ANOTHER year older… and another clever clog asking me why I still ride and compete. Whatever happened to doing it for fun?
I hate being old. I hate people asking how old I am. I hate not being the old me. Harder still is overcoming the comparisons and criticism.
Pushing aside the excuses and pain from arthritis, I’ve decided to ignore the naysayers and set about trying to live well and live longer. Illness means my family is relying on me at the moment, so I must keep going. And that means riding – and being fit to ride.
I’ve dieted as I was too fat to sit well. I can use that word about myself as I won’t be taking it up with my lawyer.
My new watch monitors my exercise levels and recently advised that I call the emergency services when my pulse rate soared during a lesson. I put that down to excitement.
I’ve fallen in love with riding all over again. Not quite that first heady rush of 50 years ago, but as I’ve become fitter, I’ve enjoyed it more and surprised myself.
Bu hikaye Horse & Hound dergisinin February 01, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Horse & Hound dergisinin February 01, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Jappeloup
A small horse who looked like two halves put together’, Jappeloup nonetheless proved to have a big heart and a huge talent”.
Collett takes two
A bumper fixture hosts 12 intermediate and open intermediate sections, as Paris contenders blow away the cobwebs
Capitalise on buyers' remorse
Equestrian properties might be in short supply, but prices are back to normal after the Covid frenzy as the capital lures buyers again
Games making
Equestrianism will be in the thick of the action in Paris, but the logistics of hosting Olympics in the heart of an iconic city are a challenge. Kate Johnson asks organisers, riders and grooms for their memories of urban Olympic sites
On the bench
Being picked as the \"fourth man\" to support a three-man Olympic team, ready to step in at any moment in the competition, requires a resilient and unflinchingly sportsmanlike mindset.
A brush with the Games
Want to know what really goes into preparing an Olympic campaign? Bethany Stone speaks to top industry grooms with star-studded CVs for the scoop
One moment in time
The Olympics is the zenith of an athlete's career but precious few scale those giddy heights. Sue Polley asks four British Olympians about their most memorable experiences
'Pride? I just felt relief
Blyth Tait on jumping barn roofs, \"freezing\" in the Atlanta heat and the day his eight-year-old prodigy won Olympic gold
Mental health advocate
Harry Dunlop retired from training in 2022, having held his licence for 16 years. He founded the Trainer Support Network in 2023
Hugo Simon
The six-time Olympian tells Bernard Bale about his \"extraterrestrial\" string of horses, changing nationality and his success at the boycotted Games