The Baileys Horse Feeds/BEF Futurity Evaluation series 2012 is set to be the busiest year yet.
The BEF Futurity series aims to identify British bred young potential sport horses and ponies destined for careers in dressage, eventing, showjumping or endurance, and may even find the Olympic stars of the future.
Evaluations are held at 16 venues throughout the UK between July and September. The young horses go home with a BEF Premium (grade) and a detailed, informative score sheet.
A decision will not be made about the future of Kauto Star until later this summer, according to his trainer Paul Nicholls, who stated that any talk of retirement is 'premature'.
Paul told readers of his Betfair blog that the 12-year-old gelding would spend the summer out in the field with stablemate Denman, who was retired in Autumn 2011. A decision would then be made as to whether he will race again.
Britain's showjumpers have been on spectacular form recently, picking up win after win in Florida and the Spanish Sunshine Tour. But it is looking increasingly likely that no Brit will take part in next month's final.
Three riders are currently qualified for the Rolex FEI World Cup Final in 's-Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) on 18-22 April - including Nick Skelton, Ben Maher and Scott Brash.
AP McCoy won his first Cheltenham Gold Cup since 1997 on Friday, when he and Synchronised held off longshot The Giant Bolster and favourite Long Run.
The 16-time champion jockey had yet to score at this year's Festival, but the final day brought two wins - as well as winning the afternoon's feature race, he also won the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle on Alderwood.
Synchronised gave owner JP McManus and trainer Jonjo O'Neill a first victory in this famous race.
Big Buck's was back in the headlines today after becoming the first horse ever to win four back-to-back runnings of the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.
The nine-year old, ridden by Ruby Walsh, enjoyed his 16th consecutive win over hurdles, much to the delight of the Cheltenham crowd. He has won more than £1,000,000 of prizemoney during his career.
It was another success for Paul Nicholls, who also trained the winner of Tuesday's Champion Hurdle.
All in all, 2011 was a difficult year for me, but there is one day that stands out as a particular low. It was the day I found out my racehorse had dropped down dead of a heart attack.
He wasn’t killed in action, or cut down in his prime. He’d done his four years on the track, he’d spent another decade or so doing dressage and Pony Club with me, and by the age of 23 he was enjoying an easy retirement out in the fields at my mother’s home in Scotland when he died.
Event rider Tina Cook is one of 12 jockeys lining up for a charity race at the Cheltenham Festival today.
Tina has been immersed in race riding all her life. She grew up listening to stories of Cheltenham Festival glory told to her by her father, four-time champion jockey Josh Gifford.
