Being organised is key for Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing competitor Lorna Ewin.
The Kent-based rider balances working as a facilities manager for a London firm of brokers with riding and competing three horses.
“It is about working out your timetable,” said Lorna.
“I get up at about 4am, arrive at the yard between 5-5.30am, ride and am on the train to London at 7am to start work at 8am.”
Lorna finished at 4.30pm before catching the train home and riding another horse after work.
She has two of her own horses and also rides Claudiuss (“Claude”) for her mother, Valda Angier.
“This is the first time he has done this sort of thing,” said Valda, who had made the trip up to the Bedfordshire venue to support her daughter.
Claude, a pure-bred Arab, competed in ridden showing classes at Royal Windsor Horse Show earlier this month.
He has also enjoyed success at arena eventing and in Arab Horse Society classes, finishing seventh in the overall performance awards last year.
Lorna has competed in showing classes at Horse of the Year Show three times and took her first steps into the world of horse trials this weekend.
The Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing, run in association with KBIS, was also Claude’s eventing debut.
“He is nearly 100% Crabbet — we did a hunter trials two weeks ago at Crabbet Park, which is where his ancestors are all from, which was nice,” added Valda, adding he is an “absolute angel”.
“We bought him as a five-year-old from breeder Diana Whittome in Wales and have remained great friends.”
Valda added the event has been “super” and found it a “great help” to have nutrition advice on hand from Spillers.
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The striking grey was a stallion until he was five, but has taken to his new life as a riding horse with aplomb.
Lorna walked the course with four-star eventer and coach Milla Lanni, which she said was really helpful.
“The only thing he questioned was the ditch, but he looked and went,” said Lorna.
The pair jumped double clear to finish ninth in the 70cm section.
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