With more than 1,000 horses attending over five days, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd at Equifest (8 – 12 August, East of England showground).
But one duo who certainly made a lasting impression — on judges and spectators alike — was Angela Conner and her new mount, the Morgan stallion Optimus Prime.
The magnificent 12-year-old, a multi-garlanded American Morgan horse world champion, and Angela were crowned supreme foreign breeds champion of the show, clinching the sash under the famous Equifest spotlight in the evening performance.
The pair outshone 16 other competitors, including an array of breed representatives such as Andalusians, Friesians, Nordics, Icelandics, Saddlebreds, Arabs and assortment of crossbreeds.
Optimus Prime looked every inch the champion and carefully looked after his rider, 84-year-old Angela, who by her own admission had forgotten her exact age on the day. Her reply: “I’ve lost count, I think it’s somewhere between 80 and 90 years.”
Angela, who is lives and works as an international sculptress in Herefordshire and London, co-founded the British Morgan Horse Society some 40 years ago with her husband John.
Since his arrival in the UK in April, Optimus Prime has been training with Trudy Connolly, head horsewoman at Angela and John’s Monnington stud, Herefordshire.
Monnington Morgans is the breed’s foundation stud and was set up by the couple in 1975.
“I got into Morgans completely by accident,” said Angela. “I acquired a horse from America who was in bad way when she arrived. I wasn’t even sure if she was a Morgan but I was told by a judge she definitely was. That’s how it all began. They are naturally uphill and look impressive, but they are very safe — they are brilliant nanny horses.”
“I had seen Optiums Prime in America and as soon the opportunity came about I bought him. At Equifest he just switched on and did his stuff — I just happened to be sat on top. He is like an Audi car, very smooth to ride.
‘They say everyone has a horse of a lifetime and I think he’s it; he’s absolutely amazing’
Angela will continue to show the stallion and intends to compete him at the Foreign Breeds Society championship show in September.
Doug Wade, editor of the Morgan Horse Society magazine and friend of Angela said: “It seems that the UK Morgan is generating interest once again, making headway and standing their ground against all breeds. This is the future for the Morgan Breed, exhibiting to all within the equestrian world and spreading the Morgan word.”
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
The Suffolk horse is rarer than the giant panda with the number of breeding mares left in the UK estimated…
Her sire is the stately Shotleyfield Dazzling Duke, who has been a dominant force in the stallion showing classes recently.
The Phillips have decided to keep June and hopefully breed from her in future to help safeguard Suffolk horse numbers.
According to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) last year there were just 15 filly foals registered and only 10 colts.
The rare Suffolk horse is registered as critical with the RBST with only 80 registered breeding mares.
Beth Fernley, RBST press officer described June’s arrival “as brilliant news.”
“We at the Rare Breeds Survival Trust are over the moon to hear of the arrival of Kelsale June. Last year on our Danger List of rare breed farm animals and equines we recorded that only 15 Suffolk filly foals were registered. We wish her and her owners Jackey and Trevor every good wish,” she said.
In this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, out on Thursday 28 June 2018, don’t miss our full report from the Hickstead Derby meeting, including all the showjumping and showing action, plus don’t miss our six-page report from Royal Ascot.
We also have a feature on the much discussed whip rules across the disciplines and in this week’s ‘Vet clinic’ we find out how to spot the signs of sand colic.
Charlotte Dujardin and Mount St John Freestyle took another decisive leap towards World Equestrian Games team selection with an international grand prix personal best at Bolesworth International Horse Show.
Charlotte and Emma Blundell’s nine-year-old Fidermark mare scored just a fraction under 80%, claiming victory on 79.65% ahead of Carl Hester and Hawtins Delicato.
Just a missed one-time change marred an otherwise delightful test from Freestyle, who produced her most confident grand prix performance to date.
“I can’t believe I missed the 80% by just 0.5%,” exclaimed Charlotte afterwards. “As I was riding the ones I was thinking that they felt great and so off the floor, then straight away had the mistake. But there’s so many more marks in there; she’s such a trier. Whatever arena I take her into I know she’ll perform.”
