Anna Ross on business plans and why passports shouldn’t dictate progress
The third Covid lockdown, combined with Brexit, is an interesting time with the best-laid business plans and competition goals going awry. Those who have solid contingency plans will survive. We need to push out of our comfort zones and embrace new concepts – the rest of the world won’t wait for us to get organised.
With confusion around international travel rules for horses, it’s a good thing that there will be plenty to do in the UK later this year. The Nexgen Young Horse Series, which proved a great showcase for young horses, breeders and riders last year, is back again in 2021, with an added section for seven-year-old horses.
Seven used to be a fairly boring year for horses, who were out of young horse classes but not ready to step up to small tour and FEI competitions. Not any more.
{"content":"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"}
You might also be interested in…
Credit: Kevin Sparrow
Credit: KEVIN SPARROW
Laura Bechtolsheimer riding Mistral Hojris at the 2009 European Championships.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now