New Zealand eventer Lizzie Brown starts the 2015 season from her new base on the Marlborough Downs
Lizzie Brown with DaffyThe new eventing season in Britain begins in a few weeks time, and New Zealander Lizzie Brown is in the midst of some hectic preparations. She is now in the official New Zealand High Performance Eventing Accelerator Squad - and had her first day's training with them on Thursday (February 5.)
Last September Lizzie moved from stables at Milton Lilbourne, near Pewsey to the Wickdown Stables up on the Marlborough Downs - right at the heart of the Temple Farm Estate. She has nine horses and the help of working pupil Rupert Betting - who has his own eventing horse there too: "We help each other - it's a two-way thing." A new head groom joins them very soon.
Even on a wintry afternoon with snow still lying on roofs and on untrodden paths and a piercing wind blowing, it is a wonderful place to be. As you drive up to the stables your attention is caught along the way by four soaring buzzards, a red kite and a couple of hunting kestrels.
Apart from eleven boxes, Lizzie has an indoor and outdoor school, a grass dressage arena, cross country and show jumps and is within easy hacking distance of some of the county's best gallops.
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Lizzie & Frank winning at Boekelo (2013) (photo copyright Libby Law Photography - NZ)Originally from Hamilton, New Zealand, after successful years eventing on home courses (in 2009-2010 she was the leading event rider in New Zealand), Lizzie came to England in 2011. In choosing Wiltshire she was following in the footsteps of fellow Kiwi eventing stars Sir Mark Todd (now at Badgerstown), Andrew Nicholson (Lockeridge), Jonelle and Tim Price (Mildenhall.)
Lizzie had a break-through year in 2013 when she and her then 12 year-old chestnut gelding Henton Attorney General (known as Frank) won the CCI three star crown at Boekolo in Holland. And that was just two months after the pair had won the CCI two star class at the Blair Castle international.
Lizzie told Marlborough News Online about Frank: "He's a great horse - I was lucky to get him at that stage in my career." She favours New Zealand bred horses: "They're tough and sturdy - lovely horses to ride - after all I grew up with them."
Another New Zealand import is Princeton II - known as OJ - a nine year-old brown gelding that Lizzie owns: "He's really shaping up - and he'll step up this year. He should be back-up behind Frank in the run-up to the Olympics." (See photo below.)
Lizzie is realistic about being selected for the New Zealand team: "It's a lot to do with how this year goes. You just have to work hard. The team picks itself because of riders being on form and horses that are fit." Beyond the 2016 Rio Olympics, there are the next World Equestrian Games in 2018 at Bromont in Canada.
One of Lizzie's younger horses is six year-old Cinque Terre - known as Daffy and seen above with Lizzie - a 16-hands brown mare who began eventing last season. She's still a novice and aiming for one star in the coming season: "She has springs in her feet, is a joy to ride and is the true definition of a pocket rocket! She is an exciting prospect for 2015."
Being a New Zealander on the British eventing circuit has its difficulties. She has to get the agreement of both the New Zealand and British eventing authorities before she can enter a British competition. And then, with the increasing popularity of the sport, for many events competitors face a ballot for places in each class: "It's a bit of a pain to do all the work and then not get into an event."
It is just as well that back in 2008 Lizzie began studying full-time at Waikato University and has a bachelor degree in business management. Eventing is an expensive business and managing the costs is essential.
Jonny Royale ready for some dressage workShe estimates it costs about £10,000 a year for each horse. But that is reduced by sponsors who provide feed, tack, safety gear and clothing. Lizzie is very grateful to her sponsors and in addition is always looking for people to buy shares in her horses.
Shares are still available for one of Lizzie's younger horses: Jonny Royale. A steel grey gelding, Jonny is a six year-old New Zealand thoroughbred - by all accounts a lovely mover and an intelligent horse.
The future looks bright with Jonny and Daffy and three even younger horses that have just arrived at the stables.
Many thanks to Libby Law for the use of her two action photographs. Libby's worldwide photographic coverage focuses on New Zealand's eventers. [Click on photos to enlarge them.]
 Lizzie and Princeton: NZ high performance training under team showjumping coach Luis Alverez Cervera (photo copyright Libby Law Photography - NZ) |