Jess Rimmer leans into winter training, a new horse and an alphabet game that somehow ends in Tenerife sunshine and bacon turnovers
All images: Courtenay Hitchcock
OK. It’s officially end-of-season. And cold. And dark. And just … generally … winter. YAY.
To perk us all up (and also, since we haven’t got any events to report on), I figured we could play a little bit of Alphabetti Spaghetti.
If any of you happen to be extraordinarily loyal readers who’ve followed us from the beginning (and I mean, the VERY beginning), I actually introduced myself and the team with this game in our very first article. Naturally, I have absolutely no idea which letter I finished on last time (F. You did A-F… – Ed). I was going to start with the end of the alphabet to go with the end of the season and the end of the year, but I got to X, Y, Z and… yeah, nope.
Conveniently, Courtenay came to Dorset Showground to take some pics for this month’s article, and BOOM!
D is for Dorset Showground!
The “big boys” are all still out enjoying their post-season holiday, and naturally it didn’t take me long to get itchy feet and crave some sort of eventing-related stimulation.
Cue winter training, and the haven that is Dorset Showground: a vast all-weather arena, a mud-free car park, and the best service station on planet earth just a stone’s throw away – say no more!
(Riverside Garage at West Stour. You’re welcome – Ed)
OK, it might not be all that glamorous, but it is the most perfect location for us to bring our newbies, babies and also the non-holiday savvies (cough, Sir Henry Hall). Like any 11-year-old boy, Henry’s brain doesn’t particularly enjoy a quiet break – he’ll start bouncing off the walls. He likes to be kept thinking, so he stays in work.
On this occasion, we took old-timer Henry and newbie Blondie along for a pop around the course – it’s really useful to train in a competition environment, without the added atmosphere.
It was a very productive outing – I’m still getting to know Blondie (I know, I know, a new character, and a mare too – what’s going on?), but I’m really enjoying discovering all her buttons.
Henry, meanwhile, is a bit like putting on an old pair of slippers – he’s only ever really been ridden by me when it comes to jumping, so we speak the same language … he put a huge smile on my face (obviously the warm bacon and cheese turnover from the garage put a huge smile on my face too, but we won’t tell Henry that).
Eventers on Tour
Next up is E, which stands for Eventers on Tour. This one’s pretty much what it says on the tin: it’s actually a Whatsapp group chat consisting of 11 young event riders, and we spent five nights in a villa in Tenerife earlier this month. Work hard, play hard, right?
All laughs aside, it’s so important to spend some time away from the yard every now and again, and it is certainly nothing to be shy about. Equestrians, whether eventers or not, are all guilty of believing that giving yourself a break is a sign of weakness. But, ever the hypocrites, we emphasise how important it is to give our horses one?
A change of scenery, some sunshine and good company is beneficial on every level (not to mention fun!).
Staying on a theme, my F stands for friends. While I’m not going to unravel into a deep, meaningful discussion about the importance of friendship in what is primarily an individual sport, I will remind you that, when you fall off in a water jump, who else is going to laugh at your green, slimey jodpurs and ask if you packed any spare underwear?
Selection!
G stands for getting ready! I think it’s safe to say that everyone in the eventing world is already counting down the days until next spring. The winter months can be long, but Team Rimmer has some exciting aims for next season, which is giving our winter training plenty of purpose.
The exciting news of the Under-25 World Championships making its debut next year has definitely pricked up our ears, and our preparations should be all the stronger thanks to some exciting tuition as a result of our recent selection for the U25 Howden Way Rider Talent Academy* – which was all down to Basil and his epic 4* results this year!
So don’t worry – although there isn’t any actual eventing until March, we have plenty of work to do in the meantime to keep us out of trouble!
*Jess is one of just 17 riders in the UK who have been selected for the 2026 U25 Howden Way Rider Talent Academy. The Under 25 Programme is designed to support athletes who are capable of achieving Nations Cup selection or aiming for the U25 World Championships.
Working in collaboration with British Eventing, the Academy aims to nurture and develop the next generation of talent.
WELL DONE JESS! X
