Rosie, I'm going to go talk to Alyssa from Aquilum again. Have fun. She's brilliant. Because our product is so popular in the US and in Australia, it's actually a bit different in Europe. So from all our feedback from the US and our Australian customers, co-conditioned muscle development was the number one thing that they are using our light mass for. So we thought this is our main selling point, 100%. badminton this year, one of the things that we heard from all of our kind of UK athletes, riders, anyone that kind of approaches there was mood and behavior. The one thing that they have noticed about their horses was very much that their horses either start year or through the winter months, they're just not feeling themselves. And when they saw that that helps with that, that was one thing that they were going, how does it help? How can you help us with that? They would love to try it from that point of view. And then when we mentioned everything else on top of it, it was just more of everything was a plus. One of the strongest things that I have heard was actually a horse that used to box weave and was very, very uncomfortable when traveling. And it got really stressed out, really anxious, just didn't like being in the tight space at all. And within two hours of wearing a light mask on this journey. So they noticed that it was agitated, they put the mask on, they went down the road, and after a next stop when they were refueling, the horse had actually changed this behavior. It was a lot more relaxed coming down the road. So it's just incredible that that light has made such a big change to the behavior of the horse. Listening. That was very high pitch. Try again. Listening. Welcome to the bookalow preview show, which is brought to you by Equally. And we're looking forward to picking apart, quite frankly, what is an absolutely enormous field. I think that's about 103 entrants at this point. So we're going to try and make some sense of the ones that you need to be looking out for. Catherine Austen is with me. Catherine, it has been a very long time. How are you? It feels like it's been October. It's bookalow. Where did that go? I know. And I haven't seen you since Burleigh, which is quite frightening, which is, I don't know, a month ago. But bookalow, October, bookalow is October, isn't it? And it's such a lovely event. I haven't been since before Covid, which makes me quite sad, but it's definitely, well, the event I think of at this time of year, it's all kind of decorated autumnally. And also, as we all, every bookalow show has always started in the same way where we go, oh, the bookalow partied. So it is traditional to do that. Phil, we've covered that bit. But this is an amazingly competitive feel. Well, not amazingly, because bookalow is often very competitive. But I do feel that for a four star long this year, this is a particularly competitive field. There's some really interesting entries in there as well. There's one or two power sources, which is very interesting to look at as well. I'm looking forward to seeing that. Yeah, it's got a real kind of mix, actually. And I think that's going to make it very competitive. I think we normally see some pretty low scoring. Interestingly, actually, we sometimes see a surprise winner. So somebody can come and take you by surprise at bookalow that you didn't necessarily see coming in. Yes, it can look obvious. And it doesn't work out like that. Exactly. I'm just looking, record finishing score is actually Yulia Krebski, some of your age of toe is a former winner here. That was back in 2018. Other winners you've had Nicholas Tuzon, Diablomonza, who of course part of the French team, who won a silver in Paris. They won it last year. Tim Price and Happy Boy, Laura Collet's London 52 has won here. Andrew Nicholson and Kimbo Kimbo won it. Fairly certain after, I think he won, did he win better mate nine-year-olds? Then he won this, and then he went to Kentucky in the spring and won Kentucky in the spring. There's that really cool photo of Andrew Nicholson jumping into the head of the lake at Kentucky, where he's just like resting an arm on his hip, that was him. There were several pictures of Andrew doing that on different horses. Yeah, that's just Andrew. Yes, I can remember. And William Fox Pitt won it a couple of times over the years. He was always good at bookalow. Yeah, but I mean, that's back in the day. In fact, we were looking at this. So only two Brits have won it in the last, well, last 15 years, going back to 2008. Germany have dominated, they've had six winners. Yulia Krebski, Sophie Loip has won it. Jadon Moir, do you used to talk about that? That was quite a lot. Yulia Meston won it a couple of times, Steffi Bohe and Drestobowski. So what we thought we'd do is because when you've got over a hundred, over a hundred