‘We need investment in venues'

Carl Hester on great memories at Hickstead, and change needed in the sport

- Carl Hester

Edward Gal and Totilas produced a record breaking freestyle on their first UK appearance at Hickstead in 2009

I KNEW prior to the Rotterdam Hickstead Grand Prix Challenge that this online event was likely to be the swansong for Dressage at Hickstead.

I’ve known Dane Rawlins since I was in young riders, and he’s a hands-on person. As an example, I once stayed with him before the national championships at Goodwood and he very kindly gave me some training – the payback was helping him build a barn.

So it was no surprise that he was available to chat while in the process of removing a septic tank. What did surprise me was that, rather than being left with a nasty smell, his attitude to dismantling his and his team’s work, dreams and achievements at Hickstead, and what it brought to our sport, was more philosophical.

Looking back over Hickstead highlights, we see the start of what has been achieved in our sport today: the young rider and junior Europeans in 1998 where Britain won bronze, then the almighty 2003 European Championships (which was a stinger for me being team reserve) where Britain won the first team medal, bronze. How far we have come since then.