I look after the PR for book publishers LewisHarding, the publishers of Dressage Dreams and Reining Dreams. To read the latest newsletter, please click the above link.

I have been asked to join the judging panel for the 2012 Equestrian Social Media Awards.

These awards were set up in 2011 to celebrate those in the equestrian world who had truly embraced social media.

To find out more about the awards, click here

This interview appeared in Your Horse magazine:

I have been appointed as senior web editor for Horse & Country TV, a successful website and SKY channel. I will be working with the channel three days per week, editing the website and working on programmes such as 'Rudall's Round up'.

Horse & Country is on Sky channel 280 and has a host of great equestrian and country programmes.

Below is a newsletter item I wrote for the August Abbeyview Equine newsletter - the creators of my website

It’s been a hectic month since I last wrote an update for the Abbeyview e-newsletter. The four weeks between the British Jumping Derby Meeting (22-26 June) and the Longines Royal International Horse Show (26-31 July) at Hickstead, for which I’m press officer, seemed to whizz past in a stream of press announcements, updates and endless picture requests! I also had a number of other equestrian events to attend in between times, including the Coral Eclipse at Sandown, Kent County Show, Ascot’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and the little matter of an Olympic Test Event in Greenwich Park.

I was somewhat relieved to receive press accreditation for the test event, as I have neither a press pass or tickets to the Olympics proper. I’ve been one of the few people who’ve supported the choice of Greenwich right from the start, for the mostly selfish reasons that I live in walking distance of the park. I knew that it wasn’t some sterile, flat piece of parkland, but that it was undulating and blessed with the most dramatic backdrop an event could wish for. Yes, three-day events usually have the obligatory stately home in the background, but Greenwich has Canary Wharf, the O2 arena, the Queen’s House and the National Maritime Museum, and the entire of London spread out behind it.

The selection of Greenwich as the venue for the 2012 equestrian events has met with controversy though, and a small group of locals gathered outside the gates to protest against the use of Greenwich park, holding polite banners with slogans such as ‘Please go home’ or ‘Fly away Piggy’. Incidentally, I’ve interviewed Piggy French before and she’s one of the nicest and most down-to-earth riders I’ve met, so it was frustrating to see her name bandied about as some reason why eventing was a sport for ‘stuck-up toffs’ and had no place in London. What was worse was the local blogger who posted online ‘Piggy French and William Fox-Pitt – great role models for young people. Not.”

I argued that sportspeople like Piggy and William, who had worked hard and showed amazing talent and dedication, were perfectly good role models for anyone, only to be told ‘Get real. There is people who live in poverty near Greenwich.’ As I don’t live on the doorstep of Greenwich park, where average house prices could quite easily cover the cost of a nice house with a decent yard, stables and land elsewhere in the country, I thought this somewhat patronising. As a friend later pointed out, sport is one area where you can excel, whatever your background, and I know lots of riders who’ve made it to the top without coming from a privileged family.

I digress. Despite being a temporary structure, the main arena at Greenwich ­was certainly stunning. Only one grandstand was used, on the south side of the arena, so when the additional stands are put in place the atmosphere will certainly be electric for next year’s Games.

What was most pleasing about the test event was the amount of press coverage it has generated – breathtaking photos of horses jumping with London’s landmarks forming a glorious backdrop appeared all over the newspapers. It was also fascinating to see the reaction of local schoolchildren, most of whom had never seen live equestrian sport before – their loud and excited cheering every time a horse went past is proof that this temporary Olympic site may have a lasting legacy after all, and that’s introducing new supporters to our sport.

It was brilliant to stand by the water jump and listen to the schoolchildren scream and whoop every time a horse approached – so different to the usual polite hush you get at equestrian events. Some chanted things like ‘Go Piggy!’ (they should have a word with the protestors, I think), or ‘USA! USA!’, and apparently some even called out, in a hopeful voice, ‘Please fall off!’

Whether the riders all manage to stay in the plate through the water at next year’s Games or not, I think equestrianism will win some new fans over the next 12 months. The choice of venue may have courted controversy, the ticketing situation is deeply frustrating, and logistically there will be issues to overcome, but I would be surprised if anyone who’s lucky enough to be there watching in 2012 comes away disappointed.

The below videos are ones I produced for the Pure Feed Company, and feature interviews with top event rider Alex Hua Tian

Below is a newsletter item I wrote for the Abbeyview Equine newsletter (the creators of my website)

Just before Tina Fletcher rode into the ring for the Carpetright Derby on 26 June, I tweeted ‘If you watch one round in the Derby, make it Tina Fletcher and Promised Land. Second last year, amazing to watch’. For once, my tipping paid off, and Tina produced an effortless clear round to take home the £40,000 prize, and I couldn’t have been happier for her.

It was the kind of fairy story that every PR dreams of – Tina was the first female winner of the Hickstead Derby for 38 years, and she’s an eloquent ambassador for equestrian sport. And for once I wasn’t watching on TV or from the sidelines – Tina’s win marked the end of my first ever show as Hickstead’s press officer, so I was right at the hub of the action - an amazing introduction to the job.

I was first offered the role at Hickstead back in October, and it came at the perfect time. I’d been working as a freelance journalist for six months, having been deputy editor at Horse for three years, and a section editor at Horse & Hound before that. Freelancing had been really enjoyable, but I missed being part of a team and working on long-term projects, and I was looking for something part-time and regular to do alongside writing. This role fitted the brief perfectly, plus Hickstead is such an iconic showground and I was totally honoured to be asked to join the team and to get the chance to work on such famous shows.