competitors in the fields, we're going to go through it by country and by nation. So let us start with Germany because that feels like the obvious place to go, especially when you look at actually one of the massive, massive favourites for this weekend, surely. And I'm really thrilled, actually, to see her bring the horse back out again this year. Yulia Krebski has her Paris horse, who finished, I think they were 8th individually in Paris in the end, Nickel 21. And this is a horse that hadn't got a huge amount of experience, Catherine. He's an arken winner, but he's only a 10-year-old. Pre-arken, you know, there wasn't anywhere on any of our radar, particularly, unless you were even more geeky than we are. But yes, one arken, stunningly, then came into the German team, was selected as the fourth member, originally, and then came into the German team. Well, you know, they released that kind of pre-list before arken wasn't on the main list, and they sort of got cooled up after that brilliant arken result. And yeah, your right was sort of number four, and then got the knot. Yeah, and went very well, but but is still a relatively young horse. So this is absolutely the right thing to do, you know, with the horse, one would have thought, but has got to be seen as having a winner's chance, I would imagine. I actually think they've almost got a little bit of unfinished business at bookalow, because last year they were well in contention after the first phase. I mean, they were on a score of, I think, 23.9. I know that was Baker Pardon, that was the bookalow score. They were on 23.6 after the dress out. There weren't many that were ahead of them. I don't know if they might have even led after the first phase. And he was going brilliantly cross-country, and then had a fall in the water coming quite close back towards home. And he just absolutely sort of jumped in and feet disappeared. And they ended up having a very early bath, but it felt like a very, you know, how some fools do you think God they were unlucky. It was one of those. So I feel like actually they've got something to kind of come back and breathe. Yes, the other horse that, well, the lots of horses could go well, I'm sounding stupid, but Marlon Hanson, Hotops, Carlito's Kidich K surely must have a chance of a top placing here as well. Yeah, and that's an interesting one, actually, because they've been to the five-star level, haven't they? They were sort of one of the, I mean, their Blenheim winners for starters. Yes, they actually run up in the top of this spring, didn't they? No Blenheim winners who led from the front. Yeah. The year that you were Blenheim and I was at Petoni Haha. Yes, they led from the front very convincingly then. Okay, so Carlito's Kidich K, Marlon Hanson, Hotop, Blenheim winners in the field as well, making kind of a step down from the the five-star level, which is interesting, they were fourth at Kentucky this spring with a very good double clear. I think he's scored 24.6 the year that he won Blenheim. He hasn't been as low as that since. And I think if he's going to win Bookalow this weekend, he needs to drop in the first phase because there's some other good horses we're going to talk about, a few of them that will be in the 20s, if we're already talked about nickel. Germany, I think those two, for me, are probably the highlights from Germany. You've got Pierre and Benoever, you've got Anasima, FRH but the Avondale who's been in the five-star horse. You've got two young guns in Anasima, FRH but the Avondale and also Calvin Bockman, Alte de la Sans. They're the kind of young Germans that are really making their mark on the scene as well. 11 from Germany in total. Where do we go next? Shall we stay on mainland Europe for the time being Belgium? Okay, nice choice. Which is mostly Laura de Lidaker-Kamaya, admittedly, with three horses, but also car and donkers with two horses, love car and donkers. But Laura, we were very much hoping was coming to Burley and she was coming to Burley and then she broke her collarbone or did something similar like that, so has a need of a time to recover, but she has got, I guess, a bit confused with all her darveil. Carado de darveil? I think Carado darveil went really well. He won the, there was an eight-nine-year-old class for like a Blenheim equivalent in Stragon, and he won that, but he also went brilliantly at Le Léon Dornche last year. He was the runner-up in the seven-year-old young horse world championships and she missed out by a time penalty in the show jumping. It was unbelievably close, but he's only an eight-year-old, so that's very exciting for her. And then she's got Quintus and she also has an eight-year-old, someone one, ten-year-old. The other one is formidable 62. Yep, so good to see her at the other end to the, and she's, you know, she, as