Goals are crucial and my biggest is keeping yard staff in their jobs
British eventing rider Harry Meade on the added pressure of running a small business during lockdown
Normally at this time of year, as the eventing season gets under way, we would be on the road six days a week, travelling to competitions. Instead, we are locked down in our place in Wiltshire.
The shutdown has come off the back of a really long close season; it feels like it has been raining non-stop since last August. But there is one positive thing about battling through storm after storm over winter: it has strengthened our resilience, you feel you can cope with anything.
So, we have to put that durability to use on another challenge. And believe me, this is a challenge.
Thankfully, the majority of our yard team live on site. So, while we are in lockdown, we are able to carry on giving the 16 horses we have under training a proper regime of exercise and practice.
It is going to take discipline and structure to maintain the quality of training when we have not got the short-term target of a competition every week. That is down to me: I have got to find us goals.
Sure, I was disappointed that the Olympics were postponed. I missed the Rio Games because my horse died just before they began. So, if I had been selected in June, this summer was going to be my first Games. But it has simply pushed the deadline back; it has not changed the ultimate aim.
What makes us different from other sports is that we are operating a small business here. It is not just me, it is a team of people earning their livelihood from what I do. And, like everyone running a business at the moment, there is real pressure on.
I recognise it is very tough for our sponsors, the majority of whom had to stop their operations. And for our owners, too, who cannot see their horses in the flesh. This is our time to support them as much as possible.
We do not know how long it will last; I have set us an artificial date of June 1 for when horses will be competing again. If that is not the case, at least we will have had focused training.
I learnt from being injured that setting targets is a useful thing to do. And my biggest target is to keep all the staff working. This is really hard for them, they were trying to get me and the horse to Tokyo, but that has all been put on hold. Now it is my job to keep up morale and shield them from difficulties that are going on commercially.
They have been incredibly loyal to me over the years. This is my time to repay their loyalty.