EXCLUSIVE interview

Mollie Summerland has firmly established herself as one of eventing’s brightest young stars – and along the way, she’s become a beacon of mental health advocacy for fellow riders

As told to Tilly Berendt. 

Photos: Tilly Berendt

By all accounts, 2019’s eventing season had been the stuff of dreams for the then 21-year-old Mollie Summerland. Riding her self-produced partner, Charly van ter Heiden, she’d achieved an astonishing seven top-10 finishes at CCI4*, including ninth place in the Nations Cup final at Boekelo and a close second to Andrew Nicholson at Barbury. But as the buzz of the season of a lifetime ground to a halt and another long winter unfurled ahead of her, Mollie had more to grapple with than just the prospect of icy mornings and extra training sessions.

Subverting the stigma

There’s long been an unwritten rule in the equestrian world that toughness –a vague quality at the best of times – is the most important trait a rider can possess. It’s this idea that pushes the industry’s workers to exert themselves to the point of burnout, grit their teeth through the pain of injury and never give up in the face of adversity – even if it could actually provide an alternative route to success. In short, it’s all about getting back in the saddle – real or metaphorical – no matter what’s thrown your way.