April 2020 - Everything has changed!

Pimms enjoys a hack with Aunty Soph!

Wow I can’t believe how much has changed in just the few weeks since my last post was written. An Olympic Games has never been postponed before, but it has been confirmed that Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics have been postponed until the summer of 2021. Arguably the right (and only) decision that could have been made with the severity of everything that is happening, health always comes first and I’m sure competitors around the world are grateful for the decision being made sooner rather than later. Whilst some will be grateful for the extra year of training, for others it will be a challenge as we have both rider and horse fitness to take into consideration. After what felt like endless months of rain and a successful start to the season it felt particularly galling that as things started to fall into place, the sun came out and the season was about to get started, our year was effectively cancelled. Until dates for both this year and next are confirmed and we are safe to get back out and continue with life as we know it, we have to adapt, adjust and make the best of the situation we are in and whilst we remain safe and healthy that is something to be grateful about.

I am lucky in that I am still able to work remotely from home, which gives me some form of normality, but with the sudden reduction of riding and the absence of a swimming pool, I’m working hard to maintain my fitness levels. Although the lack of plans and uncertainty is a challenge mentally, it does provide the opportunity to step back, slow down, appreciate the smaller things and enjoy being ‘present’. I’m sure many of us are used to leading hectic lives, thinking about the next thing you need to do before you’ve finished what you’re doing at the time. The uncertainty of the current situation makes that process difficult and as such you’re almost forced to live more in the moment. With our physical health at risk, it is important not to overlook the effects on mental health, which can often be magnified during these stressful times. I’ve seen negative comments about athletes who are upset about Tokyo being postponed and it’s true, sport is not the biggest priority right now. However, athletes spend years planning for the biggest competition in the world, campaigns are made working backwards to ensure that you’re as prepared as possible in order to peak at a certain time in a certain year. Lives are put on hold to revolve around competition dates or training camps, it’s your income, your passion and your identity and the biggest thing you have put towards this dream is the only thing you can never get back... time. Hopefully we can all come out the other side with a greater appreciation for each other, the roles we play and compassion for the challenges we have faced and overcome, together.

There is a quote that says: “If you’re anxious you’re living in the future and if you’re at peace you’re living in the present” and it couldn’t be more apt for what we’re experiencing at the moment. Keep well everyone.

It's amazing what has changed in the last four years!

Erin’s March 2020 blog (before C-19)

It doesn’t feel like too long ago when we were preparing for the Rio Paralympics so to think that we are in 2020 is a pretty scary concept. It’s difficult to think of a summer event when we’ve had what feels like endless months of rain (it’s even raining as I write this) but plans have been made and the Paralympics are coming, whether we’re ready or not! At the end of last year, I made some big changes and moved both horses to be based in Lincoln with Sophie Wells. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has been part of my journey, both past and present and I am always humbled by the commitment that people have had towards enabling me to pursue my dreams, so thank you to everyone – you know who you are.

Last month we had the first of our selection trials at Myerscough – our Winter Championships. We decided that Pimms’ competition schedule would start a little later in the year as otherwise it’s quite a long season for her and she is already very experienced, so this was Loki’s chance to take the spotlight at his first National Championships. His last big show was Bishop Burton, which was the beginning of August, so it had been a good few months and although he had felt like he was much more secure in his work and us as a partnership, I wasn’t totally sure what to expect. After five minutes of arriving the wind blew a pool of water that had collected on top of the stables all over me and I was absolutely drenched so I was hoping this wasn’t a sign of how the weekend was going to go!

I’d entered him for the gala night on the Friday evening and then he had two days of the individual test so it would be a similar duration to an International. He doesn’t yet have his own freestyle, so I borrowed Pimms’ music and slightly adapted the floorplan so it wasn’t quite the finished product, but it was a good chance to get him into the arena and to expose him to the busier atmosphere of the gala evening. Loki can be a little bit ‘looky’ not because he’s scared but because he’s nosey, but he kept his focus on me and I was really pleased with how he handled everything. I hadn’t seen any scores so after I got changed, I went back into the arena (which was lovely and heated!) to watch the others and suddenly my score was announced – 77% and a new PB! Loki had won the Grade 3s and had the second highest score of the night across all grades behind Sophie and Jorge – I’ll take that! It was quite a late night with the prizegiving around 10.30pm but I was absolutely thrilled with the start we’d had, although I did feel a bit of pressure to maintain it and I was hoping it wasn’t a total fluke!

