Sitting on the grass amongst the crowd on Sunday afternoon, listening intently to the all-female top 3 heap praise on the Bicton team and all their hard work and effort to deliver not only the only 5* competition on British soil this year, but that they delivered it in style, had me grinning from ear to ear.
Gemma Tattersall & Chilli Knight leap to victory at Chedington Bicton Park 5*, September 2021
As so many of the riders have already said, the effort and most importantly, the can-do attitude of that team is extraordinary and I hope others gain reassurance that anything is possible with the right mindset. We finally got a British 5*, after 2 long years. It seems like so much had changed since driving home from Burghley 2019, yet it felt like putting on an old pair of faithful comfy slippers once the competition got underway. For those that didn’t make the trip to Devon, you really did miss an epic weekend of sport. The atmosphere was electric and the competition was thrilling.
A massive thank you to the epic team at Bicton. If a team could pull off a crazy, mad plan of planning and delivering a world-class 5* fixture in little under eleven weeks, its these guys. Andrew, Tiggy, Lucy, Evie and all the team were phenomenal. The ground was amazing. The atmosphere they created was amazing. The facilities were amazing. But all those things combined doesn’t necessarily create a great event, that comes from the blood, sweat, tears and sheer determination from the organising team. Bicton Arena Team, I salute you all.
That winning feeling - Gemma Tattersall & Chilli Knight during their victory lap, Chedington Bicton Park 5* Horse Trials, September 2021
5* Photography
There have been times this season where I have been extremely uncomfortable - and not just because I’ve sat on a thistle out on cross country when I’m catching a cheeky 5 mins between classes – they say learning and growth is uncomfortable. There have been times this season where I have been so far out of my comfort zone, that even the most capable of sat nav wouldn’t be able to get me back on track. Somehow, I found myself as the press photographer for the Chedington Bicton Park 5* Horse Trials – little old me, crazy I know!
But you don’t know you can handle the heat, until you step into the kitchen, so I put my brave pants on and gave it a go. Whilst the days were long and the workload rather crazy, it has been the most amazing adventure – a great press and PR team to work with and a great press tent full of colleagues and friends to enjoy inappropriate banter with and check crazy cross-country plans with. I truly love what I do and I love doing it with such a great gang.
The ups and down of this wonderful sport
Will Rawlin & VIP Vinnie share a moment after their dressage test went into the top 3 at Chedington Bicton Park 5*
As with all levels of the sport, a five star wouldn’t be a five star without a rollercoaster of emotions. I have been so proud to be working with Will Rawlin and his team this season and to see all their hard work pay off by getting VIP Vinnie to their first 5* together was a great honour. Will and Vinnie delivered a stunning test on Friday to lie in third after the first phase. Sadly, the weekend didn’t end as planned out on cross country – sending my heartfelt best wishes for a speedy recovery Vinnie – but the composure and professionalism of Will shone through. Their time will come.
Clocking up the miles
The last few weeks have been one long epic road-trip, from Hartpury to a first time visit to Somerford, then onwards to the Highlands of Scotland and Blair then just casually driving down to Devon for the Bicton 5*. Why I hear you ask with a puzzled look on your face… from Eric Winter’s fantastic cross country track at Hartpury, to Alec Lochore’s course around the hills of Blair and onwards to a Capt. Mark Phillips 5* feast at Bicton – the tracks have made for amazing photos and have produced some nail biting finishes in recent weeks.
Beautiful Blair - Ros Canter & Lordships Graffalo dance in front of the Castle
Blair was beautiful, as always. However, I almost didn’t go, the desperately heart-breaking news about Nick Gauntlett and Sophie Hulme so tragically losing all four horses aboard their horsebox made me question why we do what we do. My heart goes out to the connections after such a needless loss.
I finally arrived on site after the five hour drive, to be met with a Scottish heatwave and the sun kept on shining across the weekend. Not a single Scottish raindrop fell over the four days, that’s all my Blair good luck used up for the next ten visits surely?!?
It’s been so lovely to meet a few blog readers and social media followers out on course over the last few weeks, I still find it bemusing that you take the time to read these and support my work. Thank you, it means more than you realise. Every follower is very much appreciated.
Rosie Fry & True Blue Too II winners of the CCI4*L at Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials, August 2021
But it doesn’t end there, there’s still some more adventures planned for September…
Onwards to Blenheim, Europeans and then suddenly, we are looking at the season finale’s round the corner, with winter hibernation getting ever closer.
Stay safe and kick on