Will Matthew owns and operates Bellaroo Equestrian, a show jumping stable offering a range of equestrian services. From breakers to Grand Prix horses, Will believes in bringing out the best in his horses through a methodical and ethical approach. After training under some of Australia’s top riders including three time Olympian Vicki Roycroft, as well as additional training in the US, he has a wealth of knowledge to pass on to others, and has taught show jumping, dressage and eventing to riders o...
May 30, 2025•47 min
Caleb Degen has built a career around his love of horses, competing in eventing, polo in the UK, and currently working as Equine Coordinator with the Australian Outback Spectacular. At home on Queensland’s Gold Coast, he offers clinics in liberty and groundwork that exemplify his innovative approach to training as well as his commitment to animal welfare. He sat down with Equestrian Hub podcast host Charie Brister to talk about: Building connection Equestrian wizardry Mastery of the horse Aiming...
May 02, 2025•53 min
An accredited Level 2 Dressage Specialist Coach and National A Level Grand Prix Judge, Nicole has over 30 years’ experience in training, competing, judging and coaching. She’s trained in Germany, Spain and The Netherlands, and has produced nine very successful FEI horses. With over 39 championship titles and multiple Australian titles to her name, she offers personalised coaching and full care agistment in Queensland’s beautiful Gold Coast hinterland. Listen as Nicole goes in depth with podcast ...
Apr 16, 2025•49 min
Luke Dee was given an unexpected opportunity when he was asked to represent New Zealand in the FEI World Cup Final after Julie Davey, the FEI World Cup New Zealand League Series winner, decided not to travel to Switzerland to compete. Luke, a Kiwi, had previously represented New Zealand at the Nations Cup in Europe and the United States, and with his current jumping partner Gangster WW, had won an FEI World Cup Qualifier round in December 2024. Hardly able to believe his luck, he was more than h...
Apr 01, 2025•52 min
Hear what internationally recognised dressage expert Kristen Closson has to say about horse welfare, classical versus contemporary riding, and what it is to be a dressage judge. Originally from Southern California, Kristen Closson’s passion has always been horses. A professional junior rider at the age of 14, she achieved Grand Prix in her early 20s. Along with coaching, her interests in judging and horse management led her to travel the world. Now permanently based in Australia, she draws on ov...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 28 min
Growing up in Western Australia, Sonja Johnson learned to ride by mustering cattle on her parent’s property. She joined her local Pony Club at around five years old, and at 13, finished second at the Pony Club State Eventing Championships. In 1996 she was named Australian Event Rider of the Year and was selected as the non-travelling reserve for the Atlanta Olympics. While based with Andrew Hoy in the UK, she competed at many of Europe's largest events, and in 2006, was a member of the Australia...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Olympic gold and bronze medallist Stuart Tinney OAM, has a list of eventing accolades too long to mention. He has represented Australia on numerous occasions and is an inductee in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, the NSW Sports Hall of Fame, and Equestrian Australia’s Sports Hall of Fame. He has been named Equestrian NSW Rider of the Year five times, awarded the Anna Savage Medal for Best and Fairest Rider on multiple occasions, and in 2018 and 2022 served as Australian Eventing Chef d’Equipe. ...
Feb 02, 2025•52 min
Charlotte Allison-Bruce is an equestrian, fashion designer, business owner and a former Miss Intercontinental Australia. Based in NSW, she grew up riding and began her show career in the hack ring as a eight-year-old. Now competing at the national level, she has represented NSW on many occasions, with wins and placings that include: •3rd in the 2015 Equestrian Australia Australasian Championships •Runner Up Adult Rider of the Year in 2015 and 2016 •Champion Adult Rider of the Year 21-30 Years at...
