If reality and funds weren’t an issue, what would you like to find under the Christmas tree? With many horse owners and riders needing the practical things in life – wellies, coats, gloves…. and can you ever have too many socks(?!), we asked what riders, grooms and influencers really, REALLY, want to receive this year. Let’s just say, Santa and his merry crew have got their work cut out…
All-round equestrian legend, Lucinda Green MBE is currently in New Zealand, and her wish would certainly help with transport: “An electric plane that takes off and lands vertically so no runway is needed.”
Speaking of ways to improve travel, international dressage rider, Lara Butler, has a different wish: “My ultimate Christmas present would be a money tree, but failing that, a teleportation device that can get you and your horse to and from a show… no more sitting in traffic!”
Fellow international dressage rider, Becky Moody, shares a similar idea: “I’d like to be able to teleport and to suddenly love getting up at 6am instead of wanting to hit snooze a record number of times!”
Irish international dressage rider, Abi Lyle, has a practical want: “For the keyboard warriors to realise they are doing more harm than good to our beautiful sport and let social media be a more positive place.”
With dressage in mind, H&H Awards’ Inspiration of the Year, Dylan Ward, has come up with a great gift and new invention: “I’d like a dressage sat nav! Either one with a screen that could go between the horse’s ears or some kind of projector that would show me where to go to stop me going wrong in dressage tests.” We think Dylan is onto something…
International dressage rider and Olympic gold medallist, Laura Tomlinson: “I wish that chocolate biscuits and alcohol could be the new found superfoods, and that ‘eating the rainbow’ meant eating the whole way around a Family Circle box of biscuits.”
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Australian international event rider, Lissa Green, is also on board with nutritious food: “Apart from the obvious of wishing no war or suffering, I’d love a machine that made all sweets/chocolate/crisps highly nutritious.”
Keeping on the chocolate theme, super groom Alan Davies is all about the chocolate: “How about a chocolate factory? I would run it and be chief tester!”
Showjumper, breeder and trainer, Jay Halim, has gone a bit more practical for his Christmas wish: “In my wildest dreams, I would love for my farm to be completely redeveloped. I purchased my place eight years ago and it’s lovely and has lots of potential, but eight years on, it seems like not much has happened, so a magic wand would be great. I have all the ideas but am lacking the funds and the know how! It would remove so much weight of my shoulders and I would be able to concentrate more on just riding. If there could be a few championship horses put in the stables and my mortgage paid off as well, I would promise to be good forever!”
Para dressage rider and commentator Natasha Baker OBE has a list of three wishes that any horse owner and mum can relate to: “I’d like my own little temperature-controlled bubble so I don’t get cold in the winter, mud that doesn’t get the horses filthy, and a baby that sleeps through the night!”. We hear you, Natasha!
With the clean theme in mind, Adam Short, groom for Tom McEwen has a couple of requests Mrs Hinch would be proud of: “I would love a lorry that you don’t have to clean, because that is the worst job. Or a fairy that would clean the lorry for you!”
Social media influencer Esme Higgs aka ThisEsme would like two very relatable presents: “I’d love an invisible force shield that can protect my horse, Joey, against any more accidental injuries while in the field – that would be amazing. Failing that, I’d like fields that don’t get muddy in winter. If you could fit that under the Christmas tree, it would be very much appreciated.”
Eventer and showjumper Gemma Stevens, has gone down a practical route too: “I definitely want an indoor school please. So, if the fairy godmother could wave her lovely magic wand and sort that out for me, that would be fabulous. I’m fed up of getting wet pants!”
Jess Errington, groom to international event rider Harry Meade, has two brilliant wishes: “Under the tree I would like to find an invite for the Prince of Wales to come and meet the horse that was named after him (Watervalley Royal Guy – known as Willy to his friends!) as he’s one of my favourite young horses. I would also like to find some elves to make sure my lorry is packed, and my horses are plaited and looking smart ready to go to an event the next day.”
Francesca Gorni, freelance international groom to multiple British team riders including Charlotte Dujardin, Oliver Townend and Laura Collett among others has asked for Santa to take this one step further: “Horses that can pack their own travel bags!”
Dressage rider Rebecca Hughes says “I’d like a speaking horse, but I might live to regret that!”, while her husband Gareth would love a “flying Harley Davison” and their daughter Ruby would like “to never grow up, as I’m having too much fun right now”.
And last but not least, horse trainer and performer, Ben Atkinson, may have hit on a brilliant concept: “My dream Christmas gift would be a set of telepathic translation headphones so I could simply speak to my horses to find out which would like each job in the show, to explain the concept of a muck heap being their bathroom to remove the need for mucking out, and to ask their opinions on the most pressing topics of the equine industry today.”
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