Weve got loads of incredible photos captured by our own Tilly Berendt to share with you from the eventing competition at the Paris Olympics, so well kick things off with a few of our favorite moments in time. Stay tuned for future editions as we continue to look back on an unforgettable weekend of sport.Mlody Johner (SUI) and Toubleu de Rueire cross the pontoon in front of the Chateau de Versailles, one of the most epic ways to work with a piece of ground that was previously unused for horse sports. The construction of this pontoon came after months of ideating and testing of various ideas, including a version that would move with the water instead of staying fixed. While during testing, the movable pontoon didnt seem to faze the horses, the noise of the infrastructure as it moved became the deciding factor to instead construct an unmoving platform for the final competition. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Now a 5-time Olympian, Yoshiaki Oiwa (JPN) celebrates his test en route to his best individual and team result to date, finishing 7th individually and in historic bronze as a team. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Liz Halliday (USA) and Nutcracker had the incredibly tough task of slotting in as the third team member following the withdrawal of Will Coleman and Diabolo. Liz went on to finish in the top 20 in her Olympic debut with Nutcracker. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Ronald Zabala Goetschel (ECU) and Forever Young Wundermaske didnt quite have the weekend they wanted, parting ways late on cross country in Paris, but nonetheless showing us all that age is just a number. Ronald aims next at the Bolivarian Games in 2025 before hanging up his eventing boots for good. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Stephane Landois (FRA) and Chaman Dumontceau competed in honor of the late Thas Meheust (in fact, the horse usually competes under the moniker Ride for Thas Chaman Dumontceau, only dropping the prefix to abide by Olympic commercial naming rules), who passed away in a riding accident five years ago. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Tom McEwen (GBR) and JL Dublin cross the finish line inside the optimum time of 9:02, emphatically securing gold position for the British, even with Ros Canters controversial 15 penalties for missing a flag late on course. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Nicolas Touzaint (FRA) and Diabolo Menthe secure a clear round as the anchor pair for the home team, which went on to finish in silver position. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Michael Jung (GER) experiences the emotions of achievement, winning a history third Olympic individual gold with Chipmunk FRH. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Ryuzo Kitajima leads the Japanese portion of the victory lap, quite enthusiastically, on foot after taking part in the competition but finding himself horseless in the final phase due to the withdrawal of Cekatinka in that mornings horse inspection. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Chris Burton (AUS) completes the a full-circle journey back to eventing after focusing solely on show jumping in recent years. A perfect plan to borrow Ben Hobdays ride, Shadow Man, for a bid at the Olympics paid off: Burton clinched his first individual Olympic silver medal. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Clydesdales are helping regenerate wildflower meadows on the Scotney Castle estate and at Batemans in Kent, both cared for by the National Trust, this summer, with two heavy horses joining the ranger team for mowing duties.The horses have been chosen over modern machines to cut back the meadow towing a type of Allen Scythe, as they tread more lightly than modern machinery, causing less damage and compaction to the soil and resident wildlife including lizards and snakes.The horses will then use a large rake to collect the cuttings ready for bailing, with the bails then sold to raise money to continue to care for the landscape in future years.Mowing helps wildflower meadows to regenerate by creating soil conditions favoured by wildflowers. By removing vegetation like native grasses and nettles, it prevents the nutrients that had been drawn up and stored in these plants from re-entering the soil, as would happen if they were left to decompose naturally, thereby temporarily reducing the soils nutrient levels.Wildflowers such as rare orchids prefer such nutrient-reduced habitats, and will consequently be able to thrive. These flowers in turn attract insects, butterflies and birds, bringing more biodiversity into the landscape.The two Clydesdale horses, Bailey and Percy, mowing the wildlfower meadows at Batemans. Credit: National Trust Images, Laurence PerryCanon EOS R6 ISO2500The rarest wildflower we currently find in this meadow is the common spotted orchid, which adds beautiful purple accents to the landscape and mixes in exciting ways with the vibrant yellows of other wildflowers including crowfoots and birds-foot trefoil, the soft lilacs of forget-me-nots, bugles and knapweed and the brilliant whites of pignut and ox-eye daisies, said Richard Newman, Area Ranger at Scotney Castle.Through this work, we are hoping that well eventually be able to spot other rare wildflowers, like curiously shaped bee orchids, in the mix.It is the first time heavy horses in this case two Oakwood Clydesdales called Bailey and Percy have been used for meadow mowing at scale by the National Trust at Scotney, following a small test in the grounds last year.After experimenting last year, we noticed how well the meadow bounced back with even more wildflowers, added Richard. We believe this is mainly because the horses cause much less compaction of the soil, so the wildflowers are able to break through again quickly. The light fertilisation from horse manure is an added bonus!Bailey and Percy at Batemans. Credit: National Trust Images, Laurence PerryCanon EOS R6 ISO2500In the High Weald where Scotney Castle is located there is a long tradition of using animals to care for the land. Historically oxen were used by farmers to negotiate the deep valleys, small fields and numerous streams and rivers of the Weald. Like heavy horses, oxen were robust yet did not sink in the very muddy, clay-based soil that causes issues for modern machinery like tractors.The Scotney team will be putting the horses to work in a meadow near to neighbouring Kilndown village. The pair were brought in earlier in the year to prepare the field, removing dense winter thatch using a chain harrow. This gave the wildflowers the best possible chance of pushing through the soil to thrive this summer.At Batemans, the horses will help mow the propertys two in-hand meadows, Donkey Field and Lower Brook Meadow, to restore just under four acres of rich grassland habitats which are no longer accessible by heavy machinery following the repair of the sites mill pond wall.The work is a continuation of the conservation work that has already taken place at the property, where heavy horses were used for timber extraction from the woodlands at Scotney Castle.Lead image credit: National Trust Images, Laurence PerryThe post National Trust rangers call in Clydesdales to regenerate wildflower meadows appeared first on Your Horse.

Learn what a veterinary specialist does and when you might need to contact one in this article from the The Horse's Summer 2024 issue. The post What is an Equine Specialist? appeared first on The Horse.