Shut Up and Ride

The Band Is Back Together… and Absolutely Nothing Is Off Limits!

Ben, Jenny and Simon are FINALLY back together, and as you can imagine, absolute chaos ensues!

This week, we’ve got a bit of everything. From the downright ridiculous to the surprisingly emotional, it’s a classic Shut Up and Ride episode.

We tackle one of the hardest decisions any horse owner will ever face — saying goodbye to your best friend. How do you know when it's time? What are the practicalities of having your horse put to sleep? And should you be there at the end? Is there even a right answer? It's an honest, heartfelt conversation about something we all dread but inevitably have to face.

But don't worry, things don't stay serious for long…

We somehow end up discussing what we'd do if we came back to haunt each other (and trust us, nobody is safe!).

Of course, What's Annoyed You This Week? is back, with plenty to get off our chests.

And perhaps most importantly… WHY has Ben been wearing a pink leotard?!

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She’s back… and this time she’s a BURGHLEY WINNER!

Gemma Stevens returns to Shut Up and Ride after an incredible 2026 Burghley victory — and there was absolutely no way we were letting her get away without telling us EVERYTHING.

Gemma takes us inside that extraordinary week: the pressure, the cross-country, the emotions and what it actually feels like to finally get that Burghley win under her belt.

Simon is also taking notes as Gemma reveals a few secrets about how to go faster across country… because apparently there is still hope for him.

But, as ever, this episode goes well beyond the results sheet. Gemma speaks brilliantly and openly about periods, hormones and the realities of being a woman competing at the highest level of sport — and why we need to be much better at talking about it and supporting one another.

Then it’s Quickfire time… with a twist. Laura Collett has sent in a few questions of her own for Gemma, and naturally, we couldn't resist asking them.

Funny, frank, emotional and very Gemma.

Gemma Stevens: Getting Burghley Off Her Back!  — out now.

This Podcast is sponsored by Charles Owen - https://www.charlesowen.com

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CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions of graphic injuries and animal suffering that some listeners may find upsetting.

This week on Shut Up and Ride, we’re joined by the wonderful Jill Barton, founder of Egypt Equine Aid, for an episode that, quite frankly, left us a little bit speechless.

Jill takes us behind the tourist photos and postcard views of the pyramids to talk about the reality facing many of the horses, donkeys, camels and working animals in Egypt — the injuries they see, the conditions these animals can endure, and the incredible work Egypt Equine Aid is doing to treat them, educate owners and try to create lasting change.

There are moments in this conversation that are really difficult to hear. Ben spends a fair amount of the episode with his jaw somewhere near the floor, and there were times when none of us really knew what to say.

But this is exactly why we wanted to make this episode.

Horse welfare has always mattered enormously to us at Shut Up and Ride, and sometimes that means having conversations that aren't comfortable. More importantly, it means asking what we can actually do to help.

So this episode is also a huge shout-out to you, our listeners. Please listen, share it, talk about it and, if you can, support the extraordinary work Jill and the team at Egypt Equine Aid are doing. Even a small contribution from this brilliant community could make a genuine difference.

It’s not our easiest episode. But it might be one of our most important. 

Improtant info

info@egyptequineaid

https://egyptequineaid.org/

https://www.facebook.com/eea.egypt

https://www.tiktok.com/@egyptequineaid

https://www.linkedin.com/company/egypt-equine-aid

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This Podcast is sponsored by Charles Owen - https://www.charlesowen.com/

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SHUT UP AND RIDE

Simon Grieve is back from Burghley — so it’s time for the full debrief.

From a disappointing dressage test to yet another brilliant clear cross-country round, Simon talks us through the highs, the lows and what it really feels like to ride around one of the biggest five-star tracks in the world.

We get into the pressure of Burghley, what went right, what didn’t, and how you pick yourself up when the weekend doesn’t quite start the way you hoped.

And then, because this is Shut Up and Ride, the conversation somehow ends up with Simon revealing the best underwear to ride in.

