IN BRIEF

MASTER ACQUITTED AFTER APPEAL

THE joint-master of the Crawley and Horsham Hunt has been acquitted on appeal of a public order offence.

Kim Richardson was found guilty last October of an offence relating to a hunt saboteur in February 2016. Horsham Magistrates’ Court fined him £3,225, but on 20 April, he was acquitted in Lewes Crown Court.

Tim Easby, director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association, added: “We are absolutely thrilled, but this should never have got to this stage and it has understandably put a lot of unnecessary strain on Kim and his family.”

RIDER AND HORSE ASYMMETRY STUDY

A STUDY into the correlation of rider and horse asymmetry is to launch at Badminton Horse Trials (2-6 May).

First Thought Equine, which manufactures

Wow saddles and Flair, is researching whether horses’ muscular asymmetry mirrors that of their riders.

The company is asking riders to have their seats analysed by sitting on a pressure sensor. All those who take part will be given a prediction of how their horses move and indicators of how they are muscled.