The final fixtures of the British Eventing season are already in the rear view mirror and from social media to bedtime reading, all eventing fans and competitors can see the signs that it’s all over for another year.
Check out our list of sure-fire clues that the eventing season has come to an end…
1. When someone invites you to do something non-horsey on a weekend, you consider their proposal rather than just saying no.
2. Social media is filled with riders thanking owners and sponsors for their support over the season.
3. You start to wonder whether event schedules on the British Eventing website are really suitable bedtime reading.
4. You find yourself at British Showjumping shows, looking oddly out of place. It’s ok – wearing a hairnet really doesn’t make you wrong.
5. Ditto British Dressage shows. And yes, tweed is perfectly acceptable in the dressage arena at the lower levels, whatever the H&H dressage editor says.
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6. You start to see pictures of event horses looking hairy and muddy on holiday on Instagram rather than competition shots.
7. Event riders will soon be tweeting about their skiing injuries, rather than their eventing injuries.
8. You find yourself taking an unprecedented interest in eventing in Australia, New Zealand and anywhere else where the season is still continuing.
9. If your last event went badly, you’re frantically searching for hunter trial schedules so you don’t have to rest on that cross-country round for the next four months.
11. You put Badminton, Burghley and your personal goal for next year in your work diary to deter anyone from booking you for actual work on those dates.
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