we've said many times before, she's had a great season. The other end of the age spectrum in terms of horses, not mentioning the rider, good old Fletcher, van Tovera Hoff, of Karan Donkis, who is 19. He's so cool, and she's so cool. But, um, Cyril Gabrilla Vick and couple of Belgians that I have not heard of, but they, yeah, strong representation. Liz Segal from Austria, she's got two, good for her. I'd actually say van Helsing P has one Nations Cup legs, and it is a really, really, really smart horse. He's been to the European Championships for her before, and he's lovely. She should be very competitive. She's had a tricky, tricky old year with injury at the start of the year, and then she went to Paris, and she didn't get through first horse inspection. And so she's, you know, that has been a tough season, and she's still only relatively young, to the mid-twenties, even though she's been at the top level for a very long time. So it's good to see her. It is, I should say, actually, it is the final leg of the FEI Venting Nations Cup series. I'm fairly certain, Liz, I am just going to clarify it for you, but I don't think France can be caught. I think France have got the series sewn up, because even though they finished third in Linier a few weeks ago, or last week, should say, it means that Germany, who are their closest challenges, can't beat them. So France are on 370 points. They'll have a team here, but actually at Germany and Great Britain, both on 240. So you get 100 points for a win. They can't actually overhaul France this weekend. Presumably, why this was, I've got three riders going, because they are fond of the Nations Cup final. Felix World-Claro, obviously five-star winners in the past. Claro is, I think, 16 now, and as a, if we're honest, has a slightly patchy record in recent years, but is a five-star winner. Robin Godell on Global DHI, who didn't have a brilliant time at Linier, but if I've got good, very good form earlier in the season, Global DHI, that's not even really a horse's name. It's just two establishments of producing horses together. The Swedes have a team, well, lots of people, and I suppose they do, of course. I was going to say, let's go from, we've done Germany, we've done Belgium. Let's go to France before we move on, because actually then we'll go to Great Britain. France have got some really interesting ones, including a horse that won the seven-year-old German horse world championships a couple of years ago at Astie-Nicollard Alert Amalib Or, who I'm sure plenty of, lovely horse. I think Astie will be quite sore about not having been selected for Paris and would love to win this. I remember this horse that I think he was in the lead in the four-star short comfortably at Blair in 2021 and fell for some reason that I cannot remember, and has had some time off over the years, but this is a very good horse. He's 14 now, which is hard to believe. I mean, it was 2017 that he won Lélion, and he sort of missed the 2019 season, much of the 2020 season. Didn't do a lot in 2023, but he's been to a world championships in Protoni. He was second at Samia this spring, which was really good form. Astie missed out, of course, Babylon de Gama would have been his kind of first choice to Paris, I think, and this horse would have been kind of the number two in France, naturally very, very strong for home Olympic Games, but I think he will... I'm interested that he's bringing it here, actually, for another four long, having already done a four long this year, and that he's not decided to kind of step the horse back up to... or step the horse up to five-star level, but obviously deciding he's going to come and give Buck a lower crack. So I think he'll plan to be very, very quick. Yes, so maybe he thinks he's going to win it. Yeah, I think there's a few of them that might think about it. I think Babylon's got two nice horses, two ten-year-olds in this, Black Pearl, Zed, and Ellipso Delavigne, who just sort of might call my eye, mostly because he's by Arco, as in Nick Skelton's great Olympic show jumper. Arco thought it was interesting. There's also Benjamin Massey, Figaro von Roy, is a nine-year-old, but again, a really, really smart young horse. I think France have probably got sort of the next generation coming through last year. They had some really, really strong performances, obviously Diablo month one with Nicholas Toussaint, but they've got some younger horses in the field here that you could be very much worth keeping an eye on for the future. Let's go to the Brits, because there's one here that I mean, he basically, if this horse decides that he wants to win, he could win. Laura Colle, it has to come out. You like Colle? Absolutely. Yeah. And has finished, I think, two very high placings in the last couple of years, and she can only take him