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The Unofficial Badminton Recap · Shut Up and Ride

• 0:09
  Speaker A: He's, he's like a Japanese naughty film. All the best bits pixelated.
• 0:15
  Speaker B: That is how I'm starting the podcast. Welcome to the Shodcast. Cyber's pixelated because he's in his lorry because he's back to work after his badminton glory. Look at that. I'm a poet.
• 0:26
  Speaker A: What did Simon go to badminton?
• 0:29
  Speaker B: No one mentioned it.
• 0:31
  Speaker C: Hadn't seen this is the badminton and there were no Cecil Cocks anywhere.
• 0:39
  Speaker B: How is it we started this and you've said cock in the first literally few minutes. Right, There goes something to showing this. Right? Yeah, badminton happened. The trot up was a week ago today. I feel like it's gone really quickly, but I also feel like it was about four weeks of my life.
• 1:05
  Speaker C: It was amazing because it's like all three of us had some really cool things to do in it. Like Ben came along for the day and did the podcast with us and looked at the course and did some very funny interviews with you, Jenny Rudolph and then you.
• 1:17
  Speaker B: And with a four year old child
• 1:19
  Speaker C: and the four year old John and Jenny Rudle. You were journalist extraordinaire, interviewer extraordinaire. You know, looking good in your Holland Cooper clothes.
• 1:31
  Speaker B: Thank you very much. Thank you. Yeah. And you roll.
• 1:36
  Speaker C: I was in. Well, no, I wore a really nice suit which. And I won the best dressed in the. In the trot up. But that was, that was from the center of Leicester. That wasn't actually. Everyone kept on saying to me, oh, who are you sponsored by? And I was like, no. When I just went into the central Leicester and went into a suit shop and said I'm doing a horse event next week, can you get find me a suit to wear? And they looked at me as if I was completely insane, but no idea what I was talking about. I was like, I'll show you. So I had to show the photos of the trot up.
• 2:09
  Speaker B: Did they think you were going to ride in the suit to start with, do you think?
• 2:13
  Speaker C: I think that's exactly what they thought. To be fair.
• 2:17
  Speaker B: It was so funny when you won best dress and you came up to me and you were like, what if they ask where it's from?
• 2:24
  Speaker C: I have no idea.
• 2:28
  Speaker B: Someone else who looked very dapper. Ben, when you came, you looked, you looked amazing.
• 2:34
  Speaker A: Well, I, I was so. I didn't know what I was coming to and everyone made out that it was really important, which it obviously is and was. And. And I thought if I come overdressed I can always descale the outfit. So yeah, I ran Away from horses.
• 2:50
  Speaker B: You did. You looked very cool. You looked very good. Right, where do we want to start? There's a lot to unpack. A lot to unpack. We've already had a little chat off camera and realized things we can and can't say. But Symie, I think you gotta lead this because. Because everyone, your adoring fans will want to know how was badminton really for Simon Grief?
• 3:15
  Speaker C: Badminton for Simon GRE was really, it was great. I had a wonderful, wonderful time and Buster had a wonderful time and he's come out of it looking really, really good and he is a very happy boy. I had a few emotional moments. I had some as in some sad emotional moments and I had some really excited emotion moments where I was really happy and some frustrating bits and some slightly nerve wracking bits and like. So when I turned, I turned up on on the Tuesday. We all had to move in on the Tuesday. You're not allowed to the trot ups on the Wednesday and normally for a three day event you can move in on the Wednesday. But because of like the crowds and all that kind of stuff and like the traffic, they all, I think they wanted everyone in by Tuesday. So we all moved in on Tuesday, which was, which is great. And then I walked the Grassroots course with Meg Elphick and Tina Wallace just because they'd asked me to. And I tell you what, the grassroots is massive and really difficult. I felt really stupid as I'm walking it. I was walking with them, you know, when you like, I was like there to kind of advise and whatever and I was walking up to these like a couple of the combinations and I was going, oh my God, it's massive. And I didn't want to say it.
• 4:28
  Speaker B: How helpful.
• 4:29
  Speaker C: No, I didn't want to say it because they'd be like, do you think so? But you're actually the five star. And I was like, yeah, but it's all relative, isn't it? If I was on one of my hundred horses, I'd be crapping myself about doing that.
• 4:39
  Speaker A: So what you're saying, Simon, is you walk to the course with your friends slash students and basically said to them, yeah, I won't jump this on your horse, I train him. Nah, I'm good. The five star on my horse.
• 4:56
  Speaker C: Fine.
• 4:56
  Speaker A: You ran this. No problem.
• 4:57
  Speaker C: You run this. I'm crapping myself about this. No, no, no, I had every faith. I had every faith. But, but yeah, I just thought it was like, it's proper meaty stuff. I think for the grassroots, like the 90 centimeter skinny, well, not so skinny thing. Massive, great big arrowhead thing coming out of the water was huge. Really difficult, I thought.
• 5:21
  Speaker A: So basically what you're saying is, if you see someone promoting on their socials that they went and did the grassroots at badminton, you should shout them up because. Because it's still a technical course. It's still a massive achievement.
• 5:32
  Speaker C: Absolutely. Absolutely. It's all relative. And Babington likes to scare everyone. So, like. Yeah, it was proper meaty. Anyway. And then. And then on the Wednesday I was doing, I had a dressage lesson and Buster was wild and being. Being quite feisty and really spooky and really silly and really awkward. And I basically had a bit of a meltdown about that because I was thinking, this is just not going to end well. Inward head, who was absolutely brilliant. And he just tried to work with the horse and with me to get us into a better headspace, which was great. So we kept it really, really basic and really simple and easy. And actually that was exactly what was needed. And so I. Yeah, so he really helped. But I did have a bit of a sleepless night on the Wednesday night, thinking, I wonder what's gonna happen in this dressage test? And my mindset was really rubbish on Wednesday. And I did what I've done before. I was like, right, tomorrow morning when you wake up on Thursday morning for your dressage test, you've gotta get out of this mindset that you're in at the moment. Cause it's going to be really rubbish if you carry on like this. And it was really good. Cause I did. I did kind of do that. And I also got hypnotized as well, so. Which helps.
• 6:49
  Speaker B: How can you.
• 6:51
  Speaker A: So, a couple of things here. So first, I find it so amusing, small world that you've been trained by Ian, because Ian is a really good close family friend of George's and was at my wedding, at mine and George's wedding. So that just makes me laugh a little bit.
• 7:07
  Speaker C: I think he's great. Funny man.
• 7:09
  Speaker A: You just overly simplified. What is probably one of the most challenging things in any sport. You're like, oh, yeah. And then my head was a mess and it was already bad. And I went to bed thinking, tomorrow I'm doomed. And then I woke up the next day and I decided to be successful. So I was like, what, Simon? What does. What does that look like?
• 7:29
  Speaker C: How does that work? It's so weird, isn't it? It's so. Because honestly, the night before, I was like, this is just. This is just rubbish. Like you know, I'm gonna be leaving the arena because he's. Because he was really, like, really fresh and really awkward and. And I was like, this. This is just good. And. But, yeah, no, I just. Yeah, I was. And you know what? It's like when you're in the middle of the night and you wake up and you're thinking about stuff, and it always feels at least 50 times worse, if not 95 worse, than it actually is in. In the cold light of day. And I kind of was saying that to myself, like, okay, so this is feeling worse than it actually is, isn't it? So, like, come on, let's just. There was a lot of conversation going on with myself in the middle of the night and just saying, right when we. When we do eventually get to sleep. Sleep, and you wake up in the morning, let's. Let's be in a better place. And I was really weird.
• 8:19
  Speaker B: How did being hypnotized work? Did you have to lie on the. In the sofa?
• 8:25
  Speaker C: So I did it here in the lorry on the Monday. And I just sat and. And she's like, right, I'm gonna put you into a deep, deeper hypnosis now. And I was like, okay, whatever, love. And I sat there, and she started talking real slow, slowly, and she's like, oh, I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was like, you. You just imagine, like, get yourself so you're really, really relaxed. And. And then. And then, like, I said, don't know where she went from there. And then I. And I remember a couple of the things that she was saying, I think. But then I kind of felt like I dozed off, and then I woke back up again, and she said that I was in the control room of my mind and. And I needed to turn a dial in the cockpit. Exactly. And I. I needed to turn a dial to, like. And I can't remember which. What. What it was. It was like positivity or something like that. I can't remember anyway, and you need to turn that dial. And I was like, oh, and okay, this is. And I didn't, like, laugh or anything, but I was just. I was still taking it seriously. I still. My eyes closed, and my neck was starting to get a little bit crooked as well. And. And then. And then I kind of, like, dozed off again, I think. And then I woke up, and I was like, oh, okay, cool. And she was like, that's it. We're done. And I was like, okay, great. And it felt like I've been kind of like, for about five minutes, like, just listening to her talking, like, drifting off, whatever. And I was like, how long did that take? She's like, it was a bit longer than I was expecting. It was 50 minutes. I was like, really?
• 9:56
  Speaker B: That's mad.
• 9:59
  Speaker C: So, yeah, so I don't know what she did, but. But, yeah. And then she did me a recording that I played to myself on Friday night as I was falling asleep. I need to listen to that back to be back. Because I don't know what was in that either, because I was.
• 10:16
  Speaker B: Next time. Next time you're going to do this, can you tell us? Because I'd like her to, like, like, if we say something like a secret word now, like chicken, will you start going, like, program something into you for the podcast?
• 10:29
  Speaker C: Because the girls did say that when I came out the Lorry, when it happened on Monday, I came out the Laura, and they're like, oh, my God, we could hear you making the sounds of a chicken in there. What's going on? I was like, oh, you're really funny.
• 10:42
  Speaker B: Oh, my God, that's hilarious. Would you do it again?
• 10:47
  Speaker C: What, get hypnotized?
• 10:49
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 10:50
  Speaker C: 100. But why not? Like, it works. It's not gonna. It's not gonna do any harm, is it? Or. Well, I suppose it could do.
• 10:58
  Speaker B: It would have made me laugh so much if you'd just gone down that center line and started doing the Macarena or something. Like, why is my arms doing
• 11:07
  Speaker C: anyway? Yeah, I don't know. I don't know whether it made any difference or not. Yeah. Who knows?
• 11:13
  Speaker A: Do you ever worry about. With things like that? Like, because you did that at badminton and it went really well, that next time you're at a five star, your brain will be like, oh, I need to book the hypnotist lady, because.
• 11:26
  Speaker C: Oh, yeah.
• 11:26
  Speaker A: Gotta. Gotta keep everything the same. Gotta.
• 11:29
  Speaker B: They're all gonna think Simon, when he asks for his accreditation for him and his team is a real diva. He's like, I need one for Maggie. I need one for my hypnotist. I only want blue Eminem.
• 11:41
  Speaker C: Oh, dear. Yeah. Yeah.
• 11:44
  Speaker B: I. I don't know when I'm doing it again.
• 11:47
  Speaker C: Like, if I didn't have her there, I'm sure I'd be fine. But I don't know. I, like, I've been in a really good headspace the last two, five stars. I've done been in a great headspace, and I'm sure that has had a bearing on it. And it's not just the fact that
• 12:02
  Speaker B: you've Been back at five stars since starting this podcast. That's all I can say.
• 12:06
  Speaker C: Yeah, that's true, that's true. But no seriousness. That is true because I, I talk quite openly about my lack of confidence and being a pussy and all that kind of stuff and. But I think actually vocalizing it, like the mindset stuff and hypnotizing stuff aside, like vocalizing it and talking about it and dealing with it is a really important aspect of improving your self belief and confidence. Definitely.
