From Coffin Bunks to Olympic Dreams

Last month I slept in what can only be described as a coffin-sized bunk above a truck cab. 

Five days in a muddy field with my horses and dogs at the final big competition of the year, this is the reality behind the Olympic dream everyone sees on telly. 

Passing the Torch

Years ago, I had my moment representing Ireland at the European Eventing Championships. Today, I'm backing a young New Zealand rider who sold everything to move to the other side of the world and chase her Olympic dream. 

She's got that same fire I remember having, that willingness to sleep in truck bunks and eat dodgy field food if it means getting one step closer to those five rings. Watching her progress reminds me why I fell in love with this sport in the first place.

The Beautiful Equality of Equestrian Sport

Here's something that never gets old: equestrian is the only Olympic sport where men and women compete as equals. Not in separate categories, not with different rules – as proper equals. Your gender doesn't matter; your partnership with a half-tonne flight animal does.

It's a sport where a 5'2" woman can out-jump a 6'4" man because her horse believes in her that little bit more. I love everything about that.

Dreams Shared, Dreams Multiplied

Now we share the dream of getting a horse to the Olympics. How cool would that be?

From my own competitive days to mentoring the next generation, the goal posts have shifted but the excitement hasn't dimmed. If anything, watching someone else chase their Olympic dream while you guide them from the sidelines adds a whole new layer of meaning to the journey.

Keep Dreaming Big Dreams

The path isn't always glamorous. But when you're doing what you love, when you're chasing something that matters, even the uncomfortable bits become part of the story you'll tell later.

So here's to the dreamers, the believers, and the slightly mad ones who think sleeping in truck cabs is a reasonable price to pay for Olympic glory. Here's to the horses who carry our hopes, and to the people who remind us why we started this journey in the first place.

Keep dreaming big dreams. The Olympics are waiting.