Free walk on a long rein is one of the most revealing movements in a dressage test – and one of the most commonly underscored.

In this guide for H &H subscribers, FEI judge Stephen Clarke and four-time Olympic medallist Carl Hester explain why the walk is so often where dressage tests are won or lost – and what riders can do to improve their marks

Back when I was training, I can’t remember…

Is your veteran destined for glory? I’ve collated your need-to-know information for the 2026 HOYS veteran qualifiers because finding qualifier details and keep on top of planning your season leading up to Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) is no mean feat. While the HOYS qualifier shows have been announced for 2026, many of the […]

John Harvey leads Elmswood Spring Parade and Florence Rendall at HOYS 2025.I’ve collated your need-to-know information for all the HOYS 2026 plaited pony qualifiers all in one place because I know that working out where to go to attempt to secure Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifications for you or your child’s ponies is no mean feat. While the HOYS qualifiers list has been announced […]

Horse No 691 - winners of the JACKSONS OF YORKSHIRE MOUNTAIN & MOORLAND EXC. 143CM WORKING HUNTER PONY OF THE YEAR during the Horse of the Year Show held at the NEC in Birmingham in UK between 8 -12 th October 2023I know first-hand how hard it is to find qualifier details and keep on top of entries, so I’ve collated your need-to-know information for all the 2026 HOYS M&M qualifiers, from minis to…

Horse No 1414 - winners of The Barber Family British Ridden Heavy Horse of the Year Championship during the Horse of the Year Show held at the NEC in Birmingham in UK between 8 -12 th October 2025I’ve collated your need-to-know information for the 2026 HOYS heavy horse qualifiers because, whether your planning to show your Shire horse in-hand, your Clydesdale in harness, or your Suffolk Punch…

Winner The Alan Marnie & Family Skewbald & Piebald Plaited Large Ridden Pony Championship; Champion of The Alan Marnie & Family Skewbald & Piebald Ridden Pony Championship and Supreme Champion of The Alan Marnie & Family Supreme BSPA Skewbald & Piebald Indian Trail Ridden Championship Harrison Taylor and Lostock Up Till Dark at The Royal International Horse Show, The All England Jumping Course,…

British breeders haven’t always had it easy. For decades, the assumption has been that the most exciting stallions stand in Germany or the Netherlands – and that British mares need to look overseas to find genuinely top-quality bloodlines. But the picture has shifted considerably in recent years with a wide range of UK stallions at […]

A new generation of stallions is now standing on British soil, giving UK breeders access to top-quality bloodlines without looking overseas.British breeders haven’t always had it easy. For decades, the assumption has been that the most exciting stallions stand in Germany or the Netherlands – and that British mares need to look overseas to find genuinely top-quality bloodlines. But the picture has…

(L to R) Cadlanvalley Eldorado with Katy Marriot-Payne and Cadlanvalley Sandpiper

Discover how Katy started out at the bottom – finishing last two years on the trot in London – before becoming one of the country’s most successful showing riders and producers, how she’s worked at her craft and built up her team, in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

With 20 ponies to produce,…

Becky Moody on the ground teaching a pupil riding a horse on a circle

In this exclusive article for H &H subscribers, World Cup champion Becky Moody explains why good circles start with knowing your arena, your horse and yourself

We ride more circles than anything else in dressage. So it’s a bit of a problem that many of us don’t fully understand how to ride a circle for optimum benefit,…

Harrison Taylor pilots Cranbornes Sirius to win and stand reserve champion at Royal Windsor in 2025.John Cutts joins Adele Hanson this year to judge the hack championship at Royal Windsor, in which the champion will receive the coveted Count Robert Orssich Challenge Cup. John will be assessing the conformation section, while Adele is assessing the ride each exhibits give, before finally, both…

This year’s judge tells us what she’ll be looking for throughout the class.

The judge shares her advice for competitors in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

Gina Kobbe is one of two show pony judges at Royal Windsor this year. The show pony section at Royal Windsor Horse Show is a real treat for pony lovers. Some of the country’s top ponies will make a bid for the crown, played…

Tom Strawson with his Badminton Horse Trials ride Public Address, plus dogs Tigga and Taffie.

From a lifelong passion for hunting to an unconventional return to eventing, the Badminton first-timer reflects on the lessons that have shaped him, his unexpected ambitions – and the cheap retrained racehorse now thriving at five-star, in this exclusive interview for H &H subscribers

“I’m not…

Borough Threepence demonstrates a nice bascule over this grid.

Olympian Vittoria Panizzon shares her “baseline” gridwork exercise, which can benefit horses at any level, in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

This gridwork exercise for improving technique is a favourite of Vittoria Panizzon. It uses wide parallels to develop jumping technique and is particularly useful for…

Isle Bright and Danielle Heath win the novice hunter spoils at Royal Windsor in 2018.