• 12:35
  Speaker A: Does it feel weird for you? Because there's been. I've seen a lot on social media from different places, really sort of making that quite a prominent thing when they've spoken about you, like talking about your mindset and the journey you've been on it and stuff. Does it like, are you proud to see that stuff out on socials or
• 12:55
  Speaker C: are you a bit like 100? Go away. No, no, I'm, I am, I'm. I'm. I'm proud of the wrong word. But like, but I'm really glad that it's out there because it makes people kind of. What's the word? They can. Yeah. And they can relate to it and, and be like, okay, so I'm not alone because I think that's one of my biggest things that when I, like back in the day when I used to get really, really nervous and I used to internalize it all and not talk about it at all, I used to think I was the only one that felt like that and I felt really inferior and really stupid for feeling like that. Whereas if somebody actually has spoken and said actually, you know what, I feel like I get really nervous and I, you know, and I have to really work at it. I think that would have helped me more because you go around the lorry park and okay, people do look a bit nervous, but you never quite know. Like, my mind is like over the years has gone. Has been awful and played real tricks on me and, and been a nightmare. And I think most people are like that and. Yeah, yeah. And it's just me and I'm just telling everyone I look stupid. I don't know.
• 14:00
  Speaker B: No, I'm not like on another, like chatting. There's just a side note. But like this podcast and chatting about it. So I think if I hadn't had you two, I think I still would have gone on this stupid, like not stupid. I still find it awkward HRT journey. But I find because you two don't flinch when I talk about stuff. Like when I was in the, in the media center and I Was feeling shit. I was like, gonna go home, change my estrogen patch and I'll come back a better person because I'll never forget on the tour when, but when I was feeling really down and Ben went, do you need to change your estrogen pad? And I think just you two, be, like, being able to speak about it with you two. And then because I feel comfortable on here doing it, then I'm obviously doing it in front of loads of people and then, like, people are coming up to me and now I'm like, fuck it, I'm not embarrassed, I'm just going to talk about it. But I think if I hadn't had you two, I wouldn't feel confident. Do you know? Does that make sense?
• 14:54
  Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
• 14:56
  Speaker B: It is. Like, we have our therapy that we share with thousands of people. Anyway, sorry, Simon, go back.
• 15:05
  Speaker C: But yeah, no, I, I, I'd like to think that I, Well, I, I hope that it, it helps people, I hope it helps other people to hear me saying that and that I do get really nervous and I do have to really work at it. And, you know, you're not alone if you feel like that as well.
• 15:23
  Speaker B: It's amazing how nervous you get. And like Laura Collett on our podcast live, which we will be up so you can listen to it, but then you still go and do it. That blows my mind.
• 15:35
  Speaker C: Yeah.
• 15:36
  Speaker B: That I just can't fathom being that scared. I, I am that scared. So I don't do it.
• 15:41
  Speaker C: Yeah. But I get really nervous. But also now, because of my previous experiences, I know that when I get to, like, Frank four or five, I'll have an absolute blast and I'll love every second of it and it's going to be great fun. So, like, I know that those nerves are going to go and the day when they don't go is the way a day when I'll be like, I think I'm done now.
• 16:01
  Speaker B: Yeah. Okay. So dressage. How was that?
• 16:06
  Speaker C: So, yes. So the next. Well, I've mentioned about the fact that I was best dressed at the trot up, haven't I? Yeah. No. Did you love my suit, Jenny?
• 16:18
  Speaker B: Oh, my God. Can I just say, when I first met you, I didn't know you were gay. If I'd have first seen you, the first time I seen you was in that suit, I'd have tried it on. You look fucking hot.
• 16:31
  Speaker C: You say all the right things. Jenny Rudle.
• 16:34
  Speaker A: You'd have been interviewed in the crop top, Simon. She'd have made a special.
• 16:39
  Speaker B: Yeah, the tight top would have Made a special announcement. Yeah, you did. You looked sexy as.
• 16:45
  Speaker C: Yeah, it's a really nice suit. I really like it. Yeah, it's really, really cool. Although everyone was like, you clearly, clearly don't do anything with your horses because that suits cream and you just get crap all over it if you're actually doing your own horse. I was like, well, fair play, fair point. I did have two people helping me. I had Brooke and Maggie both, like, doing the horse. So. So it meant that I could go in a cream suit. But yeah, and I won. I won a prize. I won the. Hi, host. Silver. Silver. Hi ho. Silver. Gave a really, a very generous prize. And I got some necklaces for the world. The owners of Buster.
• 17:26
  Speaker B: Oh, that's nice.
• 17:28
  Speaker C: And I got a couple of bands like Leather band, Wristlet Band, things.
• 17:34
  Speaker A: We need to start a Simon Grieve to be the next James Bond after having seen that soon.
• 17:38
  Speaker C: Yeah, I'm gonna be so cool.
• 17:40
  Speaker B: And your acting classes, it's all coming together.
• 17:43
  Speaker C: It is all coming together. Yeah. Yeah. Because I was, I was going to tell you about my acting class. Should I tell you about that later?
• 17:53
  Speaker B: Tell acting class later. Keep on badminton. Stay on point.
• 17:57
  Speaker C: Sorry. So, yes. So on the Thursday morning was dressage morning and I did wake up in a lot better headspace, a lot, lot better headspace. And I took him and did a bit of work with him in the morning, but Ian was there, but he wasn't actually teaching me, he was teaching someone else. But he was kind of there to kind of give me a couple of points, which is really helpful. Like, he's a cool guy. And it was just like, so much better. Like, so much better. I. I just relaxed into it. I was like, let's just chill, chill out and not try quite so hard. And he was loads better. And then I went down to warm him up and he felt really good. And again, Ian kept it really simple and easy and kept us both nice and relaxed. And then I went in and the arena at badminton has got such a. It's got such a vibe to it. And we were just after a break and as I trotted in, people were kind of moving about a little bit and there was a lot of chatter and. And it was. I was at that point, I was really glad that we'd had the, the tour because I know that Buster quite likes a crowd. So, like.
• 19:00
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 19:00
  Speaker C: Although we did discuss this in the podcast, which you'll hear, but. And he reacted in a really good way and he went in and did the most amazing first center Line and first hole. It was incredible. He was in the lead in the markings at that point. And then it all kind of went downhill from there. No, it was nice. It was good. He did a perfectly adequate test where we're at this stage in his five star journey and my journey.
• 19:33
  Speaker B: So, yes, with the marks. I think I'm allowed to say that now because we're not.
• 19:40
  Speaker C: A few people actually did say that straight afterwards. A few people said that and people that I would really value their opinion said, oh, I think you're a little bit hard done by in that. In that test.
• 19:51
  Speaker B: Said that to you?
• 19:53
  Speaker C: He did, yeah. Yeah. Which was. Yeah. Which is really nice for him. He didn't have to say that, but, yeah, no, it's really proud of him. Really proud of him. And. And when I came out, I felt like a real. It'd been the. What's the word? I can't think. My brain functioning very well. No, the pressure was off and, like, I could just relax and, you know, and the nerves were gone. And I was looking forward to the
• 20:20
  Speaker B: rest of it because that was when Ben had, like, watched you. And then Ben was taken off by Abby Lyle to mark a test. You've never seen anyone look so uncomfortable or unfair or anything. This is Ben, who you and I know and love dearly with every inch of our being. And we're so used to being in, like, awe of what Ben does, and we're constantly in that state of, how does he do it? What, like. And us being the uncomfortable ones. I see great joy in watching Ben welcome into our world and looking completely like it was great fun.
• 20:58
  Speaker C: Did you enjoy it?
• 20:59
  Speaker A: The moment I did enjoy it, but I knew I was bad when I was. I said to Abby, as we were going to do it, I was like, oh, I'm really gonna struggle with this. I don't know anything. She was like, no, no, everyone knows enough. Like, you're gonna be fine. And then we started doing it on, like, a few practice horses. And she just looked at me and basically said, yeah, you do know nothing, don't you?
• 21:19
  Speaker C: Like, okay, crap.
• 21:21
  Speaker A: Like, this is. This is where we're at.
• 21:25
  Speaker C: But it was. It was fun.
• 21:27
  Speaker A: It was.
• 21:27
  Speaker C: It. I don't know.
• 21:30
  Speaker A: I felt even worse doing it having just watched Simon because then I had to be the person. Obviously, it was just doing it for fun. But then to be, like, watching someone else's performance and picking it apart and trying to say, that was good, that was bad, and I was like, oh, I've just had so much empathy and so much of my heart watching Simon doing it that I feel mean watching these people and being like, oh, was
• 21:53
  Speaker C: that who did it?
• 21:55
  Speaker A: No, I got into it pretty quick, if I'm honest.
• 21:58
  Speaker C: Yeah.
• 22:00
  Speaker A: Yeah. Like 30 seconds later, Abby was like, oh, this horse looks quite nice. I was like, oh, well, its head carriage is a bit, you know, could be a bit different, couldn't it? Oh, look at its outside hinder.
• 22:12
  Speaker C: Evie, who owns Buster, she was watching our test and she said that she was. She was sat in the. In the riders and the owner's kind of viewing area. And there was some. A couple of ladies sat in front of her that were basically ripping my test, ripping my test apart.
• 22:26
  Speaker B: We could hear them. I gave a glare, Simon, I glared.
• 22:35
  Speaker C: She was not impressed. She was not impressed.
• 22:37
  Speaker A: When your team were videoing you doing your test and Jenny pointed out people were saying not very nice things, I just then did my best to say exceptionally good things about you and Buster as loud as I could to be like, I'm gonna drown them out on the video. All Simon's gonna hear is me talking about how fucking amazing he looks.
• 22:57
  Speaker C: Aw, you're such a babe. Such a babe.
• 23:00
  Speaker B: Although the squeals that came out of us when you did your first halt were disproportionate to how much squeeze squealing a hulk probably should have. But we were like, oh, Simi.
• 23:10
  Speaker C: I mean, it was really good. Even my dad. Even my dad, who's completely on horses, sent me a photograph of my phone or a screenshot of my first Hulk, and he was like, this looks like it's actually really good. Is it? And I was like, it actually is, dad. That is actually really good. Good old boy.
• 23:30
  Speaker A: I find it fascinating that you say that you did the dressage and after the dressage, thought everything to be nervous about.
• 23:38
  Speaker C: Yeah.
• 23:38
  Speaker A: Gone.
• 23:40
  Speaker C: No, no, definitely not. I just felt this, like, just relief. I was like, thank goodness that's over.
• 23:47
  Speaker B: Okay, well, is it a little bit as well? Like Paul Laura Collett, before her test with Bling, there is that moment of, if I leave these boards or this doesn't go to plan, then I'm not
• 23:58
  Speaker C: doing any of it.
• 24:00
  Speaker B: Yeah, the rest of it, the bit that is why you're really there. The cross country is not even gonna happen. And so much work, time, effort, expense, owners, sponsors. So much has gone into this that you just want to get out that fucking start box on the Saturday. Is. Is it a little bit of that as well?
• 24:18
  Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. Definitely, Definitely. And. And you know, Buster's is not. He's not stupid, like. Well, touchwood is. Is fairly unlikely to leave the arena. But you just never know, do you? You just never know.
• 24:30
  Speaker B: No.
• 24:32
  Speaker C: So, but yeah. And then. And then on Thursday night, I went and did a podcast with these, a pair of complete imbeciles. And I mean, I don't know what. I don't know what they were going
• 24:47
  Speaker A: on about to Laura and Jenny, but you and I were particularly good, so
• 24:51
  Speaker C: I know we were really good. Were we, Ben? He got in there quick. Then he got in there quick.
• 24:58
  Speaker B: Were you guys convinced that that many people would show up?
• 25:02
  Speaker C: Absolutely. Because you were there, Jenny. Of course they were.
• 25:07
  Speaker B: Fuck off. I did think that we could pull a crowd, but it is quite the relief to know that when people are employing you and they have got sponsors around it, and those sponsors are in a ship. Well, they weren't in a ship, but they were like, we've got to fund the bar. Who's going to fund this? And I'd said, don't worry, our fans will drink.
