Work-horse balance
The event sales manager
How I make it work: early starts, a short commute to the office and a super-supportive horsey mum
Clare Hall is an event sales manager at Bauer Media, working on our very own extravaganza, Your Horse Live. She has two horses, a Dutch Warmblood and a Thoroughbred ex-racer, and loves dressage.
My job…
I work solely on Your Horse Live, so my year revolves around that. I deal with more than 450 exhibitors and am responsible for stand sales, sponsorship, the show guide and helping out with demos, among other things. My role is varied, which I love. I’m based in the Peterborough office mostly, but I go to all the equestrian shows and get to meet some fantastic people along the way. I’m so excited about this year’s show — we have so much going on. For me, being something of a dressage diva, I’m beside myself with excitement at the thought of seeing and meeting Isabell Werth.
How I got here…
I spent seven years in high-end commercial recruitment. It was a 24/7 role with a lot of travelling and I was always on call. I didn’t have any time for my horses, so something had to give. Enter Your Horse Live! This year will be my fifth show. It can be stressful at times, but it’s what I call ‘good’ pressure. The show goes from strength to strength. I find it rewarding to see it through from beginning to end — then doing it all again and learning from the previous year.
My horses…
I have two boys at the moment, although at one point in my life I had five horses. Toby, my 17hh Dutch Warmblood, is now 17 and working at medium level dressage. He was brought over from Holland as an eight-year-old and has been a handful and a challenge from day one, but he loves life and still thinks he’s four. He has a huge character and I’m very lucky to have some wonderful people who train us and keep me focused. Cal is an ex-National Hunt racehorse who was in training with Nicky Henderson. His dam was Close Harmony. She’s also the dam of Barbers Shop who I met at Your Horse Live 2018 — it was great to see the likeness to Cal. Cal came off the racecourse last May. I’m biased, but he’s a super-looking chap, very leggy at 17hh and extremely quirky, which excites me. He’s beginning to find his own personality now and is also changing shape and filling out. The training plan we have in place for Cal is all about helping to develop him, along with the change in routine from the racing yard. He’s a complete gentleman. Since they are two breeds that are worlds apart, I have to be careful how I ride them and who I ride first. Often I’ll ride Cal first, otherwise I’ll be in Toby mode and riding Cal in a completely unfamiliar way. They both need different things from me, so I’m constantly aware of that. At least I try to be.
A family affair…
My mum had racehorses for years. When they came off the track, I would take them on. I still do a lot with Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and mum helps me out with my boys. I’ve had horses all my life. There’s a very old photo of me on Heidi, my mum’s big old hunter — I look like a pea on a drum! My first pony was a Dartmoor called Humpty Dumpty. She was completely round — a classic Thelwell pony. I regularly fell off
“Being a dressage diva, I’m so excited at the thought of meeting Isabell Werth”
her, but we had fun and to this day I think she taught me the most of any of my horses.
Keeping motivated…
Work-wise, my motivation comes from the variety of my job. If I hit a brick wall with one task, I can park it and move on to something else. I’m naturally quite a positive person, but I do think it’s important to have that work/ life balance and give yourself downtime. I also find it really exciting seeing what’s new and what’s coming to market. However, it can also be frustrating at times — there’s an uncertainty at the moment with what’s happening around Brexit, which has definitely hit the equestrian industry.
Leaps and bounds…
At the moment I’m competing Toby at medium level dressage. I’m hoping to get us up to advanced medium, but I think that will be his limit. To give Toby a break from groundwork and dressage, I have to put my brave pants on and go showjumping, which he loves a little too much. Being a rather large horse, by golly he has a jump in him — for him, the higher the better! Everyone keeps telling me that I should be eventing Cal, but my cross-country days are far behind me. I’m aiming to do RoR dressage with him and perhaps some showjumping too, depending on what he’s happy with.
My daily grind…
The horses are at home, which is fantastic, so I get up at 5.45am and by 6am I’m with them. Depending on the weather and time of year, I’ll fit in one ride in the morning before work and another in the evening. Once I’ve done morning duties and riding, I set off for the office. It’s spitting distance from the yard. I normally finish at 5.45pm and return to the stables. I spend most of my evening there and am back indoors at around 9pm when I grab a bite to eat. My other half is a chef, but I pretty much live off spinach and fishcakes. I’m not a great foodie. Later, I’ll get a text from my mum saying that the boys are all tucked up and in bed. She’s a great help with them.
How I de-stress…
I do yoga, both to switch off and to benefit my core for riding. I also enjoy walking and gardening — anything outside really. I ride about five times a week, including a dressage lesson. If I’m not competing at the weekend, I’ll fit in at least two schooling sessions and a long hack. I couldn’t be without my horses. They’re my happy place.
My other four-legged friends…
I have a rescue dog called Bertie. He’s a lurcher — Greyhound, collie and a bit of Deerhound — so he’s big, but a gentle giant. I’m looking to add another horse to the family next year and I’d love more dogs too, but I’m not sure my partner will let me!
NEXT MONTH The multi-tasking English teacher, author and librarian with three horses to fill her leisure time.