Riding Disciplines
Dressage
Coach(es)
Leonie Bramall (based in Germany)and more recently Peter Storr (based in the UK) both of whom regularly visit Queensland. Locally I like to train with Jenny Gerkhe and Matthew Dowsley.
Horses
Northern Fortuous, Elite Rouge Homme, Elite Destiny
Breed(s)
Hanoverians, Holsteiner
Breed(s):
We breed Hanoverians but I am currently riding Northern Fortuous who is a Holsteiner by the very well recognised sire Falkland Victory. We purchased Forty in August 2013 from New Zealand rider Andrea Bank. He is an established small tour FEI horse. I am already having a lot of fun and success on him winning a regional small tour championship on him on our first outing together and competing at both Sydney CDI and Brisbane CDI in 2014. My other two competition horses are home bred. Elite Rouge Homme is by the well known German Hanoverian sire Rotspon out of a foundation thoroughbred mare we used for many years in our breeding program Bregola xx by Breakfast Creek who was by Lunchtime. He is competing advanced and has had a very successful career including placing at the National Dressage Championships. Elite Destiny is the youngest on the team. She is by another German Hanoverian sire Dancier out of a Contango 11/Koenigsburg mare. She is an exquisitely pretty black mare, very sensible and highly trainable. She made her competition debut in 2014 and has enjoyed much success with wins and placings in 5yr old young horse classes and in official preliminary and novice. In 2015 she was reserve champion 6yr old young dressage horse at the Queensland State Young Horse Championships. She is now competing at medium level and has won her first regional championship award on only her 2nd outing at that level.
Your coach(es):
Locally I train regularly with Jenny Gerkhe and Matthew Dowsley. I have also been fortunate to do numerous clinics with Leonie Bramall (based in Germany) both in Germany and when she visits Australia and more recently Peter Storr (based in the UK).
Name the most influential person in your riding career and why:
Christine Doan, dressage rider and Olympic representative. I gave up riding for 9 years as I was too busy working. I saw Christine give a display of dressage at the Cairns showgrounds and this inspired me to come back to riding. I have always admired Rozzie Ryan as a rider and coach and she continues to inspire me.
Describe your riding history:
I started riding at 3 years old and was taught to ride bareback with the family joke being that I had fallen off every way known to man. I didn't have my own horse until I was 13 years old and then went to pony club and did all the usual stuff. I became interested in Eventing and dressage but focused on dressage. I also hacked a lot in my teens successfully riding at both Sydney and Brisbane Royals. My riding career then had a break while I went to university and made a career. I returned to riding 9 years later and started riding dressage again (my reintroduction to riding being on a thoroughbred I was given straight off the track), completed my EA NCAS Level One Dressage coach accreditation and progressed from there on to riding and breeding Warmbloods. I have ridden successfully up to Intermediate One level on two horses, trained a number of others up to advanced level and completed my EA NCAS Level 2 (dressage) coach accreditation. I have also enjoyed much success in young horse classes on various young horses whom we have bred and trained. I really enjoy the young horses.
Special highlight(s) in your riding career:
Placing in a novice class at the 2012 National Dressage Championships on Elite Rouge Homme. He had already placed in all 4 of his classes (preliminary and novice) at the Queensland State Dressage Championships that year and won 2 State trophies from the AWHA. The year culminated with him being runner up Newcomer Young Dressage Horse in Queensland. I was immensely proud of his efforts at the Nationals as it was an incredibly strong class and he was so honest and I felt I rode to the best of my ability.
What are your ambitions?
To continue to learn and grow as a rider and coach. I love the journey from young horse to grown up dressage horse! Each time they step up a level it is so satisfying. I am particularly proud of Elite Rouge Homme (aka Redman) as he and I have always had a special bond. We saw his sire Rotspon in Germany and decided to use him in our breeding program. From the minute Redman hit the ground at 5am in the morning I knew he was special. I hope that our journey continues together to Grand Prix.
Have you trained or coached any riders who have had success?
Quite a number of successful young riders through the interschool equestrian program here in Queensland including Katrin Haddon who was a National Reserve Champion in the Interschool discipline of Showman. Most recently my student Anna MacMillan who won the overall Queensland Interschool trophy for most successful rider across a range of disciplines (including dressage) two years running (2013/2012). In 2014 I coached her to success with her new horse LZchivago to place at the Young Rider Nationals in a preliminary class. I also coach a number of very successful eventers including Megan Drennan who last year won a Queensland State trophy in eventing and often leads the field on her dressage scores! I have also coached 2 riders who received Queensland State dressage trophies as emerging FEI riders. Kirsty Phillips came to me as a nervous rider who had never ridden a dressage test. I was fortunate to train Kirstys mare Remi London Belle for three years taking her from Novice to FEI level and coaching Kirsty up to that level when she won this trophy. I also coached Kerri Ryder for many years a recipient of the same trophy.
I was humbled to be nominated as EA coach of the year in Queensland in 2013 and though I did not win, just to receive the nomination was a thrill. I really enjoy building a relationship with people whom I coach over the years and obtain much satisfaction from that journey and the successes (big and small) of the riders.
Special care and management considerations of your horse(s):
All of our horses are easy keepers so weight and laminitis issues are a consideration.
Which Pryde's feeds do you use and why do you like them?
BioMare Cubes are used for our breeding stock and young horses. We feed EasiResponse to my competition horses. All of the horses love the large size crunchy pellets. We have fed BioMare Cubes for many years now and all of our mares and foals have done well on them.
How will Pryde's Sponsorship make a difference to you?
It will give me a resource to help when I coach. I often get asked for feed advice and whilst I am happy to give this in a general way I am not a nutritionist and I like that Pryde's offers a service of providing feed advice. I also feel confident to recommend a feed that I have used with success for many years. I also appreciate that Prydes is the leader in its field and is so generous in its support of all equestrian sports. Dressage is an expensive sport so any financial assistance I gain to keep my horses competing at the top is appreciated.
