This weeks Eventing Podcast episode is a special interview with the 2018 Horse Trials Support Group Scholars Laura Collett & Alex Bragg.

​Talking stats, stable superstars & plans for 2019 it’s a great insight into two of the most talked about riders on the British circuit.

HTSG member, Richard Jewson was appointed Knight Commander of Royal Victorian Order in the New Years Honours List.  Sir Richard is a successful businessman and has been involved in the sport of eventing for many years. 

​He has been the chairman of the Burghley Horse Trials organising committee since 2011 and has been an owner of some very successful horses including 1993 Blenheim Horse Trials winner Bits And Pieces, ridden by Pippa Funnell and more recently 2018 Belton CIC3* winner Billy Cuckoo, ridden by Tom Jackson.

Membership subscriptions are now due for 2019.  We are pleased to confirm that we have kept the subscription prices at the same rate as 2018 despite costs for running the marquee at Badminton increasing for 2019.

Subscription prices are £240 for an individual and £290 for a joint membership.  You can find full payment details and both new / renewal forms on our membership page.

Recently we held an exclusive yard visit for HTSG members at Laura Collett - here's a few clips from the day which was hosted by Laura and her mentor Yogi Breisner.
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Photos © Fiona Scott-Maxwell. Video © Michael Rogers

HTSG scholar Laura Collett has kindly offered to host a yard visit for HTSG members and guests on Saturday 27 October 2018.

Laura is based near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

The visit will start at 10:00 and last approximately two hours. Tea, coffee, cake and biscuits will be provided.  The morning will include a session with Yogi Breisner who is Laura's long-time mentor and trainer. 

​Please email Margie on mgibb@live.co.uk to reserve a place. Members are free of charge, guests £10. Numbers will be limited.

On Sunday morning during the Blenheim Horse Trials the HTSG hosted a master class given by our scholar Alex Bragg.  Spencer Sturmey joined Alex and as a duo proved to be excellent hosts for the session, with both adding interesting and fun insight on training event horses.

Alex was riding one of his younger, more inexperienced horses which has moved up the eventing levels quickly from BE100 in 2017 to winning an Intermediate at Gatcombe just last week.

Alex demonstrated a short exercise which he uses to help develop athleticism in his horses. Firstly they are required to stretch over an oxer before then shortening their stride, bending through their rib cage, and lifting up through their shoulder to get itself more engaged as it jumps three small fences built in a fan shape. 

One of the overall aims of this exercise is to help build core strength in the horse.  It also allows the horse to think for itself and work out where to put its legs when it comes to the three fences which are close together.

During the master class Alex had to tweak the exercise because the horse was tense and shying away from the marquees and speakers (it was her first time in a large event arena).  To stop the horse cutting in to early Alex placed a pole as a guide rail and used his wife Simmone as a block to help the horse meet the fences in the middle.

Alex uses this exercise with with both younger and experienced horses, being flexible on the height and distance depending on the horse, with the aim of quality over quantity when it comes to grid work like this.

For members and visitors who attended the master class, we hope you enjoyed it and for those who were not able to attend you can watch this video to get an idea of how the session went.

Alex and our second scholar, Laura Collett both had a very successful event at Blenheim and your can read about it here on the website.

HTSG scholar Laura Collett had an incredibly successful weekend when she finished first and third in the prestigious CIC3* for eight- and nine-year-old horses at the Ssangyong Blenheim Palace Horse Trials.

​Previous winners of this class have gone on to win 4* events and championship medals and Laura looks to have two stars in winner London 52, owned by our own committee member Karen Bartlett with Keith Scott, and Diana Chappell’s Dacapo (3rd).

“London 52 finds it so easy it’s scary,” Laura said of the nine-year-old she bought two years ago out of a showjumping yard. “He’s pure class. It’s some feeling riding a horse with a long stride like that. Yet again, I’ve bought a horse I don’t want to sell – I really don’t have much of a business head!”

Photos © Fiona Scott-Maxwell and MDR Photo

Watch Laura's winning interview with Blenheim commentator (& HTSG committee member) Spencer Sturmey...

HTSG Scholar Alex Bragg and his top horse Zagreb made up for an unlucky fall across country at Burghley a couple of weeks ago with a very close third place at the SsangYong Blenheim Horse Trials in the CCI3*.  They show jumped clear to finish on their dressage score of 29.6, just 1.2 penalities behind the winner.  Alex said: “Our aim was the top three – job done!” 

As well as Zagreb in the top 10, Alex finished an impressive 9th onboard one of his new rides for 2018 Barrichello, with whom he is building an impressive partnership.  Alex was also competing in the 8/9 year old class with Shannondale Percy.

As well as competing on three horses Alex hosted a master class in the main arena on Sunday morning and you can read more and watch a video right here on the website.

Following a thrilling show jumping phase at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA, Great Britain won both team and individual gold, and secured qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.  Ros Canter and Allstar B took the individual Gold medal after last to go, Germany's Ingrid Klimke had a pole down at the last fence.

Team results:
Gold – Great Britain (88.8)
Silver – Ireland (93.0)
Bronze – France (99.8)

Individual results:
Gold – Rosalind Canter and her own and Caroline Moore’s Allstar B (24.6)
Ninth – Kristina Cook and Elisabeth Murdoch and Keith Tyson’s Billy the Red (31.5)
10th - Piggy French and Jayne McGivern’s Quarrycrest Echo (31.8)
12th - Tom McEwen and on his own, Jane Inns and Alison McEwen’s Toledo de Kerser (32.4)
​30th - Gemma Tattersall and The Soul Syndicate’s Arctic Soul (44.4)

August was an extremely hectic month for HTSG Scholar Alex Bragg and it started with two horses competing at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park.  It was a very successful event with Shannondale Percy finishing 2nd in the Intermediate championships.

In the CIC*** British Open Championships Barrichello finished 9th and won the trophy for the youngest horse in the top ten.  That is very exciting for the future!

After Gatcombe it was off to Homme House with five youngsters and there were some sold performances with two in the top 10...

Next up was Hartpury and it was Alex's birthday weekend.  There was no win or top placing for the birthday boy but he was happy with the two younger horses in the CCI* class...

Following Hartpury Alex had three rides at West Wilts with young horses all going well and two in the top 10.  Then it was onto Somerford Park with 6 horses and the star of the stable was My Lucky Day finishing 2nd in the Intermediate - what a great name for a successful horse!  There were also 2 more top ten finishes.

After Somerford it was a trip across the Irish Sea to Millstreet for Alex with 5 horses, three in the CIC** and two in the CIC***.  Well it was definitely worth Alex making the trip as he took 2nd on Zagreb and 5th on Alactraz II in the CIC** and he placed 3rd on Barrichello and 4th on Shannondale Percy in the CIC***.  What the below video of Alex explaining the SJ course.

Last event of the month for Alex was Burghley, known as the biggest four star in the world.  Alex headed there with top horse Zagreb.  Dressage went well but Alex was a little disappointed with his score to be 14th before XC.

On the XC Alex was having a fantastic ride and was just getting into the middle of the course when he had a very unfortunate fall at the Maltings.  The good news is they were both fine and will be back in action at Blenheim next week.