Hedda & Boromir
♡ Tell us a little about Boromir!
Boromir is a Norwegian warmblood born in 2005. He is actually breeded for dressage, but it turns out that he has a big talent in eventing! He may seem a little boring because of his really chill attitude, but he is a really fun character. A heart made of gold, always tries his best no matter what!
♡ How did you get him and become besties?
It’s actually a pretty interesting story! I spent a summer at my earlier trainer’s place in 2017 with my previous horse, Moonlight. I wasn't looking for another horse because I really wanted things to work out between me and Moonlight. One day, the trainer told me that he was put up for sale and I got the opportunity to buy him before anyone else got the news! I totally fell in love with him the first time I saw him in training in 2015, such a talented horse. My parents agreed to buy him - it’s still the most fantastic day in my life.
♡ Have you always loved riding? What age did you start!
No actually! I was really scared of all types of animals when I was a little girl. My mom rode when she was younger and she thought that horses could help me to get rid of the fear I had. I wasn’t really looking forward to the lessons in the beginning (I started at the age of 6), but after a while I really started to enjoy it. I brought my first horse when I turned 12 and have loved it since I was around seven years old.
♡ What style of riding do you do with your horse?
I compete in eventing at the moment, at a 2* level. Mostly started in Norway, but I got the chance to get a season outside of my country last year which was such a great experience! We also compete in dressage and showjumping when the eventing season isn’t ongoing.
♡ What does FriendshipCollar mean to you?
That is a really good question! I think it symbolizes the connection between the horse and the rider because we get a great opportunity to match :) I think it’s a great concept.
♡ What is the naughtiest thing your horse has ever done?
Hmm.. running away from me in the paddock! He always wants to “play” before the real training begins. It’s really hard to catch him because he is such a smart horse, but a carrot can be a great help sometimes!!
♡ How does your horse cheer you up when you’re sad?
Just his energy and personality. He is such a calm horse, so I really enjoy being in the stable when I’m a little bit tired after a rough day. We have taught him to smile and kiss, so the tricks always help me to get rid of the bad feelings. His eyes are so kind and I always feel lucky to be around him.
♡ What has been the biggest obstacle that you have conquered together?
It’s hard to choose only one, but in 2018 I debuted H100 (100cm eventing in Norway) and had a pretty bad fall on the first obstacle in the show jumping-arena. I really hurted my neck, but Boromir was just fine. After that, I was really insecure in the arena and thought for some days that I never would be able to feel safe on my horse again. We decided to turn the fear into motivation and started another H100 where we got 2.place - I was really relieved that day!
♡ Can you share a funny story about Boromir for us?
Of course! He is a really gentle horse both at the stable and on the competition-ground. You can place him anywhere and he will just stand there like nothing (I thought!). One day last summer, I made a paddock for him so he could eat some grass. I went back to the stable a few meters away to get some carrots and then he totally lost it and started to walk right through the fence I made. We thought he saw a moose (because that is the only thing that he is really afraid of in this world), but we don’ t know exactly what happened. We have video cameras around the stable, and this video of him is still one of my favorites hehe.. The fence followed him and my mom was running after him - he was not scared anymore and ran into another paddock. We could not catch him, but I think he was looking for an adventure that day.
♡ What's your future plans?
I actually wanted to compete in the Nordic Baltic Championship in eventing this year, but due Covid-19 and Boromir’s injury this is not going to happen. He will be totally okay but it will take some time. I want to give him as much time as he needs, so this plan will be moved a few years forward! I’m getting a horse in training in a few weeks and I can't wait to finally start to ride again. We do have some exciting plans for this summer.. To get Boromir back on track and learn a lot of/with the horse I'm going to train for a year are the only big plans for now..
♡ What is the silliest thing your horse spooks at?
Oh, that is a hard question! He is really spooky at the moment because he has no opportunity to use his energy like he is used to, but I think it might be purple flowers!! They are REALLY scary.
♡ What is a typical day like for your BFF?
Ah, Boromir’s day-to-day routine is really boring at the moment. He can walk up to 45 minutes (actually between 25-45 minutes) everyday, so we use the opportunity to explore some new trails in the forest. After the trip, I have to cool down his leg in 20 minutes and then I let him eat some grass in 25 minutes. Our schedule before his injury looked quite different from this one! We usually travel 2-3 times a week to other stables. One training in dressage for my trainer Heidi, and one training in showjumping for my other trainer Caroline. We also used to compete up to two weeks in a month before the virus occurred. I also think it’s important to give the horse a break, so we used to ride trips in the forest three times a week.
♡ Tell us a little more about competing!
Yes, I usually do! We compete in eventing and I’m really satisfied with all of our seasons together so far. I got him in the end of 2017 and we had the chance to start a few competitions in both dressage and showjumping before the 2018-season started. We got qualified for the Norwegian championship in 2018, my very first championship! I was SO nervous the last day and we were so close to getting a medal.. But of course I totally screwed up when I didn’t find the right track in the forest hehe. Except from that mistake, we got silver in the norwegian championship last year, started many competitions in Sweden and won the seasons last eventing-competition on a 2* level last year here in Norway.. We also managed to get a 2.place in the dressage cup (did not get the opportunity to fight for victory in the last round because of the virus), but I’m really satisfied! We qualified for NBC last year, and we have worked away our challenges in showjumping! Couldn’t ask for a better horse, always tries his best..
♡ What is the next adventure you want to do with your horse?
I’m actually not sure! First of all I’m focusing on getting Boromir back on track again. As said a few questions back, I’m getting another horse in training for a while. I think this is going to be quite an adventure.. Can’t wait to finally start to ride and start some competitions again :) The other horse will be joining me to a riding-camp in a few weeks - I’m hoping for a good and educational week! He needs some more experience in both showjumping and in the terrain - this is a great opportunity to finally test things out. With Boromir, I’m hoping to get the chance to start a few competitions at the end of this year :) It depends on how his leg looks!
♡ What's the best thing about your bestie being a horse...
I always have something to do! Being around my horse always cheers me up when I’m having a bad day. I can use hours in the stable every day, such a good and relaxing feeling.
Get the look!
Hedda and Boromir are wearing: His Royal Stallion
