Catch Up with Hiho's Sponsored Rider Emily King

Over to Emily King

Burnham Market

After a slightly unusual start to the season following my fall at Thoresby, it was wonderful to finally get things back on track at Burnham Market.

With my body still feeling a little tender and my ribs not quite fully healed, I decided to only run the two big boys. Jack had a super run in the three-star. He was in the lead after dressage and looked set to stay there, but I had to ease off slightly in the latter part of the cross-country. I simply wasn’t feeling strong enough to ride him at full speed without risking a mistake, so we picked up a handful of time penalties and finished fifth. Given the circumstances, I was delighted with him.

Valamy ran in the four-star and, although the result on paper wasn’t what we were hoping for, it turned out to be one of the most educational runs we’ve had. Sometimes the biggest lessons come from the days that don’t quite go to plan.

He produced a lovely dressage test to sit third and then jumped one of his best showjumping rounds to date. He just brushed a fence coming out of the double combination, which was frustrating at the time but gave us something valuable to analyse for the future.

Cross-country was where we learned the most. I’d been trialling a new snaffle bit throughout the winter, and this was our first opportunity to run him at four-star level, at speed, in it. Combined with the fact I still wasn’t riding at full strength because of my ribs, it quickly became clear that the snaffle simply wasn’t enough around such a big, undulating track with plenty of atmosphere. We had to circle at a couple of combinations to regain control. It was disappointing to have that happen in competition, but equally I could never have recreated that level of adrenaline or his strength at home. In many ways, the run gave us exactly the answers we needed. We confirmed a lot of the training changes we’d been working on over the winter, but also concluded that once Valamy’s blood is up, the Pelham is still the best option for him at this level.

Kelsall Hill & Cirencester Park

Kelsall Hill was then another really positive step forward as the next group of horses returned to competition following my fall. Mellow Lane made a fantastic start to her season by winning the Open Novice. Killountain Quality also went very well in the Novice, with just one green mistake across country, while HG Woods finished a very close second in the two-star.

Valamy had an Advanced Intermediate run, back in the Pelham we’d used successfully over the past few seasons. It confirmed exactly what we’d learned at Burnham Market – it was the right bit for him – and he rewarded us by winning. It was the perfect confidence-boosting run ahead of Badminton.

We then headed to Cirencester with five horses, all of whom produced solid performances. Killountain Quality redeemed himself after his cross-country mistake at Kelsall to finish fourth in the Novice, while Mellow Lane, King’s Belief and Jackpot all enjoyed valuable educational runs.

Badminton 

Next came Badminton, which felt a little different to normal as my preparation hadn’t been quite as planned following the injury.

Valamy felt very much at home and produced another lovely dressage test. Although he was slightly tense in the main arena, he stayed focused and delivered a very respectable score to leave us well placed after the dressage.

The cross-country was classic Badminton - big, bold and every bit as imposing as ever. It never fails to amaze me just how impressive that course is. You have to be completely in tune with your horse simply to tackle it, let alone be competitive against the clock.

Val gave me an incredible ride. The reality, though, was that I still wasn’t 100% physically. My ribs were lingering in the background and, more importantly, we hadn’t had the match practice we really needed beforehand. He jumped every question I asked of him, but after not getting quite the approach I wanted to one combination, I made the decision to circle before the second element rather than risk him making a mistake or hurting himself. At the time, it felt absolutely the right thing to do, and looking back I still wouldn’t change that decision.

The experience reinforced just how important those preparation runs are before a big event. No matter how well you know your horse, there’s no substitute for building that rhythm, confidence and partnership in competition beforehand. We simply hadn’t had enough of those cementing runs, and it showed.

The encouraging part was how well Valamy finished. He jumped superbly around a huge track and came home incredibly fresh. Rather than dwell on what hadn’t quite gone to plan, we decided to reroute to another five-star that spring and put those early-season frustrations behind us. Our next destination would be Luhmühlen

Aston-le-Walls & Bicton International Horse Trials

Between Badminton and Luhmühlen, Val enjoyed a couple of quiet weeks to let both body and mind recover, while my focus shifted to the rest of the team.

We headed to Aston-le-Walls with the younger horses for a mixture of Novice and Intermediate classes. There weren’t any big ribbons to bring home, but every horse gained exactly the preparation they needed ahead of their spring three-day events at Bicton, and I came away feeling very positive about where they all were in their development.

Angel’s Choice, King’s Belief and Mellow Lane then headed to Bicton for the two-star and three-star classes.

