Lordships Graffalo has put himself firmly into the category of Greatest Of All Time after carrying Ros Canter to a second consecutive Defender Burghley victory this afternoon.In doing so, the 13-year-old gelding owned by Archie and Michele Saul becomes the first horse in history to win twice both here and at Mars Badminton Horse Trials.The pair were also team Olympic gold medallists (at the Paris 2024 Games) and European Champions (team and individual in 2023).The horses stellar career ranks him up there with the likes of Michael Jungs La Biosthetique-Sam FBW and Mark Todds Charisma.I hope hell go down as a legend of our time and a legend of the sport in total, said Ros, not only for the performances he gives, but for his character as well. Hes an unbelievable horse to have at home and he thrives on these occasions.An overriding emotion is relief at the moment that Ive managed to put it off again. Every time I go out on Walter on an occasion like this, the pressure builds because I know one day I wont be perfect and he wont have my back at some point because he wont be able to. Im just so grateful to him for the most unbelievable experiences that myself, my team, my owners get to have with him. He is a horse of a lifetime and hopefully a horse of a lot of peoples lifetime too and an inspiration to many.Sitting in a portalooIn between helping US rider Cassie Sanger prepare for her showjumping round and mounting Walter, Ros spent some time sitting in a portaloo.Ive been helping Cassie this afternoon, so I had all my kit ready and as soon as she went in [to the arena] I went into a portaloo, which smelt lovely, and put my earphones in and tried to drown everything out, said Ros. I sat on the toilet for a few minutes, making sure that I remembered who I was riding and exactly how I want to ride him. Im not entirely sure I remembered it all, but hopefully enough to have made it look okay.Feeling the pressureCassie has been based with Ros this season and finished best of the first timers in 17th. Having her here helped to keep Ros mind off the pressure, she said.Often when Im here Ive had young event horses on the Friday or Ive had a test [to practise] for a championship, or Ive had a second horse, said Ros. Its the first time in a long time Ive only had one horse. This is my last event, Im now finished for the season, so to have Cassie here has been good. You always wish for more time to be part of the general public and go shopping, but the reality is when youre here doing a job you cant focus on it anyway.Its a big deal announcing a pregnancyRos recently announced that she is expecting her second child and would not be in the running for European Championship selection, choosing to bring Walter to Burghley instead.Its a big deal announcing a pregnancy when in the back of your mind you might be coming to an event like this, she confessed. It was a necessity for me because everyone was going to know that I wasnt selected [for the Europeans]. I cant believe that I havent had a single person that said, what are you doing? Ive had a few people say are you sure and be careful, which isnt always the best thing to hear just before youre starting a big competition, but on the whole Ive had nothing but huge support. I think everybody just wants to get an opportunity to see Walter again.Ros hopes to be back at Badminton with Walter in the spring.You never know with childbirth, it can throw all sorts of spanners in the works, but Im really hoping the plan is to be at Badminton next year, she confirmed.Convincing marginRos and Walter finished a convincing nine penalties clear of Austin OConnor and Colorado Blue, who posted Irelands highest Burghley placing since 1966 when finishing second.Harry Meade piloted Cavalier Crystal and Annaghmore Valoner into third and fourth respectively.Full report with picture gallery to follow.Main image by Tim WilkinsonRelated contentTop riders battle with nerves, too! How one Burghley rider overcame a confidence lossProperty director and cheap ex-racehorse make their CCI5* debutPressure is a privilege: rider with imposter syndrome bids for third Burghley completionDefender Burghley highlightsThe post Surely a Greatest Of All Time? Lordships Graffalo carries Ros to epic second Burghley win appeared first on Your Horse.

Austin OConnor cemented his position among the Irish eventing greats with a magnificent runner-up finish at the five-star Defender Burghley Horse Trials this afternoon.Multiple Olympic Games appearances, multiple Badminton podiums and Maryland winner now add a Burghley second to the resume and the Corkman, though he might not admit it himself, is one of the best to ever do it from these shores.Of course, he is ably assisted by Colorado Blue or Salty, the evergreen grey bred in Co. Limerick.Typically, the Corkman credited Salty for the result, before outlining the significance of the result. He said: There was pressure out there, and the biggest problem was he was too fresh. I couldnt hold one side of him, which is just an amazing complaint. Normally Id give him a bit of leg and ride him into the bridle but today he was pulling my arms out. We had one rail but, hey, what a horse! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Defender Burghley Horse Trials (@burghleyhorsetrials)Its been an amazing experience this week. The Badmintons and Burghleys, theyre the biggest and most iconic events in the world. Its what I dreamt of growing up, and to be here on the podium is amazing.OConnor and Colorado Blue trailed eventual winner Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo by 6.2 penalties coming into today and in truth, the rail down for four faults eased pressure on Canter. OConnor finished on a total of 32.6.Canter came home clear with 1.2 time penalties to secure the victory by nine on a total of 23.6.Britains Harry Meade finished third and fourth on a pair of Irish Sport Horses, Cavalier Crystal and Annaghmore Valoner.OConnor also finished in 27th with 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse Sixmilewater, another very satisfying result, with Sam Watson and Ballynwety Rocketman (ISH) finishing an excellent 13th and Lucy Latta and former Badminton runner-up RCA Patron Saint in 22nd position. The post OConnor shows why hes one of the best ever with Burghley second appeared first on .

