Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the Hickstead Derby this year as I was in the US. This is one of the few showjumping competitions which continues to be regularly shown on TV in the UK. Although the competition takes place over the same course each year, which sounds a bit boring, I’ve always enjoyed watching this class. The course is long and the fences are very big and an unusual mixture of natural obstacles of hedges, walls, banks and ditches etc. There are always very few clear rounds and the result often comes down to time faults. This year was no different and the winner was Geoff Billington from the UK with a clear round and one time fault.

Dancing Brave is my favourite racehorse of all time. He stood out for me as the horse with the greatest acceleration that I had ever seen. I knew he was good but didn’t realise how good until I did a bit of research recently, where he was quoted as one of the greatest racehorses of the 20th century.

He was a bay colt, born in 1983, sired by Lyphard which was by Northern dancer. He was bought for the relatively small price of 200, 000 USD.

in 1986 he won the 2000 Guineas. He was beaten in the Epsom Derby by half a length, even though he ran the last furlong in a record 11.2 seconds and his jockey’s tactics were blamed by many for the defeat. He won the King George & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. In the Arc, he produced a devasting late run to win by length and a half in record time, beating his Epsom Deby conqueror. He was the first horse to poll all 27 votes for the European Horse of the Year since Brigadier Gerard. He had the highest ever rating of 141 which is still unbeaten.

He suffered an eye injury in the Breeders Cup and finished fourth. His record as a sire was good and he was exported to Japan where he died in 1999.

Lucinda Fredericks on her small mare Headley Britannia recently won the 2007 Badminton Horse Trials event. In September 2006, they also won at the Burghley Horse Trials. I can’t remember the last time this happened.

While reading up about Lucinda, I came across some information about another one of her horses called Bally Leck Boy who has had leg and foot problems. Apparently each set of shoes costs 200 pounds - I thought the shoeing costs for my horse were bad enough at around 50 pounds per set!

Yet another experienced eventing rider has died in recent months in an eventing competition fall. I don’t know what can be done to prevent such fatal accidents but am always very saddened by them.

I recently saw a horrendous high speed racing car accident at the Canadian Grand Prix and was sure the driver would be seriously injured but thankfully he has fully recovered within a couple of weeks. This is another very dangerous sport but one where there have been great strides forward in terms of driver safety in recent years. I know there are many differences between the two sports but believe there must be a way to reduce the risks to eventing riders. I hope that someone comes up with a solution soon.

I have always been a bit dubious about claims that nose strips help athletes breathe better, but today found out that nose strips are also available for horses too. Whatever next?!