Star of the week was undoubtedly King’s Belief. He produced a superb double clear in the huge two-star Long to finish just outside the top ten, and I couldn’t have been happier with him.

Angel’s Choice also had a lovely run in the three-star Short. An unlucky rail in the showjumping meant there was no need to set off flat out across country, so we rode a nice competitive round to secure another top-ten finish.

Mellow Lane, unfortunately, picked up a technical elimination across country after jumping outside the flag over a corner… although she actually jumped the wide part of the corner! Personally, I think you should get bonus marks rather than penalties for that! She was simply showing she was more than ready to step up to Advanced level. Thankfully, she came home thinking she’d done absolutely nothing wrong, and despite the result, it was another valuable stepping stone in her education.

Luhmühlen

Then it was all steam ahead preparing Valamy for Luhmühlen, which was incredibly exciting.

Preparation consisted of plenty of cross-country schooling to make sure every detail was in place, alongside showjumping sessions both at home and away. I also took him to Bramham, where Sam was competing, so I could have dressage lessons with Ian Woodhead on site. It was a brilliant opportunity to recreate the atmosphere of a big event without actually competing.

We travelled to Luhmühlen on the overnight ferry from Hull to Rotterdam, which we deliberately chose over driving all the way to the south coast and crossing into France. It’s a far more relaxed journey for the horses. Sam also had a horse competing, so with one horse each we were able to open up the back of the lorry and create two large temporary stables. They could eat comfortably from the floor, lie down if they wanted to and simply travel as stress-free as possible. The plan worked perfectly and both horses arrived feeling incredibly fresh, despite the scorching temperatures.

Luhmühlen was one of those magical events where, for once, everything actually went to plan!

Valamy produced one of the best dressage tests of his career. It was almost faultless, with some lovely work throughout, and he was rightfully rewarded by taking the lead after the dressage. To be leading a five-star at that stage of the competition was a moment I’ll treasure forever.

Cross-country day was exceptionally hot, with temperatures climbing into the mid-to-high 30s. Thankfully the five-star ran earlier in the day before the worst of the heat, but we still had to adapt our plan to make sure the horses’ welfare remained the priority.

With that in mind, I deliberately set off half a gear slower than normal to allow Valamy to settle into his rhythm. In fact, he was almost too polite! Normally he’s a bit like a bull in a china shop - unbelievably brave and always looking for the next fence - but on this occasion he was incredibly rideable. It actually caught me by surprise, and I found myself adjusting my plan at a few combinations because I was listening to what he was telling me underneath me.

I always felt there was more speed there if I wanted it, but I was conscious of not asking too much too early in the heat. He came home absolutely full of running, with only time penalties dropping us into second place. Looking back, I probably could have gone a little quicker, but equally I’m glad I didn’t risk emptying him too soon just to chase the clock. Horse welfare has to come first, and hindsight is always a wonderful thing. Had I known how fresh he’d finish, perhaps I’d have been a touch braver, but I have no regrets about looking after him.

One of the most encouraging parts of the week came on Sunday. Valamy flew through the final horse inspection looking as fresh as ever before producing one of the best showjumping rounds of his life. Honestly, if he was ever going to save a round like that, what a place to do it! He jumped an immaculate clear, putting real pressure on Caroline Harris, who came into the arena behind me.

Caroline produced a fantastic clear round of her own to secure the win. She was a thoroughly deserving champion, and I was absolutely delighted to finish second behind her. To stand on a five-star podium for the first time with Valamy was a huge milestone for both of us and a moment I’ll never forget.

A little reflection

Looking back, it was fascinating to compare Luhmühlen with Badminton. The biggest difference wasn’t the horse - it was me. By then I was fully fit, strong and riding without pain. I had been able to prepare Valamy exactly as I’d wanted and arrived at the event feeling completely ready. It was a powerful reminder that you can’t take preparation for granted. There’s no point rushing back to the biggest competitions before you’re truly ready, because even the smallest compromises in your own fitness can affect your riding at the highest level. Luhmühlen proved just how much of a difference that can make.

Thank you so much Emily for such a fabulous read, and a huge congratulations on your podium placing at Luhmühlen - we're so proud of you!

We hope you all enjoyed reading all about Emily's season so far and took some inspiration from the fabulous advice woven throughout!

We'll be catching up with Em again in a few months time - we can't wait!

Photography credits: Rachel Collins Photography & Emily King