International Woman’s Day - Ladies, I salute you!

I always think there’s something a little bit special about “Girl Power” that unites woman from all walks of life and all corners of the globe! But for the sake of this blog, I’m going to refer to it as “Woman Power” because I’m a strong, independent woman who knows what she wants in life and works bloody hard to get it. Whether you’re a woman in business, a woman in sport or just a woman who’s out there doing her thing – I salute you ladies.

To my fellow business ladies: I see you working your butts off and you inspire me to work hard and achieve things as great as what you have achieved. I follow so many amazing businesses founded and ran by a woman and I will you guys to succeed on a daily basis- even those who are my “competitors”. I speak to Lydia at LD Equestrian (www.ld-Equestrian.co.uk) and Danielle at (www.dvrequestrian.com) DVR Equestrian and I always drool over their new products- just because we sell in the same market doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be supporting one another.

Another female-ran Equestrian company that has caught my attention is Teqnox (www.teqnox.co.uk) a company founded by a fellow rider, Carmen, who is the process of launching a brand new body protector. I’m following their progress and am so excited to see and use their finished product.

To the female eventers who I always tune in to watch because they are my inspiration and my heroes:

Jonelle Price- my ultimate female rider riding my ultimate favourite Event horse, Classic Moët. The woman is an inspiration: she rode a blooming 4* just two months after giving birth for crying out loud! Jonelle is always highlighted in my programme as a must-see rider. All those years ago, she ditched a law degree to be a full-time rider, won team bronze at the London Olympics, made history at the Rio Olympics with husband Tim as the first married couple on an Olympic team and she was the highest-ranked female FEI rider in 2016. She is amazing and I’m so excited to see what she achieves in 2018.

Ingrid Klimke- watching Ingrid (as is the case with most German riders) is like watching a masterclass. It’s effortless. Not only is her Equitation second to none, but she is a fierce competitor. In fact, she is the only woman to win multiple four stars in the last 10 years, with a victory at Pau in 2014 and another at Luhmuhlen in 2015. Although she narrowly missed out on her Badminton win, 2017 brought her the individual Gold medal at the FEI European Eventing Championships.

Gemma Tattersall- we couldn’t talk about an inspirational woman without talking about Gemma, could we? 2017 was the year of the Tattersall! An outstanding win in the Event Rider Masters series and one of the fastest XC riders in the world saw Gemma land the top spot in the ladies FEI ranking positions. I watched her on the podium at Blair and can safely say I wouldn't say no to a night out with Gemma- an incredibly talented rider but so down to earth and full of laughter.

To the ladies who are already inspiring us and are next in line for the top spots - My up and coming female riders and “ones to watch” are;

Lydia Hannon- finished 19th in her Badminton Debut and has some exciting horses lined up for 2018- we will definitely be hearing a lot more about Lydia this year.

Flora Harris – number 46 in the FEI rankings Flora made her ERM debut in 2017, is a previous Bramham 3* winner and Scottish Open Champion so we know she is knocking on the door of her next big title.

Franky Reid-Warrilow – Frankie is already a rider who is playing with the big boys and 2017 saw her gain an impressive placing in the ERM series at Blair International- I’m certain we will see her gain her first of many 4* completions in 2018.

To me- that’s right, I inspire myself! I run around like a lunatic all day trying to balance everything in my life and sometimes I amaze myself that I’m still going. It’s pretty unorthodox to say you inspire yourself but honestly, I really do.

And finally, to my mum- the most inspirational woman I know, and without whom none of what I have achieved would ever have been possible.

Today, I encourage you to celebrate the inspirational ladies in your life! Send your hero, be it an everyday hero or sporting legend, a text or a DM and tell them they inspire you - I guarantee that you will make their day. 

Photos of Gemma Tattersall by Dave Cameron Photography