HPC COACHING FACULTY

As part of the Horsemen's club charter, we aim to provide our members with the highest level of instruction possible. Horsemen's members are extremely lucky to have some of WA's best instructors available to them at each rally. It is the Horsemen's policy that all our members should be exposed to highly qualified and experienced instructors from a varied field of equine disciplines.

 

By ensuring that the club curriculum is comprehensive, this further ensures that our members are able to excel in a various number of different equine pursuits throughout the year. A large part of the clubs income each year is spent in ensuring that we are able to secure these top level coaches and the results our members obtain in competitions during the year is a testament to the outstanding quality and commitment of the coaching faculty to our club members.

As part of an on-going series we thought we would give you some back ground on our coaches and as you are going read, these coaches have truly excelled in their chosen equestrian pursuits.
 

This month our spot light is on ~

 

BEC THOMAS.

 

 

I have been riding since I was 3 years old and I joined Walliston Pony Club when I was 7 and got my first pony. I enjoyed competing and represented the club in Prince Phillip Mounted Games, State Horse Trials and Show Jumping teams.

 

I have also ridden to Kalgoorlie as part of an organised ride to celebrate WA's Bicentenary in 1988. I am chief coach of Walliston Pony club and have been coaching there for the past ten years.

 

 

 

Bec and DVZ Debonaire on their way to winning the

Senior Pre-novice at the Swan River CIC in April this year

 

 

 

I have been a police officer for 20 years and for the last 3 years I have been the training sergeant at the WA Mounted Police and am responsible for the selection and training of the riders and horses there. A very exciting and challenging job!

 

I also like to compete on my horse, Lewis, at horse trials and this year he is competing at Pre-Novice Level.

 

I am a Level 1 NCAS coach and am working towards my Level 2 along with Portland, Phillipa and Nel, which has been a lot of hard work but a lot of fun.

 

Bec Thomas   

May 2010

 

 

 

STEPH SPENCER .

 

 

I started riding at Horsemen’s Pony Club when I was 6 years old. I completed up to my C* certificate and then took the year off Pony Club in 2008 to concentrate on my final year of school.

 

In 2008 I was then coerced into coaching and have since stayed! Whilst at Horsemen’s I represented the club at Club, Zone and State level with highlights being a member of many winning and placing teams and Individual events at the State Dressage and Tetrathalon Championships.

 

 

 

 

 

The biggest highlight however was being a member of the winning Members Dressage Team at the 2005 ‘Go West’ National Pony Club Championships.

 

I am currently competing my mare, Tallong Coral, at Prix St George Dressage, hoping to move to Intermediate 1 soon. I have been a member of the EWA Young Rider Dressage Squad for the past 5 years.

 

In 2010 I have been accepted onto the National Young Rider Development Squad. I successfully competed at the 2007 Victorian Young Rider Dressage Championships and the 2007 National Young Rider Championships at Werribee. I hope to travel to the Victorian Festival to compete in December this year.

 

In August of 2009 I spent the month touring Germany and The Netherlands along with 9 other riders from Australia and New Zealand, where we watched the National European Young Rider and Junior Championships in Ermelo and spent time travelling around Germany visiting some of the major studs.

 

This was an amazing experience and the highlight was spending 2 weeks training at the Riding School in Langenfeld with Hanno Verden. It was here that we were able to sit for our Certificate 4, and in my case, certificate 3 (Big Bronze), Riding and Stable Management medals. In order to do this, outside examiners came in and assessed not only our riding ability - about Elementary dressage and 1-1.15m Jumping - but also our horsemastership.

 

In 2010 I am studying full time at The University of Western Australia doing a Bachelor of Science majoring in Exercise and Health.

 

DIANE BENNIT.

 

HPC is extremely privileged to have Diane Bennit as part of our coaching faculty. Next time you see Diane around the club, maybe stop and say hello and you may be lucky enough to gain some useful information from a lady of vast experience and equine knowledge. Often we see these people around the club and don't realise just what they have achieved in their lives.
By the way - this lady can certainly jump!

 

 

The Photo is of Diane on "Black Label" setting a new WA  Puissance record  6ft 4in. (1.93metres) Yep - that is right - cleared a show jumping fence at the height of 1930mm.

 

Diane produced "Ocean Foam" who later went on to represent Australia in show jumping at the Tokyo Olympics. With a background in show jumping & dressage (based in WA) Diane is Chair of the WA Horse Council, and also an Industry Liaison Officer. She organized EI information evenings, and has worked on an Emergency Communication List (WA) to disseminate information to 6000 people.
Diane also attended meetings with DAFWA (representing the non racing sector) and the Equine Influenza Bio-Security Information Group to discuss EI policy and the development of bio-security procedures and provided media resources during the EI crisis.

She is a qualified coach and a trainer and assessor with the EFA, BHS, RDA, AHRC and WA Pony Club.

On the administrative side, Diane has been a delegate to the Federal EFA, EFA Grading Coordinator for Commentators, Chairperson of the WA Horse Council, Chair - National Coaching Accreditation Scheme WA Branch (NCAS), National Coaching Coordinator of the Australian Horse Riding Centres, Vice Chairperson of Riding for the Disabled, serves on Ring Councils for the Royal Agricultural Society, is a Horse Safe auditor and acts as an Expert Witness in equestrian cases in WA and the eastern states and is a part time Senior Lecturer at TAFE.

In 1996 Diane was the Women's Sports Foundation of WA's choice for inclusion in their book "Best 100 Women Competitors and Contributors to their Sport" and in 2007 was appointed as Stable Manager for the Australian Para Equestrian Team that competed at the World Championships in UK

* NCAS EFA, AHRC, RDA Level 1 qualifications also AHRC Level 2 and BHSAI accreditation.

* Competed successfully in Advanced Medium, A Grade Showjumping, Showhorse & Western events.

* Was the winner of the Inaugural Powder Puff Derby (horse race) at Ascot.

* Chair Working Hunter taskforce, Showhorse & Breed judge.

* HorseSafe Auditor, Valuer of horses for insurance purposes, act as an Expert Witness in Equestrian Litigation cases.

* Stable Manager - Australian Para Equestrian Team at the 2007 World Championships in the UK.

* Chair NCAS WA, National Coaching Co ordinator AHRC.

* National classifier Warmblood & Connemara Breeds.

* 3 Star Announcer.

* Member of Royal Agricultural Society Ring Councils.