Serious five-star eventing analysis. Questionable underwear chat. Standard Shut Up and Ride.

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This Podcast is sponsored by Charles Owen - https://www.charlesowen.com

Pod merch found  - https://superxcountry.co.uk/

This week, Jenny and Ben are joined by five-star eventer, Mustang trainer and exceptional horsewoman Elisa Wallace — and wow, what an episode.

From training Mustangs and building relationships with horses others might overlook, to competing at the very top of eventing, Elisa’s career has always put horsemanship at the heart of everything she does.

But this conversation also goes somewhere much deeper.

Elisa talks openly about her fall at the final fence at Badminton — and the brutal social-media backlash that followed, including death threats. She is truthful, vulnerable and wonderfully honest about what that experience did to her, what she learned from it, and how you keep going when suddenly everyone has an opinion.

At the heart of the episode is a question we keep coming back to:

When you’re competing at the very top, which hat wins — the horseman or the competitor?

Expect tears, some incredible insights and Ben at possibly his happiest — talking horses with another person who truly thinks like a horseman.

Elisa is thoughtful, refreshingly honest and a fierce advocate for the horse. This is a conversation about competition, pressure, mistakes, social media and what putting the horse first really looks like.

Is this what the horse world needs to learn?

Watch the whole shut up and ride tour here on vimeo vimeo.com/ondemand/suartour26

CONTACT US : [email protected]

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This Podcast is sponsored by Charles Owen - https://www.charlesowen.com

Pod merch found  - https://superxcountry.co.uk/

Want to find out more - check out BE Prepared it's free - https://beprepared.britisheventing.com/

This one goes off the rails a bit… but, quite frankly, that’s what we do best.

Think honest, unfiltered chat down the pub with your mates — horses, life, opinions, tangents and absolutely no idea where the conversation is going next.

We start with the bridleless display at the Aachen Opening Ceremony. Seeing bridleless riding showcased on one of the biggest stages in equestrian sport feels significant — but is it? Is this a sign that attitudes really are changing in the horse world, and are we starting to rethink what good riding and horsemanship can look like?

From there, things take a turn.

Following the sad news of Dolly Parton’s death, we talk about Dolly, her extraordinary life and why certain people seem to mean so much to so many of us. That leads us somewhere we perhaps weren’t expecting, as Ben talks openly about his faith and we get into one of those very honest conversations about life, beliefs and the things that shape who we are.

Then, somehow, we're back to horses.

We discover just how different our coaching styles are, what makes a good coach, what makes a good pupil and whether the person with the most talent is necessarily the person you most want to teach.

And then it’s over to you.

We answer the questions you sent us on social media. 

It’s candid, funny, occasionally serious and mostly chaotic.

Basically, it’s Shut Up and Ride doing what Shut Up and Ride does best.

Watch the whole shut up and ride tour here on vimeo vimeo.com/ondemand/suartour26

CONTACT US : [email protected]

FOLLOW US : Instagram

This Podcast is sponsored by Charles Owen - https://www.charlesowen.com

Pod merch found  - https://superxcountry.co.uk/

Want to find out more - check out BE Prepared it's free - https://beprepared.britisheventing.com/

What’s the difference between being a great rider and being a true horseman?

This week, Canadian show jumper Ben Asselin joins Jenny, Simon and Ben to talk horsemanship, the lessons he’s learned competing at the highest level and why understanding the horse has to go far beyond what happens in the ring.

Ben also takes us inside Spruce Meadows — the iconic venue founded by his grandparents, Ron and Marg Southern — and explains what makes it such a special place for horses, riders and fans of the sport.

Plus, we go behind the scenes of FAULTLESS, the new six-part show jumping documentary series that essentially gives show jumping the Drive to Survive treatment.  Produced in partnership with Rolex, which Ben co-executive produced alongside his brother Kyle.

