Ellie Hughes
Ellie has been a freelance writer for Horse & Hound since 2009 having cut her journalistic teeth as assistant and then deputy editor of Eventing magazine.
She has contributed to H&H in a variety of roles, as a reporter for all the main disciplines, features writer, veterinary page coordinator and news writer. She has compiled the eventing highlights page since it first appeared in the magazine in 2010.
Ellie has also written extensively on country lifestyle and rural topics for publications such as Country Life and The Country Smallholder, where she has penned features on matters as diverse as the history of the full English breakfast to the business of rewilding. She has co-written two books — Two Brains, One Aim with Olympic event rider and coach, Eric Smiley, and Happy Days and Winning Ways with former junior and young rider team trainer, Gill Watson.
Ellie has worked for media teams at international events, including London 2012, Royal Windsor, Badminton, Burghley, Blenheim, Gatcombe and Blair.
In the saddle, she is a former Pony Club eventing national champion and has produced several horses from scratch to advanced level, including her very special 15hh homebred Short Changed. She trained one of her former eventers to small tour level in dressage, finishing third in the National Championships at advanced medium, and is now trying to complete the hat-trick of disciplines with her current competition horse, who has recently made the switch from eventing to showjumping.
While not at her desk or on a horse, Ellie runs a busy cross-country schooling course at her home in Kent.
Follow Ellie
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How to improve a horse’s gallop: top eventers share their tips for productive fast work
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How to improve a horse’s jumping technique and encourage tidy front legs, with tips from gold medallist Will Fletcher
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Help your horse master cantering through water confidently with advice from Olympic riders turned top coaches
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Worried about riding on wet, slippery or deep going? Top event riders share tips on how to help your horse cope
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How to cope when the menopause affects your riding life
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Harry Meade scores international win on former William Fox-Pitt ride Grafennacht: ‘A really useful week’
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Are you ready to go eventing? A helpful fitness plan for a grassroots eventer
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9 ways to save money on your horse’s bills
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‘She’s still at the heart of the operation’: wins for Nicola Wilson’s young horses
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Trainee accountant tops Badminton BE90 grassroots championships despite severe allergy to horses
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‘Dope of the yard’ takes Badminton BE100 grassroots championships title
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‘I could barely walk to the end of the garden’: eventer’s milestone win after long Covid
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‘I spoke to five surgeons before I found one willing to operate’: event rider returns from major injury to win
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‘I’m hooked up to a pump that delivers my nutrition 15 hours a day’: rider overcomes serious hurdles to win eventing
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Cob overcomes asthma to score eventing win: ‘He’s incredibly tolerant of his treatment’
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‘Project’ recovers from chronic lameness to win at BE100 and advanced medium
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William Fox-Pitt leads Brits to Nations Cup final glory in Boekelo
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Grassroots eventer makes miraculous comeback from freak accident to win
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The sound of silence: the effect running events behind closed doors has on riders *H&H Plus*