Fizz Bolton

The Eventing Mum

Age: Terribly ancient (47)

Location: Peak District, Derbyshire

Other interests: You seriously think I have time for other interests? Hunting with the 4 Shires Bloodhounds, skiing, currently trying to get fit, incessant reader

Favourite Eventing moment: Bert’s first win – the U18ON at Belton 2011 & being at any 3 day, with or without a horse.

What is your favourite one day event? Chatsworth (yes I know it’s an international event too, but it’s our local, Bert could even hack there!)

What is your favourite International event? Badminton

Which four team members would be in your multi-national fantasy Olympic eventing team? WFP, Mark Todd, Andrew Nicholson, Nicola Wilson

Favourite quotations: Kick on  – not a famous quotation, but a fond personal one

Essential piece of kit: For me rescue remedy, duct tape, scissors, plaiting bands, baler twine

People and horses who inspire me: People – 1 horse amateurs riding at top level -Rosie Thomas & Joy Dawes.  Pretty much anybody who manages to successfully make a living from horses!  Horses – Opposition Buzz, Tamarillo, Lenamore

Biog:

I grew up in a London suburb, although in my head I lived in a fantasy country home, with horsey parents. A typical pony mad townie kid who’s heart was definitely in the country, so was very happy when we moved out and I finally had a horse of my own. My period of horse ownership was brief, as college & then growing a business took over.

Fast forward through years of riding anything and everything whenever I had the chance, to the arrival of a pony mad daughter, whose brother was dragged along to her lessons and eventually decided he’d have a go too.  Having promised to buy 1 pony we ended up with 2 and I became a Pony Club Mummy.  2 ponies morphed into 4 horses, 2 for our son, 1 for our daughter to enjoy and occasionally compete, and 1 for me – to help maintain my tenuous grasp of sanity.

I’m lucky enough to work with my long suffering husband, so increasingly spend most of my time organising horses, kids and household stuff, whilst getting the wages get paid on time and so on.

I was asked to put my occupation on a form recently – I wanted to put Juggler – the reality was too long for the box:  head groom, team manager, chauffeur, book keeper, chef, cleaner, head of PR, chief medical and veterinary officer, IT department, photographer, cameraman……the list is endless and ever changing according to the needs of my family.

So our son is passionate about eventing, wants to make it his career and is fiercely ambitious – as parents we want to support him, as the chance to try and make a living from your passion is too precious to ignore.  It can’t be more expensive than sending him to university can it?!