BE
One minute we are all sliding around in the mud at Badminton, then suddenly in the blink of an eye its mince pie consuming season already. The season was filled with adventures – Luhmuhlen, Europeans, Arville and finished with the new customary sun-soaked season finale at Pau. More croissants, an epic thunderstorm, flooding and sunrises.
Get a cuppa and a supply of mince pies before getting comfy…
Read MoreChristmas is a distant memory, January has felt eleventy billion days long, but alas there is light at the end of what now feels like a never-ending tunnel. The new Eventing season is only 5 weeks away folks.
With sights turning towards the much-celebrated end of winter, my thoughts drift towards which equines I shall be excitedly looking forward to seeing each weekend.
Read MoreWhat a season! Despite Covid’s best attempts at slowing the season down, I have managed to enjoy 28 BE & FEI Eventing adventures during the 2021 season.
In the latest blog, I bravely delve into the brimming image library from the season and pick out a few of my many favourites…
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Champions - Nicola Wilson & JL Dublin GBR are the new European Eventing Champions, FEI European Championships, Avenches, Switzerland September 2021 © Copyright Hannah Cole Photography. All rights reserved.
With the last 18 months being a strange concoction of doubt, fluid plans and general disbelief as to whether anything would run; I didn’t really believe I could get to the Europeans until I stepped out of the car after the 15-hour journey onto the car park in Avenches.
I joked with my fabulous road-trip buddy Ben during the drive down to Avenches about the chances of a Brit 1-2-3, so imagine our complete amazement when that’s exactly what the Brits delivered on Sunday afternoon! Dreams do come true.
Read MoreSo, although it’s a later start than we’re all used to, we’re all standing in the start box and the countdown is on - good luck to all competitors, owners, grooms, officials, volunteers and ‘togs. There’s lots to look forward to and some very exciting combinations to keep an eye on!
Eyes up, heels down and kick on!
Here’s to a safe, continuous and successful season to you all and hope to see you all out on course soon.
Read MoreSo whilst it might not be the big shindig we are all used to, Christmas has flown around the corner, presents are wrapped and there’s just the exclusive bubble to finalise…
Most of us are probably somewhat thankful to see the back of this year to be honest, so my mind has already turned towards the countdown to next season and all the stars I am eagerly awaiting to see once again.
Read MoreIt’s a stark reality that the amazing sport that is Eventing, simply wouldn’t be viable, safe or quite frankly as much of a community spirited sport, without the thousands upon thousands of hours, donated by it’s awesome army of volunteers.
I came into volunteering not knowing all the rules and not really knowing anyone - some 5 years later, I’ve made life-long friends and have a much better understanding of the sport, the rules and a front-row seat on the best action out there. Why not get involved?!
Read MoreI do still feel like the pause button has been pressed on life though - it’s so engrained in my brain that April is the Grand National, May brings Badminton, Chatsworth & Rockingham then onto Bramham in June - without these I do feel like I’m stuck in a Groundhog Day kind of loop; April fools day on repeat.
Thankfully there does seem some socially-distanced light at the end of the tunnel. British Eventing have delivered the much-needed news that after much consideration, deliberation and planning; Eventing is returning.
Read MoreUltimately Eventers (both competitors and supporters) are a bloody tough breed, we’ve got through previous outbreaks, disasters and wartime; the sport will make it through this. We’ve weathered cancellations and abandonments before, and this time will be no different.
Whether Tokyo comes or is lost, all that matters is everyone is still here when we pick up where the season paused, be that hopefully in a few weeks or we draw stumps and start a fresh next season with renewed energy. As long as the friends I have made on this wonderful journey are here with me, that’s all that ultimately matters.
Read MoreWith January finally completed, we can all now look forward to brighter evenings, snowdrops giving us a hint of the springtime to come and finally we can say the Eventing season starts this month!
So with the impeding starting klaxon, I thought I’d share a few ramblings about what the season may have in store for us all.
Firstly, at the risk of stating the obvious, 2020 is an Olympic year – the greats of our sport will be heading east to Tokyo for the Eventing medals at the end of July.
Read MoreWith a new year fully underway I decided why monkey with tradition, so here comes the customary new year look-ahead to what the upcoming year may have in store for all us Eventing fans.
We have just passed the 200-day countdown mark to the opening ceremony in Tokyo, with Olympic fever sure to set in if it hasn’t already. “Who’s on your team?” will surely be asked several hundred times as early season events get underway.
I’ve picked my team….
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