It proved a day of personal bests, with Carl and the ever-improving Diamond Hit son Delicato also banking an international personal best of 77.22% for second. In third was Gareth Hughes, who produced a classy test on the 12-year-old Trento B mare Classic Briolinca. He completed a trio of British personal bests, with 74.44%.
Charlotte continued her tally of wins with the inter I freestyle victory, scoring a whopping 80.28% to finish well ahead of the chasing pack on her own and Paul and Wendy Dockley’s dainty eight-year-old grey mare Florentina (Flora, Vivaldi x Rubels).
Michael Eilberg claimed second, with 73.48% on Daltrey, while Jacqueline Wing Ying Siu slotted into third for Hong Kong with Jockey Club Fuerst On Tour.
It was Charlotte and Flora’s second small tour victory in five days, having arrived at Bolesworth fresh from their prix st georges (PSG) win at Wellington Premier League on Saturday night, and also topping the Bolesworth PSG on Tuesday.
“I’ve lacked ring experience with her – we’ve done lots of training at home and very little competing, so I’ve wanted to get her out and work on the ringcraft with her,” said Charlotte, who also won the six-and seven-year-old classes earlier in the day with Hawtins San Floriana and River Rise Nisa respectively.
Don’t miss our full report from Bolesworth in the next week’s issue of Horse & Hound, out on 21 June.
The welfare charity behind an award-winning campaign combating stigma around strangles is celebrating its first anniversary and hopes poor biosecurity practices can be “consigned to the history books”.
More than 710 owners and 145 yard managers have pledged to join Redwings Horse Sanctuary’s Stamp out Strangles campaign, which provides a free online hub with information on the disease. By pledging, owners and yard managers agree to champion good biosecurity practices and to speak out on the disease.
Redwings campaigns manager Andi Vilela said the charity is “thrilled” with the reaction to the campaign, which launched in November 2018.
“We know people are more likely to make positive, proactive changes if they’ve made a commitment to do so. It’s also encouraged more yards and owners to speak out about their experiences of strangles and the stigma that sadly still exists around this disease, showing that there is a clear appetite for attitudes to change,” she said.
“The more people continue to share that they have pledged, the more we can nudge standards up so that poor hygiene facilities, absent biosecurity protocols or even keeping quiet about an outbreak will all be consigned to the history books. We want to make changes before an outbreak happens.”
Hartpury University and College, which was affected by strangles in 2018, and Richmond Equestrian Centre, which reopened in October after an outbreak, are among the yards to sign up to the campaign.
A spokesman for Redwings said Richmond’s clear communication on the disease and promotion of the Stamp Out campaign has led to more than 130 owners committing to the pledge.
“Throughout their outbreak their dedication to good biosecurity and willingness to share their experiences to educate others makes Richmond Equestrian Centre a shining example for all yards,” said Ms Vilela.
Yards and individual owners are invited to sign up to the initiative, on Saturday 6 July, to show support for
Credit: TI Media
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“Their openness has not only challenged the stigma around strangles, but has demonstrated to everyone the value they place on protecting their horses from infectious disease – reflected in the amazing support they’ve received from their local equestrian community. We’re delighted that we were able to help support the centre through this very challenging time and look forward to continuing to work with the team there to raise further awareness.”
As part of the campaign the charity held a strangles symposium in March, presented to scientists in Iceland in May and held the first Speak Out on Strangles day 6 July. The spokesman added that the year is not finished yet.
“In December Redwings will be organising a free veterinary seminar for horse owners in South Wales and plans are already under way to make Speak Out On Strangles day even bigger next year.”
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
Tom McEwen and Strike Smartly at Blair 2018. Picture by Jim Crichton
Elite event riders Tom McEwen and Daisy Berkeley have paid tribute to Strike Smartly, a horse who “always had a smile on his face” who has had to be put down aged 12.
The grey Irish sport horse gelding died last weekend (6 January) as a result of complications caused by colic.
Tom, who rode “Paddy” to victory at Chatsworth CIC3* and Cappoquin CCI3* in 2017, as well as completing the horse’s first Badminton on 2018, described him as “one in a million, who would give his heart to everything he did, asking for nothing in return except his food”.
