No recollection of the equestrian highs and lows of 2012 would be complete without some reference to the Olympics. I was in a very privileged position throughout the run up to and during the event, being involved, hands on, in the planning of the content for H&H. This was my second Olympics at H&H but for the obvious reason — it being a home Olympics — this was so much BIGGER.
All planning for the year, such as holidays and personal arrangements, revolved around those few weeks in July/August that were totally blocked out of the diary. And then in a flash it was over. But not without my having acquired a rather peculiar version of a builder’s tan caused by baseball cap, sunglasses and short sleeved shirt earned while glued to my seat throughout the dressage freestyle. How lucky was I to be there?
Thank goodness for Burghley that provided the perfect pick me up in the Olympic-aftermath. My friends and I make an annual pilgrimage to the event that lasts over as long a weekend as we can possibly make it and involves lots of shopping, eating, drinking — oh yes, and following the performance of our favourite riders and horses.
On a professional platform, I’m very proud of Ask The Vet and Ask The Trainer, two one-shot special publications produced by H&H that I edited this year. Both have done better than expected and I’m now working on the APP version of Ask The Trainer that contains lots of exciting additional material.
My low for this year is seeing my now 31-year-old warmblood turn from a handsome specimen of a retired horse to an old man in such a short space of time. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for one more summer for him…
Jaki
Horse & Hound celebrates an incredible 12 months for the equestrian world in our 2012 Review of the Year magazine (6 December, 2012). Grab your copy from your local stockist or buy a digital issue online now.
