The 2023 eventing season started brilliantly with the horses; I had a couple of new horses to compete, who quickly gained some super experience.  Sadly, however, the season saw the sale of my top horse, Charly, with whom I had won at Luhmuhlen CCI5* 2021 in Germany. I had Charly for nine years, so it was incredibly sad to see him go, but there is comfort in knowing that he is living his best life now in the American sun.  

The sale of horses is something that comes as part of the sport to help fund the business and sustain the string of horses required to reach the top level. Thankfully, my team and I have some extremely exciting younger horses stepping up.  

In June, I was delighted with Flow after heading to Bramham, one of the country's toughest 4* tracks, to finish 2nd. Flow continues to show much promise for the future.

Alongside the horses during 2023, I enjoyed volunteering in my local hospital and helping in the emergency department; I would love to continue doing this in the future.

In July, I travelled to London to participate in The Baton of Hope campaign, designed to be the biggest suicide awareness and prevention initiative in the UK. The unique baton toured UK towns and cities, culminating in London. Several other riders from various equestrian disciplines and I, along with the Household Cavalry carried the Baton on horseback from Wellington Ache to the Horse Guards Parade.

I decided to open up on my Instagram and share how I have struggled with my mental well-being; the support I have received from the equestrian community has been immense, which is amazing. I’m very proud that this opened the door to the opportunity to create a special programme looking at the mental well-being of several other professional riders and industry experts.  

Mollie Summerland: Mental Health Awareness is available to watch now on Horse and Country TV. Click here.  

In October, one of our young horses was selected to represent Great Britain at the Eventing World Young Horse Championships at Le Lion d’Angers in France. It was a fantastic experience for us both, Mojo was wonderful all week; he topped off a great week by finishing in the top 10!  

I am looking forward to the 2024 season; all being well, we hope to aim Mojo at the Eventing World Young Horse Championships again. I also hope Flow will continue building confidence and aiming at some of the major 4 stars throughout the year.  A number of other young horses are also showing promise and will gain more mileage and education as they increase their confidence at their respective levels.  

Want to know more about Mollie Summerland's incredible achievements? Click here