A 61-year-old eventer and her 21-year-old son have gone on an adventure of a lifetime as they take part in the BBC’s Race Across the World.
Caroline and Tom Bridge were one of five pairs competing to win the £20,000 prize in the latest series, which began on BBC One on Wednesday (23 April). The teams had to race more than 8,699 miles (14,000km) across Asia, without the help of smartphones, bank cards, or flights – and with a limited budget of just over £1,000 per person. The aim was to be the first pair to reach the finish line at Kanyakumari, in India.
Caroline, who won the 2024 British Eventing BE80 grassroots league with her 14-year-old gelding Really, told H&H the experience was “absolutely amazing”.
“I would jump at the chance to go again tomorrow. It was challenging and something you could really get your teeth stuck into,” she said.
“I watched series two and absolutely adored it, and I knew the programme was for me. I went for a walk with Tom and asked if he’d do it with me, and I think he only agreed to shut me up and didn’t think we’d have a chance of getting on. But we started the interview process, and I just had this inner feeling that we’d get through.”
Caroline had to keep her travel plans a secret from friends.
“Tom’s godfather lives in Australia, so we just told people we were going to visit him and to travel around Australia for a while,” said Caroline.
“The only awkward part was when we got back and people asked how Australia was and of course we’ve never been, so we had to brush it off and hoped they would change the subject.”
Caroline and Really.
Caroline has been horsey all her life and she believes this helped her along the way.
“Horsey people are generally quite grounded and extremely tough. You can put up with being dirty and grubby and you just get on with it, and that really helped because dignity goes out the window very, very quickly,” she said.
“You don’t mind getting your hands dirty in both senses of the word. And I was quite fit, which was probably the biggest help for me in the long run.”
Caroline said the experience made her realise how much she could achieve.
“I realised that you’re capable of achieving so much more if you put your mind to it,” she said.
“Even if you think you’re fading away at my age, it’s just a myth. If you can keep yourself fit in mind and body as much as you can, you can really achieve a hell of a lot more than you think.”
Caroline is now gearing up for her next adventure – the BE80 national championship at Chillington Hall (31 May-1 June) with Really. The pair’s season got off to a good start with a win in the Poplar Park BE90 (1 March), second at Munstead (22 March) and third at Moreton Morrell (3 May).
“It’s lovely to be back and I’m looking forward to the championship. Eventing has got a little bit of the challenge of Race Across the World because you have to be prepared, fit, determined and have an aim in mind,” said Caroline.
“I’m glad to have eventing because otherwise I would have wanted to go straight back out and travel again!”
The third episode of Race Across the World airs at 9pm tonight (Wednesday 7 May) on BBC One. Viewers can catch up on the first two episodes on BBC iPlayer.
- To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
You may also be interested in:
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
