Opinion
My first judging appointment at Olympia certainly lived up to expectations. I’ve ridden in the native final on four occasions and was lucky enough to win in 1997 on Rannoch Of Trailtrow, a Highland, but being on the other side of the fence allows you to appreciate the competition in a different light.
{"content":"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"}