Anthony Condon became the first Irish rider to take the Equerry Bolesworth International Grand Prix title on a day of sun-drenched show-jumping action in the International Arena.

Forty three combinations representing ten nations came forward for the feature class and visiting course designer from Ireland, Alan Wade had set a track where clear rounds would prove hard to come by.

Anthony Condon gave the Irish their first confirmed contender for the Grand Prix title after a faultless performance with Balzac.

As the competition progressed, it was looking unlikely that a full quota of clear rounds would be met, meaning that the fastest of those with penalties were in with a chance of qualifying. Robert Whitaker and Catwalk IV opted to go for a steady clear and despite ending up just over a second outside the time allowed, they went forward to the Jump-Off carrying a single penalty.

Last in to the arena for Round One, Spain’s Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot ensured that six nations would be represented in the deciding round where each would be aiming to take home the lion’s share of the €100,000 prize fund on offer.

Coming into the second round in reverse order of their penalties and time from Round One, the stage was set for a truly dramatic conclusion, with three past winners amongst the eleven to face a Jump-Off course where they would have to twist and turn before getting a chance to open their horses up and gallop to the last.

William Whitaker was the first of the Jump-Off challengers with a chance of posting a zero score but two fences down saw him move out of contention. Then it was the turn of local rider Keith Shore who rode a tactical clear round to move up to the top of the leader board with Mystic Hurricane, completing in 53.53 seconds.

Anthony Condon was the final Irish challenger and he knocked over three and a half seconds off Keith’s time to take over the lead with Balzac (49.86 seconds). With just two more to come forward, the competition was far from over but fences down for Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Michel Hendrix ensured a first International Grand Prix win at Bolesworth for Condon, who is based at Harthill Stud, just five minutes away from the venue.

‘I won the Grand Prix when Bolesworth was a national show and have competed here every year since it started. It’s my local show and it’s absolutely fantastic with amazing facilities.’

Anthony Condon became the first Irish rider to take the Equerry Bolesworth International Grand Prix title on a day of sun-drenched show-jumping action in the International Arena.

Twelve months ago, Bolesworth was battered by rain but the 2017 edition and tenth anniversary show will be remembered for blistering sunshine and clear blue skies.

Forty three combinations representing ten nations came forward for the feature class and visiting course designer from Ireland, Alan Wade had set a track where clear rounds would prove hard to come by. Ireland’s Trevor Breen was the first to come close to securing his place in the deciding round but a rub of the last rail meant that he would have to wait and see whether he would be one of the top 25% that would proceed.

Reigning champions, Michel Hendrix and Baileys from the Netherlands came in to the arena two combinations later and were the first to prove that a clear round was possible. British riders William Whitaker (Fandango) and Keith Shore (Mystic Hurricane) also recorded zero scores and first in after the halfway break, Anthony Condon gave the Irish their first confirmed contender for the Grand Prix title after a faultless performance with Balzac.

As the competition progressed, it was looking unlikely that a full quota of clear rounds would be met, meaning that the fastest of those with penalties were in with a chance of qualifying. Robert Whitaker and Catwalk IV opted to go for a steady clear and despite ending up just over a second outside the time allowed, they went forward to the Jump-Off carrying a single penalty.

Last in to the arena for Round One, Spain’s Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot ensured that six nations would be represented in the deciding round where each would be aiming to take home the lion’s share of the €100,000 prize fund on offer.

Coming into the second round in reverse order of their penalties and time from Round One, the stage was set for a truly dramatic conclusion, with three past winners amongst the eleven to face a Jump-Off course where they would have to twist and turn before getting a chance to open their horses up and gallop to the last.

Pathfinder, Darragh Kenny from Ireland came in carrying four faults from the first round and kept a clean Jump-off slate to complete in a time of 45.87 seconds. The next of the four faulters from Round One, Belgian rider Francois JR Mathy and Casanova De L´ Herse were the next to go clear and temporarily take over the lead with 44.34 seconds on the clock.

