Peter Charles will ride Murka’s Pom D’Ami, who has proved one of the most reliable team horses this season. After a superb performance as part of the British team in Falsterbo, Sweden, Tina Fletcher has been selected once again with Lady Pauline Harris’s Hello Sailor.

Michael Whitaker and Beatrice Mertens’ GIG Amai II are also back in team action after some time off, while two stallions have also been picked — Billy Congo, ridden by William Funnell, and Talan, the ride of Robert Smith. This will be the latter’s Meydan FEI Nations Cup debut.

Hickstead is the seventh round of this eight-leg Meydan FEI Nations Cup series.

France currently heads the leader board with USA in second and Ireland, GB and Germany all level-pegging on equal points in third.

Only the top six teams will stay in the top league in 2011.

This article is taken from Horse & Hound

The team comprised of Katie Robertson (14) with Cameron Poe, Christie Pritchard (13) on Larkspur, Jake Saywell (14) with Cornelius 27 and Millie Allen (13) riding Trueleva.

Chef d’equipe Corinne Bracken said: “The four riders in the team today were outstanding. The course was much bigger in the second round and, where the other teams failed to jump clears, ours just rose to the occasion.”

All four team riders, plus Charlotte Smet (13) on Maneken Du Coty go forward to the individual championship on Saturday. The junior and young rider finals take place today.

For full report and pictures, don’t miss the 29 July issue of Horse & Hound

Results

1. Great Britain, 0 penalties

2. Italy, 4

3. Ireland, 5

=4. France, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland and Belgium, 8

Taken From Horse & Hound

British Dressage (BD), British Eventing and British Showjumping are asking equestrians interested in helping at Greenwich to pre-register their interest before 16 July.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) starts its formal application process at the end of July.

A LOCOG spokesman said: “We will be looking for up to 70,000 volunteers in total, and approximately 500 specialist volunteers for equestrian sport.”

Volunteers must commit to a minimum of 10 days over the Olympics or Paralympics (or both) and to attend a minimum of three training sessions. They will get free travel within London to and from the venue, free meals and a uniform.

They must also be available for the equestrian test event, provisionally planned for 4-6 July 2011.

BD chief executive Amanda Bond said: “The Olympics are an amazing opportunity for the equestrian community and we hope that working with LOCOG to develop our volunteers will mean that we have a real lasting legacy.”

Registration forms are on the British Equestrian Federation and disciplines’ websites. There are set criteria for the specialist positions, which are explained on the member bodies’ websites. For example, an eventing warm-up steward must have regularly assisted at three- or four-star CIC/CCI events during the past three years.

Earlier this month, Sky Sports announced that it will broadcast the Derby (25-27 June) and the Longines International Horse Show (29 July to 1 August) at Hickstead for the next four years.

“With the increasing scheduling needs of an expanded sport portfolio it was felt the BBC could no longer give the event the coverage it merits,” said the spokesman.

Hickstead co-organiser Daisy Bunn said the BBC’s decision was initially “very disappointing”.

But Daisy added: “We are delighted that Sky Sports will be broadcasting all the action live and in its entirety — not just the Sunday as in previous years on the BBC, but THREE FULL DAYS of all the action as it happens, as well as behind-the-scenes features.”

This article was taken from Horse and Hound.

Hunt produced the performance of her eventing career to join an elite list of HSBC FEI Classics winners.

And it means competition to secure a place in the four-strong British team – they will also take two riders for individual competition – heading to Kentucky later this year has intensified.

Hunt’s British colleagues Oliver Townend, Lucy Wiegersma and Mary King also claimed top-10 finishes here, while experienced Olympian William Fox-Pitt and reigning European champion Tina Cook did not compete.

The team is set to be announced after the Barbury International Horse Trials in Wiltshire on July 10/11.

Kent-based Hunt collected an Olympic team bronze medal in Hong Kong two years ago, but she was overwhelmed after landing a first four-star title on Tankers Town, holding her nerve in the showjumping arena to stave off the strong twin challenge of Germans Ingrid Klimke and Andreas Dibowksi.

“I am so pleased,” she said, after collecting a £27,600 pay-day.

“But that course really suited him. He is so good at jumping quick, and he came here on really good form.

“I’ve had him since he was a four-year-old – he’s been phenomenal for me – and this is just brilliant.

“I have always thought he was a champion horse, and now he is. He’s so consistent, but often under-rated.”

Townend, although finishing fifth aboard Ashdale Cruise Master, had the consolation of attaining the world championships qualifying standard.

But Hunt, who has owned the 16-year-old Tankers Town since 1998, could enjoy taking centre-stage after collecting just four faults and finishing inside a testing time of 90 seconds.

Only nine combinations among a 32-strong showjumping field managed to avoid time penalties, and it put Hunt firmly in contention for the overall £92,000 HSBC Classics prize, standing just seven points behind leader Dibowski with two events remaining at Burghley and Pau later this year.

The venue has appointed turfgrass experts Sports Turf Research to monitor the arena over the next two months to measure factors including hardness, traction, drainage, grass cover and hoof penetration.

Last year the venue was criticised when the footing failed to hold up after severe weather conditions.

All drainage and irrigation systems will be updated and the new turf will be grown from seed, to improve strength and durability.

The move follows the resignation of chief executive Di Cornish (news, 25 March), who hinted that the “governance by committee” ethos prompted her decision.

The BS board was 22 members strong, despite recommendations in 2003 that it should be “a maximum of five to 10″.

“After Di’s resignation, the executive board asked if she, along with other members of the remuneration committee, would look at the structure of the board,” said BS board chairman Michael Mac.

“Their ideas will be put to the members at an EGM. There should be a better approach to the everyday running of BS.”

While a smaller “skills-based” board of around eight people is elected, a new sporting council will be formed in parallel.

“This will comprise up to 40 people who will not be directors, but whose areas of expertise can help inform working parties,” said BS president Lis Astall.

Former executive board members will automatically join the sporting council and may apply to serve on the new board.

Mrs Astall said she did not imagine sporting council members would be paid.

BS members will be urged to ratify the decision at a future meeting.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (27 May, ‘10)

This blog post was taken from Horse and Hound.