Dec 27, 2024•45 min
William Fox-Pitt MBE, the first British rider to become eventing’s World No 1, is one of Britain’s most successful event riders. The five-time Olympian is the only rider to have won five out of the six CCI-4*s worldwide, and has won the HSBC FEI Classics series four times. Recently retired from the sport, William won six Burghley titles, and was one of the first riders to ever win a CCI-I*, CCI-2* and CCI-3* at the same event on the same day. He has also won an unprecedented 14 CCI-4*s and 59 CC...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Equine therapist and founder of The Masterson Method, Jim Masterson for many years worked on top U.S. equine athletes competing in events such as the FEI Grand Prix, Nations Cup, and Pan American and World Cup jumping, as well as with the USEF Singles Driving Team and U.S. Endurance Team. His book Beyond Horse Massage has been translated into six languages and has sold over 70,000 copies. He spoke with Equestrian Hub Podcast host Charlie Brister, touching on a range of topics including: Developi...
Nov 05, 2024•53 min
New Zealander Jody Hartstone was horse obsessed as a child and nothing has changed. From Pony Club to Grand Prix, she followed her passion to become an accomplished dressage rider whose entire approach was transformed after reading Dr Andrew McLean’s book Equitation Science . She now specialises in coaching and lecturing in Equitation Science around the world, and has established Hartstone Equestrian as well as her Lusitano stud Cruzeiro Do Sul Lusitanos (Lusitanos of the Southern Cross). Jody’s...
Oct 10, 2024•1 hr 42 min
At one time listed 3rd in the FEI event rider world rankings (an outstanding achievement for an Australian-based rider), there have been numerous highlights in Megan Jones’ stellar career, not the least of which was collecting team silver at the Beijing Olympics. With a wealth of experience to share, Megan joined Equestrian Hub Podcast host Charlie Brister for a talk that ranged across multiple topics including: Keeping an open mind when training horses and riders From pony club to podium The im...
Oct 05, 2024•1 hr 29 min
Olympian William Matthew began his equestrian career on leased riding school horses at a Perth Pony Club. Aged 17, he travelled to Europe for an equestrian gap year and 15 years later is based in Germany competing in elite level dressage. Equestrian Hub podcast host Charlie Brister spoke to Will on a range of topics including: The pressure and logistics of an Olympic debut The benefits of working for one of the world’s best dressage riders Starting young horses using the Jeffrey method Keeping a...
Aug 14, 2024•49 min
International show jumper Oliver Lazarus was all but born in the saddle. From just a few weeks old, his mother carried him on her back as she rode around the family farm in Malkerns, Swaziland. Since then he has ridden daily. From a highly successful child rider progressing up the ranks on ponies he trained himself, he now competes all over the world. When he’s not riding, he enjoys golf, snowboarding, and traveling. He’s climbed Kilimanjaro, and also plays the violin and guitar. Podcast host Ch...
Jul 18, 2024•46 min
Darren Mills of Cadence and Co fame, father to an eventing daughter, is definitely living the dream!
Jul 03, 2024•34 min
Professionally riding, training and coaching dressage since 2000, Brett Parbery has an impressive list of achievements behind him, including competing at the World Equestrian Games in 2010. During a stellar European tour, he finished 10th in the World Cup Final, 6th at Aachen CHIO, was placed 3rd at Rotterdam CHIO, and won the Grand Prix Special at Hickstead. Some of his other achievements include winning over 30 individual Australian Championships across all levels, including four Australian Gr...
Jun 04, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Andrew McLean is the CEO of Equitation Science International, an Honorary Fellow and Trustee of the International Society for Equitation Science, Director of the Racing Victoria Equine Welfare Advisory Board, Director of the Human Elephant Learning Programs Foundation, and Patron of Pony Club Australia. In 2020 he helped reshape the Five Domains model, the benchmark for horse welfare (see our October 2023 issue for his excellent article on the topic). Winner of the Eureka Prize for Science, Aust...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Top Australian eventer and three-time Olympic medallist Shane Rose has been hitting the headlines lately. There was the sensationalist coverage of the Mankini incident, news of his 2024 Paris Olympics qualification with long-time partner Virgil, and most recently, reports of a fall during cross country training that landed him in ICU with a badly broken femur, fractured pelvis, elbow and ribs, plus heavy concussion. You might think those injuries would put the 51-year-old out of contention for P...
May 05, 2024•40 min
Ashley is the Marketing Coordinator for Kentucky Equine Research’s Australasian network. Actively involved in the eventing and dressage worlds for many years, she is an eventing TD and CD, as well as the Director of Naracoorte Horse Trials, and Arena Manager at the Australian International 3DE.