I hope he will go down as a legend of the sport, announced Ros Canter about Lordships Graffalo after they became the runaway winners of Defender Burghley for the second year running.The duo posted a flawless performance to make history as the first pair to win both British CCI5*s, Burghley and Badminton, twice.Meanwhile, Austin OConnor posted the highest placing for Ireland since 1966 when piloting the experienced Colorado Blue into second.This was ahead of two horses for the world number one, Harry Meade, who finished third with Cavalier Crystal for the third consecutive year and fourth with Annaghmore Valoner.He also steered a third horse, Et Hop du Matz, to a top 10 finish. View images of the top 10 below.1, Ros Canter and Lordships GraffaloCredit: DBHT/Peter NixonNIKON Z 9 f/5.6 1/1250s 70mm ISO720This historic victory comes just a few weeks after their withdrawal from European team selection, when Ros announced that she is expecting her second child.Its a big deal announcing a pregnancy when in the back of your mind you might be coming to an event like this, she confessed.It was a necessity for me because everyone was going to know that I wasnt selected [for the Europeans].I cant believe that I havent had a single person that said, what are you doing? Ive had nothing but huge support.Ros called Walter her horse of a lifetime and an inspiration to many.I hope hell go down as a legend of our time and a legend of the sport in total, added Ros.2, Austin OConnor and Colorado BlueAustin OConnor said riders have one iconic horse and Colorado Blue is his.Horses like him dont come into our lives very often. No matter who you are, theres always one iconic horse and hes certainly my one, said the 51-year-old Irishman.The way he finished and jumped, its so exciting. Hes 16, but I think he thinks hes six.Statistically, Id say himself [Colorado Blue] and Lordships Graffalo are in a league of their own at this level.Colorado Blue is a veteran of two Olympic Games, won the 2023 Maryland CCI5*, and finished third at Badminton this spring, matching his podium placing there two years earlier. Austin added that the grey, nicknamed Salty, entered the main arena to showjump today feeling exceptionally well.Hes never gone in the ring that fresh and full of himself, which is extraordinary, he said.He was just pulling my arms out, which, if thats the reason I had a rail [down], its a great complaint.3, Harry Meade and Cavalier CrystalHarry Meade equalled his third here last year aboard Cavalier Crystal for the third consecutive year and fourth with Annaghmore Valoner. Harry bettered last years result by ending with three in the top ten.Im really pleased with all the horses, said Harry with a smile.Cavalier Crystals showjumping round was about as good as it ever gets. I felt the same last year and the year before.Theyre not machines, and thats why its so important to believe in them. Were all fallible, and its about delivering that proper performance.Theyve been three superstars, thanks to my whole team.4, Harry Meade and Annaghmore Valoner5, Alice Casburn and TopspinAlice Casburn came to Burghley seeking her fourth consecutive top 10 finish aboard her familys homebred Topspin,and achieved just that.They had one showjump down to finish fifth, equalling their final place here in 2022.To be on a jumper like him is such an unreal feeling. If anything goes wrong, its certainly not on his part, said the 23-year-old rider.This is the place I always dreamed of riding as a kid. Burghleys my local. We came here every year and he [Topspin] seems to light up in this atmosphere and is so settled in the stable, which he normally isnt.We both just love it here and its always really exciting to be back.6, Tim Price and VitaliTim Price and Vitali occupied third place after cross-country and finished sixth after rolling two showjumps.Im glad I wasnt in the lead, then having a couple of rails down and losing it like that. He jumped really well for him and I think ultimately well get there, said Tim, who attributed the falling poles to a long stride.He actually jumped well. His stride was longer than I expected down to the treble and he doesnt need an opportunity to have a rail, but I got a little close to the start of the treble and then the same at the plank. 