The inspirational Nicola Wilson
The 2022 Horse & Hound Inspiration of the Year award winner Nicola Wilson spoke on stage at the British Eventing Sport Trust ball, which raised £194,000 to support riders. “I’m living, I’m fighting and I’m going to get there,” Nicola told guests, thanking the trust for its support since her fall at Badminton in May. British eventing team manager Dickie Waygood also gave a speech, saying: “I am absolutely sure, as everybody in this room would be, sometimes that inner chimp would be there saying to Nic ‘You’re not tough enough to ride this storm’, but I can tell you now, Nicola looks back at that inner chimp and says ‘I am the storm’.”
Read more from Nicola and the charity
It’s nearly here!
The 2022 London International Horse Show kicks off tomorrow, and the team is on site and ready to go. Horses who are to compete in the international dressage classes have arrived, as have those who will take part in the Garde Republicaine and the Devil’s Horsemen displays. “This year’s London International Horse Show is looking very good,” show director Simon Brooks-Ward told H&H. “From world-class competition to breathtaking displays and the return of the fancy dress class and the Markel jockeys’ jumping in aid of The Injured Jockeys Fund, it’s all adding up to be a great show.”
Find out how to get there and how to watch from home
The white breeches debate
H&H columnist Anna Ross shares her thoughts on some new year’s resolutions she’d like to see, including on walk pirouettes and German accents, and also on white breeches. British Riding Clubs’ decision to allow black and navy to be worn in competition has sparked much debate, and Anna believes dressage will follow suit. “I’m confident the sport will survive the move forward, should British Dressage wish to follow the riding clubs and adopt it as a rule,” she said. “I’ll bet my blow-up Santa they will.”
You might also be interested in:
Christmas magic about to start as top horses arrive in London
Anna Ross: ‘It’s time for dressage to ditch the white breeches’
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