The groan from the crowd said it all as Michael Whitaker and Viking lowered a rail at the last fence for an overall score of 8 faults. Robert Whitaker and Catwalk IV came into Round Two carrying a single time fault from the qualifying round and they did the same again to complete on two faults overall.

Next in to the arena, William Whitaker was the first of the Jump-Off challengers with a chance of posting a zero score but two fences down saw him move out of contention. Then it was the turn of local rider Keith Shore who rode a tactical clear round to move up to the top of the leader board with Mystic Hurricane, completing in 53.53 seconds.

Anthony Condon was the final Irish challenger and he knocked over three and a half seconds off Keith’s time to take over the lead with Balzac (49.86 seconds). With just two more to come forward, the competition was far from over but fences down for Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Michel Hendrix ensured a first International Grand Prix win at Bolesworth for Condon, who is based at Harthill Stud, just five minutes away from the venue.

‘He was amazing in both rounds and I’m absolutely delighted with him,’ said Condon regarding the 11-year-old gelding he co-owns with Kat Taylor. ‘Alan Wade had built a really tough course and Keith had set a good target in the Jump-Off. I was lucky enough to just pip him. All I’d wanted to do was try and jump a clear round and beat what was in front of me.’

‘I won the Grand Prix when Bolesworth was a national show and have competed here every year since it started. It’s my local show and it’s absolutely fantastic with amazing facilities.’

How does the addition of yeast contribute to a healthy digestive system?

Horses are hindgut fermenters and have evolved to spend the majority of their day grazing. They produce digestive enzymes to break down certain nutrients, such as fats, protein and simple carbohydrates, but they do not produce enzymes to break down fibre, so they hugely depend on the beneficial microflora that can be found throughout their hindgut. These microflorae are responsible for the fermentation of all the fibre ingested which produces a continually releasing energy source for the horse.

Cellulolytic (fibre-digesting) bacteria make up the majority of the bacterial population in the caecum and colon (hindgut). These bacteria are responsible for the breakdown of fibre and they manufacture B-vitamins. They thrive best at a near neutral pH (approximately 6.8) so they can be particularly sensitive to sudden drops in pH. 

Amylolytic (starch digesting) bacteria are involved in the breakdown of starch and rapidly fermentable carbohydrates. They produce lactic acid and if they grow in number, can significantly reduce the hindgut pH. A lack of fibre, excessive intakes of sugar and starch, sudden changes in diet, stress, sickness along with worming and antibiotics, can all contribute to an acidic hindgut environment. Hindgut acidity can lead to issues such as colic, laminitis, ‘tying-up’ etc.

When the Amylolytic bacteria multiply, the Cellulolytic bacteria die allowing the Amylolytic population to flourish. Live yeast will compete with these organisms for sugar which will reduce their growth. As a result, feeding live yeast will help stimulate the growth of the Cellulolytic bacteria leading to healthy fermentation.

It is preferable to use pure, protected yeasts, which can survive the process of pelleting and the acidity within the stomach, to reach the hindgut where their action is required. Yeasts enhance the activity of cellulolytic bacteria in the hindgut and therefore allow improved utilisation of a horse’s diet. Their mode of action is to scavenge oxygen, maintaining an anaerobic hindgut environment which supports the normal microbial balance.

Feeding horses yeast can improve their overall fibre digestibility by up to 20%. This simply means that a horse will be able to get more energy from the fibre he eats. If the fibre in the horse’s diet supplies more energy, less concentrates can be fed, which is beneficial for both health and behaviour.

Yeast also contributes to maintaining hindgut health during times when horses become stressed e.g. travelling to shows, moving to a new yard etc. These horses may suffer from loose droppings and come back from a show tucked-up. Yeast can help prevent this as it also has a calming effect on a lot of horses.

For more information contact the Equerry Nutrition Team on 01845 565640 for an individually tailored feeding plan. 

