This might feel like the longest year ever (how has it taken 482 days, approximately, to reach the second Monday of 2021?!) but there’s some hope on the horizon. Many major international events are already busily planning their return to the calendar, including the SsangYong Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, which will be back with a new organising team at the helm this year. Things might still be a bit different to the norm this year, but if we can get some great sporting action in, it’ll be a step up in our eyes.
National Holiday: It’s National Clean Your Desk Day, to which I say an emphatic no.
US Weekend Results:
Barnstaple South H.T.: [Results]
Monday Reading List:
In need of a grid to get your horse’s mind back on his job? Top British rider – and queen of quirky horses – Sarah Bullimore has just what you need to succeed this week. [#SundaySchool: Sarah Bullimore’s figure-of-eight jumping exercise for focus]
Or perhaps you’d like to try a simple, adaptive polework exercise, suitable for youngsters all the way to Advanced competitors? If so, Tik Maynard‘s set-up will tick your boxes – you can even use it as an in-hand exercise to really take it back to basics. [Grid Pro Quo with Tik Maynard]
Sick of your two-legged family members behaving with less decorum than the four-legged ones? This cheeky little bit of satire from Horse Network might give you just the tools you need to turn the situation around… [Horsewoman Clicker Trains Husband and Kids to Help Out More Around the House]
Competitive goals can create some much-needed terra firma if you’re struggling with your mental health. But how can you cope when something out of your control – like, say, a global pandemic – wipes them all from the calendar? One rider shares her story. [Equestrian vs Depression: Embracing a New Pace in Life]
We all pour so much time, effort, and money into our riding that a setback can feel like the end of the world. But a bit of perspective from a much-venerated coach can change everything. [What I Wish I Knew Then: Words That Stick]
Donation Station:
City riding schools offer an extraordinary amount to their local community, but with rising rent prices and constant urban development, their existence is rarely guaranteed. Such is the case for Park Lane Stables in London, which is working to raise funds to purchase its premises after the non-renewal of their long-standing lease. If you’d like to contribute to the much-loved riding school and Riding for the Disabled centre’s crowdfunding efforts, click here.
Morning Viewing:
Missing a mooch around a major event? Join tiny William as he explores his favourite haunt — the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.
