15 December 2022 - Flipbook - Page 86
86
HORSEWEEK
FARMWEEK
NOVEMBER 03 2022
Ireland’s Conor Swail From the
secures second World horse’s
Cup win in Washington mouth
T
HREE weeks after winning the
opening round of the Longines
FEI Jumping World Cup North
American League at the start
of October in Sacramento
(USA) with ‘Vital Chance de la Roque’,
County Down’s Swail led the victory
lap again on Saturday night, this time
in Washington (USA) with his mount
from the 2022 Longines FEI Jumping
World Cup Final in Leipzig (GER),
‘Count Me In’.
Nine combinations advanced to the
jump-off in Washington, including
two for Ireland, with Swail joined in
the second round by fellow Irishman
Daniel Coyle and ‘Legacy’. Coyle
would finish eighth at the finish, with
one fence down in 38.55 seconds.
World number 5 Swail posted a
brilliant clear in 35.76 seconds, which
would see him finish just under
three-tenths of a second ahead of
Israel’s Daniel Bluman in second with
‘Gemma W’, while third place went to
Brian Moggre (USA) and ‘MTM Vivre
le Reve’.
Between ‘Count Me In’ and ‘Vital
Chance de la Roque’, Swail has
recorded five World Cup victories in
North America over the course of the
last two seasons, and with ‘Count Me
In’, Swail finished eighth in the 2022
Finals in Leipzig. He will continue to
pursue points toward the 2023 Finals
in Omaha (USA) at upcoming legs in
Toronto (CAN) and Las Vegas (USA).
“Since I got those two horses, ‘Count
Me In’ and ‘Vital Chance de la Roque’,
we really hit it off, and we’ve gone
through the roof,” Swail said.
“[‘Count Me In’] has really changed
my career. He’s brought me to a lot of
places I’d never been and has been
very successful doing it. This year, I
BY JACQUI PORTER
The double bridle debate
T
WORLD CUP WIN: Conor Swail (IRL) and ‘Count Me In’, winners of the
Longines FEI Jumping World Cup North American League in Washington. (FW44530NN)
PICTURE: courtesy of FEI/ Shawn McMillen Photography
know he’s capable, and [returning to
World Cup Finals] is something that
I’m looking forward to doing with
him. It is a plan at this point, which
probably makes it better.”
Swail now boasts a commanding lead
in the NAL standings with 40 points.
Bluman and Sophia Siegel (USA) are
tied for second with 17 points apiece.
The North American World Cup
League resumes in Lexington (USA)
on November 5, 2022.
Swail’s win adds to an already
successful weekend for the Irish on
both sides of the Atlantic. Derry’s
Daniel Coyle made a winning start
in Washington on Thursday when he
guided the Ariel Grange-owned mare
‘Legacy’ to victory in the $75,000
Welcome Stake. He was joined in the
winners’ enclosure by his brother
Jordan Coyle and USA’s McLain Ward,
when they finished in a three-way
tie for victory in the Puissance in
Washington, as they all cleared the
wall at 2m10 (6 ft 10 inches) in the final
round.
Closer to home in Europe, at the fivestar World Cup show in Lyon (FRA),
Co. Louth’s Mark McAuley and the
Irish Sport Horse ‘GRS Lady Amaro’,
bred by Denis Hickey, claimed victory
in Saturday’s 1.50m speed class.
BREEDING
GRS Lady Amaro (ISH) - 2013 mare
by Amaretto Darco (BWP), out of
Legal Lady (TB) by Over The River
(TB). Breeder: Denis Hickey, Co.
Wexford. Owner: William Hickey.
Rider: Mark McAuley (IRL).
CAFRE students get to the bones
of equine anatomy and physiology
TUTORIAL: Dr Andrea
Emerson, CAFRE Veterinary
Lecturer, hosting a live
tutorial session for the
Anatomy and Physiology
module on the online Level
4 CertHE programme.
BY KYM GRIFFIN,
CAFRE EQUINE TECHNOLOGIST
I
N September 2022, the
College of Agriculture,
Food and Rural
Enterprise (CAFRE)
released its first ever fully
online course delivered
at Level 4 at Enniskillen
Campus.
The Certificate of Higher
Education in Equine
Science and Management
is a part-time course
validated through Ulster
University delivered over
two years.
Students cover a wide
variety of topics in their
first year through a series
of short online videos that
can be watched at any time
to fit around the students’
busy schedules.
With a formative
assessment at the end of
each topic to test their
knowledge and optional
interactive live sessions,
the students are able to
take advantage of all that
CAFRE offers without the
commitment of travelling
to the campus. The course
is designed to enable those
that are already working
with horses to gain a
formal higher level equine
qualification to compliment
their practical experience.