places he likes going. Can he tell you fairly quickly whether he likes it or not, but he likes bookalow? Interestingly, so he was six-year last year, fairly certain he lost a podium finish with a rail down the jumping. The year prior, he actually lost the win and ended up in third with a rail down the jumping. He's usually a pretty good jumper on the final day. Prior to that, he had been top 16 in 2019 at one of his first long format four stars. He thoroughly enjoys it at the venue. Interestingly, he actually also loves arcan. And let's be honest, if you're going to pick two events that you really, really like to perform at, as a rider, I don't think Laura's going to be complaining at arcan and book. I think if you were his owners, his group of owners, you've got to be fairly happy that he goes, well, arcan and bookalow. But yes, there is certainly DiCapo probably heading the British, the British turnouts, which is pretty competitive though. Kitty King's Crystal Fontaine owned by Alex Camilla Wakeley. The horse that is, you know, has had problems, is fragile, is very talented. She saves her long format runs carefully, I think, on this horse. And she will be coming here, trying to be very competitive. To be fair, he seems to have, hopefully, sort of come back, he's had a kind of an on and off last couple of years and had a bit of time on the sidelines. But actually, I think he needed a four long. I don't think despite the fact he feels like he's been at four star level for a little while. I don't think he's actually done a four long. He did the anything test at burly, actually, Crystal Fontaine. And I think he did a very, very smart first phase there, which, you know, it's always good experience for them, isn't it? But pretty certain, this would be his first four star long format. It would be because he went to Bicton. You remember COVID year? And she was driven before country. So he does need a four star long, even though he's been at the level for a little while, you know, he can't step up yet until he's got one of those under his belt. So he's definitely an interesting one. There's also Coramiro of Sarah Bulimos, who is really nice young horse, eight year old again. So we're seeing some nice eight year old stepping up. This horse actually went very well as a young horse last year. Didn't go to Lillian. Wasn't selected. I think Sarah was pretty bitterly disappointed. He wasn't selected. Went out to Montalibretti in one of three star long format. Back end of the year in November, and then actually came out this year and stepped up four star level and went really well at Blenham in the eight nine year old class for a top 10 finish on his last run before here. So mid 20s at three star level, early 30s at four star level. So we'll see where he lands here. Yes. He's one of the great family out of, you know, Lily Karine that Sarah has done so well with. And yeah, as we say, only an eight year old needs to do a four star long, but could could could go very well even though it's his his first one. I like Izzy Taylor's SBH big wall. I'm going to do a bit of a shout out actually for Sami Croyd because he has blue and filled manuscript. He's a manuscript. And white paint walls. And well, he's been he's been getting some really, really nice results with the horse. He's only a nine year old. And I think from memory, Kate felt that actually he would suit a male rider. He went to JP Sheffield, I think a little bit. Mark Davidson rode him a little, but Sami Croyd took over the ride this year and has had a couple of wins with him over in Ireland, won the three star long format in Mill Street in May. And then the three star short format in this Garvin fifth that Blenham eight nine year old class. The one thing I would say clear inside the time cross country on his last six international runs. It's the show that has previously been a bit of a tricky phase for this horse. But I think it's really exciting for Sam to have another one back heading towards top level. Yes, definitely. And I feel that Sam's in good form at the moment. He's won a lot nationally. It'd be nice if he won, wouldn't it? That'd be quite cool. Yeah, that would be really cool. I suppose we're probably, I can't never remember how many places you allowed a buckloat wand. Yeah, 11 or 12 for it's going. You, there's Irish. There is an allocation. There's a huge amount of Irish. I never quite sure, you know, sighting, you know, pouring McCarthy with two horses, Susie Barry with two horses, Austin O'Connor with two horses. Isn't it lovely to see these top, you know, good, established top, but not top five in the world riders coming through with enough firepower at four-star long level? Definitely. And actually, E for Clark, who was, I think, the Irish number four in Paris has sports field Freelan. And whose show jumped. Yeah. Yeah. And