiers, including landing a win in the Nupafeed Supplements discovery second round riding I Lexus Z. Twenty-two horses from 46 starters made the third round, three of which were ridden by Zo

oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscarw_dr THE Winter Dressage Championships at Addington were a fabulous opportunity for British horses to experience a bustling and atmospheric competition venue. My home-bred Full Moon certainly could do with some more

oscar.williams@futurenet.com @oscarw_dr ROYAL WINDSOR 1–2 May Royal Windsor CDI4*, Windsor Castle, Berks EMILE FAURIE and his exciting mare Bellevue smashed their personal best to win the Defender CDI4* dressage freestyle. While judges weren’t unanim

Parwood EC, Surrey DUTCH driving horse Albertho B and Katharine Rose Lewis landed the prix st georges (PSG) gold with 69.56% and the inter I silver with 67.35%. Katharine rides Albertho for his owner Di Hayes, who competed him in driving trials befor