“Last year at his first Badminton he scored three 10s in his dressage and thoroughly enjoyed his cross-country round,” he said. “We are sure that he would have had a huge future in this amazing sport of eventing.
“He will leave a deep hole in Team McEwen. However, he will be even more acutely missed by his owner Penny Barker who rode him regularly and followed his successes with a passion.
“I feel privileged to have been allowed to ride such an amazing horse and the team were honoured to have looked after Paddy who was the most genuine, kind and honest person, we think we will ever meet. We are all heartbroken.”
Daisy, who had Paddy as a four-year-old and competed him up to three-star level until Tom took the reins in 2017, said the news was “devastating”.
“He had his life ahead of him,” she told H&H. “He was a wonderful character, with a terrific sense of humour; I’m heartbroken for Fred [Barker] and Penny because they loved him.”
Daisy said Paddy did not show vast talent as a five-year-old but “at six, he really started to show he could become something”. She praised his extravagant movement, and genuine nature, adding that although he was somewhat lacking in straightness as a youngster, “after that, he’d do everything he could to jump within the flags”.
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“He was an absolute sweetie on the ground too,” she added. “He never had his ears back; always had a smile on his face, there wasn’t a bad bone in his body.
“Tom developed a really good relationship with him; he looked a million dollars with Tom,” she said. “The world was their oyster; who knows what they would have done.”
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
One of Qatar’s leading showjumpers Sheikh Ali Ben Khalid Al Thani will this week be competing at the final of the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) in Doha (8-10 November) in his home country. Ahead of this end-of-season championship, the member of the Qatari royal family has spoken about the sometimes high-pressure life of a showjumper.
“What motivates me every day is to be successful,” said the rider, who finished sixth individually at the 2016 Olympics. “I work hard, I train and I go to the gym before riding. I have a programme and a plan of where I want to be. But success to me is defined as making my country proud — to bring home medals for Qatar and to represent my country against the best of the best. My dream is to win a LGCT grand prix, and to bring home an Olympic medal for Qatar, particularly as a team.”
Explaining his role as an ambassador for a sport that is soaring in popularity in Qatar he says: “The feeling is we want to do our very best for our country and show our people and country that our team are working hard in Europe and heading in the right direction.
“I really love to inspire. I am from the royal family so there is attention on my name, so I have to prove that we are working hard and anyone can achieve great things. I love the sport that I do — but it all started with a love of horses. I loved horses before I loved the sport.”
The 2020 Olympics is a key target for the Qatari showjumpers and the riders have been using the Global Champions League team championship, rather than Nations Cups, as preparation.
“We are working towards a programme for Tokyo, so we have had to slow down a little and it’s one of the reasons we decided to put [British rider] Michael Whitaker in our Doha Fursan Qatar GCL team as he has many of his own fantastic horses,” said Sheikh Ali Al Thani.
“The sport has totally changed — the level, how technical it is, the way of the sport is very different and the vision is totally different, so we need to improve our team. We need to stay jumping at the highest level, within the Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL shows — to help our team improve. Qatar is a small country — we cannot go for a lot of Nations Cups so the GCL team competition is helping our national showjumping team. We feel the pressure at every event exactly the same as the Olympics.”
Naturally, he is quick to praise the LGCT president Jan Tops for developing the sport of showjumping.
“He is a visionary — he sees this and helps to grow it in the best way,” he said. “Every year something on the LGCT and GCL is changing. Now we have the GC Playoffs. Before that we had no teams, and now we have had the GCL for three years. You don’t know what’s coming up, but it’s getting more and more interesting.
“We are very excited, and see more and more people from Qatar and around the world following us. I used to go for dinner with people outside the sport who asked what I was doing — they had no idea what showjumping really was. But now, even those who are not in the sport know what it is and really get it.
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“I’m really looking forward to building our team for Qatar,” said the passionate sportsman. “This is really my mission. But to do this we have to train now, and we have to prove we can do it. We did this already at the 2016 Olympics in Rio — it was the first time we were one point away from the final, and we had an individual rider finish sixth which is a big result for Qatar. We know we can do it, now it is not just about showing Qatar in a good way, it’s about bringing home some medals.”
