Simon Reynolds: ‘Thank you, Robert Oliver’ *H&H Plus*

Simon Reynolds on the showman who kick-started his zest for the sport

BY the time this column goes to print I will have completed my first show of 2021. I’m keeping to the guidelines of “stay local” as the show is only half an hour away from my front door, though I will be heading out under very strange circumstances; due to restrictions I will not have done my usual show preparation.

I really hope that people aren’t too eager to run before they can walk. It’s still very early in the season and looking at the calendar there will be an influx of shows, especially in June, when people will start the inevitable scrabble for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifications.

The prospect of shows is wonderful, but let it not be at the expense of a horse’s welfare. In some ways it feels like a long time since our last outing, however it also seems that shows have sprung up all of a sudden.

This exclusive column is also available to read in this Thursday’s H&H magazine (15 April, 2021)

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