Hannah's biography
I'm not really sure where my love of horses comes from as my parents were not horsey at all! However, my primary school backed onto Dovecote Farm Equestrian Centre, and I spent many hours watching the ponies. I begged and begged for riding lessons, and my parents finally relented and booked my first lesson on 7th birthday.
The owner of Dovecote Farm, Heather Gunn, taught me to ride and I would go and help at weekends and holidays at the riding school. It was Heather that found me my first pony age 10. His name was Tickle and was the perfect first pony. He was very hairy (dare I say scruffy?!) and I spent a lot of time kicking frantically and catapulting over his head when he dived for grass! He also loved to get down and roll in water regardless of whether I was onboard or not!
A year or so later I got my first competition pony Bobby. He was bright bay and only 12.2hh but resembled a little thoroughbred. My well-meaning, albeit clueless parents, bought him after he had done 2 years of top level mounted games. As a result he just went everywhere very fast! I spent a lot of time on his flatwork and jumping and he turned out to be a superstar. It was whilst I had Bobby that I joined the South Notts Pony Club, which was the beginning of many years of fun and success with the club where I learnt so much.
My next pony was a 13.2hh called Silver. He had show jumped and evented but had been turned away for 2 years when my dad bought him. He took a far amount of work to get him back out competing again, but I rode him in the PC dressage, show jump and eventing teams and went to the novice pony club champs for the first time.
When I was in my early teens the pony club approached me and asked whether I would be interested in having Polly Jackson's 14.2 FEI event pony on loan. He was 19 at this point so was ready to drop down a level but had so much to teach me - I bit their hand off! I was incredibly thrilled to be asked and I fell in love with Rebel straight away. He was a wonderful character had the most amazing medium trot!! I competed him and Silver alongside each other and jumped some PC Open classes (1.10 m) on Rebel. I went to PC Novice Champs again with Silver and Rebel where we came 2nd.
Whilst in the Pony Club I too my exams up to my B test. I also taught at PC camp and helped out at team showjumping competitions warming up the younger children.
The owner of Dovecote Farm, Heather Gunn, taught me to ride and I would go and help at weekends and holidays at the riding school. It was Heather that found me my first pony age 10. His name was Tickle and was the perfect first pony. He was very hairy (dare I say scruffy?!) and I spent a lot of time kicking frantically and catapulting over his head when he dived for grass! He also loved to get down and roll in water regardless of whether I was onboard or not!
A year or so later I got my first competition pony Bobby. He was bright bay and only 12.2hh but resembled a little thoroughbred. My well-meaning, albeit clueless parents, bought him after he had done 2 years of top level mounted games. As a result he just went everywhere very fast! I spent a lot of time on his flatwork and jumping and he turned out to be a superstar. It was whilst I had Bobby that I joined the South Notts Pony Club, which was the beginning of many years of fun and success with the club where I learnt so much.
My next pony was a 13.2hh called Silver. He had show jumped and evented but had been turned away for 2 years when my dad bought him. He took a far amount of work to get him back out competing again, but I rode him in the PC dressage, show jump and eventing teams and went to the novice pony club champs for the first time.
When I was in my early teens the pony club approached me and asked whether I would be interested in having Polly Jackson's 14.2 FEI event pony on loan. He was 19 at this point so was ready to drop down a level but had so much to teach me - I bit their hand off! I was incredibly thrilled to be asked and I fell in love with Rebel straight away. He was a wonderful character had the most amazing medium trot!! I competed him and Silver alongside each other and jumped some PC Open classes (1.10 m) on Rebel. I went to PC Novice Champs again with Silver and Rebel where we came 2nd.
Whilst in the Pony Club I too my exams up to my B test. I also taught at PC camp and helped out at team showjumping competitions warming up the younger children.
I moved on to horses in my late teens and bought Zac. He had only done a little showlumping when he arrived, however, he took to dressage and eventing brilliantly and I had my last few years in the PC with him and also started British Eventing with him. He took me to PC dressage championships where he won, the eventing championships where he came 2nd and was a member of the open showjumping team! I was lucky enough to be part of the team that qualified for Hickstead and jumping in the Derby ring was the most fantastic experience.
I evented Zac BE at 100 level very successfully including winning my section at Eland Lodge, I took him to Novice level when I realised that was probably his limit. We spent a winter competing very successfully at British Dressage, qualifying for the Regionals and I then made the sad decision to sell him.
After completing my A levels I got a job in an office, however after 4 months it confirmed that I really needed to be outside with the horses! So I left my office job to go and work for Kirsty Hardstaff part time and also got a job at Flawborough Equine. After 6 months Flawborough offered me a full time job as their apprentice to do my NVQ’s and I was there for 5 years, which is where I met Becky! I learned an awful lot at Flawborough due to it's specialism as a rehabilitation yard, and I became the rider to test out the naughty ponies to see if they were in pain or just being cheeky.....I guess that’s what happens when you are little!
Over the years I have trained with some brilliant trainers such as Andrew Fletcher, Kirsty Hardstaff, Caroline Moore, Islay Auty, and JP Sheffield to name but a few, and it is lovely that we get so many great riders come to Claypole Equestrian to teach. I love my job there, it is varied and interesting and I particularly love producing the young horses and seeing them go on to new owners to provide many years of fun and enjoyment. What could be better!
I evented Zac BE at 100 level very successfully including winning my section at Eland Lodge, I took him to Novice level when I realised that was probably his limit. We spent a winter competing very successfully at British Dressage, qualifying for the Regionals and I then made the sad decision to sell him.
After completing my A levels I got a job in an office, however after 4 months it confirmed that I really needed to be outside with the horses! So I left my office job to go and work for Kirsty Hardstaff part time and also got a job at Flawborough Equine. After 6 months Flawborough offered me a full time job as their apprentice to do my NVQ’s and I was there for 5 years, which is where I met Becky! I learned an awful lot at Flawborough due to it's specialism as a rehabilitation yard, and I became the rider to test out the naughty ponies to see if they were in pain or just being cheeky.....I guess that’s what happens when you are little!
Over the years I have trained with some brilliant trainers such as Andrew Fletcher, Kirsty Hardstaff, Caroline Moore, Islay Auty, and JP Sheffield to name but a few, and it is lovely that we get so many great riders come to Claypole Equestrian to teach. I love my job there, it is varied and interesting and I particularly love producing the young horses and seeing them go on to new owners to provide many years of fun and enjoyment. What could be better!
