Laura Renwick: Grooms aren’t forgotten either *H&H Plus*

Showjumping opinion

I’m writing this during the final weekend of this year’s Atlantic Tour in Vilamoura. We must have been travelling to Portugal for these shows for the past six years and Vilamoura Equestrian Centre has certainly become a home from home. I wouldn’t swap it for anywhere at this time of year.

Of course, the unbelievable weather here helps. I’m not exactly looking forward to coming home to the cold, rain and what appears to be the virus from hell, but I’ll also really miss the whole atmosphere in Vilamoura.

{"content":"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"}