Jenny Caldwell is a
student on the course and
said: “So far, I have had a
great experience on the
CertHE course. I run a busy
livery yard so the short,
bite-sized lectures are easy
to dip in and out of at a
time that is convenient to
me.
“Also, the support is
great, if you need anything
the course team will do
everything they can to
help. All the resources are
online, so you have the
entire library available at
your fingertips. I would
highly recommend this
course to anyone in the
industry that is looking for
a formal qualification that
fits in around them.”
For the Equine Anatomy
and Physiology module,
students recently enjoyed
a live interactive session
on the equine skeleton
with CAFRE’s Veterinary
Lecturer Dr Andrea
Emerson. Students will
learn everything from cell
biology to muscles, bones,
reproduction systems,
genetics and much more.
Student Joy Carlton
participated in the live
session and said: “I found
the interactive session very
helpful, not only because it
allowed an opportunity to
speak to Andrea directly,
but it also helped to gauge
how others are doing on
the course. It helped clarify
some things that were
difficult to understand from
2D models and showed how
much of the information I’d
retained and what needed
more revision. How it was
set up felt very much like
an in-person classroom
experience which was
nice given that most of the
study is done in our own
time.”
The next intake of the
CertHE in Equine Science
and Management will be
September 2023.
If you are interested
contact a member
of the course team
for more information
or visit: www.cafre.
ac.uk/equine-sciencemanagement, contact:
Julie McSwiggan: 028
6634 4603, email:
Julie.McSwiggan@
daera-ni.gov.uk
HE FEI independent
ethics and wellbeing
commission’s
recommendation to make
double bridles optional in grand
prix dressage came to light
when the International Dressage
Riders Club (IDRC) and
International Dressage Trainers
Club (IDTC) published a letter
strongly opposing the proposal.
According to an article in the
Horse & Hound, the FEI released
further information on how the
recommendation arose. The
FEI spokesman said the ethics
and wellbeing commission
met in August and agreed to
submit six recommendations
on “technical/ sport aspects,
and research and education”
to the FEI. The technical/ sport
recommendations were shared
with the technical committees
and, on September 20, the
dressage committee discussed
the proposals, during which it
was highlighted that under the
current rules, double bridles
are optional up to CDI2* level
- but mandatory at CDI3* and
upwards.
“This change, introduced in
2019, reflects a progression in
the level of skills of the athlete
and training of the horse from
low and medium level to the
highest level of performance,”
said the spokesman.
“The dressage committee is in
favour of maintaining the double
bridle compulsory at grand prix
level.”
The spokesman added that a
final report was presented to
the FEI board and, on October
14, the recommendations were
submitted to the national
federations and stakeholders,
ahead of discussion at the
general assembly.
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE
HORSE
Some horses’ conformation
allows enough room for two bits
in their mouth comfortably and,
if the bits are fitted correctly
and riders use them correctly,
then realistically there should
not be much issue with the use
of a double bridle, although the
additional mass in the mouth
versus a snaffle only will result
in additional pressure on the
tongue and bars.
Unfortunately, not all horses
have room for two bits in their
mouths, due to their individual
anatomy. For such horses,
enforcing the use of a double
bridle compromises their
DOUBLE BRIDLE: A good fitting
double bridle. (FW44-500NN)
comfort, welfare and ability to
perform.
Therefore, in order to comply
with the FEI Code of Conduct
for the Welfare of the Horse,
double bridles should be made
optional.
IDTC president David Hunt
wrote to the Horse & Hound.
He said the organisation’s
opposition to the proposal was
based on the “optional” aspect,
and said it was put forward as
“advancing horse welfare” - but
if something is deemed harmful,
he believes it should be banned.
He added that “welfare and
sport issues must not be
confused”.
Mr Hunt continued: “We have
stewards in place and we are
very restrictive in the bits
we are allowed to use, unlike
other sports where they have
a massive variety. Our horses
are looked after to such a
high degree, and I struggle to
find why they keep picking on
dressage.”
As I have pointed out in
several of my past articles, it’s
not the always the tack that is
the issue, but the hands that use
it. It is important to understand
that the double bridle is used
in order to refine and finesse
communication between horse
and rider. A horse should be
willing and able to carry his
weight on the hind legs with
uphill balance in the snaffle
bridle before introducing a
double bridle. It is not meant to
be used as a handbrake nor to
force the horse into the desired
outline. Many riders using a
double bridle will agree with
these statements, and yet we
see time and time again riders
with the weymouth shanks
cranked around to full tilt for
prolonged periods. This is what
really needs addressing.
Jacqui Porter BSc (Hons) BAEDT
EQUINE DENTAL SERVICES
Tel: 07395 830535
Email: jpdentistry@icloud.com