Heath Ryan walks to the Start Box on cross country with Hazel and Clifford
“She hasn’t peaked yet – nowhere near it” says Heath Ryan, the coach and mentor of Australian International 3 Day Event CCI4* winner Hazel Shannon, his ‘little Aussie battler’
“She turned up and never squeaked or squawked or said anything, she got on with it and, six years on, that’s how she’s done the whole thing. She’s just millimetre by millimetre got better and better” says Heath of the 24 year old girl from far North Queensland who came to his stables to work seven years ago. She is still based at Ryans at Newcastle Equestrian Centre and in that time has taken Clifford, the 11 year old thoroughbred that has ‘no charisma at all’ but came to Heath to be used as a school horse, through the ranks to this big win in Adelaide
Heath is well known for his insights into the Australian eventing and dressage scenes and producing not only great horses, such as Phillip Dutton’s Olympic horse Mystery Whisper, but also some of Australia’s best riders through his and his wife Rozzie’s coaching programme. The brother of Australian eventing gold medallist Matt Ryan, Heath has not only represented Australia at the World Equestrian Games in eventing (Stockholm 1990) and Olympic Games in dressage (Beijing 2008) but was also the Assistant Coach for the gold winning Australian Olympic Eventing teams at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and Sydney 2000 and at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
His passion and enthusiasm for the sport are unmatched and we couldn’t think of anyone better to tell us how this young woman, who only started to event a few years ago, has achieved so much in a short time and what he expects of her in the future
“It’s a real lonely world out there– it’s a gladiator’s world and you do have to be very brave, have huge courage and you are all alone. She might be quiet but she’s very stoic and she doesn’t take a backward step”
Heath Ryan
Watch our video interview with Hazel here
Hazel Shannon
