Elisa Wallace Ties Strings for Good Luck On a Visit to the Avebury Wishing Tree

Charlotte Dujardin has her lucky breeches. McLain Ward dismounts before his class in the warm-up ring. And for American eventer, Elisa Wallace, a relatively new tradition is now a key part of her pre-competition routine in the U.K., where she’s currently stationed ahead of her first run in this weekend’s Badminton Horse Trials.

For the second year in a row, Wallace chronicled her trip to the Avebury Wishing Tree in Wiltshire, South West England, in a Rider Vlog for Badminton. The ancient, gnarled European beech tree is thought to bring good luck to visitors, who make wishes while tying bits of string and thread to its sprawling root network. Last year, Elisa visited the site ahead of her run with Simply Priceless at Burghley in September, and it seems to have worked: the pair were the highest-placed Americans at the event, finishing 14th overall.

Written by Douglas Crowe

Nina Fedrizzi spends her days writing about horse sport, food, and travel. She began her career at Travel + Leisure and is a former editor at NF Style. When she's not tapping away on her MacBook, Nina can usually be found on a horse, sleuthing out the local pho, or refusing to unpack her carry-on. Watch her do all three on Instagram @ninafedrizzi.