The WEATHER and the Olympics were the main talking points of 2012, as Melanie Scott looks back at the highs and lows of this year.

From record breaking high temperatures in March to thunderstorms and widespread flooding causing scores of show and event cancellations who could have predicted the the Olympic team selection process could have been so difficult with little events running to give riders a chance to be seen.

January

The weather starts off the year, with the ground already staurated after a heavy rainfall in the run up to the start of 2012. High winds damage buildings in storms across the country on January 3.

The year opens with the news that three of Britain's showjumping hopes are to be sold overseas, prompting criticism. Robert Smith's top ride Talan and Bruce Menzies' Sultan V both go to Saudi Arabia, while Guy William sold Titus to Australia's Edwina Tops-Alexander.

The BEF launced new scheme to encourage riding – www.hoofride.co.uk – designed as a one-stop shop to encourage everyone, from non-riders and lapsed riders to current competitors, to get more involved in the sport.

The film War Horse was released this month and World Horse Welfare (WHW) remembered horses, past and present, who have given exceptional service to the forces and the police. Digger, an eight-year-old 19hh Clydesdale was on a two-year programme to become a drum horse with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, after being taken in by the WHW Belwade Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Aberdeenshire in 2010.

A row broke out over new British Showjumping microchipping rule that makes it compulsory for horses newly registered with BS. Some members saw it as an 'unnecessary expense'.

The rule – effective from 1 April – does not apply to horses jumping in BS club competitions (who compete for points, not prize-money) or those that are already registered with BS. Spot checks by BS stewards with scanners at shows will be held throughout the year.

Valerie Pritchard was banned from keeping horses by Banff Sherriff Court after a case brought by the WHW involving the neglect of more than 20 horses and youngstock. The horses, as well as the corpse of a young foal, were discovered by a WHW field officer on May 14, 2009, after a large number of horses in a field were reported to look underweight.

Also found in a shed on the farm was the carcases of 12-15 dead horses. One young horse was put to sleep at the scene and the remaining 23 semi-feral horses were taken to the WHW Belwade Farm for veterinary attention. Mrs Pritchard was also sentenced to 200 hours of community service.

Scientists have traced the modern Flat racehorse – including Sea The Stars, Northern Dancer and Nijinsky – back 300 years to a fast Shetland mare.

Dr Emmeline Hill, from University College Dublin, and Dr Mim Bower, of Cambridge University, studied the genetic make-up of the modern Flat racehorse and found that the speed gene entered bloodlines when the Darley and Godolphin Arabians and Byerley Turk were bred with British natives — mainly Shetlands.

They have pinned down the original gene variant — C-type myostatin — to a single British mare, living 300 years ago – and as Shetlands have the highest frequency of this gene, it's odds-on a Shetland was the original speed freak. Their findings were published in the UK scientific journal Nature Communications

February

Artic conditions hit the country, delaying the start of the point-to-point season. Eventually it gets underway at the Dumfries-shire and Stewartry meeting at Overton, where Ayrshire trainer, Mike Smith, has a double with Hawthorne Bay and It's Bobcat.

The Queen loans out four Highland ponies to a riding therapy centre in Wiltshire. The ponies are all former residents of The Queen's Balmoral Estate.

Balmoral Star and Lothag Of Croila (Lottie) have been at the centre for 18 months, while newer recruits, Macduff and Balmoral Skylark, were settling in.

"All of them used to trek on the Balmoral Estate and help with deer stalking, but now they have second careers as therapy ponies," said Dr Grummitt, from the GUL Centre.

"The Highland ponies have been particularly useful for the lower back pain therapy offered at the centre, as their movement and steady pace exercise the lower back/pelvic area when ridden bareback. They are part of the royal breeding line and will all have pride of place when the village celebrates The Queen's diamond jubilee this year."

Lothian and Borders Police announce that they are to close their mounted branch after more than 130 years. The branch's five horses will be transferred to the Strathclyde Police mounted branch, which is based in Ayrshire.

British Eventing confirm that its Turnberry event, held in September, will no longer be held. The BE 90 regional final will now be transferred to Aswanley in September.

Fire breaks out at Muirmill Equestrian Centre in Ayrshire. There were no injuries, although some damage occurred. "We've been overwhelmed by the level of support we've received," said owner Laura McCabe.

