Forrad on to a brighter season
Some believe the phrase ‘best foot forward’ originated when ladies looked for a well-turned leg in a man. Or that it signified the most elegant way to make a curtsey. In 1595, Shakespeare wrote in King John: ‘Nay, but make haste; the better foot before.’ Whatever the etymological origins, we’re firmly planting our best foot forward when it comes to planning for a sensational next season in the saddle, thoughts turned from the frustrating nature of the past. Here are the men and women to follow, and the places and packs to plan for, along with some inspiration from this season’s indomitable spirit.
FOLLOWING NIMROD
The predecessors to our contemporary Nimrods have for centuries set hearts aflutter. The Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi, had as her pilot the gallant Captain William George ‘Bay’ Middleton, who steered her through the best hunting country England and Ireland had to offer. Were I in need of a pilot in the Duke of Beaufort’s enviable country I would surely swoon at the prospect