From what makes a true horseman to one of the greatest venues in the sport and a new series taking show jumping to a global audience — this is a brilliant conversation with someone who has spent his life immersed in the sport.

Faultless

New episodes when ever we have time. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and join the conversation!

Watch the whole shut up and ride tour here on vimeo vimeo.com/ondemand/suartour26

CONTACT US : [email protected]

FOLLOW US : Instagram

This Podcast is sponsored by Charles Owen - https://www.charlesowen.com

Pod merch found  - https://superxcountry.co.uk/

Want to find out more - check out BE Prepared it's free - https://beprepared.britisheventing.com/

This week Jenny and Ben are joined by the one and only Freddy Steele — Liberty Legend, stunt rider, horseman, performer and mindset coach.

Freddy takes us behind the scenes of a life spent doing things with horses that most of us wouldn’t even dare attempt… from jaw-dropping stunts and live performances to dressage, liberty work and developing a true partnership with the horse.

But there’s much more to Freddy than the spectacular stuff.

We get into mindset, confidence, communication and training horses, and ask Freddy some of the tougher questions about the horse world — the things we all see, think about and sometimes don’t dare say out loud.

And, because apparently one Freddy isn’t quite enough, Simon makes a very brief guest appearance before his live demo!

Expect horses, stunts, some seriously good conversations and plenty of Shut Up and Ride honesty.

New episodes when ever we have time. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and join the conversation!

Watch the whole shut up and ride tour here on vimeo vimeo.com/ondemand/suartour26

CONTACT US : [email protected]

FOLLOW US : Instagram

This Podcast is sponsored by Charles Owen - https://www.charlesowen.com

  https://www.streamz-global.com/   Discount Code SHUTUP10

Pod merch found  - https://superxcountry.co.uk/

Want to find out more - check out BE Prepared it's free - https://beprepared.britisheventing.com/

This week’s episode is a difficult one.

Simon and Jenny come together to reflect on the heartbreaking losses of Sophie and Kerry while eventing, two much-loved members of the eventing community. As friends, colleagues, and fellow equestrians, they share their personal thoughts, memories, and emotions while trying to process a tragedy that has been felt across the sport.

This isn’t an episode with answers. It’s an honest conversation about grief, the close-knit nature of the eventing world, and the impact these losses have had on so many people.

Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and everyone affected during this incredibly difficult time.

BE Supoort trust details 

Their confidential mental health helpline, delivered in partnership with Sporting Chance, is available 24 hours a day. By calling 07780 008877, you will be connected with a mental health professional who can listen and help you access the most appropriate support.

You can also make contact by:

Contact form: https://www.sportingchanceclinic.com/get-support
Email: [email protected]

The gang's back together... and absolutely nothing is off limits.

Ben, Simon and Jenny reunite for another laugh-out-loud episode of Shut Up and Ride, where the conversation takes more twists and turns than a jump-off. From nostalgic chats about those magazines, to the world of rodeo, the rise of bitless riding, and everything in between, it's another episode packed with honest opinions, plenty of laughs, and the kind of tangents only this trio can produce.

Ben is back on top form, delivering some of his funniest one-liners yet, Simon tries to keep things on track (with varying success!), and Jenny does her best to referee the chaos.

As always, the team also shares what's been annoying them this week, tackles the hot topics from across the equestrian world, and proves once again that no subject is too big, too small, or too unexpected.

Whether you're mucking out, driving to a show, or just in need of a good laugh, this is one episode you won't want to miss.

New episodes when ever we have time. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and join the conversation!

Watch the whole shut up and ride tour here on vimeo vimeo.com/ondemand/suartour26

CONTACT US : [email protected]

FOLLOW US : Instagram

This Podcast is sponsored by Charles Owen - https://www.charlesowen.com

  https://www.streamz-global.com/   Discount Code SHUTUP10

Pod merch found  - https://superxcountry.co.uk/

Want to find out more - check out BE Prepared it's free - https://beprepared.britisheventing.com/