7, Gaspard Maksud and ZaragozaFrances Gaspard Maksud piloted Zaragoza into seventh.This duo were contesting their second Burghley, having finished sixth and best of the first timers in 2024.Last year just gave us the experience and the belief that we could do it and be competitive, but it was the blind leading the blind, said Gaspard.Now weve come back [and] we needed to prove we can do that again.8, Caroline Powell and High TimeNew Zealands Caroline Powell and High Time showjumped clear en route to finishing eighth.Hes a relatively new horse, he hasnt come up through the grades with me so were still getting to know each other but now were finding all the buttons to make him work, said Caroline.Im really quite happy with him. Hes been absolutely foot perfect. He is a horse that is going to get better and better; hes exciting for us.9, Harry Meade and Et Hop du Matz10, Laura Collett and BlingLaura Collett signed off from her first Burghley appearance in 14 years with 10th place aboard Bling.With a horse like her, I cant wait to come back again, said Laura. After what she did yesterday, to come out and jump as well as she did today and just cope with the atmosphere, Im delighted with her.Images by Tim Wilkinson, unless statedFinal scoreboardGreat Britains Ros Canter on Lordships Graffalo, 23.6Irelands Austin OConnor on Colorado Blue, 32.6Great Britains Harry Meade on Cavalier Crystal, 33.3Great Britains Harry Meade on Annaghmore Valoner, 37Great Britains Alice Casburn on Topspin, 39.8New Zealands Tim Price on Vitali, 39.9Frances Gaspard Maksud on Zaragoza, 41.4New Zealands Caroline Powell on High Time, 42.7Great Britains Harry Meade on Et Hop du Matz, 43.5Great Britains Laura Collett on Bling, 44.2View the final standings in fullRelated contentSurely a Greatest Of All Time? Lordships Graffalo carries Ros to epic second Burghley winCross-country in pictures: Ros sets herself up for second titleTop riders battle with nerves, too! How one Burghley rider overcame a confidence lossProperty director and cheap ex-racehorse make their CCI5* debutAll Defender Burghley highlightsThe post Celebrating the top 10 finishers of Defender Burghley in pictures appeared first on Your Horse.

A change in how reports of ragwort, which can be deadly if eaten by horses, cattle and other animals, is causing concern among horse owners and equine welfare charities.Ingestion of common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is a serious health risk when eaten either fresh or dried. It can result in severe liver damage and be fatal. Until recently, complaints about the plant and its removal were handled by Natural England.However, a recent policy change has left horse welfare charities concerned.In July 2025 it came to our attention that there has been a policy change and Natural England are no longer dealing with ragwort complaints, said the British Horse Society (BHS) South West in a Facebook post.We are disappointed to learn of this and have concerns regarding the impact on horse welfare due to ragwort spreading into fields for forage production and into fields where horses and/or livestock graze.Focus on protecting horsesThey stressed that the BHS remains focused on protecting horses and raising awareness among owners and confirmed that the organisation will be pushing for action at a national level.We are wholly committed to improve equine welfare through education and support and helping horse owners understand the dangers of ragwort.We will be working within our capacity to lobby Government and policy makers to reintroduce the vital investigation of ragwort complaints in high-risk areas.We would strongly urge those equally as concerned as ourselves to get in touch with their MP to bring this to their attention.Natural Englands responseCurrent guidance on managing the poisonous plant, whichis officially listed as a noxious weed in the UK, is set out in the statutory Code of Practice on How to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort, produced following the Ragwort Control Act 2003.The code states: Under the Weeds Act 1959 the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs can, if satisfied that injurious weeds are growing upon any land, serve a notice requiring the occupier to take action to prevent the spread of those weeds. An unreasonable failure to comply with a notice is an offence.But when contacted by Your Horse, Natural England declined to comment in detail about the policy change.It confirms on its website: Natural England is not currently dealing with any new injurious weeds complaints at this time.Gemma Stanford, director of horse care and welfare at the BHS, acknowledged the anxiety that the change may cause within the equestrian community.The British Horse Society understands the dangers that ragwort can pose for horses and the worry this can cause to their owners, she told Your Horse.We work to improve equine welfare through education and our focus is centred on ensuring horse owners and landowners are aware of the dangers of ragwort and its effect on equine welfare.She emphasised that while ragwort has a role in the natural environment, its presence in grazing areas presents a serious risk.Ragwort has a place in the ecosystem in areas away from horses grazing or land used for forage production and the primary focus should be its removal from these high-risk areas.Main image ShutterstockRelated contentVet advice: this is how ragwort affects horses when eatenPlants that are poisonous for horses: in picturesShe was full of promise: rescued mare put to sleep due to ragwort poisoningYour Horse Review: This ragwort removal fork is so good that we virtually argued over who would use it!The post Concern as National England stops dealing with reports of ragwort appeared first on Your Horse.

