Lucy Olphert Showjumping

What up Christchurch! 👋

Now I know the All Blacks are in town next weekend… but so am I. 😏

So why not make it a two-for-one weekend?

Come watch the ABs, then come spend a day (or two!) improving your own game at my Performance Clinic! 🤙

✔ Private and group lessons available
✔ Riders of all ages and levels welcome
✔ Small group sizes for personalised coaching

💲Private lessons: $195
💲Group lessons: $135
(Prices include travel and GF).

PM me for more info or contact my super clinic coordinator Heather Firth to secure your spot!

🐴🚨 SHORT TERM WORKING STUDENT POSITION

Looking for a temporary working student/s from 10th July until either mid August or 15th September. We have 2x long term students arriving after this.

I am based in Alexandra, Central Otago, just 1 hour 15 minutes from Queenstown. This is an incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in a professional showjumping environment while experiencing one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

We have a super professional set up with a 70 x 50m all weather arena, round pen, day paddocks, turn out paddocks + 45 hectares of recreational land for hacking including a 1.5km water race!

About the Role

This position involves assisting with the daily management and care of a small professional showjumping stable. We have 7 horses and the workload is generally just 4 hours per day, leaving plenty of time to explore the region, ride, work remotely, or simply enjoy the lifestyle.

We understand that everyone is different, so we’re happy to offer flexibility around working hours, days worked, and days off where possible. Whether you’re looking to travel, work remotely, or make the most of everything Central Otago has to offer, we’re happy to work together to create a schedule that suits.

Main duties include:
• Exercising horses
• Lunging and flatwork
• Feeding and general horse care
• Holding horses for farrier /vet
• Rugging and changing covers
• Moving jumps and arena maintenance
• Some mucking out
• General stable and property duties
• Occasional sole charge

What We’re Looking For

Ideally, you’ll have:
• A solid understanding of flatwork and lunging
• Experience working with and riding young horses
• Good general horse management skills
• Strong attention to detail and initiative
• A positive, team-oriented attitude
• A genuine passion for horses and horsemanship
• An understanding that horse welfare always comes first
• Drivers license
• 18 years or older

What We Offer

While this is not a paid position, we provide:

🏡 Modern self-contained accommodation with:
• Heating and fireplace
• Private bathroom
• Kitchen facilities

🐴 Opportunity to bring 1-2 horses

🚗 Use of a vehicle if required

🍽️ Weekly food allowance

🛁 Did we mention there is also a hot tub AND a sauna!

🏇 Lessons

This role would suit 1-2 people, whether that’s friends or a couple.

If you’re looking to be part of a high-performance programme, work with exceptional horses, learn from experienced professionals, and experience the best of New Zealand, we’d love to hear from you!

To apply, please send through:
• Your CV/resume
• References
• Videos of you riding

Applications without the above criteria will not be considered.

PM or email me at [email protected] for further information or to discuss the position.

Right… so while the rest of us are at home, Katie’s casually ticking off every equestrian bucket list item imaginable. 🤩Living the dream!👌

Finally home after what has been a HUGE six weeks on the other side of the world. There have been so many incredible moments along the way and I will share some of them over the coming weeks but without a doubt the biggest highlight has been helping my long term sponsored rider Katie Wilson settle into a working student position with Olympic Gold Medallist and World Number 2 Laura Collett!🇬🇧

I first started working with Katie over five years ago, and from the very beginning I knew there was something special there.

In 2022, at just 16 years old, Katie joined me in France for her first Global Amateur Tour experience, finishing in the top 10 of her category at the highly competitive La Baule Summer Tour. But it wasn’t the result that stood out most. It was her attitude.

Katie’s hunger and dedication to improving every aspect of her performance, including her flatwork, was every bit as impressive as her jumping. As a teenager, she possessed a maturity and work ethic well beyond her years. I began trusting her with my own horses while I was overseas, and every Christmas holiday she would come and ride for me. No matter what horse needed riding or what job needed doing, she approached it with enthusiasm, initiative, and a genuine desire to learn.

