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I love the eventing community — and, indeed, the equestrian community at large — best when it bands together as a watertight support system. We’ve seen the ‘family’ come together so many times before when a fellow rider has faced a life-changing injury, or a top horse has nearly been sold on, but never do we see our folks doing more fervent good than when one of the next generation leaves behind an unfulfilled dream.
We’ve seen eventers around the world embrace the Willberry Wonder Pony charity in honour of the late Hannah Francis, who in her lifetime and following her incredibly sad passing, made a colossal impact on the industry as she battled an aggressive form of cancer. Now, following the death of young Irish talent Tiggy Hancock, whose undoubtedly huge career to come was cut short by a training accident earlier this year, a whole lot of familiar faces have once again come together to support Tiggy’s Trust, a foundation that will help young riders lacking in resources to get the training and support they need. That’s just the tip of the iceberg where this incredible foundation is concerned, and we’ll undoubtedly see it change lives over the years to come just as Tiggy herself would have liked to — and every step of the way, it’ll be boosted and bolstered by the great and good of the horse world, many of whom convened at Cheltenham Racecourse for the launch party and a day of racing, where they turned the iconic venue yellow in honour of Tiggy.
If ever we lose faith in our sport and the foundations it’s built upon, it’s these moments we need to return to to understand that together, we have the power to do so much good.
Events Opening Today: Rocking Horse Winter I H.T.
Tuesday News:
Thoroughbred owners, look away for this one. Those of you whose horses come with a little extra spinal padding, this winter could be a great opportunity for you to experiment with bareback riding. Not only does it provide central heating to your undercarriage, it also apparently has plenty of benefits for your riding. If you can stay on, that is.
Planning to compete in FEI events next season? You’d better get abreast of the FEI’s updated horse health rules, then, because it’s easy to fall foul of the rules if you don’t read the fine print, and we’d really love to save you from making an annoying (and expensive!) error.
The fight for safer roads for riders continues on apace in the UK. And following the largest-ever survey of mounted road users, it’s being helped along by some shocking statistics that won’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who’s ever been nearly mown down by a Tesco delivery van on a country lane.
Sometimes you climb aboard an ostensibly perfect horse and feel…nothing. Chemistry is a complicated thing, and it’s so often the glue that holds our relationships with our oddball horses together — but where does it come from? Can you make it from nothing? Or is this the magic we all spend our lives chasing?
Video Break:
If the weather outside is frightful, improving your riding from the sofa is SO delightful. I’m enjoying rewatching masterclasses on YouTube at the moment, like this one with Harry Meade and Laura Collett:
