In his exclusive H&H column, top British dressage rider and trainer Carl Hester discusses the prospect of Tokyo 2021 and why it’s ‘our duty’ to stay at home...
													
																																		
													The news we had all been waiting for came in as I sat down to write this; the 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed until 2021. Many people, myself included, felt this decision could have been made a lot earlier; good on Canada and Australia for withdrawing first and setting the precedent.
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"}
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