When the opportunity arose for Katie to join the Global Amateur Tour again, this time on our very first UK Eventing Tour, I encouraged her to stay on afterwards and gain some overseas experience. Little did we know where that decision would lead.

When Laura visited New Zealand earlier this year for a clinic series, she too saw something special in Katie. A few conversations later, Katie was invited to join Laura’s team for the UK summer.

Before heading overseas, Katie put an exclamation mark on her season by riding seven horses at the Young Event Horse Championships, recording six placings and taking home three titles. BOOM!💥💪

Since arriving in the UK, she has had opportunities that many young riders only dream of. She’s shadowed Laura at some of the biggest competitions in the world, sat in on lessons with Great Britain’s Olympic coaches, and even jump schooled several of Laura’s exciting young horses. That level of trust is an enormous compliment and a testament to the rider and horsewoman she has become.

Katie, I couldn’t be prouder of you🥺

Watching your journey unfold has been incredibly rewarding. Seeing opportunities like this come your way reminds me exactly why I love helping young riders chase their dreams. I know you’ll be bringing home a wealth of knowledge, experience, and inspiration, and I have no doubt this is only the beginning of a very exciting career.

If you’d like to follow Katie’s journey in the UK and beyond, head over to Katie Wilson Eventing and show her some support. Trust me, this is one rider you’ll want to keep an eye on!🙌

UPDATE! What an incredible few weeks it has been here in the UK and Europe leading the Global Amateur Tour.

Safe to say that after our rather eventful arrival in Germany, which looked more like a cross-country scene from Badminton thanks to lack of navigation and obscene luggage situation, we did eventually make it back into the showjumping arena and managed to stay there for the remainder of our time in Krautland!

With 12 riders from five different countries including South Africa, the USA, Australia, Namibia and New Zealand, it was always going to be an adventure. And what an adventure it was.

Hauter Horses absolutely delivered with the most incredible line-up of horsepower. Honestly, I could quite happily have taken every single horse home with me 🛍️

Away from the arena, we explored the famous Heidelberg Castle, raised countless glasses and shouted “Prost!” in German beer gardens, dined and danced in ancient monasteries, and even squeezed in a day trip across the border to the fairy-tale town of Colmar in France for some delicious French brie, fresh pastries and plenty of laughs amongst the colourful streets.

We also spent three unforgettable days at CHIO Aachen, the Wimbledon of equestrian sport. Watching the world’s best riders battle it out for the Rolex Grand Prix was something truly special. We were lucky enough to meet Ireland’s Cian O’Connor as well as Christian Ahlmann and Henrik von Eckermann, not to mention walk the Rolex Grand Prix course itself!!Too many highlights to pick a favourite 🤷‍♀️

What continues to amaze me most about these tours, though, is the people.every tour brings together strangers from different countries, backgrounds and walks of life, and somehow they leave as friends. The connections made, the stories shared and the memories created are what make these experiences so special.

One moment that will stay with me forever was being gifted a beautiful pounamu by the Morrison family from Matakana, New Zealand. In Māori culture, pounamu is traditionally gifted rather than bought for yourself, and this was the first pounamu I have ever been given. I honestly cannot put into words how much that meant to me. Thank you Eva and Jared!It was an incredibly thoughtful gesture that I will treasure forever 🩷

Over the coming weeks I’ll share some more specific highlights from the tour, but for now here’s a photo dump from our media guru Elise Ford Photography who travelled all the way from Dunedin for her first G*T experience. Elise absolutely smashed it, and I cannot wait to share more of her work!

A huge thank you also to my co-pilot Becks. Thank you for the laughs, the endless support, the caffeine, and for somehow helping keep me sane over the last three weeks. You girls are the real MVPs 🫶

I never take for granted how lucky I am to do something I genuinely love. To travel the world, work with incredible people, and help create experiences like these is something I will always be grateful for.

Until the next adventure💕