THAT’S it then. Back to lockdown. I hope you made the most of autumn hunting, and we need to be grateful that we got that. It should have helped put a little back in the badly depleted hunt coffers – and on that note, I seriously hope you have paid your subscriptions. Obviously hounds and horses need to continue to be fed and looked after, and staff need paying to do so, and any regular hunting person who shirks paying their dues right now should be ashamed of themselves.
I’ve managed 20 days’ hunting in the past two months and while I very much hope we get more in due course, I am so glad I made the effort. For me, the whole point of having a horse is to go hunting. Yes, I am hunting editor of this magazine and so the boundaries between work and personal life are blurred (or don’t exist), but those autumn and winter days with hounds are why I work flat out on virtually every day of the year that I am not hunting, and often in the evenings of those days, too.
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New Year Honours for those who change people's lives
Bob Champion and leading figures in racing, the Riding for the Disabled Association and equine therapy are named
New horizons
Covid has put huge pressure on the job market, but some horse owners have diversified and reaped the benefits of different roles, writes Stephanie Bateman
Sports psychologist
Michael Caulfield on why any form of sport helps make a person whole
High And Mighty
The dun gelding took consecutive Badminton titles in the 1950s, and put the “glamour girl” of eventing Sheila Willcox on the map. Madeleine Silver charts his swift – and turbulent – rise to the top
Katy Green
The showing rider draws huge inspiration from her mentors and has big plans for the working hunter scene. Alex Robinson checks in with Katy Green to find out how she juggles business and competition
First ladies
Male and female riders may now compete as equals, but a few skilled horsewomen paved the way in a historically masculine sport, finds Jennifer Donald
Louise Hoadley
The East Essex hunt secretary is the first person to offer a helping hand, and has passed her love of hunting on to her “mad keen” daughter
Aimee Devane
The mountain and moorland specialist on pursuing her dreams, her laid-back personality and what motivates her to get out of bed in the morning
Better out than in
A diseased or damaged molar that is beyond repair is best removed, but how? Neil Townsend MRCVS explains
7 ways top riders deal with nerves
Even the world’s elite riders aren’t immune to competition nerves. Martha Terry discovers how they channel their jitters into a winning performance
DAYS: CHAD REELS AFTER SLEEPING WITH GWEN
LATE BREAKING NEWS
Tinseltown Talks
Olivia de Havilland: The End of an Era
VETERINARY VISITS DURING A PANDEMIC
The pandemic has upended every aspect of our lives, including equestrian activities.
COURT BRIEFS
RECENT LEGAL THRILLERS
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
HOW BILLY FLYNN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER IN BETWEEN DAYS\ STINTS
Steve Cavanagh
Beyond Reasonable Self-Doubt
Jay-Jay & Flynny 'WE'VE HEALED EACH OTHER'S HEARTS'
After helping each other through a challenging year, the radio stars reveal they’re each other’s perfect match
Happy ghosts of Christmas past
As 2020 sees many of our festive plans reimagined, Pat looks back at her Christmas columns over the decades, recalling simpler times.
Orlando vs Miranda: I'M TAKING FLYNN!
Co-parenting in a pandemic is proving difficult for the former couple
Horse sense
Man and horse have been sharing a special bond for more than 5000 years, be it on farmlands, on battlefields, on the road or in the sports arena. Today, some of these fine animals even play an important role in therapy programmes. But keeping horses is not a decision to be taken lightly. Here’s what you need to know first.