Welcome to Australian National Working Equitation Limited.
Working equitation is the ultimate equestrian discipline in creating harmony between horse and rider with a strong focus on training and versatility.
History
The discipline of working equitation
The discipline of working equitation was created to celebrate the partnership between horse and rider with a focus on versatility, agility, athleticism and training. Open to all breeds of horse and levels of rider, Australian National Working Equitation upholds the principles of classical dressage.
Working equitation was pioneered by four countries: Italy, Portugal, Spain, and France, with the first International competition being held in 1996. In 2004, the World Association for Working Equitation was established to govern the sport internationally. Since that time, the sport has continued to grow around the world.
Gillian Kennerley introduced Working Equitation to Australia in 2007 when she emigrated from the United Kingdom. Gillian had trained in WE in the U.K. and Portugal. Bringing her Lusitano horse to Australia enabled her to give displays at Equitana in Sydney, 2012 highlighting the dressage principles involved in this new sport. Running workshops where interested riders could come and learn about this new discipline resulted in a small group of people who had been trained in the sport as coaches. As interest and numbers grew the sport became known Australia wide. Gillian organised the first Working Equitation competition in Australia and trained our first judges. Her passion and drive was instrumental in introducing WE to Australia.
Life Members
Glynis Dickson has been instrumental in establishing the sport of Working Equitation in NSW and Australia. Chris Fowles is highly regarded as the most technically competent rider, coach and Judge in the sport of WE in Australia. We are grateful for their continuing contributions to the growth and development of the sport.
Governance
Australian National Working Equitation Ltd.
Australian National Working Equitation Limited is the official governing body for working equitation in Australia having signed a Protocol Agreement with the World Association of Working Equitation in 2016.
Ally grew up in the Pony Club system, taking a shine to eventing and competing up to 1* on thoroughbreds she had trained off the track. After she left school, she groomed and rode for several different disciplines including showing, show jumping, polo, endurance, and camp drafting which has given her exposure and appreciation of several different disciplines. After University, she focused on dressage and took a break from competition. She is looking forward to getting her ASH mare competing in Working Equitation.
Professionally, Ally is a Chartered Accountant who runs her own firm in regional NSW. In business she strives to help businesses achieve their goals and brings this same energy to the board. She has also held several positions with not-for-profit organisations over the years from local to state level.
Ally believes in supporting and developing the sport from grass roots level up to high performance. She believes the sport has so much potential and would love to see how far it can go.
Sarah has had a love of horses her whole life. Her earlier involvement was through dressage and eventing where she competed and then later supported both her children through pony club to state level and her late husband in EA competition at a high level.
Six years ago, she discovered Working Equitation and believes she has found the ultimate discipline wherein horse and rider can form a great bond through classical training. She also loves the versatility of WE with its four phases and its inclusiveness of riders from various disciplines.
Sarah’s professional background has been in the public health sector working for many years as a Dental Therapist providing dental treatment to school aged children and also as a small business owner and operator.
Sarah is keen to promote and develop Working Equitation within Australia and looks forward to the day when clubs are established in all states and territories.
Having started riding from 2 yrs old the love for horses only grew, competing in all disciplines Pony Club had to offer, Kath continued on with eventing with some Show Jumping and dressage on the side.
When Kath started a family, she wound down from eventing and moved more into cow horses, with her partner’s passion for cutting and campdrafting they now have moved onto Quarter horses and stockhorses with starting Sparrowhawk Equine and Stud.
Kath is a part of multiple committee’s as VP, Secretary, treasurer, event coordinator, youth educator and Training & Development Officer in Campdrafting and Working equitation.
It was in the off season that Kath first found the discipline of Working equitation.
Kath then became a ANWE Judge and mentor for the sport in WA, with of course the Cattle phase her favourite.
Kath sees so much potential for working equitation in Australia, and she is thankful to be part of the development of this great equine sport.
Anita grew up in the suburbs with a completely non-horsey family who still hope she will “grow out of it”. She spent 4 years working as a competition groom in the UK in the sport of eventing in the days of the Long Format 3DE. Returning to Australia she founded Bit Bank Australia and the Coaching Excellence Alliance (for riding coaches specifically), and finally bought her first horse, the love of her life, Mojo.
Anita believes strongly in an ethical and welfare driven sport, and has worked to achieve this for the Olympic disciplines by being qualifed as an EA Dressage Level 2 Steward, and sitting on the EWA Board for a number of years, including as Vice Chair. While on the EWA Board she was the founding chair of the EWA Horse Welfare Committee, and saw the organisation through both COVID shutdowns and the Voluntary Administration of the national body, Equestrian Australia.
During this time, she discovered the sport of Working Equitation and brought an interstate coach to Western Australia to run one of the first clinics here. The sport has always appealed due to it’s horse welfare focus and wide inclusively compared to the Olympic disciplines. Anita believes these two key factors to be our sport’s point of difference and also biggest opportunities.
Alongside WE, Anita rides and trains Mojo with a classical dressage coach with a strong focus on strength, balance and communication.
One of Megan’s first memories is being hoisted onto the front of the stockman’s saddle at the age of three to go and “get the mail” while visiting at her Auntie’s farm. Lessons at Mr. Proudfoot’s Riding school and Pony Club was the foundation of a lifelong passion leading on to a career with horses. After gaining degrees in Education in Australia and England and teaching in schools both in Australia and Spain, Megan pursued the equestrian disciplines of Eventing, Showjumping and Dressage.
Living in Madrid, Spain and Meilen, Switzerland Megan had the opportunity to ride, train and coach with some wonderful people. After six years abroad, returning to Australia in 1983 She studied and passed the Equestrian Australia Coaching examination, level 1 General. Competing at ODE at 1* level, Showjumping at 1.20m and Dressage at FEI level she quickly gained the EA level 2 Dressage and General Coaching qualification as well as the Coach Educator and National Assessor certificates. She is a full time Coach.
When Covid hit opportunities to compete were nearly non existant. Some of her students suggested she take her Grand Prix Dressage horse to a Working Equitation training day at Blayney. Her horse loved it and so did Megan. The combination has been competing at Masters level for 18 months now and both are thoroughly enjoying it. Megan gained her WE Coach Accreditation in June, 2022.
The combination of Dressage, Ease of Handling, Speed and working with cattle is, in her opinion, the ultimate test of horse and rider. Megan is supportive of this sport become a recognised discipline through coaching and coach training.
Therese grew up in a farming family riding horses from the early age of 2 years old.
Horses were a way of life on the farm with most days bringing the cowing in for milking or attending to the beef herd
Therese attended pony club competing in show jumping, and games along with the stockman’s rides that are now known as stockman’s challenges
After starting her family Therese had a long break from riding and got back into horses after her children moved onto their own careers.
Therese and her husband started the club Working Equitation North East Victoria in 2016 after attending a Working Equitation Clinic and knew the sport was exactly what she was after
Therese still has a strong present in the sport at state and club level and in the running of competitions and is keen to promote and develop the sport of Working Equitation further.
Therese enjoys training her home bred ASH gelding in all four phases of Working Equitation and has ridden to Con 2 level.