Charlotte Price is an English rider who is now based in Queensland and running the Kelecyn yard for Kevin McNab. We recently caught up with Charlotte to find out more about this successful young rider
When did you start riding?
Charlotte loved ponies from an early age
I started riding from a very early age with my mum and my auntie. Our family has always had horses, but I was not allowed to get one until I was 11.
Before that I went for regular lessons at a riding school near our Derbyshire home and rode my cousins' horses in school holidays and at Pony Club Camps in Cumbria. Eventually, after continuous nagging, my parentsgave in and along came Ebony who was a fat little 12hh grey Thelwell type pony with the attitude to match!
She was a freebie as no one could stay on her when she was bucking! She bucked me off nearly every day until I figured out how to stay on her and eventually I grew too big for her to do it anymore. After Ebony I got a 14.1hh grey mare that was a very good jumper but not much into the dressage so I did a lot of local showjumping comps and Pony Club stuff with her.
When did eventing come along?
Charlotte and The Megan
While having a show jumping lesson at the local Hope Valley Riding Club one evening I got offered the ride on my coach’s Sarah Healy horse because she was pregnant at the time and she thought it might be fun for me to try eventing. The Megan was a 2* eventer when I started off with her and together we did one pre novice, one novice and one intermediate novice event before we represented the Midlands and North East JRN team in 2002 at Weston Park CCI 1*.
Were you working with horses by this stage?
I was lucky enough to be working for Stefanie Thompson at this time and it was during this time that I was long listed for the 2003 Junior European Championships.
Stefanie gave me lots of help and lessons and the situation was really good because she was based down in Northampton, a little closer to the squad schools and training camps. In between all of this I had a couple of other horses December Chil and The Lady of Cashel who were both project horses that I did a bit with. Chillie was eventually sold to a junior rider and my mum has ‘Cassie’ back at home.
Competing on The Lady of Cashel
How did you come to be working in Australia?
After working for Stef for a few years, I went freelance riding/grooming and went to WEG in Aachen (2006) with Dag Albert and the Swedish team. During this time I met various people and made many contacts and I also spent some time in Ireland seeing how eventing was done over there. That is when I got the call from Kevin McNab who was looking for a rider for his Australian based business ‘Kelecyn Equestrian Services’ as the rider who was with him, Jock Paget, was going to start up his own yard in Sydney.
I wasn’t so keen on the idea of going to the other side of the world for a horse riding job, but everyone said it would be a good opportunity. In the back of my mind I knew that if it didn’t work out I could go travelling for a while and then come back to the UK and try to start up my own yard! Well … this is the start of my seventh year in Australia – so I guess it must have worked out alright ......
Tell me a bit about running Kelecyn
The Kelecyn Team
I am running Kelecyn for Kevin McNab who is currently based over in the UK with a great growing team of horses and is hoping to get on a team to represent his country. At this stage it is business as usual for both of us in the UK and Australia and I will keep the Australian side of things going here so when he comes back over he can step straight back in and carry on
So you have left your family in UK?
All my family still live over in the UK but my brother has been back and forward to Australia a few times in the last 12 months. I think he quite likes it over here too but mum is not so happy about this! I have a growing team of horses and students over here now and I am not planning on going back over to the UK any time soon as the weather is ‘normally’ so much better here
What horses do you have to ride?
I have some nice young horses who are just starting off in the lower grades this year, some home bred, some off the track and some belonging to clients.
Cushavon Jitters, an ISH bred and owned by Sarah and Sean Corr, is an exciting prospect for the future just starting out her eventing career. Kinnordy Gambia who I have had for a few years now and run up through the grades is aiming for Adelaide 4* at the end of the year. Clifton Tasman, owned by Frances Stead, is running the same path as Gambia, but is for sale. Dustman, who is owned by Dale McNab, has just stepped up to 2* and I plan to keep campaigning him up the levels.
Kinnordy Gambia at Adelaide 2* 2011
What, in your opinion, are the main differences between eventing in UK to eventing in Australia?
Eventing over in England is now so big that you have a large range of events to go to that are close to so that can make it a lot easier simply because you don’t spend nearly as many hours in the truck driving around.
You can do your entire season without driving more than three hours and still be out every weekend. I think the level of competition is very similar in both countries but obviously they have 20 times the number of competitors running at most of their events.
We are very lucky as eventers in both countries that we get to run across some of the most beautiful land and properties where the events are held and how lucky am I to have been able to experience this great sport on one side of the world and the other.
Do you have any sponsors who help you?
I am lucky enough to be sponsored by ‘Over the Top yards and Jumping Equipment’, which means not only do I have great jumps to practice over but they also help out with yards at events. Aitkens Saddlery is another great sponsor who help me with the gear/tack side of things so a massive thank you to them both
