Tales from Hartpury: Husband and wife share ride at Area Festival Championships

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Hayley Ford and Crimson Gold at the Area Festival Championships
Hayley Ford and Crimson Gold, one of her two rides at the Area Festival Championships
(Image credit: credit unknown)

Hayley Ford and her husband James have each qualified their eight-year-old gelding MGH Airtime, aka Michael, for a class at the Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships. Hayley will contest the elementary bronze, while James takes the ride in the novice bronze.

Michael has not had the smoothest of runs after being diagnosed with navicular cysts last year and given just a 30% chance of coming sound, let alone ridden-sound and back to competing.

Stephanie Bateman
Stephanie Bateman
Freelance journalist

Stephanie Bateman began her career working for Horse & Hound’s sister title HORSE magazine in 2009 after studying a BSc Equine Science degree at Hartpury university. After a few years working in-house for a national equestrian title, she went freelance in 2011, and now writes for a variety of print and online platforms, editing sections of national monthly magazines and contributing regular features and event reports to Horse & Hound. She juggles working with being a mummy and wife, and riding her coloured mare Matilda.