Biography
My mum competed horses in all disciplines and owns a BHS approved riding school, so as a baby it was easier to put me on a pony than in the pram and it kept me much quieter! As a child, I would get on the naughty ponies that were too sharp for the riding school and learnt how to deal with all types of horses and ponies.
I had a string of good jumping ponies that I competed successfully up until age fourteen. They also had good movement so I entered a dressage competition to help me improve. I went to the competition and won, qualifying for the Regional Championships at Senior level. I then qualified for the 2001 Senior British Dressage National Championships. Being a kid on a cob from ‘The North’ it was a case of a pat on the back for qualifying and going to the Championships to learn and for experience. I don’t think anyone expected I would win which is exactly what I did!
I won at the Nationals again in 2002 at the level above. In this year, I was put onto the World Class Programme for potential Olympic athletes. It provides an established development pathway for young, talented riders, with access to further training and development as a potential Olympic rider. I haven't looked back!
From 2003 -2007 I represented Great Britain successfully at friendly Internationals and at European Championships. This has been at Junior and Young Rider levels, often returning home as best of the British!
2008 was a big year of change, my last year of Young Riders and time to really start making a name for myself in Seniors. With my new partner Aristo, we won the Hickstead Young Rider CDI - to have the National Anthem play three times for three classes was, for me, a really special way to end Young Riders. We then went on to be placed in the top five in three Senior National classes. 2009 was a year for further training and consolidation and I rode my first Senior International with Aristo at Hartpury. We also came 4th in the Inter II at the National Championships while my up and coming mare Fiene Dame was 4th and 5th in the Medium and Advanced Medium. 2010 really established me as an Advanced Rider.
2011 is to be another consolidation year and I plan to be out competing as much as possible. I aim to do the 2011 season at Small Tour level with Feine Dame and have already competed at Grand Prix with Aristo, who will compete internationally later in the year.