After three articles looking at how eventing has changed, a visit to Burghley made me think about what comes next - for the horses, the riders and the future of the sport.

Scarlett was never the loudest horse in the field, but her quiet presence held the herd together. This is a tribute to a very special mare and the enormous gap she has left behind.

Remember when horse sport was just… on the telly and the whole family watched it together. From Olympia and Hickstead to Badminton - what happened and can we really blame the BBC for all of it?

We measure eventing in seconds. But are we measuring the things that really matter?

Eventing has changed dramatically in the past 30 years. But what if the biggest change isn't simply the fences? I look at the horses, riders and experiences behind them — and ask whether studying the saves might teach us as much as studying the falls.

Grey Mare is an equestrian blog about horses, welfare, competition, products and the questions that come from spending a lifetime around them.

What keeps us older riders reaching for the saddle, brushing off our horses and tacking up for yet another ride - even when everything aches and our energy levels are sometimes lower than a double bass? What keeps us middle-aged equestrians climbing into the saddle despite the inevitable bumps, bruises on older bodies, moments of doubt, and the sheer day-to-day slog of having horses? Yes, we’re talking about that undeniable bond between horse and rider - a connection so deep

For the first time in ages, I opened up the equestrian events pages and scribbled down a few shows I might enter with a young homebred mare I had then. And off we went. I’d forgotten how lovely it is to be out and about - how many friends you bump into in just one day at a show.