26 Jun 2008
A website can look like such an insignificant thing sitting out there in cyberspace yet, boy, is there a lot of work going on behind the scenes - certainly with Horse Hero! Amongst other things, we have been busy editing new blogs and superb new video diaries, uploading more rider biog pages and posting new Horse Hero videos onto the site.
New videos
The plaiting with bands video has been extremely popular and a number of people have requested its counterpart, so plaiting a mane with needle and thread (filmed at the Badminton Stables on a hunting day) is now availale on the site. Enjoy! There is also a yard tour with event rider, Georgie Spence to accompany her interview and the interview with her and her dad about turning professional. A great new series of Horse Hero video diaries starts now, covering 'squad training' with presenters Laura Bechtolsheimer, Harry Meade and Louisa Brassey! And a win at Longleat Horse Trials for video diarist, Wayne Garrick is another new piece. Additional podcasts include the audios from all three parts of the Badminton Stables Yard Tours, which offer a fascinating historical insight into one of the great bastions of English equestrianism.
What's coming up?
We have just edited a day of filming at Willesley Equine Clinic in Gloucestershire and there's some fascinating stuff that will be coming soon on subjects such as investigating lameness (with Dr Svend Kold), pre-purchase vetting and also breeding. In the middle of the day we zipped over to a local gym to film Team GBR fitness trainer, Jon Pitts, working with some top riders on core balance, strength and stability - this was both funny and instructive! We have created a small snip of the veterinery material and will be emailing it to users next week. It's a tasty little piece on reproduction!
New biogs and blogs
There are new biog pages from event riders, Beanie Sturgis and Tor Brewer. Renowned vet, Dr Svend Kold from Willesley Equine Clinic, blogs for the first time telling us about his exploits at Ascot where he was the senior course vet. Georgie Somerset, GB young dressage rider, makes her blogging debut and talks about the tragic loss of her top horse Paris. Updated blog entries from Sarah Fisher, Lucy Scott, Vittoria Pannizon, Anna-Marie Perry and the Horse Hero team (under Fiona Price). Lots of great stories and insight on top riders and equestrian professionals! Horse Hero also has 35 forum topics with some great discussion beginning. Take a look!
Horse Hero rider news
Horse Hero is thrilled that dressage rider
Laura Bechtolsheimer has been chosen to represent Great Britain at the Olympics in Beijing. She will be riding her wonderful Danish bred horse, Mistral Hojris (otherwise known as Alf). Laura is obviously very pleased with the announcement! "It’s very exciting, our whole season has been focused on selection but to have it confirmed still feels surreal, it hasn’t sunk in. Mistral Hojris is very special and I feel privileged to have a horse like him to take to my first Olympics. We have come a long way together and I feel confident that he will give it everything." Click on the links to see a selection of videos filmed with
Laura,
her parents,
her horses (including Mistral Hojris) and a tour of
her magnificent Cotswold yard. We look forward to seeing Laura's Olympic video diary!
(Laura and her Olympic horse Mistral Hojris)
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| (Anne-Marie and Aristo win at Addington)
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Anne-Marie Perry has had a fantastic few weeks of competition. She won three out of three classes at Addington last week, on three different horses (Feine Dame, Show Boy and Aristo). Obviously a good day! She also competed at Richmond at the weekend with Feine Dame and Show Boy, and again won both classes. This now means that she has qualified for the Regional Championships at Novice level with Feine Dame (and Royale Alliance though she didn't compete on this occasion), Novice and Elementary level with Show Boy and Prix St George with Aristo. Anne-Marie says "I think a week of competition rarely gets that good with so many different horses and I am thoroughly pleased with them all!" The Horse Hero team send her our congratulations on such a great achievement!
Finally, congratulations to Jemma Rees from Wales for winning the Moloh fashion boots for participating in the Horse Hero launch survey, which yielded some fascinating results.
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