• 25:32
  Speaker C: This is why I love. This is why I love being part of this podcast, because I literally just saw the. The podcast. Podcast evening. It's just a really fun little. Didn't matter who was coming. Even if there were like five people coming to listen to us. Didn't really matter because I was going to be with my mates and having a nice time and having a nice chat, and Jenny takes all the pressure and all the, oh, my God, I hope there's gonna be enough people. What happens if there aren't? And she kind of. She's pushing for it all. I'm just coming along going, yay, this is gonna be really fun. Doesn't matter how many people come. I don't know what you're like, Ben, but that's really bad, isn't it? I should be a bit more concerned.
• 26:04
  Speaker A: I mean, I was just stressed about being at badminton and realized how little I do know. So I might actually do some homework and try and educate myself so I don't have to feel like that again. But on the positive side, our fans did drink, as on, I think at least two, possibly three separate occasions, they tried to send us shots up at the front while we were doing, like, in the middle of the podcast. And one lady in the crowd got so drunk that she had to come and find us and explain to us all about how she'd once dated J. Hallam.
• 26:39
  Speaker B: That was weird.
• 26:40
  Speaker C: Which, yeah, that was.
• 26:43
  Speaker B: It wasn't me that turned him gay. It wasn't me that turned him gay. And I Was like, okay.
• 26:51
  Speaker A: I was amazing, though. Like, it was so much fun.
• 26:54
  Speaker C: And I, you, you guys didn't drink the shots either.
• 26:58
  Speaker B: I know you did. I was not having those. I don't drink the shots.
• 27:01
  Speaker C: You guys, you guys didn't drink it. And I was like, oh, it's going to be rude not to. So I think I'm going to have to take one for the team. And I took one.
• 27:06
  Speaker A: I was driving.
• 27:08
  Speaker C: I was so and so. So it was absolutely the right thing to do. But I was definitely the one taking one of the team. And then, and then someone said, oh, have that one as well. I was like, no, I can't have another one.
• 27:18
  Speaker B: We were sensible. And then all my mates at the end on one table putting on Jenny masks. They were all.
• 27:26
  Speaker C: Yeah, that was brilliant. That was brilliant.
• 27:29
  Speaker A: I loved the Jenny masks. I also loved any chance I got to see your. Everyone's parents. My parents weren't there, but your guys was. That was really fun.
• 27:40
  Speaker B: Yeah, that was really nice. My mum and your mum are now besties. Siame. I'm not sure how I feel about this.
• 27:46
  Speaker C: No, it's good, isn't it? It is good. They're both, they're both great gals. Great gals.
• 27:51
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 27:51
  Speaker C: It was so nice having my mum, my mum there this week. She's. She's such a darling.
• 27:56
  Speaker B: But also what I liked because I've obviously hosted and I know you have Simon as well, and Ben, you've been to so many of these evening wids or interviews or sit up like. And so many people. And I did put out. No, we are not doing a training tip and if you've got a loading problem, ask Ben separately. But we did ask for questions and so we, like, we had to come loads. Normally the crowds go silent and they don't want to get involved and they're not laughing or shouting stuff. But our crowd were like, yeah, we're in for it. Like, that was really nice. It wasn't just falling on deaf ears and people were leaving, like people doing it.
• 28:30
  Speaker C: It was so nice.
• 28:32
  Speaker B: It was just really fun.
• 28:33
  Speaker C: Yeah, it was really good.
• 28:34
  Speaker B: You know what I, I, what did I say on this podcast a few, a lot, few a lot of episodes ago. And I said, I am fed up with how I think what's annoyed me this week was I wish I could be more positive about myself because I've got a daughter and I want to be able to be sorry. This is probably being a bit like deep. I don't know. I'm going for it. I can Edit it out. But I think I said, I, I wish I could be like, oh, I'm strong and I'm whatever, because I want that for my daughter. And you do get a bit bored of people hearing how sad they are or down on themselves. I'm like, I'm not that person. I want to feel positive. And you know what, boys don't know if it's the estrogen talking or the podcast, but I do. I feel really proud of myself. I feel really proud of you and I'm proud of what we've achieved. And I thought I looked fucking good in my Holland Cooper shit. And yeah, I think we rocked it. And I have like a feeling of normally I walk away from these things going, oh, I could have done that better. Or we could have like made someone happy or I upset someone and I'm like, zero fucks given. We rocked it and we looked awesome and we sounded awesome and this is a very nice feeling and I'm very happy
• 29:47
  Speaker A: because you deserve to feel like that.
• 29:49
  Speaker C: You absolutely do.
• 29:53
  Speaker A: You were amazing.
• 29:54
  Speaker B: Oh, thanks, dude.
• 29:56
  Speaker C: You did drive it very, very well. It was really well done, really well put together. Good skills.
• 30:03
  Speaker A: And Jenny, I sent you a message afterwards as well and just sort of saying it was so amazing because while Simon was off being Simon, being all professional and an athlete, I just kind of hung around Jenny like one of her children and followed her around at work and it was amazing, like seeing her get given. We'd go into the media center and they'd be like, you've got to go and do this, this and this. And she would, they would give her a list of uninspired things that they would want. And on the walk to where we were going, she'd work her magic. She'd be like, right, cameraman, you're going to be there. You're going to shoot it with this lens. You're going to shoot it like that, this. I want this frame. You're going to be there. I'm going to say this, we're going to run that. And just watching you be presenter, producer, all of it all at once, it was just freaking amazing.
• 30:51
  Speaker C: And yeah, I bet you don't even think about it, Jenny. I bet, I bet you don't even think about that. Like, because it comes so naturally and so quick to you now that you just do it. It's like, this is what's going to work. Let's do it. You're so good at thinking when you've
• 31:03
  Speaker B: got Ben and a 4 year old, like, you're like. And you're not allowed on the course and you've got to go and film a course walk. You're like, how do we make this work?
• 31:10
  Speaker C: Yes.
• 31:11
  Speaker A: Like, Ben, you're not allowed anywhere that the horses are gonna go on the cross country course. As I'm trying to be like, I think me and. Me and I've forgotten her name.
• 31:18
  Speaker C: Mally Mali.
• 31:20
  Speaker A: I was like, me and Mally should stand on this jump together. And it's like, no, you're not allowed to do. We should just go here. No, it's like, oh. But we had great fun.
• 31:31
  Speaker B: It was. And I loved our little course walk together at invading Sarah Bullamore's space. Cause she's so cool.
• 31:37
  Speaker A: She's fantastic.
• 31:38
  Speaker B: Yeah, she's great. Anyone who wants to follow a really cool rider, follow Sarah. And then, honestly, Simon as well, when we were driving. So they let me have the keys to the ineos, which you're meant to drive around at three miles an hour. And we were like. We saw all these people, me and Ben, walking the course and we were like, that must be Simon's coursewalk. I was like, get out the way. To Joss, who was helping us. I'm driving. And we hooned it across the grass to catch up with you.
• 32:06
  Speaker C: I thought you just happened to be there anyway. You saw us coming and you drove over.
• 32:10
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 32:11
  Speaker A: Oh, we diverted.
• 32:12
  Speaker C: Yeah, we diverted.
• 32:14
  Speaker B: I took the keys and floored it. But that was so amazing as well, Simon, because you had so many people on your coursework. Like, so many people wanted a bit of sign and knowledge.
• 32:27
  Speaker C: Well, I can't. I. I capped it at 80 people. So we had 80 people. I kind of feel like I could have had more. Yeah, I think I could have. I think we could have had more and it still would have been okay. But, like. And everyone had a lanyard with, like a Simon. Simon Green six course walk and. Oh, my. So I bought all the lanyards and printed all the little labels. My goodness, it took forever to put them in. Like, spent the entire Wednesday evening. It felt like putting these things and going, oh, my God, my dresses are going to be so rubbish. My dresses are going to be so rubbish. Let's just put this in. Maybe that's my mum.
• 33:05
  Speaker B: We'd have done it for you.
• 33:08
  Speaker C: Yes, you were. So was it just the two of you or did anyone else come?
• 33:12
  Speaker B: And my friend Jen. Ben got to meet my lovely friend Jen.
• 33:16
  Speaker A: Jen's amazing and we like her.
• 33:18
  Speaker B: Do you know what's lovely about hanging out with Jen as well? Because she Came in with me in the mornings and stuff. She obviously was gonna come anyway, but then she stayed with me and my mum and she's a bit like me, a complete fan girl. So she was like holding my coffee while I was doing my bits to camera. And I was like, come on, come into the Aren, you'll be fine. Probably shouldn't have snuck her in, but did. And she's just like, I'm next to the dressage arena, there's the center line. I'm in the arena at badminton. And then like when she meets you guys, she's so excited. Or if she sees Ryder, she's so excited. And I'm like, that's how I feel about the sport and horses and everything. And like, I just love that enthusiasm. Like, do you know what I mean? Because I think some people are quite. I don't know, I love fangirling you guys and being excited and I love that fact. She's the same. It was very cool. She was great to hang out with
• 34:05
  Speaker C: and that is good.
• 34:08
  Speaker B: So we then invaded your coursework and then Friday you have to get through a whole day after your dressage to. Before you go across country. That. That must have felt like a long day.
• 34:21
  Speaker C: No, I had plenty to do. So I had. I had a really nice hack. First thing, I went up the Worcester Avenue right to the far end of the park and had a little canter and had a nice time with Buster and. And it was really nice because it's like right out, like in the middle of nowhere. There was no one around. So like, it just was really chill, just the two of us, which was really good. And then I had a radio interview that I had to do and then I did a meet and greet and I signed some T shirts and it was quite cool. I signed the T shirts with like, with the marker pen. And then we had. I had Buster's shoe. So, like he had them taken off the week before and they were his spare ones. So I had his shoe and then we printed his hoof print, his shoe print onto the T shirts as well. So Buster signed it and I signed it as well. It's really cool. And if anyone wants one, amazing. I'm sure we can. I'm sure we can come up with something to get. Get some more. But they were. They were badminton specific. So. Yeah, it was, it was really good. It was really fun. Actually.
• 35:21
  Speaker B: I'm still available on the Super Cross country website. I am actually wearing one of their three quarter zips now. Our merchandise.
• 35:28
  Speaker C: I'm wearing my Own my own super cross country merchandise.
• 35:33
  Speaker B: There you go. So, yeah, please go and check out the girls. They're gonna start. They're gonna have a whole new website created soon as well. So we'll definitely be promoting them then. But yeah, so you can still buy the Simi Merch, can't you? On their site?
• 35:45
  Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. And then once I've done my meeting,
• 35:49
  Speaker B: we've not been given any Simon Merch, have you noticed?
• 35:52
  Speaker A: Yeah, I've not got any Simon Merch.
• 35:55
  Speaker C: Do you want. Do you want Simon Merch?
• 35:57
  Speaker A: Yes, I want Simon Merch.
• 35:59
  Speaker C: Wow. Okay. Okay, that's cool. I can get you Simon Merch.
• 36:03
  Speaker B: Yeah, thank you.
• 36:04
  Speaker C: I don't think you.
• 36:05
  Speaker B: I'd have to wear a Simon T shirt.
• 36:07
  Speaker C: Oh, okay.
• 36:08
  Speaker A: I'd love to wear a bit of Simon Merch.
• 36:10
  Speaker B: Or a hoodie. Can I have a hoodie?
• 36:12
  Speaker C: Well, I don't see why not.
• 36:14
  Speaker B: Yay. Yay.
• 36:18
  Speaker C: Anyway, so then I did my signing of stuff and then I had a course walk with. For the second time with Roz Kanter and Chris Bartle.
• 36:28
  Speaker B: I've not heard of her. Who's she?
• 36:30
  Speaker C: Yeah, no, she's really average. I can't. I walked the. I walked the course because I felt a bit sorry for her.
• 36:36
  Speaker B: You know, it's really confusing because people keep calling her a goat. I don't. I don't understand.
• 36:43
  Speaker C: She's. She is. She's unbelievable. Like, I walked it the course of the. Twice I walked it with her on the Wednesday and she walked it with Senna, her little girl, her new baby, baby girl strapped to her the whole, the whole time.
• 36:58
  Speaker B: And she was breastfeeding in the rider's brief.
• 37:01
  Speaker C: She was.
• 37:03
  Speaker B: Yeah, she's amazing.
• 37:04
  Speaker C: Absolutely incredible. Absolutely incredible. And I walked. So I walked the course with Chris and Roz and. Really interesting and useful and. Yeah, it's great to surround yourself with people like that that, you know, Roz is so straightforward, matter of fact, very clear in what she's. What she's saying and she's. And she also. She's so humble and relatable and like I can have a discussion with her and not feel inferior or stupid. She would never make you feel like that and I love that. So it was great walking with her.
• 37:38
  Speaker B: One of those rarities, isn't she, that she can ride at that level like yourself and still explain how she does it. So many of the. Of the greats like herself would find it hard.
• 37:52
  Speaker C: Yeah, would find it hard. Oh, and then, and then I. I went to the horse trial support group tent because one A lady that owns one of my horses was there and she said, would you like to meet my friend Ginny? And. And she's like, it's Jenny. Ginny Elliott. And she was. Who was Jimmy Lang, who was Jimmy Holgate before, who won badminton a couple of times, and in fact, more than a couple of times. And would you like to meet her? And I was like. She literally was like one of my absolute heroes when I was younger. Like, sensational woman. Anyway, so. So I went to the horse child support group and. And she was in there and I met. Met Ginny for the first time. Well, not the first time, but, like.
• 38:36
  Speaker B: You've never met her?
• 38:37
  Speaker C: Not properly, no. And I've not met her.
• 38:40
  Speaker B: She's a hero.
• 38:42
  Speaker C: Yeah, she's incredible. I remember being in the collecting ring at Lincoln Horse Trials about, I don't know, four or five years ago, and she was there warming somebody up, and I recognized her and I went over and I was like. And I said, do you not ever think that you just like to get on and show everyone how to do it because you're so much better than anyone else in the splitting ring? And she looked at me as if I was insane. Anyway, so I.
• 39:06
  Speaker B: Is she nice? Was it a meet your heroes? Was that all right?
• 39:09
  Speaker C: Oh, yeah, it was lovely. It was really, really nice. And. And I just. And I just said, you know, I came here when I was a kid and I watched you and I just thought you were incredible. And thank you so much for like, being so inspiring. Anyway, so then. So then. So I met her and then I. And I chat to her for a little bit. And then I went off and then. And I went down to the stables and I had a little moment just sitting next to my stable. The stables, like, it's beautiful in there. It's all like. It's like a French national stud, all these kind of internal stables, but it's quite. It's really old and beautiful. And anyway, so I kind of sat. There was really quiet, not hardly anyone around, just me and Buster and then a lady kind of, I don't know, in her late 30s maybe, and a little girl came along with an older. With an older lady. And. And I looked into the old lady and I kind of took a double take and I was like, she looks like Lorna Clark. Do you remember Lorna Clark?
• 40:11
  Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
• 40:13
  Speaker C: So Lorna Clark, then was. She evented. And she was the first person to ever take three horses around badminton in one day. Like, which wasn't actually allowed for at one point. But she. And she did long format, which is incredible. And she was on, like, teams and she was. She was really successful. Anyway, I don't know how old she'd be now. Like, she must be in her 70s. I don't know. Anyway, and she came walking past and I was like, oh, that looks like Lorna Clark. And. And then she carried on and I was like, oh, I'd quite like to say hello to her. And then I was like, no, I'm going to. So I went over and I was like, excuse me, are you Lorna? And she's like. And she looked really, like, surprised. And she's like, yes, like, thinking, who is this weirdo? And I was like, I just wanted to say thank you so much for being so amazing. You really inspired me when I was younger. And she was like, oh, yeah, yeah, whatever. And I was like, yeah, yeah. No, I remember watching the European Championships in 1989 at Burley and I thought you were absolutely spectacular then. And I remember being so excited to see you here at badminton in 1992. But you didn't get on the cross country with the first horse because it went laymart to see purchase. And then the other one had a corner, so you couldn't start with that one. And she was like, how do you know that kind of stuff? And I was like, because you're amazing. And I nearly made the poor lady cry, I think.
• 41:37
  Speaker A: Anyway, so by. By being brave enough to do something for yourself, you actually made someone else's day.
• 41:44
  Speaker C: Oh, I hope so. I hope, I hope, I hope she, like, I hope she didn't find it awkward, but it was just. Yeah, it was just really nice to see her and. Because it was stupid, really.
• 41:54
  Speaker A: It was.
• 41:54
  Speaker C: Because it was a real. Like, I was surprised to see her, but I suppose you would, you know, I suppose it was out of context in that last time I saw her would have been in the 90s. Anyway, sorry, I'm going off on one. But it was really. I just really enjoyed going down memory lane and it reminded me why I was so excited to be you there. Yes. So, cross country morning. I didn't sleep that well.
• 42:15
  Speaker B: It's gone very echoey for me, though. We might have to log you out and back in again. You've gone. And Ben's deep breathing into the mic. I don't know what's going on.
• 42:23
  Speaker A: Sorry, I'm just. I'm just loving it. I'm just loving listening to here. Simon, surely cross country day starts with, you know, coffee with a Valium and a Diazepam to get you ready to go around that course.
• 42:37
  Speaker C: So I woke up, I woke up at like I don't know, half five, six, something like that and, and I thought I'm just gonna, so I was thinking about my schedule for the day and I wanted to walk the course but I also want to take Buster for a little stroll and I couldn't work out whether to walk the course first and then take Buster for a stroll afterwards. But then I was on at 12, just after 12, so I didn't actually leave that much time. So I thought I'll ride him first. So I rode him up at 6. So I kind of got all my tat together. The girls were still in bed and I kind of like went down and I threw my tack on and, and basically went out and there was hardly anyone around and it was beautiful day as you know, it was beautiful day. Sun was kind of relatively low and there was no one around, like no one was riding. There were very few grooms around and, and I went out and there was nobody out in the park other than the odd person. And I walked out underneath the arch and then I thought I'm just going to do a little bit, a little pieced camera because it's cross country morning, ready for my vlog and, and I like. And I started talking to my camera and then I, and then I cried.
• 43:46
  Speaker A: What?
• 43:48
  Speaker C: I just, I don't know. I was slightly overcome with like not badly, just like, just like crackled. Yeah, I was just slightly overcome with the fact that I was really nervous. The fact that I was at this amazing place, the fact that I was just about to take on the biggest cross country course in the world. Yeah, just a little bit overwhelmed my whole thing. But then I went down and had a cancer and yeah, it was really fun and, and busted was on great form and so yeah, and it just gave me a bit of confidence and then I went and walked the course on my own. Although I did bump into Emineheis Webb and Caroline Powell when I was walking and I talked to them a little bit about fences but I don't really like doing that on the last walk. I much rather do it on my own so I can have finalized my plan
• 44:37
  Speaker A: as well at that point. You don't want anybody to say anything that's going to make you think oh crap, maybe I have planned that fence wrong.
• 44:45
  Speaker C: Yeah. My approach to that or yeah, totally, you, you know, I, I, I'd made my decisions about what I was doing. I didn't want to change them in fact, like, yeah, it was because it was bad. More baddest at the water, at the top. I was always planning on doing the rail to the corner. To the corner. Not rail, rail corner. Because I didn't like the rail. Rail corner. But first thing in the morning, I spoke to Izzy and also spoke to those guys and they were like, oh, you know, the other option seems a lot more straightforward. But I decided it wasn't. And now it made me question myself, which is annoying. But I'm. But then I went back to my original plan and I was, I went direct, I was planning on going direct everyone anyway. So then I then went, came back to my lorry and my friend Marie was here and we chatted a little bit and then I played some music and I danced a little bit and I sang some Lady Gaga and got kind of going. I listened to Abracadabra a couple of times because it's a brilliant tune to get you going. And then I got changed nice and early and I went down and I went into the canteen is directly opposite where my stable was. So I went into. Near the canteen. They got a screen, so I went in there and I watched Harry jump the first, like 10 fences. And he cleared all of them. He did. He added a stride at Huntsman's Close. He put five in, not four, which I don't think actually did me any favors, if I'm, if, if I'm honest, not surprised. And then, and then I went out and I got on bust and I had like half an hour until me. So then I trotted all the way up down the, and through the crowd and lots of people. It's so nice. So many people were wishing me good luck and, and it was, yeah. And it kind of like settled the nerves a little bit. It's because some people have asked me whether having quite a, quite a big following now because I've got a relatively big following and lots of people like supporting and say, do you feel that there's pressure there now? And I, I, I find, I find it the complete opposite. Like, I just know that they're there and they really want me to do well. And if it's not, it doesn't go well, then they're going to be there to kind of support me a bit. Unless, obviously I do something really stupid or something really awful. But, but yeah, I feel like, I feel. Yeah, so it's lovely. And I went down and I had my friend Matt and Henry there as well, and they. Matt is an event rider. He's ridden at five star level. And he watched some of the horses that were going around on the screen. And he came down and kind of reported back about what. How it was riding. And he said, it was riding very well.
• 47:28
  Speaker B: Said there is four strides in there, not five, don't worry.
• 47:34
  Speaker C: And then. And then we walked up, along, down, up the funnel and into the main arena. And then they said, simon Grieve, two minutes. And. And I was like, oh, so exciting.
• 47:48
  Speaker B: You went, no, no.
• 47:50
  Speaker C: By that point I was like, this is really exciting. I'm really looking forward to it. And then they count me down. And as they came out the start box, there was like, well, to me, it sounded like a massive roar of people cheering and. And it was just so lovely and so nice to, like, get sent off like that. And I was like, yeah, now don't miss it the first, because otherwise you look really stupid.
• 48:11
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 48:14
  Speaker C: And then I didn't miss it the first. And we jumped it and then they cheered again, so. Which is really great. But then coming, so. So we jumped clear and my horse is absolutely phenomenal. I literally, Literally, he's just so wonderful. He was helping me out the entire way. There was one fence at the corner before the Vicarage V and I came in and I. I saw my shot and I was like, right, come on, we're going to travel to that. And then I was like, actually, no, that's not the shot. And I started pulling because we were wrong. And then I basically pulled him into the bottom of it. And the poor horse, you could almost feel him going, summon. I'm not quite sure what you're doing back there, but I think you want me to jump this corner here over to the left because you're aiming me to the wrong bit. And he literally turned and jumped this corner on his own with me going, oh, thanks. But he had to really stretch, so I. So then I went long at the Vicarage V, because I was like, simon, you really screwed that up and didn't make his life very easy. So let's go along.
• 49:22
  Speaker B: At that point, I was with your mother screaming at the screen. Go. Go long. Go long, go long. I hope it goes long.
• 49:28
  Speaker C: Yeah. Going back to coming into fence two. Fence two, I added, and. And then. Which set a bit of a precedent. So I was a bit more backward at Burley than Babington than I was at Burley, which slightly frustrates me, but. But equally positives are, like, I rode through those angle brushes like an absolute boss. I rode that top water like an absolute boss. And those are the ones that I was the most fun.
• 49:53
  Speaker B: The Irish bank was amazing.
• 49:55
  Speaker C: Yeah, really good. Like, he jumped out so well. We were really good there. So, yeah, like. Like, say thrilled and so pleased with my horse and he was just incredible. I just didn't feel like I rode as well as I could have done and certainly not as well as I did at Burley, but. But I will improve that. Ready for September when we go back to Burley again.
• 50:16
  Speaker B: Hopefully things cross, I think, as well, like you, Burley was, oh, we're back. I don't know. Whereas you had an expectation a bit more for this. Yeah, I think so.