The judge shares her advice for competitors in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

Victoria Mullen is the 2026 Royal Windsor novice hunter judge. The hunter classes are a big deal at Royal Windsor. If you watch the open weight classes, you’re guaranteed to catch a glimpse of some of the biggest…

The Four Sixes and jockey Sean Bowen on the way to winning the bet365 'Chasing Excellence' Beginners' Chase on day one of The bet365 Meeting at Wetherby Racecourse. To be mentioned in the same breath as legendary 20-time champion Sir Anthony “AP” McCoy is a huge honour for any jockey. But justifying every comparison bestowed upon him is the current king of the weighing room, Sean Bowen. On…

“Being a jockey is all I wanted to do” – James Bowen’s love of the sport was ignited by pony racing.

Fresh from Cheltenham Festival, the jump jockey tells Martha Terry about his racing childhood, the invincibility of youth and keeping a level head, in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

James Bowen had waited years for a Cheltenham Festival winner. This time round, he left with…

2024 Royal Windsor hack champions Shildons Plan B and Jo Bates.

Adele will be judging the 2026 hack championship and she shares her advice in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

The trophy for the hack championship at Royal Windsor, the Count Robert Orssich Challenge Cup, is one of the most coveted among show horse producers and riders. This year, the task of deciding who wins…

EMMA MARTIN INTERVIEW 16/1/2026

The reigning national endurance champion tells Martha Terry about the full-circle moment of completing her second 160km ride, her sport’s unique camaraderie and what makes a horse a winner, in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

Endurance rider Emma Martin was 12 years old when she completed her first 160km ride. Nearly 40 years on, last season she…

Clover Hill Magic stood supreme M&M in-hand champion at Royal Windsor in 2025.

Gill will be judging the 2026 championship and she shares what she’ll be looking for in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

Gill Cowell has been given the task of judging this year’s in-hand mountain and moorland championship at Royal Windsor. This championship takes place on the Friday in the Castle…

Jessica Burke and Good Star Du Bary deliver the only double clear to win their first World Cup in Bordeaux.

Showjumping editor Jennifer Donald finds out about Jessica Burke’s pint-sized star with “frightening ability” and their exciting times ahead as they head to the World Cup Final in Texas, in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

Proving that if you dream big, the results will…

Could a machine really judge dressage: a sport built on nuance and interpretation?

As the sport wrestles with questions of fairness, welfare and public trust, Oscar Williams explores whether AI could help judges and whether it may force dressage to confront deeper questions in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

Dressage judging is a hell of a job. Judges are asked to do the…

SUNBURY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Billy Loughnane poses at Kempton Park Racecourse on January 29, 2025 in Sunbury, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)

Billy Loughnane tells Lucy Elder about his hopes for 2026 and the feeling that comes with riding a big winner, in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

Billy Loughnane knows exactly what he wants. The young talent, speaking…

Justine Armstrong-Small and her own Carlingfords King.

The judge and leading producer shares her thoughts and tips in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

If you’ve spotted that Justine Armstrong-Small is down to judge your pony in working hunter pony classes, then you’re in luck. I caught up with her to find out what she’ll be looking for on the day. About Justine Armstrong-Small…

**The event rider – who scored his best five-star result yet at Burghley last year – talks about returning to the top level after losing his mojo, the “chalk and cheese” friend who taught him to breathe across country and making the most of life after losing close friends, in this exclusive interview for H &H subscribers
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“Not that I’m saying I’m a top sportsperson, I’m an also-ran,” grins…

Some 30 years after the marks system hit mainstream showing, many are debating whether it still provides the transparency and consistency competitors seek. Bethan Simons investigates in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

A casual conversation sparked a revolution in the show ring: the introduction of marks in the assessment of classes. “It was 1994,” says pony breeder Tom Best.…

ICSI is now widely used in sport horse breeding, allowing foals to be produced from valuable bloodlines even years after a stallion’s death.ICSI – intracytoplasmic sperm injection – has become routine in sport horse breeding. The technique allows foals to be produced long after a stallion’s death and from mares still competing at the highest level. Yet unease persists. In some corners of the…

2NGJ670 Secretariat, with jockey Ron Turcotte up, passes the twin spires of Churchill Downs during the running of the 99th Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Ky. on May 5, 1973. (AP Photo)

**America’s first Triple Crown winner for quarter of a century, Secretariat’s speed records from 1973 still stand today. Jamie Haase tracks the enduring significance of the bright chestnut who reset racing’s…

No matter how well-honed your warm-up routine, sometimes events are out of your control.

The ideal warm-up will be perfectly executed to produce success in the ring – but horses aren’t machines. Ellie Hughes finds out how to cope when the warm-up throws you a curveball in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

As hard as we might try, not all warm-ups go to plan – and some go really…

DTD9YR Showjumper - slow shutter image

We find out why having a plan in place is crucial, while top rider and British Showjumping accredited coach Joao Charlesworth shares his favourite exercises in this exclusive article for H &H subscribers

The best riders in the world never look like they are in a hurry, yet they are able to shave seconds off the clock. The key to being competitive in…