I grew up in New Zealand, hopping on and off a variety of riding school ponies and station hacks, until after much begging, my first pony was purchased when I was nine. Cheeky was his name and his nature. I spent more time galloping around bareback jumping things (sorry Hamish – NOT barbed wired) than doing dressage, which I tolerated purely to get to the jumping side of things.
Fast forward several years to age 13 when we relocated to Australia for the first time and I started ‘proper’ eventing under the guidance of Gendy Turner and a very experienced ex-3* horse called Baldrick. I had no option but to do dressage because he was trained to Prix St Georges. He really was a wonderful horse if you overlooked his propensity to put his legs all over the show jumps.
At the end of 2001 my family left Australia and went home to New Zealand, where I finished Year 11 and refused to entertain the thought of Year 12 because the school wasn’t being accommodating enough regarding my eventing! Thus I was packed off to Auckland University aged 17 to do a Bachelor of Arts (History/Political Science). I actually only agreed to this plan because mum promised me a year off riding at the completion – which didn’t quite happen as I went off to do a Post Graduate in Journalism.
At the end of my Journalism degree, I rode in the NZ Young Rider Trans Tasman team on my first 3* horse, a marvelous gentleman called Tried ‘N’ True. He was the most genuine horse you ever could have wished for and he is happily eating his way through retirement on Mum and Dad’s farm in the Southern Highlands of NSW.
Following this I decided I needed to move to Australia to get some more miles under my belt and to get my year of full time riding which somewhere along the line has turned into 5 years of full time riding…
Fast forwarding through the Australian years – I broke my neck in an eventing accident in 2008, got back up (shakily and with much help from everyone) and up until very recently, was blessed to have a great horse in the form of Sugoi, to campaign at 3* level.
I relocated to the UK in April this year with 2 horses and am based with Blyth Tait at Eddy Stibbe and Debbie Brooke’s Lavender Hill Stud. It is the most incredible place and I am so fortunate to be surrounded by so many great riders.
My goals have somewhat changed in the last 2 months but that is something for my blog rather than my bio!
