(upbeat music) - Listeners, we are at the business end of the season. Burly is done, and we now roll very quickly onto Corbury House International Horse Trials, which I think is one of my favorite. I was gonna say new additions to the calendar in recent years, but actually it's kind of reborn because Corbury of old was unbelievably popular. Catherine Austin is with me, and Catherine, actually you have got the proper authentic Corbury experience going on. I am here at Corbury. I am sitting in my rather smart media tent, everything at Corbury's rather smart. And it's the most beautiful sunny morning. It's a definite nip in the air. You know, it is definitely autumn now, but the sun is shining, and we had some rain yesterday. The ground is, I've just heard Hector Payne say the ground's perfect, which rather pleased me. And yeah, here we are. We have a full day of three-star dressage today, and a very busy, exciting week ahead. - Four action-packed days of like full competition. I understand that horse and country have got a live stream. So if anybody wants to tune in, you will be able to watch it over the next four days as well. It is Corbury's. I want to say it's four years. - This is our fifth year. - Fifth year, okay. So we've had full Corbury since the event has been back. I would say it's had a tough enough time of it, if I'm honest, because you know there was COVID, and there was COVID again, like COVID part two. And then the queen died. - Honestly, Nicole, yes. We set up during COVID, which was amazing, and completely exciting in a way. And then yes, COVID part two. And then yes, the most extraordinarily, you know, extraordinary thing that will probably ever happen to me in my time as a press officer, with the late queen dying on the first day of the event two years ago. So we had a, we had a clean run at it last year, and off we go for this year. - What I was going to say is it feels like even with those challenges, it has just been getting bigger. It has been getting better. I've seen loads of bits and pieces on social media in terms of what might be installed this year. We're going to touch upon a few of those as well. One thing that never fails to entertain me coming out of Corbury is almost dear watch in so much as riders have to ride off to the dressage, don't they? And there's guaranteed DSL fees and deer pictures as they head off up to dressage. It is just the most beautiful event. It feels like it's getting bigger and better. And I think when we look at this year's calendar, it absolutely is getting bigger and better. We started this show and we were like, but where do we start? Because we have got horses that are a blen and bound that are probably at autumn five star bound. We've got some of the stars, the future in terms of the riders, with the junior and young rider classes. And then we've got the young horse classes. So it's British six and seven year old championships as well. We decided to start there, Catherine, because actually these are the horses that we're going to see at those big events in the future. We'll touch upon the other classes in a moment. Shall we start with the seven year olds? Because I just looked through this. So it's a young horse seven year old classes at the three star level. There's a number of horses here that will very much be in contention at Le Leon Dange, at the Young Horse World Championships in a few weeks time. When you look at this class and the seven year olds that are stepping up. How instrumental is cormary? And this moment and this young horses, they're obviously improving all of the time, but it feels like actually this is a real turning point for some of these horses. It's one of the first times they're delivered to be competitive. - Yes. British eventing young horse championships for five, six and seven year olds for the second year running. And they, I think they are our premium classes. Yes, we follow these horses through the season. There are a number of five, six and seven year old classes at various events through the season that take us on this pathway, first of all, to cormary, where it's essentially for a lot of them. It might be their first experience of a three day event and doing dressage cross country, show jumping, you know, in that order. And a big atmosphere. You know, we have to give our horses and riders the tools for the future and competing in a big exciting atmosphere like cormary is an essential part of that progression. And yes, we hope that I haven't seen the lily on lists. Yes, I don't, they're probably entries aren't even closed, but we hope that the horses that star here in the six and seven year olds this weekend will go on to the world young horse championships in the lily on Don Shae. And then the following year to the eight to nine year old championships. And then LA 2028. Yes, that's it, Catherine. These are the horses. The seven year olds here will be 11 in LA. That is perfect timing. Let's pick out a few of the seven year old horses that are ones watched because, do you know what? I had a quick glance down and the first two that stood out to me. And I think I was just going to double check because I think this is the first time that we've seen them go head to head is two of the chilly morning clones because Alex