I’M not sure I realised how difficult it was going to be watching an Olympic Games on TV on my couch at home and then having to write about it!
I’ve been lucky enough to go to 12 Olympic Games with various different hats on – as a rider winning medals, as a rider not finishing and coming home empty-handed, as reserve rider, coach and TV commentator. Every Games is different, every Games special in its own way, some more fun than others but all creating lifelong friendships.
Tokyo will be no different. Covid has put so many extra pressures and protocols in place. What we see on TV, with riders waving to empty stadiums, is a gloss that disguises everything that has gone on behind the scenes for weeks and months to help our riders cope with unprecedented heat and humidity, on the other side of the world, under Covid restrictions.
Esta historia es de la edición August 05, 2021 de Horse & Hound.
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Esta historia es de la edición August 05, 2021 de Horse & Hound.
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'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change