Anna Bostrand-Daly and her dressage horse, Zavir have been in fantastic form and update us on their recent success.

Says Anna: “We have recently returned from The Tack & Togs Championships at Sheepgate, a two day show that was great fun with excellent competition.

“This was only our third and fourth outing at Inter I level and although I was hopeful we would do well I never imagined we would win our section. 

“Zavir warmed up lovely on the first day and gave me a good feel in the arena, however we split the judges rather dramatically so not the score I had hoped for, even though we were in the lead after the first day. 

“I gave him an extra meal that day of Equerry Conditioning Mash and electrolytes as it had been a very hot day. 

“On the second day I got the same great feel in the warm up and also carried that on down the centre line for a solid and correct test, we gained a 65%+ score and I was thrilled with my boy. 

“The class ran for a further two hours and at the end of it we stood overall Champions of our section. 

“It was with great pride I stepped onto the winning spot on the podium for the prize giving and it was extra special to receive a gorgeous sash too! 

“Zavir is my horse of a lifetime and last year I said PSG was our lifetime goal but now going well at Inter I we don’t want to stop there as I really feel that Grand Prix is within reach.

“This is a horse I have only owned for two years and progressed from Medium to Inter I in that time, he is not an easy horse so requires a certain routine and management and naturally he gets the best of everything, including his feed which he absolutely adores.”

LOOKING to spend time with your family on Father’s Day and want your children to experience something truly special.

The organisers of this year’s Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show have come up with a fantastic deal that will see you and your family sat in luxury VIP while watching the highlight of the final day on Sunday, June 18, the Equerry Grand Prix show jumping.

To celebrate Father’s Day, a new addition to the VIP package will see hospitality goers having the opportunity to walk the Grand Prix show jumping course and also meet legends John Whitaker and Tim Stockdale.

The Sunday, June 18, VIP Package consists of  hospitality between 9am and 6pm, including – tea and coffee station until 11am – VIP car parking and admission – Hospitality hostess – Official souvenir programme – Use of your table for the day from 9am – Champagne reception – 2 course plated lunch with half bottle of wine – Afternoon tea with a glass of pink Champagne – Complimentary tea, coffee and water during the day – Access to the sun terrace overlooking the main arena – Access to the VIP bar. Added to this will now be a meet and greet session and a Grand Prix course walk with top show jumpers, John Whitaker and Tim Stockdale.

Secondly, there is the introduction of a children’s package for under 12s on the same day, which is priced at only £48. This will be based upon the new adult package, but will have a special children’s meal.

These offers allow people to buy between two and eight tickets to go on a table. However, less than six tickets will mean people are sharing a table with others.

Further information about these upgraded VIP packages can be found at www.bolesworthinternational.com or by telephoning Melanie Simm on 01829 307676.

How do I ensure my broodmare gets everything she needs?

Answer by the Equerry Horse Feeds Nutrition Team

Broodmare nutrition can be broken down into several different stages: conception, early, mid and late gestation, and lactation. Feeding your broodmare a correctly balanced diet is essential for breeding success as it is directly linked to maximizing conception rates, aiding foetal growth and the production of quality colostrum and milk. 

Conception

It is proven that overweight or underweight mares have lower conception rates than those in ideal condition before going to be covered. Your mare should be well-furnished; you should be able to just feel her ribs but not see them. She should not have any fat pads on her neck or body. A good-doer will usually only require a low-calorie feed such as Equerry High Fibre Cubes. However, should your mare be lacking condition prior to covering, Equerry Stud & Yearling Cubes or Stud & Youngstock Mix are advised. 

Early Gestation (0-4 months)

We now know that the mare’s micronutrient requirements begin to increase from Day 1 at conception. The foal’s long term health and development can be majorly influenced by these vital vitamins and minerals from an early stage. Certain micronutrients, such as copper and zinc, must be provided by the hard feed as the required levels will not be provided by good quality grazing alone. 

