Sport

Horse & Industry sat down with Orchid Bertelsen — strategist, adult amateur, and the voice behind Back in the Saddle — to talk about the segment paying for everything, why trainer culture is losing its grip, and what equestrian brands are up against.

When a rider publicly disputes a safety decision made by officials who were doing exactly what the sport requires of them, and the governing body responsible for that sport responds with silence, the question stops being about one incident and starts being about what eventing has quietly decided accountability means — and whether it applies to everyone, or only to some.

When Galopin Des Champs crossed the line at Cheltenham in March 2023, he became the latest in a line of French-bred horses to win the Gold Cup, but few anticipated he would do it again twelve months later, or that his victories would come to represent something larger than individual excellence. Bred in France, trained in Ireland, and winning in Britain, he is the clearest emblem of a shift that has been building for the better part of a decade. The French Thoroughbred is no

In an industry shaped by generations of knowledge, the challenge is not choosing between tradition and innovation, but understanding how the two coexist and where their tension creates opportunity. Nowhere is this more visible than at the Kentucky Derby, where more than a century of ritual continues to define the sport, even as the systems behind it quietly evolve.

Gold Dancer’s high-profile fatal injury at the Grand National Meeting could be a catalyst for new regulations aimed at reducing risk to horses, while strengthening racing’s social licence. Ultimately, the sport faces a clear imperative: it must demonstrate that it can effectively self-regulate to protect horses, or risk losing the social licence on which it depends.

In lieu of the usual H&I weekly recap, I wanted to instead take this space to reflect on the death of Gold Dancer today following his win at Aintree and what it means in the grander context of the sport.

As welfare expectations, regulatory scrutiny, and global visibility reshape horse racing, the Grand National offers a lens through which to examine how tradition adapts—and where it is challenged.

Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, the Dubai World Cup will proceed with a strong international field, highlighting both the resilience of global racing and the continued rise of contenders such as Japan’s Horse of the Year, Forever Young. Japan's Forever Young, pictured here during preparation for the 2024 Kentucky Derby, will join eight other runners for the 30th Dubai World Cup on March 28th at Meydan. By Aleksandra Spasic, Horse & Industry Published March 20, 2026 The

The death of Cheltenham favourite Envoi Allen following this year's Gold Cup has renewed discussion about sudden cardiac events in racing horses. As the industry searches for answers, new technologies and research initiatives are beginning to reshape how these rare but devastating incidents are studied and prevented.