Bernard Simpson started his career after attending a farm management degree at The Hampshire College of Agriculture after which he took ran a stud farm of about 120 acres. After spending twenty very happy years, he and his wife moved to the Cotswolds.
The farm was laid down to grass which was proven to produce good race horses, a passion Bernard and his wife Chloe loved. They successfully bred horses from every crop of foals that were born at the stud every year. However, with market conditions ever changing for thoroughbreds, Bernard and Chloe found it more difficult to make ends meet, despite their success with only four or five mares. In 2003, they bred their best horse – Papal Bull. He was by Monjeu out of Mialuna a filly out of training, which Bernard purchased at the Deauville breeding sales in 2000. Papal Bull was the fourth highest rated flat race horse in the world in 2006. He won four Group races including the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket. He was very unlucky not to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot when he was touched off by a nose, finishing in second. He was over seven lengths ahead of the third horse home.
In 1996, Bernard started a company filming and photographing horses for promotional purposes. For ten years, Bernard and Chloe did all the videography work at The All England Jumping Course at Hickstead. They were also the official licensed photographers at the famous Badminton Horse Trials for twelve years. Now, with his experience, Bernard works as freelance photo-journalist and writes and has images published on the internet and in print in many countries of the world. He is delighted to have produced this review, which we believe is the best review published anywhere in the world, on the 2022 summer equine season throughout Europe.
Bernard would like to thank his team for their support, particularly his wife Chloe who has had to put up with all the artistic and technological temper tantrums. Also there are several photographers who have kindly allowed their work to be used in the review under the ‘fair use editorial policy’, the copyright of which remain the property of the photographers
With grateful thanks to photo agencies and photographers listed below.
Racingfotos and their photographers – Gallopfoto, Steve Davies, Ian Headington, Healy Racing, Steve Cargill and Andy Watts.
The FEI Media Services for editorial use and their photographers – Bernard Simpson, Rik Vander Sanders, T.H. Reiner and Yasmina Belle Argibury.
Finally, Tattersalls – Laura Green. Arqana – Zara Lupa. Goffs Ireland and images from Flickr and facebook.