Horse Racing drama soon to hit our tv screens!

A new equestrian drama described as ‘seedy, magical and outdoorsy’ is about to hit our screens in 2012 after the release of the teaser trailer. Staring big names such as Dustin Hoffman, the drama focuses on the interconnection between gamblers, horses, and big money.

The horse racing drama which has aptly been named ‘Luck’ swaps the day to day rider in casual equestrian clothing for big money and men in suits; a dark thriller made up of all the elements which make a great film.

The 45 second long trailer features footage from the drama that revolves around characters all tied to the sport of racing. Hoffman plays main character, gambler Ace Bernestein following a life of racing, gambling, and fun.

Luck is casting a darker light on the sport compared to Hollywood films such as 2010’s Secretariat and the much loved Seabiscuit.

Let’s hope its good enough to merit us all pulling off our riding boots and taking a seat on the sofa for the new drama!

New Hunting season starts with the standard threats from LACS

A warning to the men and women in hunt coats has been issued by the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) claiming to up the ante on monitoring actives for the forthcoming season.

"We've more people on the ground, our biggest investigations team ever and better links with the police, so be careful."

LACS have said that the fight is bigger than ever, saying they have taken on former special branch officer to lead new intelligence after investing in new equipment and databases.

However, Tim Bonner from the Hunting office has claimed the statements as ‘bravado’ and the "the bottom line is that for all this effort and all their talk, it's unlikely that LACS will achieve a single prosecution from the 2010-11 season."

However, it’s not just fox hunt clothing which can be seen on the field with saboteurs and monitors on the rise. Although still nowhere near to the numbers seen back in the 1980s where a hunt could see over 100 at one meet, an average Saturday will see 40 to 60 around the country but there is evidence that anti activity is creeping up.

Joint-master of the Surrey Union, Mark Sprake said he has noticed their numbers increasing although they haven’t bothered him this season.

"They quietened down immediately after the ban, but they have gradually come back over the past couple of seasons. It's the same old faces." said Mark.

Race to victory from the comfort of your sofa!

A new video game has been launched to give players the thrill of racing, from the comfort of their own home!

Champion Jockey: Gr1 Jockey and Gallop Racer can let anyone enjoy the thrills and spills while learning to use equestrian equipment such as reins and a whip without even going near a real horse saddle!

Released on the 2nd September, the game can be used on Xbox, Wii and PS3 and can be played online against other racing enthusiasts. Riders can chose between jumps or flat from their virtual armchair saddle!

"Players will learn how to use the horse's reins and whip as well shifting their body-weight to ride their thoroughbred to victory," claimed a spokesman for the game, though we think it takes a few years riding out both lots to achieve all this. "

The game costs £39.99 and for more information visit www.championjockey.eu

Stunning images taken of swimming horses

Beautiful underwater photos have been taken of horses swimming off the coast of Malta by photographer, Kurt Arrigo.

The photographer couldn’t believe his luck when he initially saw the racehorses and their trainers out in the sea for a spot of exercise. Great for toning muscle, the herds of horses swim in threes with trainers on hand, without even a bridle to guide them and swapped their riding boots for swimming shorts.

The half an hour sessions gave the photographer enough time to capture the beautiful photos, using scuba gear to get down underneath the horses in the water, which at first gave the horses a bit of a fright.

'When they settled down they just swam above me allowing me to work at different angles using the seascape, fish and different light to get the best shots.'

'It was one of the most thrilling shoots I have ever done watching them gracefully move through the water.'

Although a shoot with the horses was a dangerous task, Kurt Arrigo is an experienced underwater photographer. He has shot scenes such as schools of hammerhead sharks off the coast of the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef and his photographs of the horses were just as impressive, creating magnificent light and an underwater feel.

He commented 'I had to calculate my depth and make sure that I wouldn't get hit by one of the hooves.
'It's quite amazing as you can really hear the horse work out - apparently it's quite hard work for them so they only do this for around half an hour.

'I've not seen anything like it before, and not all horses can swim as some just don't get it.'