Candidates for the FEI presidency have now published their manifestos, but even with this belated opportunity to widen debate into issues rather than personalities, Ingmar de Vos is still getting flak. The current FEI secretary general has controversial ambitions to change FEI statutes so that, if elected, he becomes the first salaried president. Swiss rival […]

Competition wise, things have been a bit quiet around here since WEG. We only did one more local show, where our two Prelim horses excelled. Leo and Thunder just upgraded to Prelim halfway through this year but they have shown themselves ready to be competitive from the beginning. Selena has been giving quite a lot […]

I recently heard a fantastic put-down in a trailer for a TV show. A new boss introduces himself: “Hello, I am replacing Professor Dalton.” A waspish underling retorts: “No, you are not replacing him. You are merely getting his job.” The election campaign for the new FEI president is becoming a bit like that, for […]

I was really looking forward to riding the Grand Prix Special at the Regional 3 Championships at the Global Show Grounds, Wellington, Florida which took place last week. Although I was a late entry, I was accepted. To my surprise some 400 horses participated in the show competing in five rings. On arriving, the grounds […]

It’s seven months and 11 days since The Daily Telegraph gave the FEI photographic evidence of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum (Crown Prince of Dubai, new world champion and stepson of outgoing FEI president Princess Haya) riding two different horses under the same identity at the 2012 endurance world championships at Euston, UK and CEI Numana, […]

So. I joined a gym. Not just any gym. A crazy gym. When I was younger, and didn’t need a gym, I joined loads of typical gyms because naturally I was cool like that. Now I am old(er) and I have some junk around my stomach and back. I like to call it my ‘Liam […]

We are officially falling into fall, but the Florida heat hasn’t let up yet. It’s still really hot and humid but I feel like I am used to it, finally! If it drops down below 25 I feel cold. Never thought I would say that. Finally all the improvements are done around the farm. It’s […]

I have keenly read debate on social media and elsewhere as to whether the all-sports-in-one-basket formula has reached its sell-by date, in the wake of the shambolic WEG at Normandy. I don’t know Bromont, but from what one can deduce from Google Earth, its outstanding natural beauty is equally matched by physical constraints. I hope […]

Burghley 2014 will long be remembered as an “I was there” tick-box. Even before Andrew Nicholson and Avebury had sealed their historic third consecutive win, spectators were revelling in a collective adrenalin rush. Avebury raced to the top of the leaderboard with one of the most dazzling cross-country rounds Nicholson has produced, even by his […]

I haven’t written for a bit as: 1) I have to work extra hard to pay off my AT&T bill this month as I went three gigs over our family shared limit from my husband watching WEG constantly from 4:00 a.m. until work and then further watching Burghley this past weekend.. and.. 2) I am […]