For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday
“I’m pretty sure the only reason I wasn’t killed was because I was wearing my helmet,” said Megan Richman (not pictured). “I’m lucky that I was wearing it because the train pretty much cracked it into eight different pieces.”
There are some decisions you look back on and wonder what would have happened had you chosen a different option. For 26-year-old Megan, she’s gone through all the “what ifs” and “should haves” repeatedly the past two months. But things remain the same — she’s still alive.
On the evening of 10 June, Megan had just finished her small animal emergency rotation at the University of California at Davis’s School of Veterinary Medicine when she decided to go for a ride on her 19-year-old Arabian, Red. She also took her young Irish Setter, Sunny, with her, as always, to help get some energy out of her.
“I was debating on whether I should ride or not because I had clinics the next morning, but I pretty much decided I would go for a short ride,” said Megan. “So, I tacked up and hit the trail.”
Shortly before that day, her father, himself a small animal vet based in Highland Heights, Ohio, had given Megan a lecture about wearing her helmet.
“My dad had just lectured me a month before about how much my brain was worth and how much they’re paying for education and how I needed to wear my helmet, even if I was going for a short ride,” she recalled. “He reminded me how expensive everything is, and I was like, ‘Okay, that’s kind-of true.’”
She made the decision to put on her Troxel helmet before she got onto Red to begin their ride.
There are a few different trails (hacking routes) that leave from the livery yard Megan keeps her horse at in Davis, California, so she chose the one that headed towards a sunflower field… and a set of railway tracks. It was 7pm on a Sunday, so Megan figured the trains had finished running for the day. She had ridden this route before, and knew how you had to climb up the trail to get onto a road near the tracks. She also knew the trains were used to horses and riders alongside, so she felt comfortable with this route.
She made the decision to ride along the railway tracks for a prettier view.
All was normal until Sunny, the young dog, took off after something Megan hadn’t seen. Sunny started running up the road and onto the tracks. Knowing that her horse had osteoarthritis, she knew he couldn’t handle the rough terrain of the road at a pace faster than a trot, so she decided to tie him to a gate at the top of the road and took off on foot for Sunny.
The road starts off straight in one direction, then turns perpendicular towards the pair of railway tracks. On one set, coming in her direction, was a passenger train. In the distance, she could hear another train coming from the opposite direction. As she struggled to catch up with Sunny, she started waving down the driver of the passenger train. Sunny continued onto a short bridge, and Megan continued after her, determined not to let her dog get hit.
“My dog was not listening. I’m not sure if she was chasing something or what was going on, but she just kept running,” said Megan. The passenger train driver continued to blow his horn at Megan, though she’s not sure if he ever saw Sunny.
Sprinting as far to the side of the bridge from the track as possible, Megan had almost grabbed the lead rope she had clipped to Sunny’s collar when the train clipped her.
“I didn’t grab my dog in time,” she said. “I was two steps away from her…”
When the train hit Megan’s left arm, she fell face forward, into the gravel that supported the train tracks. “My left eye was literally right next to the railroad tracks as the train was passing,” she recalled. “It was pretty horrifying. I thought I was going to die.”
Still alert, Megan rolled to her right side to get away from the track. “I didn’t hear the train hit my dog. I didn’t hear anything.”
Luckily, Sunny had jumped off to the right before the train made impact, at about the same moment the train hit Megan.
“I’m pretty sure people on the train saw me get hit because it was still daylight,” she said. “I tried to stand up, but temporarily blacked out and fell back down.”
Megan’s cracked helmet
Once Megan came to, she saw that her left arm and leg were soaked in blood. Her left olecranon (the tip of the elbow) was poking out from her skin, but she couldn’t tell what else was broken, except that her legs were fine.
Through all of this, her horse stayed where he was tied and waited for her to slowly limp back to him. Megan tried to get back on Red to ride for help — she hadn’t taken her mobile phone because she wanted to “avoid the world” during her ride. Attempting to pull herself up with her left arm on the horn of her Western saddle, Megan gasped in extreme pain and fell back down. She sat under Red and screamed for help for 15 minutes until a fisherman heard her pleas and called 911.
