H&H Awards;
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I was debating whether to post about this or not. It was a very emotional moment to see her get to her feet and then walk up the stairs onto the stage, aided only by long sticks. The entire room was on its feet with resounding cheers and many damp eyes. Her husband, Alistair, went up with her to give support if necessary and it was possible to see his blush from across the darkened room as he stood in the limelight. Later on in the ceremony, Ruth Asquith, her groom, won Groom of the Year for keeping the yard running when Nicola was in hospital. Ruth also received a huge ovation. On hearing she had won the award, the first thing she did was to go round their table to give Nicola a hug.
The next step in Nicola’s journey is to open up her yard so she can train and mentor the next generation. She said an empty yard with no horses was just too sad. Such a brave, down to earth and hopeful person. I hope she does inspire her fellow riders. It strikes me as a wonderful opportunity for some American riders to gain experience in Europe. Eventing Nation had an article on Nov 23rd about it.
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