Profi le

ANDREW GOULD TALKS TO HELEN TRIGGS ABOUT THE HORSES AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE SHAPED HIS CAREER AND HOW HE IS IN HIS BEST PLACE EVER.

Disappointments and set-backs are common occurrences for professional dressage riders. Grand Prix rider Andrew Gould has had his fair share of knock backs but he has rekindled the fi re in his belly and is ready to challenge for his place in the spotlight.

Andrew is one of the hardest-working riders and trainers on the circuit. An unassuming presence at shows, he isn’t accompanied by a massive entourage, although he undoubtedly has many fans of his quiet, sympathetic riding. He’s got a good sense of humour and is approachable but can also be very focused when riding and teaching.

He was brought up in Twickenham on the outskirts of London. His mum and aunt Anne-Marie had an interest in horses and he started riding when he was 11. “My aunt had a pony so I used to travel for an hour and 20 minutes to get there after school. I would rather have gone to play football but my mum insisted I had to go and do the pony!”

“When I was 12, I met David Hunt – I had no idea who he was, in fact I barely knew dressage existed. I’d been to Badminton and wanted to be Ian Stark at the time.”

David was to become an important mentor for Andrew but in the beginning Andrew wasn’t too keen, particularly when David collaborated with his parents to move on his pony when he was 13 without telling him!

LEFT: ANDREW GOULD, ENJOYING RENEWED SUCCESS ON THE CIRCUIT, HACKING WITH WIFE HANNAH ON

ACTIVE SOLARIS AND MAGGIE.

RIGHT: THE EXCITING MARE

KAMILLA, BY NEGRO, ONE OF A NUMBER OF YOUNGSTERS

“They decided I was having this young horse called off ee reak that Anne arie bought for me. He was horrible – I hated him says Andrew about the fi rst horse that he would train to rand Prix, ride on fi ve consecutive Junior and Young Rider GB teams and win a team bronze medal on at the Young Rider Europeans 2000.

“I learned everything on him. David trained me to train him. He wasn’t the most talented horse and wasn’t conformationally put together very well. He was more than a school master, he was like 10 horses in one. We had a very close relationship. He used

to bolt with anyone else – we tried to sell him but no-one wanted him.”

Sadly when Andrew was warming up for his first rand Prix at the ational Championships, year old offee suffered a seizure from a brain tumour.

“We did bring him back into work a couple of years later but he bolted with one of the girls. I got on him in a pair of jeans and he performed all the movements the best he’s ever done. I rode him up to the field and took his tack off and retired him forever. He left a massive hole in my life.”

Andrew has always had a strong work ethic and worked on David’s yard at weekends and holidays. “I always knew I wanted my own yard so I wanted to learn how to do that as quickly as possible,” he recalls. “I left school at 15 and went to work for David full-time. My drive was to get in and out as quickly as possible!”

At he took on six stables then at I’VE TRIED TO GIVE UP MANY TIMES. BUT THIS IS ALL I KNOW made a big jump to AND EVERY TIME an old equestrian I’VE FOUND THE centre, Priory arm. He’s now based in STRENGTH TO West ussex in a CARRY ON. yard with 16 stables and the plan is to eventually find a location with an indoor school. “Over the years I’ve had many times when it’s been dark – I haven’t had the right horses, support, facilities etc and I’ve tried to give up many times. But this is all I know and every time I’ve found the strength to carry on. It’s a tough sport because it’s not just about you – you need facilities, quality horses and financial support.

“I loved my time as a young rider – I met lots of people and got exposure to international championship competition. was when won a bron e medal the team of me, Kate Cowell, Becky Moody and Sarah Millis had been together for four years. We grew up together and we’re still good friends today.”

Andrew is unusual in that he has worked with the same person as his main trainer for his whole career. David Hunt, apart from being a former P rider himself and former Chairman of BD, is an internationally renowned dressage udge and President of the udges’ upervisory Panel.

