This morning marks the occasion of Georgie Campbell’s funeral — a standing room only affair in the church that’s stood steadfast through her life and many, many complex and beautiful lives before hers.
The endless fall of rain in England has stopped, and the sudden appearance of the sun has sent the verges wild: the drive down the A21 sees them unfurling joyously, rambunctiously into the road. And they’ve come dressed for the occasion, too — there’s a sea of little white flowers, workmanlike and bustling and communal, and a rollicking spread of purple blooms, big petalled and small, giving praise and celebrating, a tiny miracle of nature and serendipity.
And celebrating is what we all need to do, now. Summer has come — it was Camus, I think, who wrote that “in the midst of winter I found there was, within me, an invincible summer”, and though I’ve probably butchered that quote in pulling it out of the back storeroom of my brain, we all need to find in ourselves that sunshine as we forge ahead.
There are fruit vendors, operating out of the backs of their cars, dotted along the roads into Kent. They sell cherries and strawberries, plucked from their nearby vines and trees, and it’s so easy to go on autopilot and cruise past them, thinking only of the end destination. But instead, we all need to find joy and the thrill of the extraordinary gift of life, and we need to stop, and dig around in our centre consoles for some sticky spare change, and buy the cherries. We need to bite into them and feel the warm, sweet, tangy juice drip down our chins and stain our fingers and our tops red. We need to taste and smell and see and hear everything, to take it in, to marvel in how lucky we are to do so. And we need to love one another, and our horses, and our lot in life, because even when it gets incredibly hard to do so, we have a gift: the gift of second chances, of the possibility of changed circumstances.
We’ll never know what’s around the corner for us. We have to live as though it’ll be the greatest thing yet, and we also have to live as though it may be the final chapter.
Today, we say goodbye, but we don’t forget. If you would like to be part of Georgie’s continued legacy, please consider donating to one of the following organisations.
The British Eventing Support Trust is working together with Sporting Chance to continue to provide help to anyone who needs it. You can donate here or call 07780 008877 at any time of the day or night to be connected with a mental health professional. Or, email [email protected].
Georgie was also a passionate advocate for spinal cord injury survivors. You can donate to BackUp Trust in her honour here and help to give people with a spinal cord injury a full and flourishing life.
Fly high, Georgie.
Events Opening This Week: Masterson Equestrian Trust YEH/NEH Qualifier, WindRidge Farm Summer H.T., Fair Hill International Recognized H.T., Woodside Summer H.T, Otter Creek Summer H.T., GMHA Festival of Eventing August H.T.
Events Closing This Week: One & Done Horse Trials, US Pony Club Championships, The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm, Genesee Valley Hunt H.T.
News & Notes from Around the World:
You might not think of Hawaii as an eventing stronghold. And, like, fair enough – it’s not! But there is a community of equestrians there, and a love for horses that was enough to feed the drive and desire of a young Gaby Ruane when she was growing up there. Now, she runs her own eventing business out of Reddick, Florida (that one IS an eventing stronghold!) and is chasing her dreams, big time. Find out more about this up-and-coming talent here.
We’re still riding the wave of an exciting mandatory outing for the US team at Stable View. If you feel much the same, you’ll enjoy diving into this visual review of the weekend.
Noor Slaoui isn’t just Morocco’s first-ever international eventer — she’s also the only rider from an Arab nation to compete in the sport at Paris this year. Both are incredible achievements already, but even more amazing? She began her riding journey on the backs of mules, trekking through the mountains and falling completely in love with riding. She then began competing in her late teens and now, at 29, she’s soon to be an Olympian. Read her remarkable story here.
To celebrate the launch of Canter Culture’s first riding top, the Alice Sun Shirt, Canter Culture is giving away an entire outfit! For your chance to win an Alice Sun Shirt, one pair of Athletic Breeches, Boot Socks, and a Double Circle Belt, all you have to do is sign up for our newsletter and fill out the form in the 7/1 ICYMI Newsletter! Winner will select color options & sizing. Canter Culture seamlessly blends style & sport, so all that’s left to do is enjoy the ride. Stay tuned– we’ll announce the winner in our weekly newsletter on 7/1! Sign up for our newsletter here.
Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Liz Crawley Photography.
Sponsor Corner: After putting in great performances at the last mandatory team outing last weekend, what’s next for Team USA before they hit the ground in Versailles? Whether they’re heading to Aachen or going back to their home bases, find out the plan for Team USA between now and July 24th. Read it here! All of Eventing Nation’s coverage of the Paris Olympics is made possible by Kentucky Performance Products, your source for affordable, guaranteed, and research-proven horse supplements.