Upon examination at the trauma centre in Sacramento, Megan was found to have fractured her left wrist, have five separate fractures in her radius and ulna, a compound fracture of her olecranon, part of her triceps muscle torn off and a scapulae fracture, all on the left side of her body. She had a few lacerations to her left abdomen and hip area and the left side of her face was black and blue from hitting the gravel.
But the main thing that wasn’t severely injured from the accident? Her skull.
“I’m pretty sure the only reason I wasn’t killed was because I was wearing my helmet,” said Megan. “I’m lucky that I was wearing it because the train cracked it into eight different pieces. They didn’t find anything abnormal on my head CT scan.”
A record number of retailers are expected to take part in this year’s International Helmet Awareness Day
Because Megan chose to wear her helmet, she continues to choose her path in life.
Now, just two months after the accident, Megan is already back to finish her last year of vet school. Her left arm is in a sling and she’s balancing physical therapy with university work and clinical rotations. She’s permanently banished Sunny from the yard, and while she still can’t ride for another month, she’s already ordered a new helmet.
“I’m incredibly lucky, I don’t know how it turned out this way that everything is okay, but I’m still alive. I’m here.”
Hundreds of tack shops in 25 countries are offering special two-day only discounts on helmets on 18-19 August for Riders4Helmets’ International Helmet Awareness Day. Visit this link to locate a participating retailer near you.
This article has been shared exclusively with Riders4Helmets by the American Quarter Horse Journal.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
Showjumper Dani G. Waldman (nee Goldstein) has never been afraid to express her personality with her now famous cascade of feathers woven through her hair and her much followed #flyingfeathers Instagram posts.
But at the Longines Global Champions Tour final in New York at the end of September, when the 34-year-old Israeli rider trotted in to the ring on her great mare Lizziemary, it was her show jacket — rather than the electric blue feathers — that really caught our eye.
In a world of muted colours and traditional trims, a black lace coat was certainly something out of the ordinary.
“I wanted to design something ultra-feminine with a nod to fashion, while also being functional and sporty,” Dani told H&H.
“I chose a stretch lace that was breathable, lightweight, wouldn’t wrinkle and was easily washable.”
The native New Yorker is now resident in the Netherlands with husband Alan, whom she married earlier this summer, and she had the jacket produced for her in the city.
“The show world could always use a little personality in my mind!” she says. “I don’t have any specific events where I plan to wear it — just when the mood strikes, and the weather!”
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This has been a super season for Dani, who represented her country at the European Championships in August, where she patriotically sported a full head of blue and white feathers in the colours of Israel’s flag. She has also qualified as one of the 18 finalists for the 2019 Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix in Prague next month.
Could she have created the latest trend in show jackets? Whether the design catches on or not, we can always rely on Dani to get us all thinking outside of the box.
What do you think of Dani’s bespoke jacket? Let us know about your views by writing to hhletters@ti-media.com for a chance to see your opinion in H&H magazine and you could win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger (please include your name and address; letters may be edited).
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday
Tiger Roll, the little horse with a big heart, raced into the history books today when becoming the first horse since the 1970s to claim back-to-back wins in the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree (6 April).
The Gordon Elliott-trained National Hunt hero returned to the hallowed Aintree turf, carrying 11st 5lb, and justified his 4/1 favouritism to beat 66/1 shot Magic Of Light by 2¾ lengths, under Davy Russell.
The nine-year-old son of Authorized, who was bred to be a Flat horse, emulated the great Red Rum, becoming the first horse since Ginger McCain’s stable star in 1973/74 to win the world’s greatest steeplechase twice.
It was a third National win for Gordon Elliott, who also trained Silver Birch to win the 2007 renewal of the £1m race.
“Everyone loves him, he is the people’s horse and I cannot believe it,” said Gordon. “We work very hard for this the whole time and I’ve got a brilliant team behind me. Davy’s mother died last year — this was for her. My uncle Willie Elliott died this year, so this was for him too.”
