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 MoreWell surely it’s better to sing about it, than complain about it; Mother Nature can’t be persuaded after all that we’ve had enough of the wet stuff. The departing snow bought the onset of ‘The Wet’ here in we have basically just talked about mud. Walking in it, rolling in it, getting stuck in it, showjumping out of it and I’ve even had to photograph it! “Mud, Mud; Glorious Mud” became the theme tune for the new few weeks.
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 year that was. Again another season has come to an end, all the turkey and trimmings eaten and time to recap on the stellar year of equestrian adventures I have been lucky enough to enjoy with my team of riders and clients, before the fitness work kicks off in preparation of the new season.
There have been so many highlights, I decided to pick out my most memorable moments in photos from the 2022 season. Here are my picks:
Read MoreSitting here in my kitchen on New Years Eve, its hard to know where the year went; its flown by in a blur for me. The result of which is that I am only just finding a few spare minutes to catch up on the last adventures of the season
Pau is always a delight, but this year clearly the gods had decided I needed a pick me up and delivered 25 degrees of Pyrenean sunshine for me to enjoy across all the four days…
Read MoreIt feels like we had all been looking forward to Pratoni since the curtain came down on Tokyo. The build up as palpable as the previous year and for me personally… The build up had been a little turbulent, with the trip on and off and back in again.
The dust lay around like perfectly sieved black icing sugar, sprinkled across the top of the Pratoni cake… and just about everything and everyone became decorated in it. And it turned out Volcanic dust sticks to everything.
Championships are different gravy; the buzz, the camaraderie in the media centre, the excitement of who will win those coveted medals. It’s so much more important yet so many are just happy to have reached that point. An educated crowd frantically waving their country flags. Anticipation of special moments about to be witnessed first hand.
Read MoreWell folks, we have reached (and probably crept past) the mid-point of the season. t’s been a hectic first half of the season, punctuated with some great moments and some not-so-great moments to keep a healthy balance. Over 10k miles covered, chasing ponies up and down the land, captured those special moments.
Onwards I go, towards the Big B’s of Autumn…
Read MoreFarewell to a legend…
Some horses just get under your skin and pull at the heart strings and ever since watching a young, relatively unknown rider called Ros Canter, on her gigantic dark bay equine companion, I have been smitten. Who couldn’t be?! For all 17hh of dear Alby were just perfection. And together they conquered the world; quite literally.
Read MoreThey say good things come to those that wait – and boy was it a long wait to drive back through the stone-walled entrance of Badminton Horse Trials once again. Three long years since I was there and to say I was giddy to be back was a monumental understatement…
Read MoreIn the recent weeks, much has been debated over who deserves to win, who will win, who will lead after the first phase and will the dressage record be broken. But favourites aside, there are World Champions, Olympic Medalists, European Champions and 5* winners a plenty on the entry list, but who are the likely contenders for the much-coveted top spot…
Read MoreWell blink and suddenly it’s the middle of April and the season is already almost eight weeks old – how did this happen?!? I’ve gone from wishing the winter to be gone to straight into full-on season madness, flying around from event to event.
The new season has bought some new clients and riders to work with, all of which are keeping me on my toes
Read MorePhew, with January done and dusted (was it just me that felt like January was 86789 days long?!) Whilst it was nice to slow things down…; with entries now officially open, it’s about time I awoke from the winter slumber and dusted off the gear ready for Eventing to get underway in little under a month.
Here are a few of my selections for Ones to Watch 2022…
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…
Read MoreAnd so the curtain falls on another season. A stellar season. A hectically busy, where-has-it-gone type of season. This season could be have been a disaster but I persevered and it actually happened - Fortune favours the brave.
Then came the crazy idea that the season needed a finale… cue a little road trip to Pau, the perfect season finale, 24 degrees of sunshine, crepes and uninterrupted views of the Pyrenees.
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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 MoreSitting 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.
From Devon to the Highlands, Cheshire to Gloucestershire, I’ver certainly seen the sights this summer. 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.
Read MoreTeam GB have sealed Team Gold this week out in Tokyo and what a performance from the squad - they have delivered the lowest ever finishing score by a team in the history of Olympic Eventing!
Now comes the realisation that basically Tokyo has filled all my conversations for seemingly the last 18 months, so what next, team picks for Paris 2024 anyone?!
Read MoreBlink and suddenly it’s June, then its July and the sun has finally arrived
Apologies for the radio silence, the blogs seem to have come to a crocked halt on the centre line… Life has been rather hectic since the Eventing season finally got started; typical after seemingly waiting through the longest of winters, once the season got going it’s been a whirlwind. Events have come thick and fast, albeit not all the usual venues we are used to, and I have been very lucky to continue to work with some fabulous clients, new and existing along the way.
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 MoreThe countdown in on to the Tokyo Games, with less than four months now till the Eventing medals are decided…
There’s no doubting Team GBR have an embarrassment of riches to give the selectors some sleepless nights over. But this could arguably be the most competitive Olympics for some time. Leaving the GB dilemma to one side for now, here’s my quick look at the International medal contenders:
