4* Eventer and Coach - Diana Burgess
I was a horse Mad child, my dad raced Pacers and Trotters, I got my first pony for my first Christmas. I was born in November. I grew up horse obsessed with horse mad cousins. my first pony was Blackjack. He put up with being a Gymkhana,circus, Western pleasure, barrel-racer, games pony, puissance, dressage and general mode of transport. We used to go swimming in the local river and I would tie him to the stop sign outside the local village shop to go for ice cream.
Horses
My first horse was a homebred, thoroughbred cross standardbred. when I was 10, I broke her in with a friend by tying her to the Appletree in the garden and getting on. She saw me through my hunter/jumper days learning as we went
Then, I got Jake,a cob, to event. He taught me loads, our first event together we had a car crash of a dressage and five run outs cross country. The following years we went on to win many local and regional championships
I managed to talk my parents into a gap year that involved horse college where I got my Canadian Equestrian Federation level one coaching certificate. There were only 10 places on this course and 300 applicants. At that time, my parents bought my young riders horse, Charlie. I represented Ontario in the north American young riders championship that summer.
The following winter, I bought Compact a four-year-old KWPN and moved to Pennsylvania to be a working pupil for Bruce Davidson, Olympian and world champion 3-Day eventer.
I produced Compact to intermediate level in Canada. Then I relocated to the UK to work with six times badminton winner and world, champion, Lucinda Green, MBE. Compact helped me achieve so many dreams. I got to compete Hickstead, Blenheim and Brahman.
I married a Hampshire farmer and have a wonderful son, Ben.
I have had been incredibly lucky to have had so many wonderful horses in my life, including my homebred, taking me to HOYS. Being at the beginning of the careers of amazing horses like Tamarillo, Two-0-Two and Swizzle In. I have trained and produced horses to event, showjump, dressage, Showhorse and point to point. I have completed to to medium level, dressage, four-star eventing and 130 showjumping.
I teach regularly at pony club and riding club and have students that are grassroots eventers.
I love learning from all types of equestrians and coaches from other sports as well.