SGR Equine

27/07/2026

🌹 💪🏽🔥♥️

27/07/2026

War of the Roses 2026 ❤️🌹⚔️

Saturday saw me swap my riding hat for my volunteer hat, manning one of the gates out on the moor. Watching riders battle the wind and relentless conditions had me seriously questioning my own sanity for entering on Sunday… but there was no backing out. We had a House of Lancaster team to represent! ❤️💪🏼

Sunday certainly delivered a proper test. War of the Roses is never an easy ride, but this year the weather threw absolutely everything at us. Wind, rain, sunshine… all in one ride! It definitely wasn’t a day for chasing speed. Slow, steady and riding for the horse was the order of the day, and thankfully that patience paid off with successful final vettings for both.

Alfie was brilliant. At just 10 years old, he and his little coblet, Bluebell, dug deep over the full 32km, powering across the moors when plenty of combinations couldn’t complete. Watching his confidence and determination continue to grow makes me incredibly proud.

Together we finished in 2nd and 3rd place in our class of around 6 riders after the downgrades joined. 3 hours 33 minutes across some seriously testing terrain. A result we’re both really pleased with.

Congratulations to our friends across the Pennines, who claimed victory this year… Yorkshire are the 2026 War of the Roses Champions! 👏🏼🌹

I was also incredibly proud to be part of the House of Lancaster High Point Team 💪🏽♥️ with some fab prizes for us all! 🤩

A special mention to Jenny and Woody, who we rode the start with before they went on to win the two-day 60km GER. Having switched allegiance to Jouse of Lancaster (from Cheshire EGB) they@gave us the boost in points to take second place highest point team in the competition 🤩 Huge congratulations!

As always, weekends like this simply wouldn’t happen without the incredible volunteers, organisers, stewards, vet team, farriers, timekeepers, crews and everyone working behind the scenes. Having volunteered myself on Saturday, I have an even greater appreciation for just how much work goes into making these events possible.

Thank you to every single person who helped make our weekend such a success. Here’s to the next adventure. ❤️🐴

20/07/2026

19/07/2026

🇬🇧 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀! 🇬🇧

We are incredibly proud to announce the three talented combinations representing Great Britain at the FEI Endurance European Championship for Young Riders & Juniors in Jullianges, France, on 31st July 2026! 🇫🇷

This Championship marks a massive milestone for British endurance as we prepare to field our first Young Rider team at an FEI Championship since 2018. Meet our fantastic trio heading to France:
🐴 Carmen Benitez Tennant with BAN - KEI Almanzor
🐴 Scarlett Chapple with Durboro Tansy
🐴 Suzannah "Suzie" Todd with Kefla

These dedicated young riders and their horses have worked incredibly hard to reach this level. Together, they form a strong, determined team ready to showcase the very best of British horsemanship, resilience, and teamwork on the highly technical terrain of Jullianges.

🩹 Squad Update: Regrettably, Alex Powell and Hope will no longer be attending, following a decision made between the family and their home vet. Horse welfare always comes first in endurance, and while this is disappointing news, the entire Endurance GB community stands behind Alex and her team, sending our warmest thoughts to Hope for a swift return to her usual self.

💪 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗱
As a non-Olympic discipline, our young riders and their families fund this international journey entirely themselves. Let’s rally together and show them the strength of the British endurance community! Donations will go directly toward practical championship expenses, including travel, stabling, and veterinary support on-site.

👉 Read the full announcement: https://www.endurancegb.co.uk/Cms/Spaces/NEWS/News/Young+Rider+Squad+Confirmed+for+2026+FEI+European+Championships

👉 Support the team's journey: https://www.zeffy.com/en-GB/donation-form/young-riders-european-championship-france--2026

From everyone at Endurance GB, huge congratulations to Carmen, Scarlett, and Suzie—let’s cheer them on all the way to France! 🇬🇧🐴❤️

19/07/2026

Then it was on to Cirencester…

Cirencester is always a challenge – flat, exposed, no shade in the venue field and often one of the hottest rides of the season. This year was no exception.

I was asked to es**rt Alfie on his 30km ride following some welfare concerns. Together, we adapted to the requested parameters, managed everything perfectly and enjoyed a fantastic ride. Huge thanks to Sophie, Irene, Paul, FFion and Taylor, and to the whole North West team for helping us secure 2nd place overall on day one.

After crewing for Anja later in the day, however, the cumulative effects of a motorway breakdown before the event, extreme heat and a demanding weekend caught up with me. Although Cirencester wasn’t as humid as Well Vale, the challenge of less water availability for the constant cooling and crewing had a much bigger impact on my Type 1 diabetes.

By Sunday, despite the cooler weather, my blood glucose simply wasn’t where it needed to be to safely ride the 80km. With several riders having already elevated or withdrawn, I made the difficult decision to withdraw too – the first time I’ve ever had to do so because of my diabetes.

It was disappointing, but endurance is about making the right decisions for both horse and rider. Every experience teaches us something, and we’ll take those lessons forward.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported us, and to Endurance GB for continuing to champion rider welfare. Weekends like these remind me that endurance is about so much more than results. It’s the horses, the friendships, the teamwork and the memories – including a well-earned trip to the Bath Spa at the venue with Alfie, Libby, Adam and Kirsty – we had a fab afternoon and that is what makes this sport so special.

Onwards to the next adventure.