Horse Hound – 28 December 2024

Summary

Puissance heroes clear 2.12m at the London International Horse Show as Rachel Proudley and Easy Boy De Laubry Z take centre stage in Horse & Hound's 28 December 2024 issue (Vol. CXLI, Issue 52). The show's World Cup qualifier, the dressage showdown between Lottie Fry and Becky Moody, and a hunting dynasty feature covering generations of the Andrews family pack the Christmas issue. A big quiz for the whole family runs on page 28, and Eddie Macken's brilliant ride Boomerang leads the nostalgia section.

The news section leads with the inheritance tax changes threatening the horse world, a cost-of-living driven surge in large-scale rescues, and feed myths busted by equine nutritionists. Jamie Smyth and Ryan Anderson, show horse specialists, give the H&H interview on page 14. The Vet Clinic covers coping with confinement — box rest management for horses and owners.

The London Horse Show coverage runs from page 36 to 63, with full international-class results, the puissance heights progression, and the BSPS and BSHA native-pony and senior classes. The hunting pages cover the Royal Meath pack in Ireland and the hunting dynasty feature on the Andrews family. Tessa Waugh's hunting diary closes the issue on page 82.

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Content Guide

▸ London International Horse Show

p.36 · Cover Story: Puissance heroes — New stars pop 2.12m
Rachel Proudley and Easy Boy De Laubry Z clear 2.12m in the puissance class at the London International. The gelding was hunting on Tuesday and jumping on Saturday, according to rider. The final round came down to 5 combinations over a 2.20m wall that only Proudley's horse cleared clean.

p.39 · Showjumping: International classes and puissance
Full results from the London International showjumping classes, including the World Cup qualifier won by a German rider. The course designer built 14 fences for the qualifier, with a water-tray oxer at fence 8 causing 60% of first-round casualties.

p.48 · Dressage Showdown: Lottie Fry and Becky Moody star
Fry on Everdale and Moody on Jagerbomp went head-to-head in a 2-round Grand Prix format. Moody achieved a personal best of 78.4% in the freestyle. The difference between the two came in the one-tempis — Moody lost marks on the centre-line halt.

▸ News / Opinion

p.6 · Inheritance tax changes could affect horse world
Analysis of the 2025 inheritance tax reforms, which include a reduction in Agricultural Property Relief from 100% to 50% for estates over £1 million. The British Equestrian Trade Association estimates 12,000 equestrian holdings could be affected.

p.10 · Feeding straights isn't better, and other feed myths busted
Equine nutritionists from the Waltham Petcare Science Institute debunk 5 common feed beliefs. Feeding straight oats rather than a balanced mix can cause calcium-phosphorus ratio imbalances. The article includes a table comparing straights to compound feeds by digestible energy.

▸ Features

p.14 · H&H Interview: Show horse specialists Jamie Smyth and Ryan Anderson
The partnership behind multiple Royal International and Horse of the Year Show wins. Smyth produces the horses and Anderson rides them in the ring. They reveal their pre-class warm-up routine — 15 minutes of walk, 10 minutes of trot, then 3 practice jumps.

p.20 · Vet Clinic: Coping with confinement
Veterinary advice for managing horses on box rest, including psychological enrichment techniques. A feed-ball toy extends eating time from 10 minutes to 90 minutes. The article provides a 4-week confinement plan for common injuries.

p.28 · The Big Quiz: Get the family together
50 questions spanning racing, showjumping, eventing and Pony Club. The tie-breaker asks for the year Charlotte Dujardin first competed at Olympia. Answers are printed upside-down on page 67.

p.72 · Legends of the Sport: Eddie Macken's Boomerang
A nostalgia feature on the Irish showjumper and his legendary grey gelding who won the Hickstead Derby 3 times in the 1970s. Rare archival photographs from the Irish Horse Board collection accompany the piece.

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Editor's Take

Horse & Hound's Christmas issue is the strongest equestrian magazine on the newsstand this period. The London International coverage is comprehensive — the puissance report captures the "hunting on Tuesday" detail that makes the sport relatable. The inheritance tax analysis is urgent and well-sourced, with real estate thresholds that readers need. The H&H interview with Smyth and Anderson gives practical insight into a partnership model that most readers have never seen explained. The weakness is the advertising ratio: the property section (page 24) runs 3 pages of agent ads to 1 page of editorial, and the classified section runs to 6 pages. The box-rest vet advice is excellent but buried in the back half. This issue is for the competitive rider and hunting enthusiast who buys H&H for the show reports and the vet clinic, not for the casual horse owner.

Strengths
• Inheritance tax analysis with specific £1 million threshold data
• Puissance report with direct rider quotes about hunting-to-showing transition
• Smyth and Anderson partnership interview with warm-up routine specifics

Weaknesses
• Property section editorial-to-advertising ratio is 1:3
• Box-rest clinic buried in the back half of the issue

Verdict: Essential — The London Horse Show coverage and inheritance tax analysis make this a keeper for the competitive equestrian.