Fife jockey, Lucy Alexander, makes history by becoming the highest winning female rider in a British jumps season. The 21-year-old broke Lorna Vincent's 1980 record of 22 winners for a female jockey in a British jumps season at Musselburgh when recording her fourth course success on the Bruce Mactaggart-trained Red Tanber, one of her Cheltenham Festival rides.

Popular showjumper, Tim Stockdale – who broke his neck in October – was given the all-clear to jump again by doctors. Tim broke three vertebrae in his neck after following a fall from a young horse in October, 2011, and spent six weeks in a spinal injuries clinic.

Scottish sisters, Joanne and Hannah Eccles, take the top two places in the first FEI vaulting World Cup final, in Bordeaux. The sisters both performed on WH Bentley, lunged by their father John.

Dressage rider, Jo Hamilton, secures a hat-trick of wins at the BD winter regionals at Rowallan, winning two classes with Vivaldi V and the open novice with youngster Corchapin.

British Eventing announced it would supply frangible pins to horse trials organisers this year as part of BE's commitment to advancing safety.

BE's Jonathan Chapman said: "BE has dedicated much resource to safety research in terms of engineering the pins and is continually reviewing cross-country fence fall data to monitor areas of improvement.

"We continually strive to lead the way in safety for our members in this country and our colleagues around the world."

March

Willie Cowan, head lad at racehorse trainer, James Ewart's yard, in Langholm, received a 'dedication to racing' award at the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff awards. See picture.

Scotland's leading showjumper, Scott Brash, continued to keep himself in the Olympic selector's minds winning two classes in Florida, including the $60,000 first prize in the FEI World Cup with his new ride Hello Sanctos and tying for first place in the $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup with Scottish-bred Whisky Mac IV.

Scotland recorded its first National Hunt training succes at the Cheltenham Festival in 10 years when the Lucinda Russell-trained Brindisi Breeze, ridden by Campbell Gillies won the Albert Bartlett novice hurdle race for St Andrews owner Sandy Seymour.

Airdrie farmer Ronnie Bartlett reclaimed some of his outgoings when his Simonsig won the Neptune Investment Management novice hurdle race. Trainer Nicky Henderson is the Festival's leading trainer.

The winning streak for the yard continues with the news that stable lad Conor Murphy won £1m in a £50 accumulator bet after putting on a bet in November that Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig, Bobs Worth, Finians Rainbow and Riverside Theatre would all be winners at Cheltenham.

The Rowallan/The SF winter dressage series concludes with a bumper entry over two days. Wins are recorded by Phillipa Aitken and First Impression in the prelim, Katie Watson and In Too Deep in the novice, Richard Johnston Smith and Caspian V in the elementary and Rebecca Stephen and Fortia Expres in the medium championship.

Kelso-based event rider Caroline Powell loses her four-star ride Mrs Tilly after an unknown illness. Mrs Tilly was part of the New Zealand long listed horses with Caroline aiming towards the London Olympics.

Channel 4 win a bidding war – reportedly worth £15m – to broadcast all British racing. The Grand National and Royal Ascot — as well as The Derby meeting and British Champions Day at Ascot, which are all currently shown on the BBC — will now be broadcast by Channel 4.

April

The Scottish Equine Breeders Association (SEBA) present their inaugural award to the best Scottish-bred horse or pony to Robert Davidson's home-bred Highlnad Trowan Moulin. The yellow dun has been ridden champion at the Royal Highland three times partnered by Rose Mcpherson and also best of breed at Olympia.

Scott Brash continues his fine run at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, winning the $25,000 class with Intertoy Z. With several wins and placings his total prize money from the show comes to around £100,000.

Merigo lands the Scottish Grand National at Ayr for the second after winning the same race in 2010. The horse is trained by Lockerbie trainer Andrew Parker and is owned by Ray and Anita Anderson Green from East Lothian, and was riden by their son-in-law Timmy Murphy.

The British Horse Society Scotland present their annual Tarragon Award for the equine personality of the year award to Ace, a firm favourite at the Thornton Rose Riding for the Disabled Group where he has worked for the past 12 years.

With the start of April bringing with it warmth and sunshine many predicted this was our summer. How true was this prediction as by mid April the heavens opened and events were cancelled left, right and central.

Auchinleck horse trials was cancelled the morning of the event, despite many competitors being on site, after heavy rain caused concerns over safety. The Fife point-to-point was cancelled a few days before it was due to run after looking at the forecasted weather, while heavy rain the night before Central Scotland horse trials and lying water meant that organisers had no option other than to cancel, although the higher level of classes were rescheduled the following week.

Continued in next week's issue