Waitian has, who does he have? He has chilly morning, the third. And Gemma Stevens has chilly morning, the fourth. Julia Krabski, of course, has chilly morning too. They're over in Germany, so they're not here this weekend. But actually the first chance that we'll see two of them go, I think, head to head. I know, and it'd be so interesting, weren't it, to see them in the flesh and see how much they look like they're there? How do you describe their original? Is that how you describe the original of a clone? Yeah. I find it quite confusing. I saw, actually, Gemma's at Burley. She did the one of the demos. I think it was the William Fox Pit and Alice Fox Pit demo. And William was riding Thomas Tillow, the Tamara localo. Yeah. And Gemma was on chilly morning, the fourth. And it was just, he did look uncannily like chilly. It's really interesting. It's really very interesting. And also, I'm really looking forward to seeing is Barrington Alice, Izzy Taylor, who's just a really lovely, lovely mayor, who's done, you know, well, the season. She was, obviously, the Leleon Donge's six-year-old winner last year. And she's also owned by Johnny Hornby, who not only is competing here himself, but through his and Jeremy Clarkson's Hawxton beer, is very present 'cause they're not only sponsoring here. They're giving each winning rider their weight in Hawxton, which is gonna be quite amusing to weigh them and deliver it. So I think they're rather hoping that Rosanne Izzy wins things rather than, I can't name two bigger riders 'cause that would be unfair and unkind. - It should be okay. - Tom McEwen Quintus, part owned by Deirdre Johnston, owner of JL Dublin. Oh, yes, I am looking. I tell you what, Mike Jackson, local rider, Mike Jackson, absolutely on form with his young horses at the moment. He won the five-year-old Jim Barry Burley, young event horse final at Burley. And that five-year-old Oscar is coming here for the five-year-old championships. He was second in the four-year-olds there, and he is bringing Girls Gamble, owned by Heather Bell, Mike, and Gwen Meacham. And Girls Gamble won the three-star short at Anik Ford earlier in the season. So he's got really good form already, and I know that he would love Lee on place. - Oh, Chantango. - Oh, Chantango. - Kitty Kane. - Yeah, Cantango, who was well-placed in the six-year-olds 12 months ago, actually. I was just gonna pick up on Gwen Gamble, 'cause Mike Jackson has been quietly producing some very, very nice horse over the last couple of years. And actually, it feels like a few of those are really coming to fruition now, and it's really exciting for him. Girls Gamble, clear internationally, on all five starts, both cross-country and jumping, has only had a handful of seconds over the time. Dress arches improving all the time, actually went sub-30 for the first time, last time out at Anik Ford, which was exciting. They finished on that score as well. Is obviously going to be, you know, a different class in terms of the number of competitive horses here. But actually, I really, really like that, and I think that's got a great chance. William Fox Pitt, who-- - I know, really, really excited. - He's still going. He's got a really smart young horse, in particular, in this, in the seven-year-old class. - BLS, absolutely. - Yep. - We always love seeing William, of course. I noted, who did I note just now? Oh, Balanchiro, Laura Collette. Laura was leading rider here at Cornbury last year, and someone told me she did quite well this summer somewhere. You know, some of the men in France. - Yeah, some little place in France. Balen's, Balen's, Balen's Tiro, Balen's Tiro. - She said Balen's Tiro yesterday, which I was like, oh, I better remember that. - Balanchiro. - Yes, that's what she said yesterday. - Okay, logged, logged and noted Balanchiro. I remember seeing him. Can you remember when she won Tokyo? And she did the gold celebration demo at the unicorn center, which I hosted. And he was this four-year-old that she kind of bought out. It was like a proper, proper, proper baby. And he was so baby-ish, but obviously very talented. And I feel like he should still be a baby. And all of a sudden, it's like baby hero has grown up. And baby hero is now doing some really cool stuff and actually picking up some really good results. So I'm excited to see them. I think they'll be, I think they'll be very competitive. And I think we normally get a good number of seven-year-old places for Lilion Dange. And I think the Brits in particular are very competitive. - You just mentioned, actually, the one from Tom McEwen of Quintess, and Tom actually had a really competitive run up at Ripley in the three-star up there. Not very long ago, actually, a couple of weeks ago, picked up a really smart top 10 place. I think he was second in the end with Quintess. He had two, I don't know who was the eighth, beg your pardon. He had two in the top 10. And he, I think, is a really, really nice horse for the future. I don't know whether, actually, the other one of Tom's that was second at Ripley is in this field. - Let me just double check, because there were many of those. - Cannondale Arnold, is that one in the field? - Not sure. We've got so many entries. It's fantastic the amount of entries in these classes. And