Don’t mention the C-word: 8 reasons you should be rejoicing that it’s October
As far as we’re concerned, mentioning the ‘C-word’ (that’s clocks) going back at the end of this month should be a finable offence. It’s not all doom and gloom. Far from it. Here’s why you should be throwing the golden leaves of autumn in the air and rejoicing about the start of October
1. The count down has begun for the Horse of the Year Show (5-9 October). And you’re right to be excited. Get your fix of our Olympic heroes (Charlotte Dujardin, Big Star, the Whitakers…) and that’s before we’ve got started on the Mamma Mia performance from the cast of the West End hit musical. (Oh, and it’s only 74 days until Olympia. No one could ever accuse us of wishing our lives away…)
2. Autumn hunting is in full swing and you’ve taken your horse out enough times now this season that the process resembles less of a suicide mission. Taking him to the opening meet is suddenly looking like a more feasible option.
3. Take a break and embrace happy hacking — the flies have gone, the ground has softened… and the leaves. Oh the leaves. A snap of these through your horse’s ears is enough to boost your Instagram following 10-fold.
4. Equally, you could not take a break and instead gear up for some hunter trials (visit www.equoevents.co.uk to find one near you) or if you’re in the market of really getting your blood up, a team chase. N.B. Spectating the latter can often provide a sufficient kick…
5. Retail therapy. A new month equals a new pay cheque. And what better way to spend it than on some new winter gear for you and your horse?
6. Dig out your tweed and standby for the The Showcase at Cheltenham (21-22 October). And with ticket prices starting from as little as £9, there should be enough left over to have a flutter on jump racing’s stars.
Like this? You might also enjoy reading these:
Autumn hunting: Horse&Hound’s dos and don’ts for first-timers
10 signs you’ve become a team chasing addict
7. And if none of that has helped to boost your mood , there’s actually 30 days until the cl*!ks go back. So make the most of it…
8. …and what’s more — on 30 October at 2am when they are wound back, reverting the UK to Greenwich Mean Time, it will mark the 100th time it has happened in the UK, after The Summer Time Act was introduced in 1916. And that sounds to us like a pretty good excuse for a party?
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A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.