AFTER three years assisting Rodrigo Pessoa, Michael Blake was appointed the High Performance show jumping director and chef d’equipe last December, charged with leading the team to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

In what was to be the most exciting year in a long time, with a team qualified for Tokyo and a strong list of riders putting their hand up, Blake only sent out two teams before the Covid-19 hit, and when the world began to open back up, another four Nations Cup took place from August to November.