we haven't even mentioned Rose Cancer last week's Burley winner. Willa Newton, she's got smart horses. She's always been very good at producing the young horses as well. I've got one. Here we go. This is the one that you need to keep an eye out for, because they were actually four in the young horse class last year in the six-year-old class that was won by Kitty King in Cantango. So the top five last year in the six-year-olds, Kitty King, Cantango, Sean Coleman, Diamond Mistress, Sara Squires, Van Cornitz, Lizzie Boff, Calla Despise, Rose Cancer, Accelerando. Calla Despise is the one I was going to mention. They were fourth at Hartree in the two-star long format, stepping up to three-star here, but actually have been clear inside the time on all of their international runs. Only ever had one rail down, and actually the dress arches is getting better as well. So I'm gonna say that's one definitely turkey per close eye on. You know, I'm just looking at the six-year-olds. I was about to say, there are hundreds. There are literally a hundred. Wow. (laughs) I'm sorry. Do you know what? Oh, one more that I wanted to pick up on, actually, with the seven-year-olds before we move on to the six-year-olds. Alex Swatianne, we've already talked about the chilly morning horse that he'll be bringing forward, but he has Carly on Ice, who was the individual horse medalist from Lillian Donge last year as a six-year-old with Amanda Goldsbury. New ride for Alex this year, and she's a really smart man. She was top ten at Frickley. They seem to have got a good partnership, and obviously I think he's made additions to his string very much with a view for LA 2028. She's a really, really lovely flashy looking horse. Okay, if we're going to go on to the, I feel, I was just looking again at the chilly morning clothes. I feel like it's not chilly morning versus chilly morning. I feel like it's Alex versus Gemma. There must be some pressure as a rider. Like you've got three of the best riders in the world in Yulia Kravsky, Gemma Stevens, Alex Swatianne, but they are three extremely different drokeys. Yeah, absolutely. It's fascinating, isn't it? And, you know, look, there are so many variables in horses and horse production that you can never really compare like for like, even if they're genetically identical. I don't think you can, but it is certainly a fascinating experiment. I feel like experiment is kind of the, is how it is, to be honest. I think that's the, yeah. Okay, let's talk about some of the six-year-olds. Who stands out for you in the six-year-olds? - Oh, there's so many I can barely look. Well, so Eifa Clark, Standfast. I haven't looked this horse up, but I just know that Eifa has a superb eye for a young horse, really good eye, and she's a really good producer of a young horse. I should be interested in that. Coolie Ice Age, Laura Collette. Bubby Upton has got, well, several. I can see at least three within half a page. Sansa de T.G., Guinduno, and Hestil Van Vique-Z. And that's only looking on one half a page, but looking forward to seeing Bubby here. Eliza Bell is a very good producer of a young horse. She's got Aika De Loire. Oh, Emil Conner, Austin's wife, gets her turn instead of just putting up the poles for, you know, Austin and Colorado Blue. - Do you know what, actually, Emil Conner, take note. Who's she riding? Because she is a brilliant producer. - Yeah. - Actually, the horses, they then see what's out. - Fernhill Castle Field Club. - Yes, they're extremely good at that. That will be one to have a look at. - Because she had that great partnership with Sankro, who went on to do a lot, I think, in the junior young rider teams. And then she actually owned and produced, and this horse, I think, probably flew a bit onto the radar because his name changed. Koolie Admiral, who then changed to Poseidon's Admiral, who was one of Alan Sweatian's leading contenders for the Paris Olympic Games. And that was produced by Amy up to the four-star level, I think. She went three-star on it, probably four-star as well. And then they sell them, and they're just very, very good eye for a horse, very good at producing them. - There's no exciting horses in here. And the five-year-old class, let me find the five-year-olds as well, 'cause, yes, as well as the reigning, do you very early on, a bent horse champion, Oscar, with Mike Jackson, that are how many? - I know about 95-year-olds, certainly in the programme. Anyway. (laughs) - Honestly, how many of us have seen the B100 horses this year, not that many? So, really, these are horses to look at and see whether you think they're going to be stars, but it's just really cool to have these three-age classes here together in this beautiful setting. And people do come and have a look at them, 'cause how cool? One of these five-year-olds gets two in Olympics, later on, how cool to be able to say in a very grand manner, well, of course I've watched this horse since it was today. - I saw them, I saw that they were a star. I was just picking up on, actually, a couple of the six-year-olds, because George Bartlett has diacondric for Sir John Pease. So, that's from the Quonton Manor stud. It's a really smart stallion. George is the stable jockey for Quonton Manor. Oliver quite often gets a