Adam Cromarty reflects on 2022 and ponders the path ahead for the sport of showjumping
Reflecting on 2022, it was always going to be a quest for normality. Globally, some Covid restrictions lingered, but we have to be thankful that we could experience key events back on the calendar and deliver a full capacity experience.
British athletes flew the flag around the world and there’s been a lot to celebrate. Harry Charles had a masterful campaign that included a medal-dependent clear round at the World Championships and a fourth place finish at the World Cup Finals. Ben Maher is building an exciting string and his championship title on the Global Champions Tour was outstanding. Matt Sampson had the biggest wins of his career and proved that a great work ethic does pay off.
An event that stood out for me was the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Every year it brings together the ingredients necessary to provide world-class sport and fun for the whole family. The addition of the Pageant celebrations made it truly unforgettable. When else has our sport sat alongside a choreographed show featuring names such as Tom Cruise and Dame Helen Mirren?
It also provided me with a great dinner story after I found myself in the Royal Box, inches from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, bent over a TV monitor that had turned itself off. Memories from this event would possess an even greater meaning later in the year with the sad loss of an outstanding monarch and horsewoman.
“Let’s raise the bar”
The festive season has provided a great opportunity for reflection. Reinvention, being reactive to the world around us and continually adapting is so important. Perhaps there are elements of our national sport that would benefit from this approach. Adding a more formalised young horse series with appropriate courses would be welcomed.
With many professionals wintering abroad, could we adapt the Winter Classic series to factor this in? Does using double clears as a route to qualification create good sport and competition? Is there room for a 1.50m series at our premier and elite events? Would a restriction on the percentage of single-phase competitions allow people to get jump-off experience? What about an immediate jump-off where riders who are clear remain in the ring and get a second bell before jumping-off?
These are just a few thoughts based on what I see working around the world; every reader will have their own. We’ve weathered the pandemic and have come out with a great asset in a national training centre and a strong membership – now let’s continue to raise the bar.
Cost crunches
This new year is going to present challenges. The cost of the energy crisis has been under-reported. For residential customers, the Government price cap has given some certainty until April 2024. However, the equivalent for commercial customers lasts only six months.
Businesses are now paying roughly double what they were last year. Numbers at national shows seem to be fluctuating and I’m sure the cost of living must be a factor. Business advice needs to be made available and perhaps British Equestrian and its member bodies could facilitate this.
Who knows what 2023 will bring, but it’s filled with potential. So I raise a glass to you and yours and wish you all the best. As we say in Scotland at Hogmanay, lang may yer lum reek!
• Do you agree with Adam’s suggestions for showjumping in Britain? Let us know your views by emailing hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county for the chance to be published on the H&H letters page in a future magazine
- This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 5 January
You may also be interested in…
The great showjumping horses we said farewell to in 2022
‘It’s a learning experience every time I go in the ring’: meet the teenage CSI5* competitor – riders to watch for 2023
‘It’s a money can’t buy opportunity’: showjumper embarks on amazing journey – riders to watch for 2023
Graham Fletcher: ‘Our young showjumpers came across very well on the TV’
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