I STARTED SHOWING AT AN EARLY AGE (13). I THOUGH IT WAS CHALLENGING AS I DIDN’T OWN A HORSE.

I WAS RIDING MANY DIFFERENT HORSES FOR THE SHOWS, OFTEN HORSES I HAD ONLY 20 MINUTES TO RIDE BEFORE THE SHOW RING. HOWEVER, I WAS QUIT SUCCESSFUL FOR MY AGE. BACK THEN I COULD ONLY SEE MY CAREER AS PROFESSIONAL DRESSAGE COMPETITOR RIDER.

I OBTAINED WITH HONORS EACH OF THE SEVEN DEGREES NECESSARY TO SHOW. FRANCE IS VERY REGULATED IN THIS REGARD. LEVEL “GALOP 7” USUALLY TAKES TO AN AVERAGE RIDER ABOUT 10 YEARS OF PRACTICE TO ACHIEVE.

AT AGE 17 I HAD A TERRIBLE HORSE ACCIDENT. I WAS BADLY INJURED AND TRAUMATIZED. MY NATURAL “SEAT” WAS GONE FOREVER AND I KMEW I COULD NEVER COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL EVER AGAIN DUE TO MY LOWER BACK ISSUE..

IT TOOK ME A LOT OF INNER WORK AND TIME TO COMBAT MY FEARS AGAIN. A YEAR LATER I DECIDED TO TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH AND START TO RIDE SIDE-SADDLE. WHAT AN ODD CHOICE, WASN’T IT? IT CHANGED EVERYTHING IN THE MANNER I RELAY TO HORSES. I WAS ALWAYS ALL ABOUT “CONTROL” AND SUDDENLY I HAD TO SURRENDER, TO TRUST. WHEN TRUST IS SHARED EVERYONE FEELS SAFE AND THE MAGIC CAN BEGIN.

I KEPT ON GOING ON MY JOURNEY WITH SIDE-SADDLE AND I GOT TO TRAIN OR RATHER START HORSES FOR SIDE-SADDLE RIDING. THERE IT WAS I HAD FOUND IT! TRAINING HORSES.

ON THE SIDE I STILL RODE DRESSAGE AND JUMPING AS I ALWAYS HAVE HAD.