To me, there little to compare in this world for elegance and excitement than to see a horse jumping steeplechase fences in perfect unison with its rider. I would like to imagine that the phrase 'poetry in motion' was created to define such a sight. A few weeks ago at Perth, though she ultimately did not win the race, I witnessed Panic Attack and Harry Skelton jump every fence with precision and aplomb. No one could ever see such an exhibition and think the horse was not enjoying her job. As good a horseman as Harry undoubtedly is or how great a trainer his brother is, they cannot take all the credit for Panic Attacks jumping style. She jumps the way she jumps for no other reason than she enjoys the opportunity to put on display her exuberance for her work.
Of course, Panic Attack is not alone in jumping fences in such a thrilling fashion; most horses can negotiate a steeplechase fence without mistake or injury. In fact, and in this I may be doing jockeys a great disservice, I wonder if falls are as much to do with jockey error as it can be the clumsiness of the horse. In the Perth race, Harry Skelton had an uncontested lead in a five-horse race; he was under no pressure until the home straight. But he was one half of that 'poetry in motion', sitting still and allowing his mount to make her own judgement, trusting her, being as one with her. Even now, three weeks or more hence, the image remains vivid in my mind's eye.
I still believe that the traditional sheep-style hurdle, the old version and to a lesser extent the new, white-topped version, is the reason we have so many fallers over fences. If all horses jumped as well as Panic Attack did at Perth, can you imagine how much the spectacle would be improved? If I were blessed to be an owner, and this is coming from someone who is English and British-racing through and through, I would seriously consider having any young horse I might own trained in France before tranferring them to an English trainer to run in steeplechases.
Speaking of French racing. There is a Welsh-born female National Hunt jockey in France, sister to fellow jockey David, by the name of Charly Prichard. She has won over 180-races, including feature races and on Sunday finished second in the Grand Steepelchase d'Auteuil. Two-years ago in the same race, she fell at the fourth fence and was concussed, losing all memory of that day. Oddly, it was not until parading for the big race on Sunday that the memory of her fall and all that went before and after it came back to her.
How she came to be riding in France is of interest to me as I cannot recall he starting out in Britain. Any information will be appreciated.
The thrill of winning never gets old; it remains equally surprising and thrilling from the first victory to the last. Ask the Coolmore 'lads', all multi-millionaires, all winners of every classic and Group 1 going, yet their enjoyment is always on parade for all to see when in the winners' enclosure. Featured in today's Racing Post is Patrick Kiely who trained his first winner under rules at Wexford over the weekend and that winner of a very minor race topped, by his own admission, all his previous success on the field with both his local hurling and football teams. The exertion of running the final furlong along his horse nearly brought on a heart attack, apparently, and if he had collapsed and died in the winners' enclosure, from his description of the day told to David Jennings, he would have died a complete and happy man.
If you can afford to buy a racehorse, do it. If you can only afford to buy a share, do it. The journey will be an interesting ride and unlike some other sports, horse racing can be enjoyed alongside your loved-ones and friends.
Horse racing is under threat of a cessation due to the outbreak of equine influenza amongst the herd of non-vaccinated non-thoroughbreds. Albeit slowly, the virus, which is air-borne and can be spread from the clothes of people associated with a horse suffering from the virus, is spreading. As a sort of fire blanket, the B.H.A. is to stop all hunter chases after today's Huntingdon meeting to limit the risk of the virus getting amongst the racehorse population. Point-to-pointing will be allowed to continue. The scrapping of hunter chases is, of course, being criticised by those trainers of hunter chasers, especially with the big meeting at Stratford falling victim to this ban, made worse for them as it follows the abandonment of Cheltenham's popular all-hunter chase meeting. I think on this occasion the B.H.A. has made the right call. In fact, I would have gone further and curtailed the point-to-point season as cross contamination could occur with amateur riders associated with professional yards mixing with people at a point-to-point who have mixed with people who might unwittingly own a non-thoroughbred on the cusp of becoming ill with the virus. But, as with all things virus-related, the sport is in the lap of the gods as to whether the professional side of the sport will become affected and whether in those circumstances there will need to be a cessation until the virus is brought under control.