The Full Story
About
Despite coming from a non-horsey family, Sam always had the horse bug and began her career riding and breaking in ponies at her home in Glorit and competing in Eventing scene from age of 15. From there, her passion for educating young horses grew as she relocated to the Waikato to work for dressage rider Tracy Smith. A part of the NZ Eventing Squads, Sam advanced through the eventing ranks gaining success along the way through to 4* level and 1.40m Showjumping both in NZ and the UK. Upon returning home to New Zealand after a stint in England, Sam worked for Jeff McVean before establishing her own business.
Eventing Career
In 2014 Sam was selected for the New Zealand Talent ID Eventing Squad. Some of her achievements include winning the One Day Junior Rider Championships in 2013 and the National Three Day 2* Championship in 2018.
Keen to learn and experience more, Sam travelled to England on two occasions. On the second trip she accepted a job with NZ rider Jesse Campbell where she based for the next 10 months. During her time overseas, she travelled with 5* horses around Europe also won a Burghley Young Event Horse qualifier at Gatcombe 2015. As well as gaining a wealth of knowledge and training with some of the leading riders in the industry, Sam also brought home her beloved and talented Cornucopia (Shiny, pictured left).
Racing
In the beginning, riding trackwork was a way to earn money to fund her eventing team, but Sam's association with racing grew and she fell in love with the sport.
From here her involvement snowballed and was soon in demand to take on thoroughbreds to break in and pre train at her base at Te Awamutu.
When an opportunity presented itself to move to a larger property, just a stone throw from the Cambridge Jockey Club, Sam moved the team to their new base on Hunter Lane. The horses thrive in the relaxed atmosphere where turnout is used whenever possible. Sam uses the arena, hacking and swimming pool as additional training tools to the Cambridge Jockey Club facilities. Between riding a large amount of the trackwork herself and doing the breaking in process from start to finish, Sam has a unique hands-on and individualized perspective and able to keep the closest eye on her horses.
Since being based in Cambridge, Sam gained her Class A trainers license as well as her own amateur then later, jumps jockey license. She breaks in and pre-trains for some of New Zealand's leading trainers and has a growing number training in her own right boasting a great strike rate.
In just her first season training, she produced three winners with numerous placings from her small number of starters.
