#RIDERSCONNECTED

We are living through unprecedented and unsettling times – in just a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the world as we knew it. In early February, the EquiRatings team in Ireland and the BlackHorse One team in Germany, were both working on their plans for the 2020 season. Both teams have a number of projects which are supported by SAP and as a result, we all work together regularly on multiple projects – from Event Rider Masters, to CHIO Aachen, to the CCI5* at Adelaide.   

​

In March, for us and for many in the equestrian community, everything stopped. Very quickly, most of the world was being asked to engage in social distancing and so many of the things we took for granted – hugging friends and family, gathering to eat, travelling to shows – have been put on hold.

​

Part of what makes this moment feel so difficult is not just the anxiety we all feel around the virus and the fear of the economic damage it is doing, but also the way it has paused the equestrian shows that connect us as a community.

​

Being physically apart is difficult, but we are strong community. Riders, fans and friends from the equestrian disciplines, in every country and at every level, know the importance of staying connected and supporting each other. With the encouragement and support of SAP, EquiRatings and BlackHorse One have come together to launch the #RidersConnected platform.

​

Our friends at Event Rider Masters, at Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony, at the Eventing Podcast and beyond have supported us. Our goal is to share messages of support from around the world, games, videos or online offerings in coaching and judging which could be useful, informative, distracting, or inspiring.

We hope you find some of these resources useful during this difficult time.

​