"Teamwork makes the dream work'
Horse & Hound|April 11, 2024
Carl Hester on the hard work being done behind the scenes ahead of Paris
Carl Hester 
"Teamwork makes the dream work'

PREPARATIONS for the Paris Games are underway at pace. As head of operations and logistics for British Equestrian (BEF), Sophie Thomas heads a small team of three with lots of support from the wider organisation.

After visiting the venue a few weeks ago, Sophie told me the setting in the gardens of Versailles, overlooked by the spectacular palace, is amazing and reminiscent of Greenwich, the equestrian venue of London 2012.

Spectator stands and some arenas are already in place. Of course, there were no crowds in Tokyo due to the pandemic, but with seating for 16,000 in Paris, I hope lots of Brits will be able to get there and support the teams. France feels more accessible.

Paris will be Sophie’s fifth Olympics. I was fascinated to chat with her about her role and how she came into it. From a horsey family, Sophie was a member of the same Pony Club branch as William Fox-Pitt and a keen event rider before redirecting her passion for horses.

She completed an equine management degree from Warwickshire College, after which she secured a job as an admin assistant to the World Class Programme and worked her way up.

I asked Sophie to highlight the best aspect of the job.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 11, 2024 من Horse & Hound.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 11, 2024 من Horse & Hound.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من HORSE & HOUND مشاهدة الكل
City Of Troy hailed as greatest ever
Horse & Hound

City Of Troy hailed as greatest ever

The megastar colt silences his critics with an emphatic Derby success and there's plenty to celebrate for the Gredley family in the historic race

time-read
2 mins  |
June 06, 2024
Head in the Games
Horse & Hound

Head in the Games

Caring for elite horses is something a world leading groom takes in their stride, but how do they tackle their day job when their charge is an Olympic competitor? Bethany Stone asks those all-important questions

time-read
5 mins  |
June 06, 2024
Horserail continues to set the pace
Horse & Hound

Horserail continues to set the pace

More than 25 years on since launching its unique plastic fencing, Horserail is still making strides in the equestrian fencing market with its innovation

time-read
2 mins  |
June 06, 2024
Changes through the ages
Horse & Hound

Changes through the ages

Horse management has unquestionably revolutionised over the past 14 decades – but is it always for the better? Catherine Austen charts the changes

time-read
8 mins  |
June 06, 2024
'A great joy thousands of soldiers'
Horse & Hound

'A great joy thousands of soldiers'

Throughout World War II, the Horse & Hound team never missed publishing the magazine, despite the editor being killed in a bombing, sport being decimated and the printers being shelled. Former H&H deputy editor Pippa Cuckson discovers a Blitz-spirit mentality that held the magazine together and boosted morale in those dark years

time-read
7 mins  |
June 06, 2024
'Every Whitaker is successful in one way or another
Horse & Hound

'Every Whitaker is successful in one way or another

As part of H€9H’s 140th anniversary, we've been celebrating Britain’s eminent rider families with a series of interviews. In our fourth and final instalment, we meet four of the Whitaker dynasty: Michael, John, Jack and Robert

time-read
8 mins  |
June 06, 2024
Cover in glory
Horse & Hound

Cover in glory

The great and the good of the equestrian world remember the first time they featured in H&9H. Luz Wollocombe speaks to the superstars

time-read
9 mins  |
June 06, 2024
A tricky start
Horse & Hound

A tricky start

Health problems in the first phases of life require prompt attention. Equine nurse Samantha Feighery RVN discusses common disorders in newborn foals

time-read
7 mins  |
June 06, 2024
'Every Finnish person is mad about the Olympics'
Horse & Hound

'Every Finnish person is mad about the Olympics'

Six-time Olympian Kyra Kyrklund discusses competing behind the Iron Curtain, sleeping in the stable and coping when calamity strikes

time-read
4 mins  |
June 06, 2024
Private investigator
Horse & Hound

Private investigator

Sean Memory is a retired detective now assisting the National Trainers Federation, dealing with online and in-person abuse

time-read
3 mins  |
June 06, 2024