Biography
I started riding at my local riding school age 9, a late age compared to most. I started dressage properly around the age of 12. My first dressage pony was The Importance of Being Ernest (stablename Ernie) who was on the Pony training squad two years in a row. In 2004, we won at the National Championships at Elementary Restricted and came 5th in the Medium Restricted. Ernie gave me my very first international experience at the CDNY in Wouwse, Holland in 2005.
In 2006 I was offered the ride on the De Savary family’s pony, Bovey Goodlife, (stablename Jerry) who has taught me so much and given me such an amazing feeling in a test. Jerry was on the Pony training squad in 2006 and was also selected for Saumur CDIP. He was also shortlisted for the Pony Europeans in 2006.
In 2006 I stepped up to horses a year early, finding Celestial King in the winter of that year. CK was on the Junior European Team in 2007, 2008 and 2009, the latter where the British team narrowly missed out on team bronze. Our best result by that point was at the 2007 European Championships where CK and I finished 10th in the Kur.
In 2009 I began working for International Grand Prix Rider Sarah Millis at 'Millstones' in West Sussex. That year I also began to ride Sarah's horse Cappuccino H (Leo). The following year, I made the jump from Juniors to Young Riders and was the reserve for the Young Rider European Team with Celestial King. At the end of 2010 we received a wildcard for the Young Rider World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany. This show was the most exciting and daunting international experience of my career so far and we finished 2nd in the B final! In the same year, my parents and I brought my young horse Keystone Discovery (George) from his breeder Suzanne Lavendera at UK Hannoverians, as a project for me to produce.
2011 was my best year yet! Sarah enabled me to completely reinvent my partnership with CK, resulting in two 4th places at the Compiegne CDI and being selected as one of only two individuals to be sent to The Young Rider European Championships in Denmark where we posted a top 20 placing which was a fantastic end to our international season. In 2011 Leo successfully moved up to PSG level and is an exciting prospect for the future!