SOMETHING that every equestrian enthusiast will treasure is the beautifully produced 75th anniversary edition, L’Annee Hippique, which celebrates, in fabulous colour, international equestrianism at its very best.

This year the publishers of the famous equestrian yearbook teamed up with Cassini Art to deliver a spectacular modern cover but happily retaining much of its classic format, this celebrated hardbook annual is a virtual A-Z of elite horses and athletes’ performances at the very top of thrilling equestrian sport, across all the major disciplines of show jumping, eventing, dressage and carriage driving.

In almost 300 pages, this exciting world is opened up to the reader and L’Annee Hippique encompasses all of the big five-star shows in Euope, Scandinavia, America, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Doha and Dubai as well as the major championships in 2018 with extensive coverage of the FEI World Equestrian Games, Tryon, North Carolina, USA where Germany’s Simone Blum and her spectacular mare DSP Alice were crowned champions and dressage supremo Germany’s Isabell Werth brought Bella Rose back to championship glory after a four-year injury lay-off.

Meanwhile, Sally Corscadden’s great Irish team of Padraig McCarthy, Sarah Ennis, Cathal Daniels and Sam Watson came very close to snatching the team gold and gave the country a huge boost when taking home team silver and individual silver for McCarthy from the World Equestrian Games.

FEI President Ingmar de Vos pens the foreward looking both back on what was a spectacular year of equestrian sport in 2018 and also looking forward to a packed schedule for 2019.

All of the top-drawer eventing classics are covered, as are the finals of the Longines FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final in Paris as well as the FEI World Cup Dressage and Carriage Driving, held in Paris and Bordeaux respectively.

The winning exploits of Irish riders and their mounts are particularly well featured in this edition, across over 20 venues worldwide, which will be of particular delight for Irish readers. Bertram Allen, Darragh Kenny, Shane Breen, Billy Twomey, Conor Swail, Richard Howley and Mark McAuley are pictured for their winning exploits in the ring, while Galway eventing rider, Cathal Daniels, part of Ireland’s silver medal-winning team at WEG, is also pictured.

Special features this year include the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping as well as L’Annee Hippique’s best rider/drivers awards for 2018, along with a special focus on Canadian veteran show jumping rider, the extraordinary Ian Millar.

There’s a fascinating glimpse into the historic Royal Windsor Horse Show and Old Salem Horse Show in New York.

From an Irish perspective, there’s two special features on Ireland’s equestrian journalist Louise Parkes and Tipperary international course builder Alan Wade as well as full coverage of the three medals - gold, silver and bronze - won by Ireland’s Richard Howley, Darragh Ryan and Mikey Pender at Lanaken’s World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Belgium this autumn.

HOW TO ORDER

With Christmas around the corner, a copy of L’Annee Hippique – which first began in 1943 – would make a wonderful gift, guaranteed to provide many fascinating hours. The photographs alone are a work of art. The book costs €50 including post and packaging and is available from Dermot Forde, Kilmore, Virginia, Co Cavan – telephone and fax 049 8546360 or 087 2344212 or e-mail deroforde@gmail.com