I've always had a passion for horses after being put on a pony aged 18 months. Mum likes to say that when I first sat on a pony I picked up and held the reins properly, just like that. I definitely got my passion from my mum who used to event when she was a teenager and whose life has always been to do with horses, despite my dad’s lack of interest! Throughout my childhood, I certainly had my fair share of ponies, but most of them had their quirks and so I learnt from a young age about sitting tight and not taking them for granted! All of those ponies have definitely taught me a great deal, whether it be positive or negative, to get me to where I am today.
Until the age of 6 all I did was showing, courtesy of my mum and granny running around the ring with my ponies at the end of the lead rein. But having joined some group lessons at Newton Hall Equitation Centre, Rossie Theobald taught me to jump and it is safe to say I have never looked back… I hated showing! I then spent most of my early childhood doing Pony Club, hunting and local shows on my 4 year old 11.2hh pony which we crazily bought despite the fact I was only 7. This is the pony that got me properly started with my jumping and hunting, but it wasn’t until we purchased my first, what I would call “proper” pony, Morwyn Prince Nimrod (Roddy), that I became serious about my eventing. I did everything on Roddy, from showing and WHP to hunting and eventing. He was awesome and we had many successes with him, including my first ever ODE win at the interschools at Poplar Park in 2006 when I was 10.
Between Roddy and now, I have ridden a good number of ponies and horses, who I have showjumped and evented at various levels and who have all given me a great deal of valuable experience, both in how to do something and also in how not to do something!
Until the age of 6 all I did was showing, courtesy of my mum and granny running around the ring with my ponies at the end of the lead rein. But having joined some group lessons at Newton Hall Equitation Centre, Rossie Theobald taught me to jump and it is safe to say I have never looked back… I hated showing! I then spent most of my early childhood doing Pony Club, hunting and local shows on my 4 year old 11.2hh pony which we crazily bought despite the fact I was only 7. This is the pony that got me properly started with my jumping and hunting, but it wasn’t until we purchased my first, what I would call “proper” pony, Morwyn Prince Nimrod (Roddy), that I became serious about my eventing. I did everything on Roddy, from showing and WHP to hunting and eventing. He was awesome and we had many successes with him, including my first ever ODE win at the interschools at Poplar Park in 2006 when I was 10.
Between Roddy and now, I have ridden a good number of ponies and horses, who I have showjumped and evented at various levels and who have all given me a great deal of valuable experience, both in how to do something and also in how not to do something!
After purchasing two 14.2hhs, Wake Up Smiling II (Smiley) and Irish Storm in a Teacup (T), when I was 12, one for eventing and one for showjumping experience, I joined British Eventing and slowly progressed from BE90 to Novice level. I did my first ever 3DE on Smiley in 2010, at BE100 level at Great Witchingham. This was one of the biggest highlights in my eventing career to date because it was the long-format and so was a completely new experience for both Smiley and I, and we ended up finishing 3rd and qualifying for the Badminton Grassroots Final (but not until 2012, by which time we had sadly sold her, and it was cancelled anyway!).
We subsequently bought Mastermix Murphy with whom I finally (after he had had a long lay-off) did my first ever (but also last) Pony Trial at Lincoln in 2012 going double clear!
We subsequently bought Mastermix Murphy with whom I finally (after he had had a long lay-off) did my first ever (but also last) Pony Trial at Lincoln in 2012 going double clear!
In 2010, looking to the future, Mum bought two 3 year olds for me to bring on. One was a very smart youngster by Mill Law, for whom we had high hopes, and the other was what looked like a gypsy pony (although she is by Masterpiece) who we purchased to give me some experience and fun. Sadly my Mill Law youngster was put down at the end of 2013, but my “gypsy pony” aka Puddingbag Lane, turned out to be a little superstar and gave me my highest placing in British Eventing to date, going double clear and coming 2nd in a BE90 at Little Downham. She was subsequently sold and has established a great partnership with her new young rider.
Late in 2011 we purchased my first serious horse, Lady Bounce (Izzy), from Ireland. Her huge stride and enormous power has taken me a very long time to get used to, but despite that we had two very successful years together, including winning our Pony Club Intermediate and Open Area Trials in successive years and finishing 5th at the Pony Club Open Eventing Championships at Cholmondeley Castle in 2013! Following this Izzy had a break and I competed Bonnabee, with whom I went to Weston Park CCIJ* in 2013. Izzy competed through July and August 2014 finishing with a double clear at Milton Keynes Novice. She subsequently suffered an injury but has now got through her rehab and is back competing. We completed our first CIC* and our first Intermediate in August and October 2015 respectively and followed this up with our first completion in a CCI* at Houghton International in May 2016.
I have backed and have been bringing on Marmalade, my project pony, as well as re-training my Grandfather's young ex racehorse. I was at Reading University combining my studies with riding as often as possible and was a member and captain of Reading University Riding Club BUCS A Team.
After University I spent 3 months living and working in New York State with Daisy & Richard Trayford at Exmoor Eventing. This was a great experience - and I also learnt how to manage and run a B&B business as well as working with their lovely young horses!
In 2019 I spent a season working and training with Jeanette Brakewell and was lucky enough to be able to take my two younger horses with me. At the end of the season I spent 9 weeks travelling in Bali and Australia before returning home to settle down to a career outside of horses, whilst still combining this with riding and competing (well that was the plan, although obviously the competing bit hasn't really happened yet this year - 2020 - due to Coronavirus!)
Late in 2011 we purchased my first serious horse, Lady Bounce (Izzy), from Ireland. Her huge stride and enormous power has taken me a very long time to get used to, but despite that we had two very successful years together, including winning our Pony Club Intermediate and Open Area Trials in successive years and finishing 5th at the Pony Club Open Eventing Championships at Cholmondeley Castle in 2013! Following this Izzy had a break and I competed Bonnabee, with whom I went to Weston Park CCIJ* in 2013. Izzy competed through July and August 2014 finishing with a double clear at Milton Keynes Novice. She subsequently suffered an injury but has now got through her rehab and is back competing. We completed our first CIC* and our first Intermediate in August and October 2015 respectively and followed this up with our first completion in a CCI* at Houghton International in May 2016.
I have backed and have been bringing on Marmalade, my project pony, as well as re-training my Grandfather's young ex racehorse. I was at Reading University combining my studies with riding as often as possible and was a member and captain of Reading University Riding Club BUCS A Team.
After University I spent 3 months living and working in New York State with Daisy & Richard Trayford at Exmoor Eventing. This was a great experience - and I also learnt how to manage and run a B&B business as well as working with their lovely young horses!
In 2019 I spent a season working and training with Jeanette Brakewell and was lucky enough to be able to take my two younger horses with me. At the end of the season I spent 9 weeks travelling in Bali and Australia before returning home to settle down to a career outside of horses, whilst still combining this with riding and competing (well that was the plan, although obviously the competing bit hasn't really happened yet this year - 2020 - due to Coronavirus!)