this horse has got a great form. Third, third, it's some yaw, something like that. I have a feeling Laura rode this horse in some in buckloat last year, actually. Do you rate her while E for was injured? Yes. I think she did. And E for's had a really storming season back again. And she would probably want to be one of my podium picks on this, Ma. Okay. Well, before we get on to podiums, then, other nations to look out for. Italy will have a team in the Nations Cup. Best of the home team. There are a few in the kind of the Dutch national championships that will be, wants to look out for Janika Boonchka. I'm special. Sanadhi Yong has two of her more experienced rides as well. But one, I would just big old shout out for Tim Lips, because he's back at the top level now, Econop's down. And he is back competing in buckloan. I remember Tim Lips nearly winning this, but not. Yeah. Byrae was the horse that went really, really well here. And I'm sure he was second and I'm fairly certain that is the best ever finish from a Dutch rider in in buckloat. It is. So they've only had in the last 15 years, a Dutch rider has only finished on the podium twice. Both of those occasions were Tim Lips and Byrae 2017-20. Really? Yes. Yeah. And it's quite a lever led. He did 2019. He had that 19.2 dress arch, and then he had a couple of rails down the final day. That was the year that Samiurai did toe went on to win. But he was leaving going to show him. So that is one to look out for. In fact, I'm going to ask you, when we go to our podiums, who's going to be best of the, who's going to be Dutch National Champion, let's skip that into our connection. That's the American squad. A huge American squad. Well, do you want to go in New Zealand or the US? Let's go alphabetically in New Zealand first. Okay. I would say the US have got a good team. You've obviously got the likes of Holly Swain, Taylor Mason, Bundy, Phil Pot. Tim has won this twice, second tinker and happy boy. He has Global Quest, who was formerly ridden, of course, by Georgie Campbell. Tim's taken on the ride now and actually had a steady run at Lin-Yere, very much kind of rode all of his horses. He had four in the four star, all of them with a view to their kind of big autumn campaign targets. So just a steady run there, but actually looked to go very, very nicely. A Janelle has full Monty de la Sans, which is a nice nine year old. Yes, who I think won an intermediate section, if I'm right at Quangbury and is a horse that she, I think, are right in saying that she really struggled to find the key with and I think they discovered the horse had really bad ulcers and it's been treating that that's made a massive improvement in their form. I hope I haven't got the wrong horse. I think that's right though. To be fair, full Monty de la Sans was sick that Blenheim in the eight nine year old class jumped a really nice double clear there and did have a bit of the early part of her career, actually, or his career, Becky Podden, a couple of cross-country penalties, but actually has jumped really well. It was just outside top 10 Lin-Yere last year in the three star long, went to Mill Street, three star long this year was sick. So it hasn't done a huge amount. This will be a big step up. But actually, Tim and Janelle are not opposed to taking their young horses for a fairly big step up at Buffalo and it's actually played out for them very well in the past. Exactly and giving them experience in a place that they know very well and they trust and they're very happy to give them that experience and bring them on for it. Okay, let's go to the US because they've got some really good young riders. Actually, you've got the likes of Cosby Green, Cooley Seeing Magic, Cassie Sanger, Redfield Fair, Lauren Nicholson's got a couple in here, but I'm actually going to go to the Dutton family because Olivia Dutton has a few of them. And then Philip Dutton has Prasante. And Prasante was imposant who Emily King had a top 10 finish at Blenheim eight nine year olds, I think last year or the year before. Yeah, but they changed the name and so went a little bit more under the radarlessness. Yeah, exciting horse. But I mean, it's just, it can also happen very often that a father and a daughter ride together in a four star log, you know. It's quite cool, isn't it? Very cool. I think it's very cool. I wonder whether Philip will actually take any notice of his own ride whatsoever or whether he'll be thinking about a liberal time, but he's pretty cool customer. So probably be like, yeah, good girl, well done, you know, getting up with the job. But go on then, Catherine. Yeah, let's do a podium. Who wins booklet because I feel like there's a there are so many experienced horses that it's hard to see the winner come from a whole stepping up. Yeah, you can get these