All about Gem
Published :
27/02/2023 14:31:44
Categories :
Latest News
Today we are catching up with Gemma (Gem) who has been one of our customers at Hiho for a long time! We have loved following her journey (and her horse!) as well as outfit inspiration, especially when she's rocking her 3 Donkeys overalls!
Read on to find out more about Gem and what makes her tick!
Gem tell us a bit about yourself, what do you do, where are you from, where we can find you online and what makes you tick?
Hey all, I am a 25 year old Engineer, Equestrian lover, blogger and content curator in Somerset. I own my gorgeous blue eyed boy aka Con my horse. He is a 14 year old tri coloured tb/cob. We do a bit of everything, Show jumping, Dressage and Eventing. We love representing our local riding club at local and national level, I am also on the committee.
You can find us at gemeventing on instagram, tiktok, facebook and gemeventing.com for my blog, which I have had a little break from but I will be back blogging soon.
What do you do in your spare time & what you get up to offline?
In my spare time I am mainly in jodhpurs and wellies, like any equestrian, especially this time of year, usually training with Con lessons over the weekends. I do enjoy camping adventures in the summer and we have weekends away in my boyfriend's blue van that he has converted into a camper.
We know you work as an Engineer, can you tell us more about how you got into that and what your day to day role is?
I am not very academic but very practical and hands on, I was good at design tech at school then I picked engineering as a GCSE. I did work experience at a company that manufactured the gear boxes for the British touring cars. I then got an apprenticeship when I left school at 16, went to college a few days a week and I've now been qualified 6 years and been at my company, who specialises in motor sport parts for 10 years. I'm currently the only woman on the shop floor and was the only girl in my college class.It is a male orientated industry but I've learnt to have a thick skin and give as good as I get. My daily type of work is usually with cast metal - turning it from a lump into a fully functional part by the use of a CNC lathe.
What is your ultimate Hiho love (favourite piece from the Hiho collection) and why?
This is a tricky one for me, it's got to be two pieces that I wear everyday and have done for too many years for me to remember. I have a rainbow bead on a necklace which after losing my grandparents, it was a little piece of them as they had gone over the rainbow.
My second is the other bead I wear on my necklace is my Hannah Frances quote bead, “ dream big, fight hard ,never give up” it gives me drive and inspires me everyday.
Are you competing anywhere this year and what is the best piece of advice you have received when it comes to eventing?
This year, like last year, is going to be a slow start due to another surgery again after a little accident to my hand in October 2021.The aim is to get back out eventing and hopefully be able to hold him cross country. For me the dressage is the most scary part then we go out and have fun showjumping and cross country.
So my best piece of advice is go and enjoy it. Make sure both you and your horse are fit and if you have a weaker phase, make sure the other two are strong as the XC can make an impact sometimes as well as poles as they do add up.
You can find Gem on Instagram at @gemeventing