lot of the accolades, but actually, it's nice to see him getting a chance here. And then another one, Tommy Greengard, who has come over from the US, Rob Burke put Tommy Greengard up as one to watch on the USDA podcast. I think it was over the start of this year or last year, so it was lovely to see him coming over to Conbury. - Yes, but we'll also have, since the Howden Way, under 21 classes at three-star and two-star, which are absolutely packed full of both Irish and British young writers and juniors. There's this sort of unofficial team competition going on there. And the Project Pony class, there seem to be absolutely dozens and dozens of those as well. So, the stars of the future in human form. And, you know, I mean, there's a very competitive three-star and two-star sections. The three-star dressages has started, and I keep seeing all the names we know wondering, you know, wandering calls when I say wandering. They're not wandering, but they're on their way to the dressage. And, you know, the Thursday, Thursday, OIs. We've got Balamour class, Nicole, which is very exciting to see Thomas out and about again. Can't wait to see him. I think we will have some-- - Balamour class, hang on, hang on, you can't-- - You can't gloss over Balamour class. I mean, it is huge, huge news. I'm not glossing over Balamour class. Can't wait to see him. Tribal five-star winner, one of the greatest horses the sport seen for, you know, a very long time. Total here over horse. Heading, hopefully, to Maryland, all being well. And we've got Falco, another five-star winner in the OI with Tim Price. And the, you know, gold and silver medalist from the European Championships last year, Bonjour de Biat, Kitty King. - That's just a Maryland bound. - Yep. - Yes, Maryland bound as well. - I mean, you've got Correway. - Yes, Correway, you love Correway. - But Correway, who has been a little bit cheeky, but then seems to be back on the straight and narrow. And himself, an individual bronze, as well as team gold medalist at Europeans. - Tim Price is Jarrillo, who everybody knows I absolutely love. Clark Johnstone actually has some really smart horses in this. Leopard's Action, who many of you might remember with E for Clark and Chris Burton. - Crystal Fontaine, Kitty King, Hester, Laura Collette. - There's a lot of bookalow horses in this field as well, I think, which is interesting. Hester's going to Blenham with Laura, so that's an interesting one as well. Sam Lissington has been in great form. It's lovely to see Jesse actually campaigning a couple of Georgie's horses, because it was hugely emotional. - It's Burley, and he did well. - Oh, very, very good Burley, terrific. - He had a brilliant Burley, and he did himself and Georgie and the whole team very, very proud. So it's lovely to see him with a lorry full of horses here as well. Giardna Cudry, Kankara's Gold. Cara Mirro, Sarah Balamore is one that I am so excited to see at Blenham in the eight nine year old class. - It's another offspring of Lily Carine. - Yeah, Hallie Tunes Cooper with really good cormbry form. Low, more lucky, Tom Woodward, who is a previous winner of the young rider, three star class here in the OI. - Yeah, that's a great shout. Really, really good shout actually. God, there's all sorts, oh my goodness me. I have found an absolute beaut in the young rider under 21, three star section, because plenty of our listeners will have remembered this horse and one of the one who ever happened to him. Can you remember our old fella, Piggy Marchers? - Oh yes, absolutely. - And he was like a polo pony, he was very thorough, but not very big, and like won a retraining resources class at Barbry, but was just one of those horses that seemed to capture everybody's imagination, probably because he was quite petite and cool. Anyway, Oscar Fitzgerald rides him in the-- - And Oscar's father, you know. - Oscar's father is the Goldcuff and Grand National winning jockey, Mick Fitzgerald, and Oscar's a real talent. - God, that's a really fun one, okay. There's all sorts. Quiddly Kellerman, Blake Nees Cruz went really well in the, I think they went to Lillian Dorsey last year for the USA, they're in here, Josh Levitt, Lastman Diamond Liff. So Bill Levitt's trion horse from 2018 now with son Josh. - And that's a really cool one for me in here. - I think. - And it's got a movie star, Fernhill Can Can and Big Boss Milo, don't know so much about the last one. - Honestly, there's some really fun horses. Izzy Cook has a whole host of horses. - Basically, if you're not busy this weekend listeners and you don't already have plans to go to Corbry House, you should absolutely go to Corbry House because not only is it the most beautiful event, but there are so many top-class horsemen riders to see. Am I right in saying, Catherine as well, that there's been a few additions this year. So I mean, obviously the main arena was purpose builds on a grass surface with like a full drainage system and everything over the last few years and that's been extended. But this year there's been an increase in the number of sort of the trade stands and the experience. There's Quimbury Village, which has kind of popped up to go. - I mean, importantly, the ground has been worked on, the ground in the second tier of