“ e’s been a father figure as well as coach. We can fall out about something and still be the best of friends.”

These days the coaching mainly takes place remotely and Andrew believes that has made a huge difference. “ can now have two or three lessons a week or even have a quick session if there’s a particular problem I need help with, while David doesn’t need to travel.

“Last year was my most consistently successful for a while – it started on a high and just got better.”

His top prospect at the moment is Tatiana killman’s enie who will be progressing to P this year, having contested his first nter in anuary this year. enie hivago x

ABOVE: ANDREW COACHES 17-YEAR-OLD SON OLIVER ON HIS

FORMER RIDE FEINER STERN II.

LEFT: HANNAH ON MAGGIE (BY EYECATCHER) AND ANDREW WITH THREE-YEAR-OLD OPHELIA AND OLIVER.

Sandro Hit) was third and fourth in the Inter I classes at the Nationals in 2021. “He’s the best horse I’ve ever had,” comments Andrew. “ ven if he fi nds something physically di cult, he mentally tries to do it. andy Towle’s nine year old italis gelding ockwood irtue is heading for the winter regionals at nter and P and Andrew rates this nine year old very highly.

Andrew is producing seven year old egro mare amilla for Tatiana and she is currently at Medium. “She hasn’t done a lot of competing because she doesn’t need it, says Andrew who has scored over 72% with the mare in her last four tests.

Also in his string is the striking eight year old ritish bred black stallion Active olaris by e uan who is owned by Terry arnett nott. e has been very successful in young horse classes and will start small tour this year.

Andrew splits his time between his yard and horses and teaching. “ don’t care what level teach as long as people listen and communicate – it’s the discussion which makes it fun.

Andrew is also fortunate in having both wife annah and son liver working with him. annah was originally an eventer but has been converted to dressage and she now has three dressage horses to compete, alongside oxy, her SEVENTEEN-YEAR- horsebox building OLD OLIVER business. Three IS ALREADY year old phelia has a Shetland but is FOLLOWING IN not yet pony mad while HIS FATHER’S middle son Louis has so far managed to avoid the family FOOTSTEPS horse obsession. AND HAS TAKEN eventeen year old liver is already following in his OVER ANDREW’S father’s footsteps and has FORMER RIDE taken over Andrew’s former ride, Feiner Stern II. “I’m proud of what he’s achieved but ’m uite tough on him as want him to know what to expect when he’s out on his own in the future, says Andrew. Andrew was previously involved in buying and selling but in recent years has switched to breeding. They have a small number of mares and Andrew confesses to being obsessed with bloodlines and selecting the best stallions for

ABOVE: GENIE III, PROGRESSING TO GRAND PRIX THIS YEAR. BELOW: AN EXCITING STRING: GROOM ISOBEL HOOLEY AND KAMILLA, ANDREW AND ACTIVE SOLARIS, HEAD GIRL NATALIE CAMPBELL WITH GENIE III AND GROOM GLENN JACINTO WITH KING ARTHUR.

them. “ nitially we’ll have to sell to fund the programme but eventually hope we’ll be able to keep the best one.

At , Andrew has the experience and the horsepower to challenge for future team places. “ know it’s tough to break through with the current riders at the top. ou need more than one P horse to be successful which is why ’m building my string. ut ’m really excited and prepared to give it my all.

FIRST EXPERIENCES UNDER SADDLE ARE KEY TO SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE FOR YOUNG DRESSAGE HORSES. JANE CARLEY TAKES A LOOK AT HOW LEADING SADDLE MAKERS FIT AND ADAPT SADDLES AS THE HORSE DEVELOPS.

Getting the correct saddle fi t for a young horse is vital, and the common conception that any saddle will do’ because the horse will change shape and grow out of it should be avoided, points out the ociety of aster Saddlers (SMS). ualifi ed addle itters have the product knowledge to deal with all types of horses, and the website will guide you to someone who will work with you and your young horse and has a good choice of suitable saddles and the skills to make adjustments.