As my background is more in writing and editing as opposed to managing events, there was a lot to learn, but luckily I had lots of support from my predecessor Peter Jeffery, the Bunn family (who own Hickstead), and Lynne Reed and the team who help out each year in the press office. I started at an excellent time as well, with lots of new things to report to the press – such as the £500,000 redevelopment work in the International Arena, a brand new national show in the All England Jumping Championships (8-11 September), new sponsorship deals such as Carpetright becoming title sponsor of the Derby itself, and a snazzy website showcasing all that Hickstead offers, such as horse shows, polo, events and hospitality.

Talking of new technology, another success of this year’s event was the launch of the Hickstead app for iPhones and iPads. So far, nearly 2,000 users have downloaded the free app which delivered class results as well as essential information about the show.
The British Jumping Derby Meeting may have drawn to a close but things with me remain very busy – there’s some exciting news to release to the press before the next show, plus I’ve got my ‘freelance journalist hat’ back on and I have lots of editorial to write for various equestrian websites and magazines. Combining writing and PR is really fun and varied, and it’s great to be able to attract new clients and update my website quickly and easily with my latest news – I couldn’t recommend PagePlay enough to any other busy freelancers.

I’ve now got a few weeks to go before the start of the next show, the Longines Royal International Horse Show, and I can’t wait. Hope to see you all there!

I've been nominated in the Equestrian Social Media Awards in category three. To read the full list of nominees, and to vote, visit here

I'm delighted to have been asked to take over as Hickstead’s press officer.

Hickstead’s new press officer is 30-year-old Victoria Spicer. She takes over from Peter Jeffery, who is retiring after doing the job for 23 years.

Victoria is a freelance equestrian journalist. She worked at IPC Media as a sub-editor for Horse & Hound and then as deputy editor of Horse magazine. During her six years working for the company, she received one win and four nominations at the IPC Editorial Awards.

After graduating from Edinburgh University in 2004, she completed the British Horseracing Authority’s Graduate Scheme, including a six-week placement at the Jockey Club. Victoria owns a five-year-old Thoroughbred and competes in showjumping and dressage.

“I am thrilled to be asked to join the team, particularly as 2011 promises to be a very exciting year for Hickstead,” she said. “Being involved with such a renowned and prestigious venue is a great honour and I am looking forward to getting started.”

I have passed my BHS Stage Two exam.

I've always wanted to gain my BHS qualifications, and though it's taken me a while to get round to sitting them, I have now passed both my Stage one and two Riding and Horse Care exams.

For more information about the BHS Exam system, visit www.bhs.org.uk

Horse & Hound's Stable Stereotypes is on sale now!

I was a regular contributor to the Horse & Hound series 'Stable Stereotypes' and was delighted to see a number of my creations selected for the book.

The book, published by Kenilworth Press, is on sale now and can be ordered through Amazon or the H&H online shop.

The following are a couple of Stereotypes that were written at the end of the series, so I've posted them here instead:

The four-star Labrador
Rupert has been attending the big two – Badminton and Burghley – since he was a mere pup. Now nine years old, he knows the routine almost better than his owners do. He knows to wait patiently in the boot of the Mitsubishi during the queue to get in to the entrance, and he knows to arrive early in order to have a quick tour of the shops before the crowds descend – the sea of legs that will face Rupert any later in the day is just too tiresome to consider.
Then it’s out on to the cross-country course to watch the first of the riders set off. He recognises most of the big names by now – William, Mary, Lucinda, and Toddy, whom Rupert remembers well from his early years – it’s simply wonderful to see him back in action. Rupert walks smartly, as if glued to his owner’s Dubarry clad leg, until he reaches each fence in turn. There he sits, back ramrod straight, until he has seen a rider or two jump. He greets each stylish clear with a slight wag of his tail, while a refusal or fall leads to a tilt of his head and an expression of mild consternation.
He’s kept on a lead, which is a little irksome, but entirely understandable in the circumstances. Whereas some of those other dogs simply do not know how to behave. Barking, straining at their leads, tripping up spectators, and, heaven forbid – those who break loose and chase after the horses – it’s a small minority of badly-behaved canines who ruin it for good dogs, like him. It’s an utter disgrace.
“Next fence, Rupert,” says his owner, and off he walks, perfectly to heel.

The snow-bound owner
Margaret was not dreaming of a white Christmas. She was certainly not dreaming of 2ft of snow, a blocked driveway, stable doors being frozen shut, three hungry equines to look after and a Christmas Lunch to cook for eight.
She thought of her carefully produced Christmas Day timetable and gave a wail of despair. It was 9.06am – by this time the turkey should be in the oven, the horses should be out in the manege for a gentle leg stretch, and she should be enjoying a nice bath before opening her presents. Instead, she was dragging a bale of shavings through the snow from the barn round to the stables, and wondering how she could unfreeze the outside tap without the use of a kettle. Why did there have to be a power cut, today of all days?
At least her hunters, Donner, Blitzen and the now retired Rudolph – all former Christmas presents – seemed pretty content, despite the weather-enforced box rest. As she made up feeds containing a few extra festive carrots, Margaret consoled herself with the thought at least they would get to enjoy a Christmas lunch, even if she didn’t. Then, hallelujah, the overhead lights flicker into life – and Margaret races back inside to switch on the oven.

If you enjoyed these, check out the Stable Stereotypes book - I wrote the following:
The Buyer's Friend
The Olympia Groupie
The Coloured Fanatic
The Riding Holiday Fanatic
The First-Time Dressage Writer
The Equestrian Novelist
The Pony Club Lothario
The Reluctant Reader
The Equestrian Journalist
The C-List Rider

Tricky and I are on the cover of Horse!

We're gracing the Summer issue - and Tricky looks lovely. To find out more about him, visit the Retrained racehorses section of this site.

I'm officially a 'freelancer'!

After six years working for IPC Media, I have now left to concentrate on my freelance writing. I am available for lifestyle and equestrian commissions, as well as subbing cover - please do get in touch