• 50:28
  Speaker C: I probably put a bit more pressure on myself, but also, and I'm not blaming Harry, obviously, and I shouldn't be blaming, but him putting in the five strides in between those two bucket things almost made it okay for me to put add a stride in there because Harry never does that, does he? Like, he's always on. And. And again, that set a bit of a precedent for. For the rest, I was going to add a little bit, but like I say, there were fences where I absolutely didn't. And I was like, absolutely. I nailed it. And I rode brilliantly. And I'm really pleased with how I rode, but just like I said, just not quite. Not quite as good as I would have liked.
• 51:05
  Speaker B: So I saw Simon, Ben, a few hours later when you got changed and you were in your hip hop jeans, as I call them. And he came over and I was like, are you right now? Have you stopped being disappointed? Can you sit and realize how good you are? And I think something like, if three years ago I'd said to you, you've just gone clear around badminton, what would you have said? And Simon burst into tears. So we're having this hug right next to the collecting ring. There's lots of people watching, and we're having a hug and he's crying, and I'm trying not to cry because I've got makeup on. Don't want to ruin it. And he's having a sob. And then he looks at me and goes, we should have saved this for the podcast. No one spilled it. You did have a right old st, didn't you?
• 51:56
  Speaker C: Well, because I think I said that. I think I said that myself, didn't I? I think I said, if you told me three years ago that I would be jumping a clear round round badminton, I wouldn't have believed you. And as I said that, I was like, it. It did kind of hit. I was like, jesus Christ, this is so cool. Like this is so cool. Like, you know, to be here and to be privileged enough to ride such a spectacularly wonderful horse and have such a blast and be doing something that I. Something that I just love doing and something that I've, you know, seeing Lorna Clark, seeing Ginny Lang, like, I always wanted to do what they were doing and, and to be there doing it. It's just such an honor, you know? Yeah. So you know me saying, oh, no, I didn't manage as well as I wanted. Well, you know what, mate? You just have to clear around and. And you're bloody lucky to be there at all. So shut the up. Sorry, I'm swearing a lot on this podcast. Sorry, Mum.
• 52:53
  Speaker A: So you can swear all you want.
• 52:55
  Speaker C: You just did Badminton.
• 52:57
  Speaker B: I know. Even when we started this podcast, if I'd have said to you, in a year and a half, you're going to be going around Badminton and we'll be by the lake celebrating you.
• 53:06
  Speaker C: Yeah, no, I wouldn't even have thought that. No, absolutely not.
• 53:10
  Speaker A: And it is insane. Like, it really is insane. Like, especially after, like my baptism of fire of knowing not really anything and then getting to be so involved and see it all and up close with the fences and stuff.
• 53:25
  Speaker C: I mean, those fences are. They're, they're absolutely, absolutely huge. I mean, those, those three brushes on the angle, I mean, I literally can't see over the top of them. They are absolutely enormous. And like the, the log pile fence, did you see that after the huntsman's clothes before the, before you jumped?
• 53:42
  Speaker B: That was one of the ones we walked with Sarah. Ben.
• 53:44
  Speaker C: Yeah, it's maximum height.
• 53:46
  Speaker B: That was the fence?
• 53:48
  Speaker A: Yeah, that was the fence where you showed me at, Jenny. And I was like, I just can't. And that's where I was like, how does a horse know not to jump this? Like an Irish bank? How does it know not to jump onto that? Because there's enough room for a horse on. Like, in no other scenario would you see anything that big and think, yeah, I mean, it's.
• 54:08
  Speaker C: It. Yeah, it's just. And these horses are just. They're just spectacular. They're just spectacular. And know. And Buster. Absolutely. I mean, I'm sure there are people that will disagree with me, but he, he seems to absolutely love it. Like, he just. And he's looking for the next fence and he, like I say, you know, with that corner, I was like. He was like, I think you want me to jump this, don't you? So off he went to jump it. Like, he really wants to help. He Wants to do it. And that's just such a, such an honor to have that, to be riding a horse like that. It's just, just brilliant. It's just brilliant. I, I just, I loved it. I loved it. It's great.
• 54:44
  Speaker A: And then I think I was more. Before we move on, I just have to say I was, I think I was more scared about you doing the cross country than you were, if I'm honest. Simon. Do you think I was? I was teaching a clinic and been like, I need updates. Someone tell me, come on, keep an eye on this. Like, I need to know. I need to know he's fine. Like, I just, I, it was, it's so strange like you talking about like,
• 55:10
  Speaker C: you know, obviously you're wanting to win
• 55:12
  Speaker A: and place and do all of that incredible stuff, but on top of it, for me, after seeing the fences especially, I was like, I just need to
• 55:22
  Speaker C: know him and Buster have got home.
• 55:24
  Speaker A: Like, that's just, just all I want and anything else is a cherry on top.
• 55:30
  Speaker C: I think you're incredible. I am blown away by, by like
• 55:36
  Speaker A: both of you, you and Buster, like cry.
• 55:39
  Speaker C: Thank you.
• 55:40
  Speaker A: And seeing like on dressage day when I was there to watch you, the difference in you was just phenomenal because
• 55:47
  Speaker B: you're always excited as he rides in though.
• 55:50
  Speaker A: Yeah. Like, even afterwards, like, there's this like, face like not even joking like that blue steel like that. Just, just like, oh, this is, you know, this is game face. And it was, it felt like I felt like, yeah, my tiny part. I was there like privileged to be
• 56:10
  Speaker C: that close to you. And you were in that, in that. It was lovely to have you there. Was really nice to have you there. You're a superhero. Like you really don't. Yeah, yeah.
• 56:22
  Speaker A: No, don't play it down.
• 56:24
  Speaker B: He's got.
• 56:26
  Speaker A: Yeah. Because I think that's a bit everyone forgets. Like, it's not about. It's not even how you place amongst
• 56:32
  Speaker C: the people that were there.
• 56:33
  Speaker A: It's that every person there is the tip of the Spear. There's a 0.1% and.
• 56:39
  Speaker C: Yeah. And the, and the amount that it's taken to get there. Which is another reason why, you know, being all the, like being self critical too self critical is just not. It's isn't okay, is it? You know, it's such an amazing thing to have achieved and to just to get there with a horse is unbelievable.
• 57:01
  Speaker A: Most people, Most people, if they jumped one cross country fence the size of any of those, that would be the story they lived out on for the
• 57:10
  Speaker C: rest of their life.
• 57:12
  Speaker A: That, that one time. Do you remember that one time when we were out and I jumped that like me and that horse. That would be their dinner party story for the rest of their life. And you've just gone and done it.
• 57:23
  Speaker B: Oh, my husband's dinner party story is the time he shot himself wearing a kilt.
• 57:29
  Speaker A: A. At least it can hit the floor from a kilt if he's wearing traditional.
• 57:33
  Speaker C: I said, did he have pants on?
• 57:36
  Speaker B: No.
• 57:37
  Speaker C: No.
• 57:37
  Speaker A: Did you, did you wear your brave pants?
• 57:41
  Speaker C: No, I didn't. I wore pants that I've worn before. I, I, I'll have to wear them. I mean, I might wear them tomorrow. I'm doing an event tomorrow. Maybe I'll wear them at that one. But I have to make sure that.
• 57:51
  Speaker B: Shout out to Miranda, who gave us all presents at the pub pod. This lovely lady, bless her.
• 57:57
  Speaker A: You should wear them superhero style on the outside.
• 58:01
  Speaker C: Yes, that's a good idea. And then maybe I'll wear those at Burley. Yeah, really cool.
• 58:07
  Speaker B: They could become your lucky pants.
• 58:09
  Speaker C: They can become my lucky pants.
• 58:13
  Speaker B: So that is the one thing about Roz, Ms. Kanter, Mrs. Kanter, that she does make it look so effortless not to take anything away from any other rider and horse combination. But they skipped round it. Like, obviously she's having whatever she can feel or do. And I know Walter is exceptional, but. And she keeps going on about how exceptional Walter is, but she is exceptional as well. But they do make it look like child's play, don't they? Like, it's just incredible.
• 58:46
  Speaker C: So easy. The training. The training is absolutely phenomenal. She's. She leaves no stone unturned. And she's so kind of. Her mindset is so good. She's steely. She's super brave.
• 59:01
  Speaker B: Yeah, she's.
• 59:02
  Speaker C: She said she's not, but she is. And you know, she said, I find it really difficult riding fast. Well, apparently not. Yeah, yeah, she's, she's just. What? She's incredible. She's incredible.
• 59:18
  Speaker A: What was the, like, optimal time?
• 59:22
  Speaker C: Eleven. Eleven and a half minutes. I was a minute and 15 seconds over that. So poor Buster gallop for a lot longer than everyone else. Like, I would scare my money's worth.
• 59:42
  Speaker B: People do forget that you guys have to pay to be there. You pay to enter these things.
• 59:47
  Speaker C: Yeah, you do. Absolutely.
• 59:49
  Speaker A: From the boring side. How much does it cost to enter?
• 59:54
  Speaker C: It's like 600 quid. I can't remember.
• 59:57
  Speaker A: Cheap, then.
• 59:58
  Speaker C: I can't remember what the actual entry fee is. Something like that. Six to 800 quid. Something like that. But. And thank you very much, Jerry. Thank you very much. Evie, who owned Buster. And they were, they were brilliant. They were brilliant. We had such a nice time. They like, they did meals for us every evening and they had a, they got a camper van and had their gazebo thing out and they had like really funky lights out and everything. We just had really nice evenings. Just. And they were so supportive and Jerry was like on the, the night before cross country, she was like, I am, she's. I'm really nervous but I'm really excited as well because I, I know that you're going to look after my boy and. Yeah. And I know they're going to make sure that he has a really nice time and, and I really trust you completely to do the right thing by him. So. Which is really nice.
• 1:00:43
  Speaker B: That must be nice because they do know that whatever happens you will do right by that horse in that I
• 1:00:50
  Speaker C: will try, absolutely try my damnedest to do like the right thing by him.
• 1:00:54
  Speaker B: And also it sounds like for us is doing right by you on occasion as well. So we're happy that you're on that.
• 1:01:01
  Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. He's a very good boy. He's a very good boy.
• 1:01:03
  Speaker A: Yeah. Maybe, maybe next time take Buster for
• 1:01:06
  Speaker C: a course walk as well.
• 1:01:08
  Speaker A: Be like just in case. Yeah, just in case I have another moment like I did up that one fence.
• 1:01:13
  Speaker B: Can you. We'll take him around, have a word with him.
• 1:01:15
  Speaker A: Can you double. If you know the course then we'll be fine.
• 1:01:19
  Speaker B: If he goes corner Buster, he might take a pull.
• 1:01:21
  Speaker C: I'll show him the program next time.
• 1:01:24
  Speaker B: Yeah, but then obviously you've still got a show jump which is a bit of a like. Ah, right. How. What Take us through.
• 1:01:34
  Speaker C: So on the, on the Saturday. On the Saturday. So after he's been cross country, I really like a three day event. The horse to have plenty of time on his own. So like as in be left in this stable just to just come down a few notches because it's obviously a really big deal. And then. And then maybe go out with some grass and just really chill and then, and then we'll chop them up and see what they look like a bit later on in the day. And he looked really good so I was really pleased with how he looked. And then lots of normal people go out and get absolutely hammered and have a crazy wild party. I went to bed quite early and then on the Sunday morning.
• 1:02:14
  Speaker B: Now, Simon, come on, we're all getting out of it.
• 1:02:16
  Speaker C: I know, I know. And then the Next morning I took him out and looked and kind of trotted them up and, and he looked really good again. So I was, I was pleased but I definitely had, I was saying to Jenny a bit of PTSD I think because 10 years ago I was at Badminton with a horseball corner crew and he was sore on the Sunday morning and, and he, I presented him for the trot up and he didn't shut up very well the first time. So he got sent to the holding box and then I decided to withdraw him from the holding box because he just, he was sore and, and it was so upsetting because obviously as you, as you know, that's so much goes into getting horses to that level and, and you're, you're worried that you've hurt your horse and it was just. Yeah. And I remember sitting around, around the back of the house on, on a wall that we all walked past going back to the lorry park actually this time. And I remember sitting on that wall and bawling my eyes out before the shot up because I knew he wasn't right. And, and then when they said autograph has been accepted, I, I was like, I had a little moment. So yeah, it was, it was, yeah, it was really. What's the best way of describing it? Relief, I suppose is the right word. But there's more emotion to it than that. It was.
