Recently, the winners of the Haynet ‘Equestrian Blogger Of The Year Awards’ (which we were proud sponsors of) were announced. After months of scruitny, a deserving overall winner was pulled (Drum roll) with brilliant equestrian blogger, Roosa of ‘Roosa’s Horsey Life’ taking the prestigious title!
In this blog we caught up with Roosa and asked her to fill in the blanks..
I AM… really blessed! I have a lovely family, two happy and healthy horses and my blog just won the Equestrian Blogger of The Year!
I LOVE…. listening to the cast recordings of musicals. I find the music relaxing and it helps me to concentrate, most of my blog posts and nearly all of my essays for university have been written with this kind of music playing in the background. I’m currently listening to combination of Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables and Jekyll & Hyde.
I’M NOT AFRAID OF…. hard work and getting dirty! My parents have always been taught me to work hard towards my goals and dreams, so I’m not afraid of early starts and late finishes! If you work hard, you reap the rewards. Having had the responsibility of looking after horses since my early teen years, I learnt very quickly that hard work is part and parcel of this lifestyle! I wish the people who have called me spoilt could see me on weekend mornings at 6am no matter what the weather feeding the horses and mucking out in my wellies!! Balancing a master’s degree, running our yard at home and riding my horses as well as blogging and teaching riding lessons means that sometimes I do have to sacrifice my social life and the amount of sleep that I get, but I don’t regret it at all.
Any type of horse illness…GIVES ME NIGHTMARES… Colic, abscesses, sarcoids, laminitis, ligament injuries, navicular disease and mud fever… You name it, I have more than likely had a nightmare about it. I’m so much of a horse girl that even my nightmares are to do with horses!
I PREFER… persevering TO giving up BECAUSE I hate quitters. I believe that once you have started something you finish it. My mother always says that this is one of the reason why Vallu and I get on so well, because he knows that I will never give up with him despite the fact that I cried every single time I rode him during the first winter that I had him. During one especially terrible ride, she said “quit, or actually start riding him” and that’s when my perseverance kicked in and everything started to get better. 6 years later I’m still riding him!
IF I WASN’T BLOGGING I WOULD BE…. an equestrian photographer or running my own tack shop! I love taking photos of horses, it’s one of the most therapeutic things I can think of. I would have so much fun running a tack shop, I really enjoy talking to new people especially if they are horsey so I can imagine that my days would be filled with fun if I had my own tack shop. Also… Imagine all the matchy!
MY SPIRIT ANIMAL IS…. a dog BECAUSE unconditional love, loyalty and forgiveness are simply things that I just do. I’m devoted to my nearest and dearest and I feel nothing but content when helping others and being there for them when they need me. For me, acts out of kindness and love are far more meaningful than any material things.
THE MOST INTERESTING FACT ABOUT MYSELF IS… that my grandfather is the reason why I ride. He had his own beloved horse on the farm whilst growing up and whilst in the Finnish army during WWII, he was a staff sergeant in the cavalry. He influenced my mother to ride, and she got my big brother Henri and I into riding too. So you could say that horsemanship and the love of horses flows in my veins.
MY BEST PARTY TRICK IS…. that I can kinda bust a move when at parties, I know some of the choreography to classics like Thriller and Single Ladies but please don’t ask me to do this!
THE ROLE MODEL I LOOK UP TO AND WHY…. Lili Brooksby-Dalby. My lovely friend who has the biggest heart, she works SO hard and never complains. Her love of animals and her horses as well her dedication to training and improving her riding skills is incredible and motivates me like nothing else! I’m so glad I found a role model who puts her horses first ahead of herself and also never gives up. I honestly don’t know how she manages to successfully run her business, hold clinics and give lessons around the UK and ride her own horses without becoming exhausted or running out of hours in the day.
MY EARLIEST MEMORY OF HORSES IS…. standing in the middle of an indoor arena during one of my first ever riding lessons, just staring in shock at the Shetland pony who was rolling around (with its tack on!!) after having bucked me off when I had asked for canter!
MY FAVOURITE MOTTO IS…. You do not find the happy life, you make it.
MY TOP BLOGGING TIP IS…. to blog for yourself, not for ‘the fame’ or for other people. My blog started off as a diary for me to look back on as I wanted to have a place that I could return to when I am 90 years old and want to reminisce about the good old days! I still stick to this rule which is why I think I have the passion for blogging whilst some others who started at the same time have given up by now. Next January I will have been blogging for 5 years, all because at the end of the day I still blog for myself.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THIS ABOUT ME BUT… I have previously really struggled with self-confidence with regard to riding and have been very close to giving up with horses, twice! I think this is why I get really agitated when I see online bullying going on, especially towards someone who is already struggling. I love following other’s successes and cheering them on so I don’t have any space in my life (real life or online) for any negativity or bullying in any form!
I CAN’T BELIEVE…. Christmas is only 2 months away!! I better start finishing up my Christmas blog posts and start shopping for presents for my friends and family. I’m hoping that this will be the year that I don’t have to do any last-minute panic Christmas shopping.
Sam (Founder) of Haynet..IS EPIC BECAUSE… she has done so much for equestrian bloggers. No one else has achieved as much for us as she has! I’m eternally grateful for finding out about Haynet in 2013 and being able to join in and find other bloggers like myself. I now have so many equestrian connections and friends from around the world thanks to her!
IF I RULED THE WORLD FOR A DAY I WOULD… end animal cruelty. I’m very passionate about ending any form of cruelty towards animal, which is why I promote rescues (one of my dogs is a rescue dog from Rhodes, Greece) and donate to animal charities.
MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE PHOTO IS THIS ONE BECAUSE… this was one those big moments that happen once in a blue moon! This photo is from a lesson back in March 2015 where I had to work so hard but in the end managed to get one of the best rides ever with Vallu! It was one of the first major breakthroughs I had with him after having been through a couple of months of terrible rides and this picture proved to me that I could do this with him and that I was a good enough rider for him.
I’M MORE… critical of myself …THAN….. people assume. I’ve put in a lot of work into becoming more positive about myself, my work and my riding, but it is still a work in progress some days. A good friend of mine recently told me to not underestimate myself or my ability and this has become my new mantra, going forwards into 2018.
MY PARTING THOUGHT FOR THIS BLOG IS…. to always stay strong, you never know who you are inspiring!
You can read Roosa’s award winning Roosa’s Horsey Life Blog here: http://roosashorseylife.blogspot.co.uk
Photo Credit: Brooksby Dressage (Equestrian Training)
If you enjoyed reading this blog, consider reading some of our other super interviews including our chat with Caroline Constable Of Style Reins
