'I first started riding when I was about 6 years old, back in Denmark, where I was born and lived untilI was 8. My mum used to ride when she was younger and she took me along to pony riding lessons –something she properly regrets now!

Through my early teens I spent all my afternoons and weekends helping out and working at local ridings schools in exchange for lessons and rides. I then progressed onto leasing a pony called Popcorn who I did Pony Club at Forest Hills Pony Club on and Showing. My school holidays were often spent away ‘strapping’ for professional Show riders in exchange for use of their horse in my child rider class, which was such an amazing experience.

At 13 I had saved up enough money to buy my first horse, a beautiful and kind QH mare called Gemma. She cost $800 and I worked at the stables to pay for her agistment. Together we went up through the grades in Dressage and earnt a spot on the under 21 Dressage Scholarship Program. My main passion for Dressage continued with another young horse until I finished school and packed up my bags to head to Germany in search of a working pupil position. I ended up at Dressage barn with an Olympic rider just out of Hannover and spent a very tough 12 months there. Being before international mobile phones, I had very limited communication with the outside world apart from a fortnightly 2-hour journey into town, whereby I would email home at an Internet cafe and confirm I was still alive! The amazing part of the experience was that I got to ride a huge number and range of horses – right from breakers to Grand Prix level and everything in-between, which made up for the gruelling work hours.

From Germany I headed back to Denmark and found a stable hand position at a Showjumping barn where I first really started focusing on jumping. Another 12 months later and I decided to head back to Sydney and get a ‘real’ job! I worked in retail management while completing a Diploma in Real Estate at night and then ended up working in Commercial Real Estate for a while before I realised that wasn’t really for me! Knowing I wanted to work with horses I started completing my Introductory Coaching Course through Equestrian Australia when by pure luck I stumbled across a website for an American lady who lived to Warendorf, Germany and had created ties with the Westfalian Reiter School to offer their very structured and world renown Berider, Master and Coaching programs in English once a year. With the next program only a month or so away I packed up my bags and headed over to complete a 4-week intensive riding, coaching and horse management program, something that I would end up doing another 8 times over another 8 years and that would end up being one of the best experiences in my life, as well as attaining all the levels up until the German Trainer A+ qualifications.

 

During these 8 years I spent my time working multiple jobs both in the corporate world and with horses.

 

I started coaching and riding more and fell into the world of Eventing which was great fun and I was lucky enough to meet some of my best friends through the sport. A great opportunity came up to manage an equestrian centre called Kallaroo Park whereby I had been also working part time as a stable hand amongst all the other jobs I was trying to juggle to make ends meet. With some faith from two very special people who I will always be so grateful for, I officially left the corporate world and took over the reins of running Kallaroo Park Equestrian Centre at the age of 28. Anyone who owns, runs or starts up an agistment or training facility will know how overwhelming and exhausting the first few years are, but 10 years on I wouldn’t have changed a thing and I am so extremely grateful for what an opportunity that was handed to me.

Along the line a very special little grey mare named Leylah came through the doors to be sold from the breeder. After having her for a few weeks and Leylah jumping out of ever enclosure she didn’t want to be in and only remained tied up about 50% of the time, I called the breeder and told him she was too wild to be sold and to come pick her up. He convinced me to keep her and just see how she goes and well the rest is history. Leylah turned out to be the cleverest, quirkiest and once in a life time horse and who took me around the Australian showjumping circuit dominating the Amateur classes and winning ever rug she could! We both had our first Royal Easter Show start in 2018 and she came home with the blue rug and ribbon! Having never owed me a thing I don’t know where I would have been without this special little horse in my life.

I am lucky enough to spend most of my time these days teaching, running Kallaroo Park and going to competitions. I have a fantastic group of people around me and I’m so grateful for the opportunities
that have landed me here.'