Anna Ross reflects on an entertaining festive show and looks ahead to 2021
It’s nearly the end of the world’s weirdest year. Who could have guessed that air kissing – something that the dressage community have been practising for decades – would become a requirement?
The breaking news at the recent High Profile show at Keysoe was that Simon Bates, who has developed the centre from a livery yard to one of the country’s leading venues, has sold it. He will be missed. We have had a lot of fun competing at Keysoe over the past 20 years, and during the pandemic Simon has managed to keep providing shows in a calendar fraught with cancellations.
{"content":"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"}
You may also be interested in:
Credit: Storm Johnson
Anna Ross explores the challenge of “making it” in the horse world and the difficult leap from young riders to
H&H’s dressage columnist ponders our ethical responsibility to our equine partners
Judges expect to see different things at each level, but these dressage tips from grand prix rider Bobby Hayler and
