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ABOUT COURTNEY

 

My Focus
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To bring a greater understanding of horsemanship focused around Equine health and wellness. Bringing this into both the Training and Competitive Riding aspects of our equestrian sport that can be applied to any discipline.

To build a stronger relationship between the equine and trainer/owner through mind and body where confidence and enjoyment sit hand in hand.

Qualifications
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  • Qualified Veterinary Nurse

  • Kinesiology Taping Equi-Taping practitioner (the only Veterinary Nurse in NZ to hold this qualification)

Facilities

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  • 40m by 20m Shell arena with Spot lights

  • Tack shed with concrete pad for tie up and wash down

  • Grass Jumping Paddock

  • Full Size Panel Dressage Arena on Grass

  • 4 acres of confined paddocks

  • 11 acres of grazing and turn out

  • River access 50m from gateway

Achievments
 

Competing successfully at 4* level, 1.30m SJ and level 5 Dressage on self produced horses in NZ.

 

Competed around the UK on young and inexperienced horses and produced two 4 yr old ex-racehorses. I was never unplaced and had many wins on the multiple horses ranging in Dressage, SJ and Eventing at International and Championship shows.

The horse I was schooling for the Burghley Young Event Horse placed Top Mare at Burghley 2016.

 

Completed the 2014 Mongol Derby finishing 12th against 48 other top horsemen and women.

 

Multi Champion Stock and Station Circuit winner

Based on a farm in Balcairn, North Canterbury, I am a qualified Veterinary Nurse and Kinesiology Taping practitioner and have been producing quality horses up through the grades for many years.

I have helped breed many superb all-rounders who have gone off to great success with their new owners under the Dunrobin Stud name.

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Dunrobin Stud was named after my Great Grandparents High Country Homestead in Mosgiel which carries the name from our Scottish ancestors, where a life long Equine passion has been running through the family.

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Though I started very young with horses, both handling and trekking in the hill country which often consisted of overnight stays, it wasn't until much later I joined the competitive circle starting in Showing, Western Pleasure and Trails on self produced young and homebred horses and ponies.
At 14 years when I joined PC, I finally got to see Dressage and Eventing in person, up until then I had only seen Thrills and Spills on TV. From that day on I would never look back.

Since we could not afford to buy horses and ponies, I started producing our own homebreds from the Dunrobin Stud. This was the changing point for me, though I felt like I wasn't progressing in the competitive circle, I began to ride and train in the way that each individual horse needed to allow them to reach their full potential using methods of natural horsemanship.

From then on I moved through the grades competing successfully at 4* level and up to 1.30m SJ on self produced horses in NZ where I have gained many top placings and National Championships Titles.

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During my year working with racehorses to retrain the gallop and build strength though education and conditioning, I continued to expand my knowledge of the body of the horse and how each part is influenced with different training. This was the starting point to where my interest in equine training for wellness was made a passion.

I was lucky to find myself in a fantastic yard where the horses were always given the benefit of the doubt which gave me the opportunity to put my theories into practice.
I was intrigued with the idea that with just a very simple, often overlooked
 change in either basic training or conditioning could change the entire course of the horses mental and physical direction.

But also how easily the rider can effect the horses way of going by simply having an inch too far outside of the horses movement. I used my time riding the racehorses to strengthen my position and work on using my body to dictate the horses way of going.

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In 2014 I signed up for what would be the most memorable adventure of my life time, The Mongol Derby.
The Mongol Derby is the worlds longest and toughest horse race in the world and why not for my first time travelling alone. The race consists of racing self navigated 1000km across the Mongolian steppe on wild (some very wild) intense, physical riding covering up to 160km per day with only 5kg of gear strapped on, against 48 other people selected world wide. Not one fence was seen in the entire 10 days. It was certainly not a walk in the park suffering from a semi dislocated shoulder on day one, kicked by a horse (which seemingly put my shoulder back in), mugged on horse back at full gallop, my horse 'disappearing' over night, eaten alive by bedbugs, attacked by wild dogs, water carrier bursting on day 4 leaving me to ride through the dry, barren and near 40 Degree heat without the help of hydration and being bolted on by more than one horse for over 25km. However despite feeling like I had stepped off the world, I made life long friends and learnt so much more about myself and the horses that I could apply to my horsemanship back home. I finished the 2014 Mongol Derby in 12th place against 48 other top horsemen and women.

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A couple Years later I was asked to join Judy Bradwell (NZ Olympic Selector) in her UK yard during the summer session of 2016. I had the opportunity to compete all around the UK on young and inexperienced horses and also produce two 4 yr old ex-racehorses for the RoR circuit, where they were very successfully campaigned. I was never unplaced and had many wins on the multiple horses ranging in Dressage, SJ and Eventing at International and Championship shows.

To name a few, Placing 5th in the International Chatsworth Horse Trails Burghly Young Event Horse section against many big names, Placed in the International Yorkshire Championship Horse Trails against many top riders where I was one of very few to jump double clear and received positive compliments from the officials and commentators.

Also the horse I was schooling for the Burghley Young Event Horse placed Top Mare at Burghley 2016.

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I have studied and trained under many great trainers. Spending many years learning from Horsemanship expert and winner of 'Way of the Horse' 2012 Ken Faulkner, Renown NZ Natural Horseman Bryan McVicar and former Olympian Vaughn Jefferies. I am currently training with former 4* Eventer and Elite ESNZ Coach Andrew Scott for Jumping, and Eventing NZ High Performance Squad Trainer & Grand Prix Dressage rider & trainer Penny Castle for Dressage.

I owe a great deal of gratitude to all of whom were involved in setting me on the the right path in producing quality horses for the future. This in turn has allowed me to run a successful business in the coaching and education of riders and the professional schooling of both horses and ponies of all sizes, breeds and ages.

Also bringing in PEMF Blanket Therapy Treatments and Kinesiology Taping Equi-Taping backed with my Veterinary Nurse background to bring an all-round conditioning and training program based around the well being of the horse and further education of the Owners/riders through a more Holistic approach.

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