The following day was the individual qualifier and Loki continued his super form with another solid test. Although it wasn’t faultless (do we ever think we’ve done a faultless test?) I was really pleased with the progress we’ve made and a score of 74.8% and first place confirmed what I had felt. At this point I was tempted to quit whilst I was ahead, but the following day was the Championship day, although we were only competing H/C as I hadn’t done any of the qualifiers with him, so he only had points from internationals. It was the same test so a good opportunity to improve on some of the areas that weren’t as strong the previous day and he didn’t disappoint. The work felt more consistent and for the third time over the weekend I came out with a smile on my face, a 76% score - and another PB was the icing on the cake. Loki also managed to blindfold himself on the way out of the arena when he shook his head so hard his ears came off and fell over his eyes. The clapping very quickly turned to laughter as members of the audience noticed what he had done, fortunately, after a brief pause of realisation that he could no longer see, Loki very cautiously walked out the arena so that his ears could be removed and he could see again!

Looking back over the last four years it’s amazing to think how much has changed and there’s a sense of accomplishment to have gone from a competitor who kept narrowly missing out on team selection to having done a European Championship and a World Equestrian Games with a medal of each colour to show for it. The Paralympics is the big event still missing from my CV, but whether this will be the year I’ll get a chance to change that – I guess we’ll soon find out!

I’d rather be ready and not needed than needed and not ready!

Erin and Pimms

After Hartpury we decided that Loki and I could both do with another outing under our belt and with an International coming up at Bishop Burton it seemed a good opportunity to take him. Despite a superb year with Pimms, we unfortunately just missed out on selection for the European team, where three riders were given the opportunity to make their Championship debut alongside multi-medalist Sophie Wells. However, we were selected as first reserve so Pimms came along with us so that I could continue training with her as they would leave for the Europeans just a week later. Loki had a much more consistent week with top three placings behind established combinations and delivered, as the commentator announced after his first test “very mature performances” despite just being six years old and very new to the international scene. Having proved his temperament I look forward to seeing how much he will change over the next few months, fingers crossed we can learn to get the power and balance under control so that we can work towards achieving the higher marks.

As part of our role as reserve we were required to pack up and take Pimms to meet with the rest of the team in Kent so that we were ready in case any horses weren’t fit to travel. Packing the lorry for a week in the rain wasn’t my favourite experience but I’d rather be ready and not needed than needed and not ready so it’s all part of it. All horses were declared fit and back Pimms came, confused that her road trip and trotting up hadn’t resulted in actually being ridden!

So the following week apart from work, riding and gym I was glued to the live stream keeping up to date on how Team GB was getting on out in Rotterdam. We started with an outstanding performance from all members of the team in the Dressage followed by heartbreak when Charlotte Dujardin was eliminated. As a rider I know how much time, effort and commitment goes towards making sure that the horses are happy, healthy and feeling their best and to have been eliminated after such a stunning performance. I can’t imagine how Charlotte must have felt but she handled it like a pro and it was noted that she was seen helping her team mates as well as Para rider Nicky Greenhill.

The Para Dressage team held their own against strong competition and excelled to come back with Team Silver and a handful of individual silver and gold medals from Soph and Georgia. There’s always incredibly high expectation when Soph enters the arena and although I know that the perfectionist within her will have wanted the gold medal around her neck, the agonisingly close 0.2% margin demonstrates her ability to deliver outstanding performances, whatever the occasion. Georgia might have been making her debut but she’s been working hard in the background for a while and not everyone was surprised by the impressive performances she delivered, her mascot Billy II obviously did a great job of keeping her calm and relaxed! A massive congratulations as well to Nicky and Mari who were both also making their championship debuts and delivered strong performances each day to come back with a team medal whilst both just missing out on the medals in the freestyle after finishing in a strong 4th place.

It’s amazing to be able to show what strength in depth we have in Team GB with a number of combinations vying for places as well as further young or new horses still working away behind the scenes. The Dutch were again out in force and delivered four strong performances but there were also some great results and high scores from many of the other countries. For me, it was a shame that we are all limited to four spaces as there were a number of riders missing, not just from Great Britain but from the other nations too that would have added to the competition.

I used this week to continue training and away from the pressure of competition it allowed me to reflect on why I love this sport - I love to ride, I love the perfectionist element to it that means we are always looking at ways to be better, but most of all I love the connection with your horse and that feeling when it all comes together. I think we’ve had a good preview of what can be expected at Tokyo next year and one thing is for sure, it’s going to be incredibly competitive and there certainly isn’t going to be any room for complacency!