• 1:03:45
  Speaker A: Yeah. It's so funny you say that because we were just taught like when me and my clinic were out having our meal like on cross country night, I just remember saying we were all talking about it and I was like that must be the most nerve wracking thing in the world because you've just ridden one of the most difficult courses on
• 1:04:04
  Speaker C: the planet
• 1:04:07
  Speaker A: and then it's all in, it's all beyond your help at that point. Just, you're just laid in. Must every rider must just lay in bed that night, Saturday night thinking please be sound, be sound in the morning like from caring about your horse. But also there's so much gravitas on that.
• 1:04:25
  Speaker C: Yeah.
• 1:04:26
  Speaker A: Like it's a coin flip within reason because after doing that level of physical exertion do you know, just be a bit muscle sore and look wrong.
• 1:04:37
  Speaker C: Yeah.
• 1:04:37
  Speaker B: Yeah. Well, I know after I go to the gym that's. You don't want to be trotting me up.
• 1:04:43
  Speaker A: I did my, I did my first run post ACL surgery yesterday and I tell you what, if you trotted me, yeah, I feel great, everything's good, it's just doms. But if you trotted Me up today. You'd give me a be, I tell you that. But. So, yeah, I completely get that. That must. Because you don't want to relive the past trauma again, do you?
• 1:05:07
  Speaker C: Yeah, it was, it was just. Yeah, it was just. It was really. And that was that horse's last ever event as well. And. And he's. He's now passed on and so. Yeah, so I. I don't know, I just found it really emotional and obviously I was a bit tired probably as well, and. But yeah. Anyway, so. And then we. And then we show jumped in the morning and he jumped his socks off. Actually. He did jump really well. We had two down, but one of them was my fault. Got him too close and the other one, he just was a little bit. The water tray was. You had like, it was. It had a pagoda on the right of it and a bridge over, a little kind of pondy thing on the left of it. And then the. And then the water tray was kind of set back and it looked a bit false and I. He just spooked at it, which was a real shame. But he like, he really pinged and really tried and like dumped his socks off. So. And. And we completed and. And I got my. My rosette and my plaque and so I am a happy boy.
• 1:06:08
  Speaker B: I think he really jumped on it. Like he had that first rail and then the fence after that. My God, I thought he was going to ping you out the tack. He really tried.
• 1:06:19
  Speaker C: It was great.
• 1:06:19
  Speaker B: That would have been embarrassing, wouldn't it, how you cleaned out the tack.
• 1:06:25
  Speaker C: Yeah, no, I did. I did think that. I was like, don't you dare do that because, you know, we are finishing. We are getting that plaque and we are getting that rosette.
• 1:06:33
  Speaker A: Do you. You obviously do because this is a stupid question, so. But I have to ask it. Do they. Do you practice jumping them on tired legs post cross country?
• 1:06:44
  Speaker C: So I'm not sure whether normal people do, but I. I do. So, like, because I found that it's helped him. I did it in the run up to Burley and I'm. I did it in the run up to Badminton. I do his fitness work the day before and then I take him show jumping the next day and he is so much better as a result, I think.
• 1:07:05
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 1:07:06
  Speaker C: And he's really jumping like the horse came to me because he's. He. He was not very good at show jumping and he, you know, and he is really, really trying. Really trying. So.
• 1:07:15
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 1:07:16
  Speaker C: Yeah, I'm really pleased with it.
• 1:07:18
  Speaker A: No, it just makes sense.
• 1:07:19
  Speaker C: From a.
• 1:07:20
  Speaker A: Like a. I was just gonna say it just makes sense from a training point because I know when I've done ultra marathons where they're like multiple days leading up to the first one I did, my coach was like, yeah, you need to go and do a 30k today and then a 20k tomorrow when you're later, because you don't want the first time that you wake up and go like, oh, I've got doms to be.
• 1:07:39
  Speaker C: You know, game day. Yeah. But, yeah, yeah, Similar kind of thing. I don't know. I don't know whether anyone else does that or not, to be fair. I've never. I've never known anyone to intentionally do that, but I do intentionally do that because I think I can't expect him, having never done that before or being out of practice of doing that to perform well, I think.
• 1:08:02
  Speaker B: How much did you love going in and doing the parade of riders?
• 1:08:06
  Speaker C: Oh, it's really fun. And people. And on the cross country, literally, as I was gathering along that I heard. I heard, go, Buster. Go Siamese. Like, so many. Like, literally between every single fence, there was somebody that shouted, like, multiple people shouting, go, sign me or Go Buster. It was just such a. It was so nice. It was such a privilege. And. And then, yeah, in the. In the parade we did, there was a parade of competitors that had already show jumped before the main jumping bit. And it's when the grandstand was all full and we went round and, yeah, there was loads, like, lots of cheering and clapping and cheering and, yeah, it was really cool. It was really cool. Simon, the attention seeker, really enjoyed that.
• 1:08:51
  Speaker B: Can I tell you something funny that happened to me after that?
• 1:08:54
  Speaker C: Oh, yeah, Go on, then.
• 1:08:56
  Speaker B: So Harry Sykes, videographer extraordinaire, always tells me that I bring out the worst in people. Like the naughty side in people, which I didn't believe until one of the very strict judges and like that I get on with when we're in Thailand, because there's glass bits to the media center out there. Came and stuck his ass up against the media center. He's like, you put out the worst of people. I was like, anyway. Then I kind of was like, well, maybe I do, but I like having a. I like. I'm quite a jolly person. I'm probably a bit much for a lot of people, but I am loud and I am a lot. So I went to hug one rider goodbye who's normally very quiet, like, really quiet, but we always have a hug. I've known them for a very long time and as said rider went to leave, he came over, arm stretched for a hug and was feeling very jolly with himself and unexpectedly grabbed both my butt cheeks and lifted me into the air.
• 1:09:57
  Speaker C: Sweet.
• 1:09:58
  Speaker B: I was like, not expecting this from this rider. Nor was the lovely Irish girl who I'd been working with stood next to me, Mel. She and I. Then he put me down and I was like, okay, laughing my ass off. And we said goodbye and had a funny exchange. And then I just turned around to her. I was like, of all the riders, I was not expecting that. And me and her just, we absolutely, absolutely ended ourselves laughing. I was like, I was like, I don't, I don't know what just happened.
• 1:10:28
  Speaker C: It sounds like you're gonna do good
• 1:10:29
  Speaker A: in your Holland and Cooper.
• 1:10:31
  Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:10:34
  Speaker A: You look very. You looked sharp, Jenny.
• 1:10:36
  Speaker B: Well, there you go. I had my butt grabbed by a. And I wasn't like. It was because it's a rider I know very well. So, like, it was the kind of thing if you two had done would just have been funny. But it was just so unexpected by this rider to just grab me by the bum and pick me up. I was quite flattered at my age, I'm not going to lie. But yeah, it was very unexpected and very, very, very funny. But yes. So I was like, maybe Harry is right. Maybe I do bring out the worst in people. Anyway, that was my story. So then you had to load up and go home. Is it a bit like when Christmas is over and you go, oh, oh, that happened. And it's.
• 1:11:19
  Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, it just, it did go very quickly and. But I find it always the same with three day events. I do find the next couple of next few days not that easy. Just because you like, you focused so much of your energy in your thought process and everything has been with the ultimate goal of doing this big event. And then the next day it's like, oh, well, you're not aiming at anything now. So now you just need to kind of. And all you can do is think about what you didn't do right and what you're going to try and improve for next time. And. And sometimes that can be a bit deflating. So, yeah, it's. But I, But I literally then I then parry that with how great I feel about how he went. Like, it's so exciting. He was, he's just, he's such a cool horse and, and Evie and Jerry are so on board with it all and loving it and really enjoying it. What? Enjoying watching him have such a blast. So it's. Yeah, I'M really excited about the future. It's really cool.
• 1:12:20
  Speaker B: Also, you can eat and run up hills. Not stop running up hills for a day or two.
• 1:12:26
  Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. See, like. And I have been eating a bit more, but I do have this three day event coming up at Victon in a couple of weeks, so I need to make sure I'm still fit and lean for that. How.
• 1:12:37
  Speaker A: How much less? Like in weight wise, what's the difference between your normal weight and your fighting weight?
• 1:12:44
  Speaker C: Oh, no idea. I don't weigh myself.
• 1:12:47
  Speaker A: Okay, you just try.
• 1:12:49
  Speaker C: Yeah, literally, just. And. And then like, I think if I look in the mirror and go, yeah, you look all right then that's good. It's one look in the mirror and go, oh, you fat little. What's it? Yeah, the love handles. Oh God.
• 1:13:06
  Speaker B: Watch his YouTube channel and see how tight his job. Bizarre.
• 1:13:11
  Speaker A: Yeah, I've been in a sauna with Simon. I've seen how tight his abs are.
• 1:13:17
  Speaker C: They are not. Wow.
• 1:13:22
  Speaker B: And you went to your acting class on Monday night. Like, what the hell?
• 1:13:28
  Speaker A: You went to his acting class on Monday night? We made him do a podcast Monday morning at 7 in the morning.
• 1:13:33
  Speaker B: Yeah, that's coming out soon, guys, with Caleb Deegan. Oh my God, he was a great guest.
• 1:13:38
  Speaker C: Yeah, you're gonna love it. You're gonna love it. Yeah. No, so did the podcast at 7 on Monday morning and then I went and did my acting class on Monday evening, six till nine. And yeah, we've got, we're, we're producing a show. We're going to be doing a show in a few weeks time and, and we all had to do our talent and some people had written their own monologues which was really good.
• 1:14:03
  Speaker B: I turned up with a horse. My talent is horse riding.
• 1:14:07
  Speaker C: They. One of them said that, he said, I thought you were going to turn up with a horse. And I was like, no, no, I'm going to sing. So I sang. And to be fair, I've not sung. I was a choir boy at school, but I haven't sung properly for a long time other than either in my car, on my own or in the shower. So it was. And, and they all seemed quite like it. So, yeah, it was good. I sang. Ben's laughing.
• 1:14:35
  Speaker A: You can't, you can't throw that on him like that.
• 1:14:38
  Speaker B: Bloody can give people what they want.
• 1:14:43
  Speaker C: Oh God, it's gonna be rubbish now. And this. Okay. Are you sure you want to hear this?
• 1:14:51
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 1:14:52
  Speaker C: Okay. I dreamed a dream in time gone by when hope was high and life worth living I dreamed that love would never die and pray that God would be forgiving Ooh, I'm a bit nervous. When I was young and I'm afraid and dreams were made and used and wasted. Okay, that's enough. I've gone very red.
• 1:15:24
  Speaker A: That's amazing.
• 1:15:27
  Speaker C: It's not amazing, but it's fun. It's fun and I really enjoy it. So. And so I sang it once.
• 1:15:33
  Speaker B: So good. You're lower than I expected.
• 1:15:37
  Speaker C: I get really. There's another bit where it's. Where you go. Because it's a. It's a. It's a female song, isn't it? But, yeah, when she goes. Now. Now the tigers come at night and with their voice as soft as thunder. And then you say as they. As they tear your hopes apart and you have. It's really low then. And that was. Yeah, I. I got really low then. I sounded like a bloody foghorn.
• 1:16:03
  Speaker A: Yeah, but only because it spikes really high afterwards.
• 1:16:06
  Speaker C: Yeah.
• 1:16:07
  Speaker B: Yeah. That was so good.