Mid Gestation (5-8 months)

Your mare will now start to become noticeably rounder! Her micronutrient requirement will continue to steadily increase, along with needing higher levels of calories and protein. This is because the nutritional value of her grazing will begin to decline so she will depend more on her hard feed to supply her with these essential nutrients. To provide your mare with additional calories and protein, she will need a specifically formulated stud feed such as Equerry Stud & Yearling Cubes or Stud & Youngstock Mix. 

Late Gestation (9-11 months)

During the last three months of gestation, the foetus develops rapidly – gaining 65% of its birth weight and over 40% of its skeletal structure! The diet will need to provide your mare with 15-30% more calories. Whilst in the womb, the foetus starts to build up stores of certain trace minerals, such as copper, in their liver. The foal depends on these stores during the first few months of life for correct cartilage and limb development. Therefore, the mare’s calorie, protein, calcium, phosphorous and copper requirements significantly increase. She will become more dependent on her hard-feed to meet these demands as there is less space available in her stomach for large amounts of forage due to the rapid growth of the foetus taking up a greater space in the abdominal cavity. To meet these requirements, your mare will need a higher rate of Equerry Stud & Youngstock Cubes or Stud & Yearling Mix. 

Lactation 

In peak lactation, a 500kg broodmare will produce 15-20 litres of milk a day. You should continue to feed Equerry Stud & Youngstock Cubes or Stud & Yearling Mix to maintain condition during lactation. This will ensure your broodmare receives enough calories required to improve conception rates if re-breeding and support colostrum quality. Newborn foals depend on the antibodies (which are essential to protect from infectious bacteria and viruses) that they receive from the mare’s colostrum as they have very low levels themselves. 

Equerry Stud & Youngstock Cubes and Stud & Yearling Mix are both complete feeds and when fed at the recommended rate will provide your broodmare with the correct levels of vitamins, minerals and trace-elements.As a guide, a broodmare weighing 500kg would need 3.5-5kg daily. This should be divided into at least 3 small meals, fed at least 4 hours apart.

EQUERRY Horse Feeds, title sponsor of the Bolesworth International Horse Show has launched a search for a new sponsored rider.

The chosen rider will get the chance to enjoy VIP hospitality at the show on Sunday, June 18 for the exciting Equerry Grand Prix, and will also win a year’s supply of Equerry Horse Feed for one horse or pony, an Equerry jacket, polo shirt and saddlecloth.

Are you the next Scott Brash, Charlotte Dujardin or Kitty King – if so Equerry Horse Feeds wants to hear from you!

The Equerry range of top-quality horse feeds contains something for every horse or pony, whether feeding a leisure horse or a competition horse, there is a product to meet their nutritional requirements.

The range provides everything from High Fibre Cubes for horses and ponies at rest or in very light work to Performance Cubes and Sports Mix for competition horses in hard work, as well as Conditioning Mash, Cool Cubes and Mix, and Horse & Pony Cubes and Mix.

The winner will have a monthly ‘blog-spot’ on the Equerry Horse Feeds website so they can share their experiences and progress throughout the year.

To enter email 200 words, your age, address, telephone number and a photograph to chris@equerryhorsefeeds.com  by the closing date May 31, 2017

What do I feed my old horse to keep condition on? James Ward

 Answer by the Equerry Horse Feeds Nutrition Team

 It can often be difficult to know which is the best diet to maintain an elderly horse in good condition all year round. It can very much depend on what type of work they are in. For example, will your veteran be hacked out once a week or will he be competing all season?

Forage is vital in order to maintain a horse’s condition, as good quality hay/haylage/grass should form the largest part of their diet. Forage should be provided on an ad-lib basis so they never stand for long periods of time without fibre available to the hindgut. For very good-doers, we can slow their intake of forage by using trickle-nets and reduce the sugar content by soaking their hay.