the main arena has been dramatically improved and settled and worked on for year two of that. And the entire main arena complex, which is a real amphitheater, the way it's set out has so much to look and see. The Quimbury Village, which is really cool. It's a very, very exciting, fresh, high-end shopping experience that is quite unlike anywhere else. Obviously, diddly squat farms there as well, which was in the tracks of people. David Howden, whose baby Quimbury horse Charles is, who lives in Quimbury House and who founded and founded the horse Charles, is not only passionate about horses and producing young talent, he's also passionate about the local area, the surrounding area and so much of the food on offer here, both in hospitality, which you can still book and is amazingly delicious, the concept of the endless lunch, but also what's available to buy is very, very local from Quimbury farms and other surrounding farms in estates. And it's, I think it's, Quimbury just has a different feel to other events. It's eventing done a little bit differently. There's fantastic entertainment in the evenings as well, some really cool stuff going on. And there's a lot of children's activities, immersive woodland crafts and a family fun zone. There's a lot, there's a lot to do and see with the backdrop or the centerpiece, depending on your priorities of really cool horse sports. And the Pol Roger Lodge up at the Pregnal water feature is amazing. Like he Pregnal, the jewelers, he varies from what jewelers who are local to Quimbury are really involved in the event this year. And one new thing is that they have specially designed and created the Pregnal pin, which has been given to each winning rider, which is just something different, different and cool. And of course the leading rider trophy, which, you know, in the leading rider prize is two and a half grand. That's on top of the amazing prize money anywhere else. And if you think that Tom McEwan and Laura Collet have won the leading riding prize in the last two years, if I was Rose Kanter, that would be high on my planet. - It's funny, when you just say, you know, it's eventing done a little bit differently. I was just thinking it's eventing done better. Like we're kind of-- - It's constantly commenting. - I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm not being disrespectful to other events, but it feels like it's just giving, they're bringing a sense of X factor, a sense of lifestyle experience and to an event that is relatively young, relatively new in terms of its regrowth. I think that's really exciting, because if it is this cool now, and these things have been developed now, then give it another five, 10 years and who knows where we're going to be. - Completely, and we use the expression a bit of a festival vibe. You know, Conbury is cool. There's no doubt about that. And while I love lots of events, they're not always cool in inverted comments. - No, no, no, no. I feel like there's gonna be quite a lot of cool people at Conbury as well, listeners. - Yeah, I mean, I have seen the guest list, I can't tell you because that would be indiscreet, but yeah, there's a pretty cool guest list as well. - Yeah. - I think my invite got lost in the post, Catherine, I mean, I'm-- - Oh, really? My love, I'm so sorry. Yeah, I'm coming on Friday. - I am coming on Friday, I'm coming on Friday. It's gonna be good fun. Look, Catherine, enjoy Conbury, listeners, if you hadn't decided whether or not you were going, and if you were kind of on the fence, or actually if you think to yourself, do you know what, the kids are back at school, I'm gonna go off for a sneaky little day trip Thursday Friday, or perhaps, you know, you'll take the kids at the weekend, do it because you won't regret it. - And tickets can be bought online or on the gate, so if you don't make up your minds until the last half an hour, not a problem. - There you go, listeners. And if you're that on Friday, maybe I'll see you. Watch this space, it is gonna be a brilliant weekend, and these are, as we've said, you know, not only have we got the established stars, but actually these are the stars for the future, these are the horses that we're going to see. Possibly, possibly the LA 2028 winner is in the field this weekend, just putting it out there. It's entirely possible. Listeners, enjoy Conbury, watch the live stream. If you're not able to go in person, John Kyle is commentating as the lead anchor for the live stream. I'm sure he'll have loads of guests throughout the week as well. - All four days, you know, all of the cross country is being live streamed via horse and country TV. - So there you go, whether you're there in person, whether you're watching along online, you won't be able to miss a thing. It is going to be great fun. Catherine, I'll see you on Friday. - See you on Friday. Bye, listeners, enjoy Conbury, because it is one of the biggest, most exciting events in the calendar, and it is certainly going to grow and grow and grow. Can't wait to see where it goes next. Got more coming for you, actually, listeners. There is a big preview show coming next week as well. Pipeline post-burly, so watch out for those. But for now, go and enjoy Conbury, and we'll be back with you soon. Thanks for tuning in.