things wrong, but it does is there's some pretty high quality experienced horses in this field with we were very capable of scoring a low dussage mark and staying on it. And I have to say, slightly unoriginally, that Eulio Kreiske and Nickel are my ideas in the winner. And then I fancy E for Clark to finish second. And I had someone for third, DiCapo, Laura Collet, third. Yes. Okay, there's a pretty, it's a pretty decent podium, to be honest. I'm going to agree. I think Eulio Kreiske, Nickel 21, will win. I'm actually going to say that in second is Kitty King, Crystal Fontaine. And third, I think is going to be Laura de Lidicar Camuire, Chiarado Darville. And my Dutch national champion, I think is going to be Tim Lips again. So after he, did he officially retire? Or did he just sort of step down from the top level for a little while? I'm not really sure. I do remember a story about it. And I'm not really sure. But he seems to be back when he's always delightful, very nice, very nice man. But if you're going to go for Tim Lips, then I'm going to go for Santa De Jong and enjoy, because they are, you know, experienced. And it would be good to say someone slightly different to you. So it's already been a pleasure. I'm actually listeners. If you're watching Brookleau this week, you have the pleasure of, I mean, I say pleasure. I use the term loosely of me for every single horse. Okay, so I will be to give you a little insight, commentating on Brookleau from home, which is not quite as much fun listeners as one might have going to Brookleau. But I will be in the comfort of my own office. And so please come and join me for 103 drives. I shall, and cross into virtual. No, don't provide it. And I was jolly brave. Doing a whole load of dress I should test on your own, commentating is quite hard work. And on Saturday, there is no comfort break for me. There is a long old day across country. They go, they just keep on coming. Keep on coming. Well, when I've been hunting, I'll do any, and perhaps when your baby's older, we'll have to go back to Brookleau again, Nicole, you know? Imagine Catherine. We would go hard till like nine o'clock. And then we'd just be like, yep, no, that's us. Tap us down. We're gone. That's why I was like, in the hotel in Brookleau, more than the actual parties on course, because you could just go to bed when you've had enough. Yeah, access. The one thing that I would say actually is, Brookleau is one of those events. You know, we get used to the badminton's and the burlies and everything, everything, having big crowds. And Lily on Donjay has a big crowd for cross-country day. Brookleau has a mental crowd for cross-country day. And they all gather, there's like lots of beer tents all around the cross-country course. And they all gather there, and they are very hospitable, which means that they're very jolly and very enthusiastic as a crowd. Quite something. No, it's quite something. And you know, do all British eventing fans good to have some experience of an event like Brookleau? Because it is different, and it's really cool. And it's a real example of how you can make the most of what looks like a fairly uninspiring site, because it's flat. But actually, it's amazing. And the atmosphere is incredible. And, you know, being more serious, it's a great place to take a young horse, because they do see crowds, they see atmosphere, they see a lot of, a lot going on. And that can only help for the future. But also in quite a nice way. Like it's quite a friend, it's quite a field, quite friendly, it's quite a horse-friendly, it just is a lovely place. Yeah, it's compact. It's all close together, it's very easy, apart from, if you are a visitor and you're trying to get to Brookleau driving there, I do warn you, all the signs say completely different things. They don't tally up, and you can drive round and round and round pretty much all day before you leave your car on the side of a road somewhere, and just go in. Keep driving. That's the only downside. Catherine, it has been a pleasure as always. Listeners, enjoy Brookleau. If you're tuning in, tfei.tv, then be delighted to have you with me. Every single step of the way, if you like, for what is going to be a brilliant Brookleau. And we will look forward to looking back, reflecting on Brookleau next week in the review show. But for now, thank you, as always, for tuning in. Catherine, it's been a pleasure. We will be back on very soon. I think we've got Romeo, we've got Marilyn, we've got Leon, it's all kicking off now in October. Kind of comes thick and fast. I know, it's cool, isn't it? We have this exciting run to the finish now, so. I don't think I've run anywhere in the last 12 months. Not a run of these days, but I will bubble it on my way through October. Listeners, we'll be back soon. Thanks for listening.
