Horses left to die after evil attack and other things the horse world is talking about

An unimaginable act of evil

Gwent Police are investigating after three horses were led in barbed-wire headcollars, viciously beaten, and left in a flooded ditch to die. Julie Jackson’s elderly mare Skye did not survive the attack and while her colts Red and Oak will recover physically, they have been left traumatised by the violence. Julie went to her field on 19 November but the horses did not come when called, and eventually she found Skye and Oak in a ditch fields away, legs tied with barbed wire, and Red nearby. “Skye was an easy target because of her age, and she was the sweetest animal you’d ever meet. She was a little old lady still with plenty of life left, but she wouldn’t have put up a fight, she’d have just stood on the edge of the ditch while they pushed her in,” said Julie.

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The return of Rivals

The television adaption of Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel Rivals will return for a second season. The first series, created by Disney+ and Happy Prince, with Jilly as an executive producer, aired in autumn and was met with a “phenomenal” reaction. “We’re thrilled that existing fans of the novels, alongside those new to the Cooperverse, have taken the series to their hearts,” said Lee Maxon, EMEA Disney+ executive director of scripted originals. A release date has not been confirmed as yet, but it will be back on Disney+ in the UK and internationally, and on Hulu in the US.

Read what Jilly had to say

World number one eventer becomes a father

Double Olympic team gold and individual silver medallist Tom McEwen has become a father. Tom and his wife Harriet welcomed a baby boy on 29 November, weighing 8lbs10z. The couple married in autumn 2023, and in July, ahead of the Olympics Tom revealed they were expecting their first child. The couple have yet to confirm a name, but Tom said that “Harri is doing well and is already an incredible mama”, and he thanked the maternity staff at Gloucester hospital.

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Becky Murray

H&H senior news writer

Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.