• 1:16:08
  Speaker A: My mom's favorite story about my dad is when they were a young farmer's do, and he got on stage to sing and decided to sing lady in Red and wow. And started far too high and. Yeah. Gave himself no ceiling with which to grow, and was pelted with vegetables because there was a. There was a hamper of fruit and veg to be given away as part of a raffle. And my mother, upon seeing how badly he was singing, decided to encourage the rest of the crowd to throw vegetables at Mr. A while he was on stage. So you've got a.
• 1:16:48
  Speaker C: After.
• 1:16:48
  Speaker A: You gotta give yourself room to grow.
• 1:16:51
  Speaker C: You definitely do.
• 1:16:52
  Speaker B: Oh, I think it's so good. Simon's so talented.
• 1:16:56
  Speaker A: He's got everything.
• 1:16:57
  Speaker C: Can't he.
• 1:16:57
  Speaker B: I had a talent.
• 1:17:00
  Speaker A: You've got many talents.
• 1:17:03
  Speaker C: Yes, you have got a lot of talents, Jenny.
• 1:17:07
  Speaker B: Right, gentlemen, we did something on the live tour, on the Live at the Lake Brumminton, where we got you guys to write down who you thought was going to be in the top three. But we also got members of the audience, and if anyone got it right, we were gonna send them some merchandise. So I think we should do yours. Laura Collett's and Siamese first, and then we'll do the people who were listening. So basically we put it in sealed. Who wants to go first?
• 1:17:38
  Speaker C: Angie?
• 1:17:39
  Speaker A: I can tell you mine.
• 1:17:40
  Speaker B: Oh, wait, I'm gonna open it. I'm gonna open it. This is great for podcast visuals. Oh, God. What did we write?
• 1:17:45
  Speaker A: I wrote down nearly all the eventers I know, which was Ross, Laura, and Simon.
• 1:17:52
  Speaker C: Oh, My God, I love you.
• 1:17:56
  Speaker B: Oh, so you wrote Ross Cantor. No, you didn't. You wrote Roz, Laura Collett and Simon Grieve, obviously.
• 1:18:04
  Speaker A: That was. I wrote them. Third number. Like, obviously, Simon was gonna win.
• 1:18:09
  Speaker C: Of course.
• 1:18:10
  Speaker B: All right.
• 1:18:10
  Speaker C: I just should have gone a bit faster, so.
• 1:18:12
  Speaker B: Well, you got the first one right at least. Okay. Simon wrote Roscanter, unsurprisingly. Bubby Upton and Harry. Me.
• 1:18:23
  Speaker C: Oh. So I was right.
• 1:18:24
  Speaker B: With two of them, you got the third place, right. You didn't like which horse, though. Would you have said it on that horse?
• 1:18:31
  Speaker C: I don't know. I don't know.
• 1:18:34
  Speaker B: That's right. Well, he had three chances. So it was.
• 1:18:37
  Speaker A: Anyway, Simon's not speaking to Harry anymore because he made him put that extra stride in, so.
• 1:18:42
  Speaker C: Yeah, exactly.
• 1:18:42
  Speaker B: Did you go five at the Hollow at the.
• 1:18:46
  Speaker C: Handsome was close.
• 1:18:48
  Speaker B: Close, yeah.
• 1:18:48
  Speaker C: Yeah, I did. Yeah.
• 1:18:50
  Speaker B: Because we didn't see you go through there because we weren't. You weren't on camera at that point.
• 1:18:54
  Speaker C: Yeah, they didn't show very much of me, to be fair.
• 1:18:56
  Speaker B: Oh, my God. Laura Collett wrote the same as you.
• 1:19:03
  Speaker C: Oh, did you?
• 1:19:04
  Speaker B: Oh, wow.
• 1:19:05
  Speaker C: There you go. We were right next to each other.
• 1:19:06
  Speaker B: Ross Cantor, Bubby Upton and Harry Mead.
• 1:19:09
  Speaker A: Can I say as well that Laura actually stole my cheat sheet that you gave me?
• 1:19:14
  Speaker B: Oh, really?
• 1:19:15
  Speaker A: Yeah. That was what really amused me when I. She was like, what's that? I was like, it's because. I don't know the rider. She was like, oh, give me that. Just like, let me look.
• 1:19:23
  Speaker B: Okay. So, Harriet Seymour,
• 1:19:28
  Speaker C: did you not.
• 1:19:30
  Speaker B: I didn't do one. No, I think I would have. I. And you know what? I think I would have got it right. I would have definitely put Harry.
• 1:19:37
  Speaker C: Oh, yeah, of course you would have got it right.
• 1:19:40
  Speaker A: Yeah, of course. Yeah.
• 1:19:41
  Speaker B: Well, because do you know why? Do you know? Sorry. But do you know why?
• 1:19:45
  Speaker A: Do you know?
• 1:19:46
  Speaker C: Because I'm always.
• 1:19:46
  Speaker A: Because if you don't do it, you can claim that you would have won.
• 1:19:49
  Speaker C: Yeah, exactly.
• 1:19:50
  Speaker B: Because Roz was gonna win it. So I would have put her. I don't know what order I would have put Harry and Tim, but I would have put Tim because I love him. And I think Falco's mega on the last day. And Harry, because he was. Had three chances, so that would have been my reason.
• 1:20:05
  Speaker C: I can't believe or listen to any of that. Because you didn't do it.
• 1:20:09
  Speaker B: I'm in charge.
• 1:20:10
  Speaker C: If I. If I. If I hadn't written it down. I've been saying. Exactly. Because actually, to be honest with you, I Was thinking I think I might have written Tim, but I obviously didn't.
• 1:20:17
  Speaker B: Right, Harriet Seymour? I was right and I win. As long as there's no follow up questions. All right?
• 1:20:24
  Speaker C: Right. Remember guys, if you were there and
• 1:20:27
  Speaker A: you thought about doing it but didn't, but you would have got it right. If you did, then you can win some merchandise as well.
• 1:20:36
  Speaker B: My game, my rules. Just dm, Jenny, Harry, Harriet Seymour, put Bobby ups. And a lot of people think Bobby Upton was going to be in the top three. Roz can to second and then Laura Collett third so she does not win anymore.
• 1:20:53
  Speaker C: I didn't get a mention. Damn it.
• 1:20:55
  Speaker A: I put you on my list.
• 1:20:57
  Speaker C: I know, I know. No, I mean just that one.
• 1:21:00
  Speaker B: Wowzers. Bronin Roz, Harry Mead, Bubby Upton. She even wrote the horses down. She said Harry Mead on Crystal Cavalier. Cavalier Crystal. Was that the one that he fell off of?
• 1:21:14
  Speaker C: I can't remember.
• 1:21:16
  Speaker B: So Charlie or Chorley? Roscunter, Bobby Upton, Laura Collins. Wow. That was it. That was all of our people.
• 1:21:28
  Speaker C: So we all did quite well.
• 1:21:32
  Speaker B: Everyone got Harry, but nobody got. So I'm just checking there weren't any.
• 1:21:37
  Speaker A: Nobody did as well as Jenny with her.
• 1:21:40
  Speaker C: Yeah, 100% win.
• 1:21:43
  Speaker B: I could have cheated because you two didn't pay enough attention to know if I'd done one.
• 1:21:47
  Speaker A: Yeah, you could have said you had and read it out and we'd have believed you.
• 1:21:51
  Speaker B: So who got closest? Do you think we should send something to someone who got closest?
• 1:21:55
  Speaker C: Yeah, yeah,
• 1:21:58
  Speaker B: I would do if someone had written the right horse for Harry. But nobody did. Only I'm gonna send Simon some because you got Harry Mead in at least the right place. And Laura did. Laura got it from Cyst.
• 1:22:14
  Speaker A: So you're gonna send Simon some merch.
• 1:22:16
  Speaker B: Simon his own merchandise. That's what I'm gonna do.
• 1:22:20
  Speaker C: Oh, yeah. I won't.
• 1:22:23
  Speaker B: Yeah, you would have thought there would be another rider mention from the top ones after the dressage.
• 1:22:29
  Speaker C: I'm surprised Tim didn't get a mention, to be fair.
• 1:22:32
  Speaker B: Yeah, I would have thought Tim would have got a mention, but no. And no one put your name down, Simon.
• 1:22:39
  Speaker C: Apart from Ben, apart from Benji.
• 1:22:41
  Speaker B: Yay.
• 1:22:42
  Speaker C: Because she's a ledge. Thanks for the support.
• 1:22:47
  Speaker A: I was manifesting.
• 1:22:49
  Speaker B: Were you? Yeah, you were manifesting him going really fast, man.
• 1:22:55
  Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:22:58
  Speaker A: He's got such a big following now. He could have got on that cross country course. They cheered, Buster bolted. First place.
• 1:23:04
  Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. Happy days.
• 1:23:08
  Speaker B: I just. Very proud of you, Simi. I think you were amazing.
• 1:23:14
  Speaker C: Thank you.
• 1:23:14
  Speaker B: I think you are amazing.
• 1:23:16
  Speaker C: Thank you. Very much.
• 1:23:17
  Speaker B: Because it takes serious kahunas to go around that course and I wouldn't do it, not even if you paid me.
• 1:23:26
  Speaker C: Well, we had a great time, so thank you.
• 1:23:28
  Speaker B: Right, we've been going for an hour and a half.
• 1:23:31
  Speaker C: Sorry. I have really got. I really went on a couple of times then. Sorry.
• 1:23:35
  Speaker A: No, you did it. It was amazing. It's what we wanted.
• 1:23:37
  Speaker B: It was amazing.
• 1:23:39
  Speaker C: You guys are.
• 1:23:40
  Speaker B: Do we have a. What's annoyed us this week?
• 1:23:42
  Speaker A: Yeah, Jenny pretending she'd have won that competition if she'd have actually taken part.
• 1:23:52
  Speaker C: So. So what's annoyed me this week is that Jenny, one of my bezzy maze in the whole world, was at Babington all week as a interviewer and we never had an interview. I wanted to be able to chat to you, but we never did it. Just never. It just never happened, did it?
• 1:24:12
  Speaker B: Yeah, sorry. I was only allowed, like, it was. I was not allowed to decide who I interviewed. Bear Grylls trumped you.
• 1:24:21
  Speaker C: Yeah, I can get that. He is hot.
• 1:24:24
  Speaker B: He was quite hot, actually. Surprisingly so. And taller than I thought.
• 1:24:29
  Speaker C: Yeah, he's a good looking guy.
• 1:24:32
  Speaker A: Like, I. I'm a big Bear Grylls fan, but can someone be hot if you've watched them drink their own urine on television multiple times?
• 1:24:38
  Speaker B: A good question. Now I feel a little bit sick. Not gonna lie.
• 1:24:45
  Speaker C: Some people might say that's a massive bonus.
• 1:24:48
  Speaker A: Keep that between you and your Internet search history, Simon. I would say
• 1:24:55
  Speaker C: showers are us. I just. I just. I can't.
• 1:24:58
  Speaker A: I have to say, I did. I did point out at the end of your dressage that your partner's very lucky with your wonderful hips. I did say that, yeah.
• 1:25:07
  Speaker B: Those hips do not lie.
• 1:25:12
  Speaker C: Oh, dear. Buster is very bouncy. There's quite a lot of thrusting going on.
• 1:25:18
  Speaker B: That canter does not look fun. I'm not gonna lie. He also looks very narrow in front. I definitely would be coming out that front door. No, sorry, I don't get to decide who I talk to. I. Yeah, I also. Do you know how many people I love. I love our audience because they are funny. But badminton must be very bloody confused because I did a fun bit where I went out and met dogs and did like. We did a video on it.
• 1:25:45
  Speaker C: I saw that. That looked really cool.
• 1:25:47
  Speaker B: It was really cool. But there was a corgi in it and so many people have written under the. Badminton's post, jenny's talking to a Corky. Lol. Why is Jenny talking to that corgi? If you know, you know. And like so many People are giving me shit because I talked to this corgi and Babington must be like, what? What's going on? Why is Jenny not allowed to speak to corgis?
