"Teamwork makes the dream work'

Carl Hester on the hard work being done behind the scenes ahead of Paris

- Carl Hester 

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.