Apr 02, 2024•31 min
With over 40 years’ experience as a veterinarian in mixed and equine practice, Jennifer’s special interest is equine nutrition. She was Senior Veterinary Officer with the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment for 10 years, and for two years was Biosecurity Veterinarian with the ACT Government. LINK: Jenquine
Mar 20, 2024•59 min
Treating our humans and horses alike, osteopath Jeff Morrison Jeff aims to provide the very best treatment to equine athletes, applying his finessed methods and ‘big picture’ perspective upon strength and performance.
Mar 03, 2024•1 hr 13 min
Sarah McMillan is a thirty-year-old jumping rider from the Central Coast in NSW. Sarah grew up in the professional sector of the sport, and since completing her Honours Law Degree 2018, has been a full-time professional show jumping rider. Sarah is currently the highest-ranked female jumping rider in Australia, finishing reserve champion for the “Australian FEI World Cup League” (the highest level of competition jumping on Australian soil). This has qualified her to represent Australia and to co...
Feb 10, 2024•45 min
Victoria Montano, one of the stars of The Real Housewives of Sydney, is a talented woman. Juggling life as a personal stylist, business owner at Sports Luxe, loving wife, and mother of two and successful amateur showjumper. https://theofficialsportluxe.com/
Dec 10, 2023•57 min
Rob Archibald is one of the most accomplished polo players in Australia and carries a 70-year long family legacy of polo-playing, training, and pony breeding. He is now an integral part of the Annabel Neasham racing team.
Oct 29, 2023•35 min
Clayton Fredericks was a member of Australia’s 2008 Beijing eventing team. The team, which included Clayton’s then wife Lucinda, Megan Jones, Sonja Johnson and Shane Rose, were all first-time Olympians and acquitted themselves well, taking home silver for Australia. In 2012, along with Andrew Hoy, Chris Burton and Sam Williams, Clayton and Lucinda competed in the London Olympic Games, but this time the team were out of medal contention after finishing sixth overall. Other highlights in Clayton’s...
Oct 07, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Chris Martelli hails from Kentucky in the US. By chance, he attended a World Championship of Blacksmiths competition and couldn’t get enough! In 2009 he enrolled at the Kentucky Horse Shoeing School and was the first student to graduate from their advanced program, earning a diploma from the National Farrier Training Centre in 2012. Initially, he shod mainly Thoroughbreds, including Derby, Preakness, Belmont, and Breeders Cup horses. He now works on Olympic show jumpers and eventers and was an o...
Oct 07, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Mattea was first introduced to horses through a school friend whose father started the Brisbane Polo Club. Thinking she was in heaven, she spent her weekends grooming and riding polo ponies, until her parents allowed her to lease a horse. Through school she competed as much as possible in Interschool and Pony Club events, overcoming the absence of a float by convincing other riders to take her with them! After leaving school, she spent time with Tom Doyle, a vet and a rider, and had the opportun...
Sep 23, 2023•58 min
Anna is an equine dentist and independent bit fitter with a strong focus on horse welfare and ethical practices. Drawing on science, technology, and her own considerable experience, she helps riders find the right contact with their horses, leading to partnerships that flourish. Find out more or to book an appointment - https://thebitfitter.com/
Sep 02, 2023•1 hr 4 min
On this podcast we are joined by international super star Yoann Levesque! Yoann ended his hockey career in Canada, at the age of 17, and left home to join the extrarordinary Circus Cavalia before moving to Perth to continue his equestrian career. Enjoy this is must listen episode! Find out more about Yoann at - https://www.facebook.com/yoannlevesqueequestrian/
Aug 20, 2023•53 min
In May 2020 Karen commenced as the first National Equine Welfare & Traceability Executive for Racing Australia with primary responsibility to implement world best practices and safeguarding the welfare and traceability of Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia. Prior to joining Racing Australia ion 2016 Karen was appointed the first Equine Welfare Manager for Racing NSW a role she held until July 2019. Karen has more than 20 years working in Media, Publishing and Marketing, Karen has a multi-d...
Jul 31, 2023•46 min