Asked to sum up his brilliant horse — who now has four Cheltenham Festival wins and two Randox Health Grand National victories to his name — Gordon simply replied “Tiger”.
The superstar gelding is owned by Gigginstown House Stud, the racing operation of Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary.
“It’s just unbelievable,” he said. “I thought that he genuinely had no chance today carrying that weight, but it was a beautiful ride by Davy and a phenomenal training performance by Gordon. It’s brilliant he keeps bringing this horse back to Cheltenham and Aintree better than ever.”
The winning jockey added: “What can I say? Tiger Roll is just an unbelievable horse. I was running away for most of the race. It was marvellous — he gave a couple of stumbles, but I think the blinkers lit him up.”
The Robert Walford-trained Walk In The Mill was the first British-trained runner home, finishing fourth under James Best.
A total of 19 combinations — from the 40 who lined up — completed the 4m2½f marathon. The Willie Mullins-trained 33/1 shot, Up For Review, was fatally injured when brought down.
Top-ten placings in the 2019 Randox Health Grand National:
1 TIGER ROLL (trainer Gordon Elliott/jockey Davy Russell)
2 MAGIC OF LIGHT (Jessica Harrington/Paddy Kennedy)
3 RATHVINDEN (Willie Mullins/Ruby Walsh)
4 WALK IN THE MILL (Robert Walford/James Best)
5 ANIBALE FLY (Tony Martin/Mark Walsh)
6 ONE FOR ARTHUR (Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox)
7 REGAL ENCORE (Anthony Honeyball/Jonathan Burke)
8 SINGLEFARMPAYMENT (Tom George/Paddy Brennan)
9 OUTLANDER (Richard Spencer/James Bowen)
10 VALSEUR LIDO (Henry de Bromhead/Rachael Blackmore)
Don’t miss our full report from the Randox Health Grand National in the 11 April issue of Horse & Hound.
Soldiers from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HMCR) have had their work cut out as the horses returned from their winter holidays.
The cavalry horses enjoy a break from their regimental duties during the winter in the fields at the Defence Animal Training Regiment in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
A video showed the happy, hairy horses plastered in mud and unrecognisable from the gleaming equines seen on duty in public.
Now they are back, meaning army farriers have 90 sets of shoes to fit and bathing has begun in earnest.
Credit: @armylondon Sgt P.J.George MA ABIPP
“The iconic horses of the Household Cavalry have just returned to London from their well-deserved holiday in the fields of Melton Mowbray. For two months they have rolled in mud and eaten like champions,” said an Army spokesman.
“As a result, the beautiful equines are filthy and rather unfit for their duties on behalf of The Queen and her country.
The iconic horses of The Household Cavalry have just returned to London from their well-deserved holiday in the fields of Melton Mowbray. For two months they have rolled in mud and eaten like champions. As a result, the beautiful equines are now filthy and rather unfit for their duties on behalf of The Queen and her country. Now the troops of the HCMR face the gargantuan task of getting their steeds into perfect order for ceremonial season.The chargers arrived home at Hyde Park barracks well rested but with matted coats and no shoes. In just two weeks they are expected to be mounting the Queen's Life Guard at Horse Guards Parade. Shortly after that the dual-roled soldiers and their horses will be inspected by Major General Ben Bathurst. There is little time to achieve the high standards demanded, but that is no excuse. The troops have a task and they will use their skills, experience and determination to make sure they achieve their goals. It's a race against time and the world is watching.
“Shortly after that the dual-roled soldiers and their horses will be inspected by Major General Ben Bathurst,” added the spokesman.
“There is little time to achieve the high standards demanded, but that is no excuse. The troops have a task and they will use their skills, experience and determination to make sure they achieve their goals.
“It’s a race against time and the world is watching.”
Credit: @armylondon Sgt P.J.George MA ABIPP
The Major General’s Inspection is an annual test of the regiment’s ability to conduct state ceremonial duties for the year.
“The HMCR troops will be busy round the clock to get their steeds clean,” the video commentary explained.
“The race to perfection has begun — troops and horses need to sparkle.”
The Household Cavalry has operational as well as ceremonial duties, with serving members alternating their time between the armoured and mounted regiments.
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