1. A sad farewell to a much-loved eventer
Fair Expression, who competed up to three-star level with Ros Canter, has died following a happy retirement, aged 26. “Percy” competed with Ros, his owner Sue Ringrose, and Sue’s daughter Laura. He was part of the Ringrose family for 22 years, having been bought by Sue in Ireland, and was described as an “absolute gentleman”. “Laura worshipped him; she got married at our local country house hotel in 2019 and he was there on the lawn,” said Sue. “The girls had turned him out as if for a two-star event, and we all had our picture taken with him. He could be spooky, but he was brilliant, I think he knew it was a special day.”
2. A trainer stripped of his licence
Racehorse trainer Milton Harris has lost his licence following a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary hearing on 15 to 18 January. The BHA licensing committee ruled that Milton was “not a fit and proper person to hold a licence”, after he conducted a campaign of “humiliation and harassment” of a fellow trainer, and made inappropriate comments to a young female staff members. Tim Naylor, BHA director of integrity and regulatory, said some of the details in the licensing committee’s decision make “extremely uncomfortable reading”. “ Mr Harris’s behaviour over a prolonged period of time fell a long way short of what we expect of a licensed person and, as the committee found, would cause damage to racing’s reputation if allowed to continue without repercussion,” he said.
3. An oast house with recently installed equestrian amenities
Are you dreaming of a new property? Ramsden Oast, near the town of Tenterden, Kent, is on the market and offers just what every horse owner might need. The property sits on 3.5 acres and has a 20x40m arena, L-shaped stable block, hay barn, wash bay, and tack room. The four-bedroom house has an entrance hall with traditional tiled flooring, contemporary kitchen, and stunning countryside views, plus a detached annexe with garages and a workshop.
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