‘I rode at the Olympics with a dodgy hat cover – then found out where my real one had gone…’

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Vittoria Panizzon – complete with makeshift hat cover – and Borough Pennyz at the London Olympics
Vittoria Panizzon – complete with makeshift hat cover – and Borough Pennyz at the London Olympics.
(Image credit: Trevor Meeks)

Have you ever come away from spectating at an event with a keepsake? A competitor’s rosette thrown into the stands, perhaps? One young rider left cross-country day at the 2012 London Olympics in Greenwich Park with a special token of the day, a hat cover – but it caused Italian rider Vittoria Panizzon some problems.

“I lost my hat cover on the cross-country – there were lots of low trees that they couldn’t cut the branches off because of park rules,” reminisces Vittoria in an interview on this week’s Horse & Hound Podcast (episode 94).

Pippa Roome
Pippa Roome
Magazine editor and eventing editor

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.