Snow brings eventing to a halt, and more things the horse world is talking about

Spring snow woes

Snow has forced Oasby (1) (9 to 12 March) to abandon its first two days of competition. Organisers Bede Events made the call just before 4am this morning to call off today’s (9 March) classes. At 10am and with snow still falling, tomorrow (Friday) was also abandoned “on grounds of horse and rider safety”. There are currently yellow and amber weather warnings covering significant chunks of the country. “By taking this decision early we hope we can prevent riders travelling in inclement weather and it enables us to make alternative arrangements,” said a statement from the organisers. Bede is also “finalising details” of transferring intermediate and open intermediate classes to Monday (13 March) and will be in touch with competitors to offer them the chance of moving their entries.

Discover more about how the weather is affecting the horse world

Tributes paid to Olympian

Tributes have been paid to former Olympic eventer Wyndham St John, who died on Monday in Spain. The 63-year-old Canadian suffered a ruptured aneurysm and brain bleed and fell from her horse during an international showjumping competition. She was airlifted to a specialist neurological unit but died in hospital on 6 March. Wyndham was born in Vancouver but moved to the UK, and was “an accomplished Canadian equestrian throughout her life”, an Equestrian Canada spokesman said. She competed at the 2000 Olympics and the 2002 World Games. In 2014, she switched to showjumping, competing throughout Europe until last month. “Wyn leaves an unavoidable void. I would like for all of us to remember and cherish Wyn for what she was, an incredible human being, caring, loving and the best person I was lucky to have met,” said her husband, José. “To honour her, remember a memory of Wyn and keep it in your heart for ever.”

Read the tributes to the ‘dedicated horsewoman’ who ‘lived joyfully’

New ride for Gemma Owen

British dressage rider Gemma Owen, 19, has taken the reins of up-and-coming mare MSJ Florenza, following the “heartbreaking” loss of her junior team horse Sirius Black III. The eight-year-old grey, by Fürstenball, had success in young horse classes and was crowned medium gold regional champion on her most recent outing with Amy Woodhead. Gemma is leasing “Faye” from owner Emma Blundell of Mount St John stud until the end of the year.

Find out more about this new partnership

Whip rules

Mark Phillips addresses considering rule changes carefully, recent discussions at the FEI risk management forum and the future of the whip in equestrian sport, in this week’s H&H column. He reports that British Eventing plans to introduce a rule next year that says a rider can only use the whip on a horse’s shoulder, and that both the US and FEI are looking at the same thing, albeit worded differently. He also reflects on the British Riding Clubs rule that prohibits a rider hitting a horse after a refusal or elimination. “These days, we must see the whip only as an instrument of safety – to create impulsion, back up the leg and keep the horse straight – and not one of admonishment or to encourage more speed. Restricted use of the whip is coming and the sooner the Olympic disciplines embrace it, the better,” he says.

Read Mark’s column in full

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