With just four days until the inaugural Horse & Hound Grassroots Eventing Championships we continue to meet the riders taking part and find out their stories…
Find out all you need to know about the championships >>
In the run up to the competition we take a look at the stories of the entrants who can’t wait for the event in our new ‘championship contenders’ series.
Meet Tina Hollis and Libby
Photo by Alec Murrell Photography
Name: Tina Hollis
Horse: Wolfgang Liberty
Class entered: 80cm
Why you have decided to enter the Championships?
I keep asking myself this… I’ve had a rocky couple of years! The last time I competed Libby was in 2014, but she unfortunately got a very bad case of Lymphangitus and I nearly lost her. It was an awful time, but she made it through. It’s taken a long time for her leg to go down and unfortunately she has a slight thickness to her leg that will never go away. As a result we lost our mojo as we weren’t out and about doing anything. However, now that Libby is fit and sound I thought that it was time to do our first ever event! This is something that I have dreamt of doing with her since I got her six years ago.
What you are most looking forward about the championships?
Spending time with my horse and just having fun. I’m extremely nervous so the plan is to just try and enjoy each phase, get through it, and then enjoy some time with my friends who are also going!
How have you been preparing?
I’ve created a check list to ensure that I have everything, packed my air jacket for the cross-country (Libby is 17.3hh, so it’s a long way to fall!) and also added some beers for after I’ve ridden, to celebrate getting through each phase unscathed (hopefully)!
Do you have a secret weapon?
No secret weapons here, just me and my horse digging deep for confidence!
Tell us a fun fact about your horse?
When Libby is happy she pulls faces. Her most strange one is to put her head to the side, open her mouth with her tongue hanging out and shake it around!
The Horse & Hound Grassroots Eventing Championships is being held at Keysoe (27 – 29 May) and offers riders the chance to take part in a three-day event with their horse. This unaffiliated event has classes from 70cm – 100cm.