Section Details Purpose of Tie-Back Surgery Treats recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) by lateralizing arytenoid cartilage to improve airflow and performance in horses. Post-Surgery Coughing Occurs in 5-10% of cases due to aspiration, leading to inflammation, coughing, and lower airway diseases. Injection of Bulking Agents Uses hyaluronic acid to thicken aryepiglottic folds, reducing aspiration and coughing; requires careful candidate selection and follow-ups. Feeding Adjustments Wetting hay and feeding from the ground helps prevent aspiration and reduces coughing. Surgical Revisions Options include removing sutures or arytenoidectomy; considered last resorts due to significant risks. Monitoring and Management Importance of monitoring symptoms, timely interventions, and consulting with veterinary specialists for personalized care. Dietary Importance Diet changes, like wetting hay and ground feeding, significantly reduce coughing over time. Managing Coughing in Horses After Tie-Back Surgery: An Equine Guide The challenges faced by horses recovering from tie-back surgery, also known as prosthetic laryngoplasty, revolve around persistent coughing that often concerns both horse owners and veterinarians. This article delves into these challenges and explores promising advancements and strategies for improving the respiratory well-being of equine companions. Understanding Tie-Back Surgery: Purpose and Procedure Tie-back surgery primarily addresses recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN), commonly termed as "roaring." This condition leads to paralysis of larynx-opening muscles, causing restricted airflow and compromised performance in horses. The surgical procedure involves lateralizing one of the arytenoid cartilages permanently to enhance oxygen flow, ultimately restoring the horses capability to perform. [5] Why Coughing Occurs Post-Surgery Post-surgical coughing occurs in 5 to 10% of cases, often resulting from aspiration. The surgery alters the protective mechanisms of the larynx, leading to instances where food, water, or saliva inadvertently enters the airway. This issue causes inflammation, chronic coughing, and the risk of lower airway diseases, significantly affecting the horse's quality of life. [1] Emerging Treatments for Persistent Coughing Injection of Bulking Agents By injecting bulking materials such as hyaluronic acid directly into the aryepiglottic folds, researchers aim to thicken these tissues. This method effectively reduces misdirected food and water entering the airway, thus minimizing coughing. Despite its promise, this treatment option requires careful selection of candidate horses and periodic follow-up injections. [2] Adjusting Feeding and Management A more straightforward and effective strategy involves modifying feeding practices. This includes wetting hay and feeding from the ground to help with easier swallowing and prevent coughing spells triggered by aspiration. This method forms an essential part of any long-term management plan. [1] Surgical Revisions In scenarios where coughing persists severely even after initial interventions, surgical revisions may become necessary. Revision options include removing tie-back sutures or conducting an arytenoidectomy, though these interventions come with significant risks and should be considered as a last resort. [3] Balancing Athletic Performance with Health While many horses resume their athletic careers without post-operative complications, vigilance is vital. Monitoring respiratory symptoms such as coughing and addressing them promptly can prevent potential health risks, ensuring better outcomes for horses and peace of mind for their owners. Guidance for Horse Owners and Caregivers Recognizing Symptoms Understanding the nature of coughing post-surgery is crucial. Persistent coughing primarily stems from aspiration issues due to changes in airway protection. Being alert to these symptoms allows for timely management and interventions. Exploring Innovative Treatments Recent treatments, like the augmentation of laryngeal tissues, offer hope. However, it's essential to select the right candidates for these procedures, relying on veterinary specialists to guide the decision-making process. Importance of Dietary Adjustments Changes in diet, particularly wetting hay and feeding at ground level, can significantly impact a horse's ability to swallow safely. These simple changes can play a substantial role in reducing coughing episodes over time. Consult with Veterinary Specialists Engaging in close consultations with equine veterinarians can ensure accurate diagnosis and personalized care plans. Proper expert guidance can mean the difference between prolonged suffering and enhanced well-being. Plan Ahead for Potential Surgical Revisions While not the first recommended solution, surgical revisions may become necessary if other measures prove insufficient. Discussing potential outcomes and risks with veterinary specialists creates a proactive approach for dealing with severe cases of post-operative coughing. Conclusion Addressing persistent coughing after tie-back surgery requires a multifaceted approach. Combining emerging treatments, careful dietary adjustments, and vigilant health monitoring can greatly enhance the life quality of recovering horses. By working closely with veterinary professionals and considering various interventions, horse owners can confidently support their equine companions through recovery and back to optimal performance. For more insights on selecting the right equestrian equipment and supplements, explore the collections of Jodhpurs, Horse Riding Boots, Gloves, and Socks available at Just Horse Riders. 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