Congratulations to British European Champion Nicola Wilson, who was awarded an MBE designation (Member of the Order of the British Empire) from the British monarchy to cap off 2024. Nicola’s top-level eventing career was cut short after a cross country accident at Badminton in 2022, but she remains a force within the sport, providing mentorship and coaching to other riders and also serving as a broadcaster for multiple CCI5* events and other competitions.
“I am speechless, (for the first time in my life!) shocked and unbelievably humbled to have received an MBE in the New Years Honours List,” Nicola posted on social media. “I have to say that when I got the letter I told my family but said it may be a joke and they mustn’t say anything until the announcement was made to see if my name was actually there….Then whilst teaching yesterday, the local paper rang and I thought with a nervous tummy, this isn’t a joke.
What an incredible honour and I am grateful to you all for helping me along this sometimes challenging journey through life but I feel incredibly lucky to have a life.”
U.S. Weekend Preview
We’re back! The U.S. season kicks off this weekend in Aiken, and you’ll find links to events happening during the upcoming weekend here each Wednesday – Sunday in our News & Notes.
Sporting Days Farm January H.T. (SC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
News & Reading
If you own an equestrian business, this article’s a great read for you as we kick into the new year. What marketing and business trends were evident across the equestrian industry in 2024? Read a recap from Equerry / Co here.
Can blockchain technology transform and modernize our industry? If you just opened a new tab to google “What is Blockchain?”, no judgement here. The Pegasus App surmises that blockchain technology (essentially, technology that enables the secure sharing of information across a network of computers) has the potential to revolutionize key aspects of the equestrian world, particularly horse shows, horse ownership, and management. Read more here.
The USEA EA21 National Training Camp is underway in Ocala, Fl., and you can read all about what the participants are learning here. The first day of camp focused on the importance of clear and consistent communication with their equine partners. The curriculum for the second day focused on the rider’s responsibilities and maintaining rideability.
The word “but” is part of a unique family of words and phrases called verbal erasers – words that have a nasty habit of unintentionally erasing positive things while encouraging you to focus on the negative. Just like the eraser on the end of you pencil that erases words that have been written (assuming you haven’t chewed it off!), verbal erasers erase words that have been spoken – even if those words are positive… and BUT is the most common eraser of all! Read more from Coach Daniel Stewart here.
Video Break
More scenes from EA21 camp:
