Lucy Olphert Showjumping

Cat’s out of the bag! 🤐🎉

Our Global Amateur Tour UK and Italy trainer, Dan Bizzarro, has officially been announced as one of the 2026 Equifest clinicians! 🤩

We’re SO excited to see Dan bringing his expertise to Equifest and New Zealand! 👏🐴

Let’s talk air vests 💨🐴

I’ve been mulling this over for a while now. We participate in one of the highest-risk sports there is, and at the end of the day, we only get one body.

Twenty years ago, it wasn’t even considered “cool” to wear a helmet in several of my jobs overseas! 🙈Thankfully times have changed and it’s great to see so many competitors at the very highest level of our sport now wearing air vests and advocating for rider safety.

I’ve never owned an air vest before and honestly, I wouldn’t even know where to start! Ideally I’d love something fairly streamlined that works seamlessly with my black show jacket, but ultimately I’d much rather be safe than win a fashion show!

I’d love to hear from those of you who ride in one. What do you wear? What do you love about it? What don’t you love? Have you had one deploy in a fall, and do you feel it made a difference? Will mainly be used for showjumping and riding young horses. I’m too chicken for x country!😹

I’m interested in everything from comfort and freedom of movement to reliability, servicing and replacement canisters. Not so worried about cost as you can’t put a price on your life! I just want to be as safe as I reasonably can while doing the sport I love.

Hit me with your recommendations, experiences, pros and cons! 👇

Pictured with the handsome Raspberry in last season’s FEI challenge!🩷

Another fabulous weekend in Christchurch with a great group of horses and riders, this time based at the incredible facilities at Aspen Park Performance Horses 🙌🐴

With the season just around the corner, the focus was firmly on revisiting foundations. We worked through exercises designed to improve rhythm, balance, striding and adjustability, alongside plenty of gymnastic work to encourage better technique, responsiveness and confidence.

The basics might not always be the most glamorous part of training, but when they’re solid, everything else becomes that much easier. Some really exciting progress over the two days and plenty to take away and keep working on at home.

A huge thank you to our clinic coordinator Heather Firth for once again keeping everything running smoothly and, most importantly, keeping the coach appropriately caffeinated ☕️😂

And a big thank you to Mackenzie and the team at Aspen Park Performance Horses for welcoming us and allowing us to make use of your beautiful facilities. As a travelling coach it was such a pleasure to not have to worry about winter weather conditions!❄️⛈️

Who else is now off to buy themselves some arena foliage and a champagne featured jump!🌸🍾

Some horses change your results. Others change your life.

Connoisseur was one of those once in a lifetime horses for me.

Homebred, and a full sister to my other former Grand Prix mare, Eve Saint Laurent, Dave was everything I could have hoped for and more. He was as tall, dark and handsome and had the biggest heart, an incredible work ethic, and that rare feeling every rider dreams of having underneath them.

This photo popped up in my memories today and brought back so many emotions.

In 2016, just five days before what was meant to be his very first World Cup start, disaster struck when he sustained a hind suspensory injury during a round. There was no obvious point in the course where the injury occurred. He simply went in on four legs and came out on three. We went through multiple failed rehabilitation attempts before finally, on the fourth try, he made it all the way back. Against the odds, he returned to the ring and won at Takapoto - one of the biggest stages in New Zealand, proving once again just how extraordinary he was🩵

The gleam in his eye that day as he proudly carried me around for the lap of honour. Sadly, this was to be our final dance together as during Covid, a freak paddock accident meant I had to hang up his bridle for the very last time.

People often remember the ribbons and the wins, but they don’t always see the heartbreak, the setbacks, the months and years spent trying to give a horse every possible chance. Dave taught me resilience, patience and perspective in a way no result ever could.

I’m incredibly grateful for every round we jumped together, every lesson he taught me, and every memory we made. Horses like him don’t come along very often, and I know how lucky I was to call him mine.

Forever one of my horses of a lifetime 💕🐴

How can you not smile when your morning starts like this 😍

Worth the 5am start to get out of bed, get my butt kicked in the gym, then head home for another epic day of horsey adventures (coffee in hand of course)!

I still have to pinch myself sometimes that I get to wake up surrounded by the breathtaking Central Otago scenery. There were plenty of moments over the last few years where the sacrifices felt huge. Selling the best horse I’ve owned in years just to pay for my own arena. Sometimes you really do have to take a few steps back to go further forward. Every long day, every hard decision and every challenge is slowly moving me closer to those kick ass goals dreams that still lie ahead

None of this happens alone though. I’m incredibly grateful for the amazing people who have supported me along the way. From family and friends, to clients, everyone who follows and supports what I do online, and sponsors who believe in my vision. A special shout out in particular to Sport Horse for helping bring this arena to life. Every ride out here is a reminder of what can be achieved when good people back your dreams 🫶

Gratitude has a funny way of changing your perspective. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have yet, it reminds you just how far you’ve already come.

So seeing as I’m feeling philosophical as s**t today let’s clog up the newsfeed with more positive polly content 🤢😂 Drop one thing you’re grateful for in the comments. It doesn’t have to be profound. Sometimes it’s just a cracking sunrise, coffee that actually stays hot, a comfortable pair of knickers, or a horse that comes out of the paddock sound. We REALLY like those!!