Sophie & Edward: happy, hitched and horse loving

“Muddy Matches duo bond over a love of horses before setting up live together on a Lincolnshire farm.

When your first date is at a dog agility competition (where your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel wins best in class) and you meet your future in-laws for the first time at Badminton Horse Trials, you know you are in a muddy relationship …right?

Right.

Sophie met Edward on Muddy Matches in 2011.

9 years on, they are happily married, living in a converted farmhouse on an arable farm in the middle of Lincolnshire’s ‘nowhere’ and with the man of the house swapping office life as an accountant to manage the family’s land.

“Edward was the first person who messaged me” Sophie tells us. “One of his photos was him playing polo which I liked the look of and I liked that he owned his own polo pony.”

The pair messaged for a good month online with Muddy Matches; ever finding new common ground on which the relationship bloomed. “We definitely bonded over our love of horse rising” Sophie is quick to correct herself. “But now just horses; films, music, favourite holiday destinations…”.

“Our horses became best friends as well.”

Living separate, busy lives, 60 miles apart, before matching online, Sophie is sure that the pair wouldn’t have crossed paths had it now have been for Muddy Matches.

“I was working full time, had a horse and competing my dog in agility so I was never going to have time meet anyone. Edward was working very long hours so he never got a chance to socialise. We never would have met because I lived in Bedfordshire and he lived in Warwickshire.”

Thankfully, both took the plunge to venture into the world of online dating.

Two years on from meeting on Muddy Matches, and the pair, now married having wed at Wyboston Lakes in June 2013, have ramped up the muddiness of their daily routine together.

“Everyday, farm work is muddy and dusty. It’s very muddy in winter, especially with horses and tractors, 2 farm cats and a German Shepherd.

“He drives the tractors, I take him food! He mows the grass around the horses’ paddock, and I look after, and ride, his horse!

“Recently I had to tow him out the mud when he got the tractor stuck after all the heavy rain we had.”

Working hand-in-hand, the pair are clearly loving life as they celebrate their 7th wedding anniversary.Talk naturally turns to that special ‘muddy’ day.

“We had a table decoration which was a tractor with a bride and groom in. I also decorated my horse’s shoe and carried it with me. I painted my horses shoes purple and had them as decorations.

“After the wedding, I had a photo shoot riding my horse in my wedding dress! He took the photos for me! Our last dance was to the Wurzels “Combine Harvester” and everyone danced around us on the dance floor, then his father pretended to hand him the combine harvester keys!”

Everyone at Muddy Matches wishes Sophie and Edward a muddy life together.