Weight loss is a common problem for older horses. If your veteran begins to lose weight on a diet that once kept him in ideal condition, it is important to rule out any underlying clinical conditions such as dental problems, Cushing’s or liver disease, along with appropriate worming and flu/tetanus boosters that your vet will carry out and advise you on.

Age-related deterioration in elderly horse’s dental health is the most common cause of weight-loss. This can make chewing forage difficult for them and even when it may look like they are managing to chew it, they may not be sufficiently breaking their forage down. Teeth should be checked at least annually by a qualified vet or equine dentist. Ways that you can also monitor their dental health yourself, are to look out for them quidding or for larger quantities of longer fibre lengths in your veteran’s droppings. It may be that he is starting to lose the grinding surface on his teeth (i.e. they are becoming smooth). If this is the case, or if he has lost some molars, then a hay replacer, such as Equerry High Fibre Cubes, can be soaked to your horse’s desired consistency, in place of his normal forage.

If your veteran is a very good-doer, then feeding a high fibre, low-calorie feed such as Equerry High Fibre Cubes is advisable. Equerry High Fibre Cubes are ‘Non-Heating’, cereal-grain-free, low in sugar and starch and will provide all his basic vitamins and minerals for rest/light work.

If your horse is in medium to hard work, he will probably need more calories to support his condition and provide more energy. Equerry Veteran Mix could be the ideal choice for him. It contains good quality protein to help maintain muscle and promote topline, and the levels of oil and linseed included will promote condition and a shiny coat.

Equerry Veteran mix has the optimum level of vitamins and minerals, including antioxidants such as Vitamin E and Selenium to help maintain a healthy immune system. It also contains added yeast to support the hind-gut and promote digestive efficiency, which can decline with age.

Equerry Veteran Mix is a complete feed and when fed at the recommended rate will provide your horse with the correct levels of vitamins, minerals and trace-elements. As a guide, a horse weighing 500kg would need 2.5-3kg Equerry Veteran Mix daily. This should be divided into at least 2 small meals, fed at least 4 hours apart.

THE 2017 Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show looks set to stamp its mark on the world of dressage as well as show jumping from June 14 to 18.

Show president Nina Barbour revealed the exciting plans to media and dressage royalty at the official launch of the new Bolesworth CDI*** at Carl Hester’s yard in Gloucestershire.

The dressage legend, famed for his skills as both a rider and trainer is supporting the launch of this exciting new development for the event, which has quickly risen to become a power house in British show jumping circles and aims to do the same in the world of dressage.

Having won the Invitational Grand Prix Freestyle last year during his first visit to Bolesworth, Carl said: “Bolesworth is a true international show. I really love it.

“The venue is stunning, the footing is stunning, and I’m delighted the team is developing the dressage in such an amazing setting.

“The crowds and atmosphere were fantastic last year, so all credit to Nina Barbour for introducing two days of dressage to add to the programme.”

Said Show President Nina Barbour: “We have big ambitions for Dressage at Bolesworth going forwards, and we’re thrilled to have Carl help launch our new CDI*** competition.

“Our aim is for the event to be a huge hit with both competitors and visitors – there will truly be something for everyone at The Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show this year!”

The dressage expansion plans mean that the event is now a fully-fledged CDI*** show with international riders able to compete in what has quickly become one of the most sought after arena’s to ride in.

Carl is confirmed to compete in the CDI***, and is set to wow spectators on the first afternoon of the show with a demonstration of his wealth of knowledge as both an internationally-acclaimed rider and trainer.

Following the demonstration there will also be a ‘Question&Answer’ session with Carl in the International Arena with the stunning backdrop of Bolesworth Castle.

Dressage fans can enjoy watching top horses and riders over the first two days of the show, with the competition focus getting underway on Wednesday, June 14 with the CDI*** Grand Prix at 2pm and the Inter 1 Freestyle at 6pm.