• 1:26:08
  Speaker A: I thought you'd moved on. I thought you'd forgiven corgis and now wanted to, you know, oversee a beagle genocide.
• 1:26:16
  Speaker B: Well, I had until this corgi tried to take my bloody fingers off and I was back Corgi. Also, what they didn't show was that little cute puppy at the beginning tried to bite my face. I was like, yep, give that back quickly.
• 1:26:31
  Speaker C: Oh, I kind of saw that and I thought that you hit. You hid it quite well because it looked like. Yeah, but actually you were thinking, God, Jesus.
• 1:26:39
  Speaker B: When you see on camera, two seconds later, it properly tried to savage me. It did that thing where it stares at you, tries to eyeball you and then snaps at your face. I was like, yep, that's.
• 1:26:50
  Speaker C: You can. You can have. You can have that back.
• 1:26:52
  Speaker B: Yeah.
• 1:26:54
  Speaker C: Is that what annoyed you this week? Getting savaged by.
• 1:26:57
  Speaker B: That might be what annoyed me, actually. Puppies trying to snap at me. What annoyed me just. Some people are just a bit miserable, aren't they? We were filming with the little Malley kid, whose mum was actually really lovely. And the kid was very cute, wasn't she, Ben? She was actually very sweet.
• 1:27:12
  Speaker C: She was great.
• 1:27:14
  Speaker B: And what I found annoying was we were obviously filming. There was a microphone in her hand, she. And a fuck off. Huge camera right next to her. And she was with Adam Short, Tom McEwan's group. And we're trying to do something. This woman comes over and she goes, hi, Mally. It doesn't ask permission to talk to the child. Like, I wouldn't like some random talking to my kids. Comes up to the kid, bends over and goes, hi, Mally, I follow you on Instagram. You're so cute. And we were like, I'm really, really sorry. We're in the middle of filming, but Mally will be around later. And the mum was even like, yeah, we're filming. You're right to just hold off talking to her for a second. This woman got in such a shit with us, like, grumbled, like, moaned and then stormed off with her daughter. I was like, is that a little bit weird? Little bit odd?
• 1:28:07
  Speaker A: Surely if you're a fan of an influencer, catching one in the wild actually, like, filming at a big event is, like, an exciting thing to witness anyway. There's lots of different ways to be
• 1:28:20
  Speaker B: annoyed about that, but I do think then that that's why, like, I Do think putting yourself out as an influencer, especially in the riding sphere, I mean, fair play to you, because I do think people feel a bit of ownership on you. Would I. I don't know how to say that properly. Is that right? Like, I feel like they're like, well, you. We follow you all, everything you do, every aspect of your life, some of them. So therefore, if I want to talk to you, I bloody can. I feel like it felt a bit like that. Do you know what I mean?
• 1:28:47
  Speaker C: Yeah. It's not. That's. And that's not good, especially for like with a kid that age.
• 1:28:52
  Speaker B: No. And then there's that argument. Well, if you put yourself on social media, you've got to be open to it. But I do think social media or whatever it is, you. You become a celebrity or whatever. Yes, you are putting yourself in the limelight. So I think you should be very tolerant and open for photographs and all of that, but you shouldn't be open to people being rude to you. No, that is not acceptable. No, must not be rude. So that annoyed me, Ben, what's. What's annoyed you?
• 1:29:20
  Speaker A: I'm going to link onto the. Your first one a little bit because I've seen this quite a lot on social media at the moment. If you want to be an influencer of any kind, like a proper influencer or like someone like, like me, like Simon, who puts videos. You want to try and create a brand around you, putting videos of you doing stuff with your horse and like
• 1:29:42
  Speaker B: sharing, you're not trying to influence people. Do you know what I mean?
• 1:29:46
  Speaker A: That's what I mean. Like, no matter what it is, like, no matter if it's just like, you know, I would say that me and Simon share what we do. Like we don't, you know, so much proper influencer they're getting.
• 1:30:01
  Speaker C: So.
• 1:30:02
  Speaker A: But like, you decide to put yourself out online for judgment, which is what it is now, 90% of the time it's positive. But people getting so butthurt about getting negativity. Like, I'm sorry, what did you think? There was some magical thing where if you put a video of you riding on your horse online, so you're, you're the special star that isn't going to get any negativity back if. Or any criticism or like, welcome to the game. Like, I'm not saying it's nice, I'm not saying it's positive, I'm not even saying that the criticism is. 90% of the time, the criticism is not even valid. But the point is, what did you think the game was, like, you, like, kicking off, like, it's unfair because someone's pointing out that, you know, someone's riding badly or that horse could have jumped, like, not even attacking people, you know, just maybe saying. Or I think maybe that course is
• 1:31:00
  Speaker C: a bit big for that horse.
• 1:31:01
  Speaker A: Or, oh, could, like, could have had a bit less of a contact in that, you know, in that test. And then people screenshotting it and putting it on their socials and being like, can't believe people have the gall to be so rude. It's like, no, I can't believe you have the arrogance to believe that you are, one, so perfect and two, so entitled that if you decide you want to put yourself out like, that you're
• 1:31:23
  Speaker C: not going to, you know, get it,
• 1:31:25
  Speaker A: like, responsibility, like, if you want to, if you want to, if you want the nice sides of it, the bad side is, Is the other flip side of the coin.
• 1:31:34
  Speaker C: When the bad side does come, whatever happened, like, we've. We've all had it. All three of us have had it. Haven't we had negativity somewhere along the line and, and people not being very nice or, or not agreeing with or doing or, you know, you've just got to kind of like, as new as
• 1:31:50
  Speaker A: it is, we're not. We're not in the playground anymore. There's no teacher to go to. So just, you know, either block the person that's giving you the abuse or crack on and ignore it or if it really strikes a nerve, maybe think why it does.
• 1:32:06
  Speaker B: That's a good. I like that. Yeah.
• 1:32:08
  Speaker A: Like, because I know the bits that get me when. So sorry, I was say, when people say, might say something about my riding when I post bits of me riding and if I get, like, uppity with it, it's because I know I've got such a massive amount of room for growth and so you feel vulnerable and that's why you're upset. Yeah, but, sorry, what are you gonna say?
• 1:32:26
  Speaker C: No, it's similar, to be honest, similar. Quite often when I have had. I've had a fair few negative things, like, written on my Instagram and on my YouTube videos and that kind of stuff. And more often than not, well, every time, actually, it's always made me reflect on myself and think, well, actually, maybe I could do that differently. Or actually, no, that is complete rubbish and I'm just going to carry on with what I'm doing. But, like, any criticism is good. Like, you can learn from it or you can realize that actually you're doing quite A good job.
• 1:33:05
  Speaker B: One of the comments on a post that. Not my post, but Badminton put out with me interviewing someone wrote underneath, wonderful to see Claire Balding back at Badminton. Not sure how well I should take that seriously. I'll find it and screenshot it and send it to you. This is the best thing I've heard in ages. Good. Thank you. I did not find that quite so funny.
• 1:33:41
  Speaker C: It is very good, Jenny Balding Rudle.
• 1:33:51
  Speaker B: Ben's actually gone purple. He's laughing so hard.
• 1:33:54
  Speaker A: That's the best thing.
• 1:33:59
  Speaker B: Well, what I did appreciate about Badminton, that is that they. I did leave England thinking my presenting in front of camera career since pushing out some humans and getting old was probably over. And then obviously going to America and clip my horse, employing me. I've had a bit of a resurgence of being on camera. I'm still producing a lot and doing a lot of content behind the scenes for different companies. But Badminton employing someone over 40 who to do their content and be on TV for them gave me a bit of hope that maybe I'm not going to hang up me new Holland Cooper boots.
• 1:34:40
  Speaker A: Yay.
• 1:34:44
  Speaker B: So thank you very much, Babington, for having me. And let's just hope I haven't fucked it up. And they people, not too many people think that I'm Claire Boarding and they have me back.
• 1:34:52
  Speaker A: Yeah.
• 1:34:56
  Speaker B: Right, boys, just. Oh, I love you. We did it. We went by the lake of Badminton.
• 1:35:05
  Speaker C: Yeah, it was great.
• 1:35:05
  Speaker B: Simon went round badminton and Ben went to his first badminton and even though he acted like a toddler round the course, it was wonderful to. I think for us it's because you are brilliant, Ben and it's just so nice that this is the first glimmer of hope that our little worlds are coming together and some of what you do can trickle into this world and some of Simon's world can trickle into your world. And we're not just living these two parallel universes where we're all riding horses, but people don't think that we can all learn together. So hopefully this is the start of something.
• 1:35:41
  Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. Although I just. I'm just still blown away. It's going to take me quite. It's going to probably going to take me longer than Simon to decompress after badminton. Now I know what it actually is. Might actually like go next year and try and watch all of it and watch a bit more eventing.
• 1:35:58
  Speaker C: Oh, my God, that'd be so cool. Like you guys could come and be my grooms for the week.
• 1:36:04
  Speaker A: Yes.
• 1:36:05
  Speaker C: Jenny's not. Oh, no, Jenny will Be presenting. Sorry, sorry.
• 1:36:09
  Speaker B: No, it's not that. I just don't think I could cope with that amount of responsibility. Could you enter a horse in the grassroots? I think I could groom for that. Yeah.
• 1:36:17
  Speaker A: But imagine how well people would think he would do if Claire Boulding was grooming for him.
• 1:36:40
  Speaker B: Benjamin, I've never. I wish I hadn't told you. I'm never gonna let this down.
• 1:36:46
  Speaker A: Calm down, Claire. It's all right.
• 1:36:59
  Speaker C: It's all right. Boulders. You can. You can edit this out.
• 1:37:03
  Speaker B: If you start calling me Boulders, we're gonna have an issue.
• 1:37:12
  Speaker A: Oh, it's the best thing.
• 1:37:16
  Speaker C: Oh, God.
• 1:37:18
  Speaker B: Right, you buggers. Oh, just shut up. Don't even go right.
• 1:37:22
  Speaker A: Just shut up.
• 1:37:23
  Speaker B: I love you both. This is definitely where we should finish. This is Balders signing off. Off to the Olympics or something. I don't know. All right, I love you, Simon. Well done. I'm so glad. Thanks for a big hug from the Ben. Quite Frank. He could just fuck off.
• 1:37:40
  Speaker A: Yeah, I love you too. But, yeah, we're so. And Simon, please pass our love on to Buster. I will make sure he knows how
• 1:37:48
  Speaker C: loved he is out here. I will go and do that right now.
• 1:37:52
  Speaker B: And your team and your owners and lovely Maggie and. And James, by the way, who was there supporting whilst he was working your other half.
• 1:38:01
  Speaker C: Yeah, he was. He was good. He was good. He's so funny.
• 1:38:06
  Speaker B: I don't think he appreciated me talking at him, but he just.
• 1:38:11
  Speaker C: Literally, everything that I do, he just rolls his eyes out. So what do you think of that dressage test? Roll design.
• 1:38:20
  Speaker B: Although he did say how he can't watch the cross country because he worries about you so much.
• 1:38:24
  Speaker C: Yeah, he didn't watch. He doesn't watch any of it. I was like, oh, my God, he jumped on water. Really? Well, he said, no, I do. I didn't see it. I wasn't watching.
• 1:38:31
  Speaker B: He did. He was too scared. And I watched it with your lovely mother, which was a very big privilege because she's so wonderful. I like your mom.
• 1:38:38
  Speaker C: She is seriously cool lady.
• 1:38:44
  Speaker B: All right, all that's left to say is shut up and ride,
• 1:38:51
  Speaker C: ride,
• 1:38:54
  Speaker A: ride.
• 1:38:55
  Speaker B: Oh, also, I never mentioned we're still sponsored by Charles Owen. We love you, Charles Owen.
• 1:38:59
  Speaker C: Love you.