Diana Fisher is a Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) Master addler itter and a ualifi ed ridle itter, contracted to the as a consultant saddle and bridle/bitting fi tter for the World Class Programme.

Di comments: “Young horses change shape as they mature so think about investing in a saddle that has an ad ustable gullet bar, as this can be altered to suit the horse.

“A saddle for a young horse needs to be checked three to four times a year as the horse changes shape. While most riders ust think about the topline of the horse, it is also crucial to look at the other conformational aspects too, such as where the girth groove is, as this also aff ects the fi t of the saddle and where the girth straps will need to be positioned.

Right: SMS Master Saddle Fitter Andy Milner works closely with riders to ensure that youngsters have a perfectly fi tting saddle from the moment they start their careers.

Diana and her husband ark isher are the saddle fi tters for Carl ester who rides in PD saddles. Carl’s four year old gelding arvey currently has a shape that can be di cult to fi t.

“As he is young and expected to change then the ad ustability of the PD saddles is very useful, comments ark. “With a young, low withered, round horse suggest considering a thinner panel, to enable the saddle to sit close and therefore enhance stability.’ arvey has a forward girth groove, at the moment lacks shoulder defi nition and as is the case with most young horses tends to work on the forehand.

“This all leads to the saddle running forwards onto his shoulders, so adaptations to the panel and girthing such as adding additional girth straps or longer front panels should help to stabilise the saddle. ark feels that this horse will develop a more pronounced wither as time moves on making his shape diff erent again. ence the need to ensure he is checked again in a few months’ time. e takes templates of arvey’s back to monitor his changing shape as well as photographs and notes. ark also takes into account that riders use varying thicknesses of saddle pad and tries to fi t the saddle using whatever pads the rider prefers to use, provided they are appropriate.

Prestige talia has worked with eadmore tud’s Alice ppenheimer for several years and the partnership has always ensured the young horses have their own saddles. eadmore ella uby ella is a year old mare by lite ubinsteena x elissimo . ella started her ridden work in a Prestige elen, the anatomically shaped soft ocked wool panels ensuring maximum freedom of movement for the trape ium muscles and made to suit her shape.

“Prestige is able to customise the panels to ensure the balance of the saddle suits each particular horse. As ella has always been sensitive, this was used along with an P girth which works to remove pressure, allowing deeper breathing, freer movement and relaxation, says saddle fi tter enny ammett.

“ ooking at two templates which were taken a few months apart in it is clear to see how uickly a horse can change. Prestige uses a spirit level to show the balance point of the horse’s back which reveals how this has changed by cm.

“We found the elen saddle was starting to slip back, caused by ella’s shoulders and wither developing as her shape changed, so we decided to move her into a D ree. ella has now been in this saddle for months and it is vital that we monitor her and make ad ustments to ensure the saddle continues to work for her as she does change through the seasons.

Prestige talia works with a nylon tree reinforced with fi bre glass which allows the tree to ex as the horse works but it doesn’t lose its shape over time. “We see it as the saddle working with the natural movement of the horse. ur trees are ad ustable an unlimited number of times / width fi ttings and we use ocked panels to allow the saddler to make ad ustments.

ABOVE: CARL HESTER’S FOURYEAR-OLD HARVEY HAS A SHAPE THAT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FIT SO SMS MASTER SADDLE FITTER MARK FISHER SUGGESTED A THINNER PANEL, TO ENABLE THE SADDLE TO SIT CLOSE AND THEREFORE ENHANCE STABILITY.

RIGHT: PRESTIGE ITALIA HAS MONITORED ALICE OPPENHEIMER’S HEADMORE BELLA RUBY AS SHE HAS PROGRESSED FROM THE START OF HER CAREER TO INTER I, USING CUSTOMISED PANELS, AND MORE RECENTLY A CHANGE OF SADDLE TO HELP HER PERFORM TO HER BEST.