Thursday, June 15 promises a full day of thrilling competitions, with the Prix St George invitational event, the 5, 6 & 7-year-old Future Dressage Horse Competitions, which will be viewing trials for the World Breeding Championships, the Grand Prix Special – and then culminating in the early evening Freestyle Final.

On the new young horse classes British Dressage Training Director Paul Hayler said: “We’re delighted to be able to showcase our young horses this year as part of the increased dressage offering at The Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show and can’t thank Nina enough for making it happen.

“To compete in the fantastic arena against the backdrop of the castle will be an experience the youngsters will relish.   It will be a perfect opportunity to put them through their paces in a bid to potentially select those who’ll travel to the World Championships in Ermelo this August.  Who knows, perhaps our next Valegro will be among them!”

Added Nina: “We really feel that it is important to harness the amazing legacy from the last two Olympics which has really set the Sport of Dressage alight and truly inspired us as a nation, and we can promise a stellar line up of riders in June.”

Get 40% off gate prices if you pre-book your tickets online. General admission tickets are available at a pre-sale price of just £12 for the Thursday and Friday, and £20 for Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Under-12s can enjoy free admission, while a season ticket is at a not-to-be-missed pre-sale price of £40. Tickets can be bought online at www.bolesworthinternational.com

The team at Equerry Horse Feeds provide advice on feeding the fussy horse.

Feeding a fussy horse can be incredibly frustrating and result in a lot of wasted feed, time and money. The adage ‘you can lead a horse to water but can’t make him drink’ applies to feed too! Try not to simply offer a bit of everything as this will often not help!

It is important to decipher if your horse is simply being fussy or if there is a physical or other underlying reason why he is not eating well e.g. a dental problem.

There are many things we can do that will make a big difference to our horses’ appetite.  Feed size is very important and whilst forage should usually be fed as-lib it is important that hard feeds do not exceed the capacity of the stomach.
Feed, once eaten, enters the stomach via the oesophagus, where the feed is mixed with acid and pre digestion commences. The capacity of the stomach is approximately 2kg for a 500kg horse. A horse should therefore not be fed more that 2kg per feed – which is one Stubbs scoop of cubes! If a horse needs more feed to maintain condition the solution is to feed a higher protein and calorie feed or increase the number of feeds. Feeds should be at least four hours apart.

Horses are creatures of habit and ensuring a consistent routine is key. Suitable forage should usually be fed ad-lib. By maximising the horse’s forage intake we enable the production of B vitamins in the hind gut which supports appetite.

Regular exercise as well as daily turnout will help, settled relaxed horses will have a better appetite.

Appetite is affected by the stress associated with a heavy workload, and it is well understood that horses in hard work will have a reduced appetite compared to when they are in light to medium work.

Many people believe that horses prefer mixes to cubes but that is not often the case. Because all Equerry cubes are formulated using the best quality ingredients without cheap ingredients like straw, they are more palatable than many other cubes. So if there are nutritional reasons why a cube may suit your horse better, for example if a cereal-grain-free, low sugar and starch diet is indicated, do not rule out feeding a cube as they don’t all taste the same!

There are however some horses that prefer a mix and the Equerry mixes are formulated to be very palatable. Equerry Veteran mix is a conditioning mix with high levels of oil to support weight-gain, high levels of yeast to support the digestive system and cooked cereals for improved digestibility.

If you have a horse with a dental problem affecting appetite then feeding a product like Equerry Conditioning Mash is likely to be the answer. A very palatable, quick soak product that is low starch and ‘Non-Heating’ means it is very useful in many scenarios. It is high in fibre so ideal when forage intake is also reduced. Because it is soaked it is useful to help rehydrate horses e.g. after a day’s hunting. With added yeast to support the digestive system Equerry Conditioning Mash is a must have product for everyone’s feedroom.

If you are having problems with your horses’ appetite or simply want to check if your horse is getting a balanced diet ring a reputable feed company and talk to a nutritionist for advice and help. Most companies will send you samples of recommended products to try before you buy!