Rising costs of horse ownership
The cost of keeping horses has to be acknowledged by yard owners and clients “now more than ever”, if businesses are to survive. Cheryl Johns, who set up yard directory Livery List followed by an online support group for yard owners, told H&H businesses are facing huge and varied challenges. “I work with thousands of yard owners across the UK and have done for many years and know that now, more than ever, there is an unavoidable level of concern around the future of this industry,” she said. H&H spoke to yards and Equestrian Employers Association president Tullis Matson, who said yards faced a tough enough time even before the recent cost increases. “Yard owners have to understand they need to make a profit and horse owners have to be realistic about how much it costs,” he added.
Find out more on the impact the economic climate is having on yards
Lottie Fry’s rising stars
Lottie Fry with Especial. London International Horse Show/Alex Treadway
World champion Lottie Fry introduced some of Anne and Gertjan Van Olst’s stars of the future on a recent media day organised by the London International Horse Show. The Everdale son Especial, double young horse world champion Kjento, four-year-old Nalegro – who is out of Valegro’s full sister – and the three-year-old Secret Lover were among the exciting up-and-coming horses she is riding for the Van Olsts.
Discover more about these exciting young horses
Andrew Nicholson’s thoughts on five-stars and championships
Legendary event rider and successful cross-country coach to the Swiss eventing team Andrew Nicholson shares his thoughts on the future of the sport and how five-stars and championships can run in parallel to each other. “Courses like that [the eventing World Championship course we saw at Pratoni] are probably the future for championships, and I fully understand why – it does look more and more likely that Badminton and Burghley will end up standing alone, however I don’t think this needs to be a problem – the major CCI5*s should remain the ultimate proving ground and can run on something of a parallel path to the championships,” says Andrew.
Read more of Andrew’s insight and analysis of Pratoni and other recent major events
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