Heliya Mohebi-Rad

Heliya has been a member of BERF since 2021, she is a Veterinary nursing student at Hartpury University and a member of the Pony Club Youth Advisory Council.

She has been riding since she was 5 years old at her local riding school in London where she also trained for her British Horse Society (BHS) and Pony Club exams. At the age of 17, she obtained her BHS Stage 3 Groom with Riding complete aged 17, in 2018 she also won the Junior Carol Walsdale award for the Blue Cross Horse and Pony Care at the national championships as well as holding a Veterinary Care assistant qualification. Alongside studying for her degree, she is training for her BHS Stage 4 and Stage 2 teach, hoping to take her Stage 4 ride and lunge this year.

Heliya hopes to continue to be a BERF role mole as well as continuing to work with the Pony club and compete her BHS exams to aid with making the equine industry more diverse, inclusive and accessible for all.

Sandra Murphy

Sandra is the CEO at Equidiet UK Ltd and is a qualified Equine Nutritional Hydrotherapist.

Founder and Chair of the British Ethnic Riders Federation CIC, with over 350 members from ethnically diverse communities throughout the UK and Internationally. BERF provides a platform for members to access advise, information, training, sponsorship and media opportunities and the committee work tirelessly behind the scenes to create change and increase participation within the Equine Industry.

Sandra is a passionate horsewoman with 55yrs Equine experience, Sandra was one of the first female ethnic minority rider to compete for the Royal Air Force.

Amongst other awards, Sandra was recently nominated for the Inspiration of the Year at the Horse & Hound Awards 2024 for her work with the British Ethnic Riders Federation.

Georgina Urwin

Georgina is an instructor at Summerfield and has completed her BHS Level 3 Coach in Complete Horsemanship and is currently working on her Stage 4 ride and coaching qualifications. Georgina is a part time A-level teacher in Philosophy, Ethics and Religion and has a MA in Education, where her dissertation topic was an exploration into the effects of horse care and riding on the social and emotional development of a group of year 8 boys. Georgina is also part of the EDI committee for the BHS.

Malika Keijzer

Malika is an instructor  Summerfield stables. She runs the Pony Race Academy and Changing Lives Through Horses program. Malika is also part of the EDI of Pony Club and the director of the British Ethnic Riders Federation CIC. Malika has a BA in pedagogy, is a mum of 4 daughters and all this supports her coaching journey at an all inclusive urban riding school.

August Buchan

August Buchan  is 18 and currently studying at sixth form college: she aims to go to university in the future to study her main interest of photography. August was born with a visual impairment. She has ridden since she was 11 years old, taking part at three different RDA groups, and most recently finding a sense of community and exciting opportunity at Aim RDA.

India Collins-Davies

India Collins-Davies has been involved with RDA since she was 18, and has been coaching for most of that time. In the last year, she has become a coach and founding trustee for Aim RDA, the UK’s newest RDA group. India does not come from a traditional equestrian background, but has a long-term commitment to RDA and developing her equine, coaching skills and experience through the organisation. She has coached a huge range of riders over the years, and has a special interest in coaching visually impaired riders.

Holly Kilvington

Holly Kilvington is 22 and works full time in the television industry for the BBC. She was diagnosed with a visual impairment as a young adult, and came to Aim RDA after finding it difficult to have her needs met in a mainstream riding school environment. Holly and August ride together – Holly, similarly, rides independently, and is hoping to compete with Aim RDA in the near future and beyond.

Michael Bishop

Michael Bishop is CEO of RDA UK, a national charity using the unique bond between horses and humans to enrich the lives of over 25,000 disabled people every year. With nearly 1 in 4 of the UK population classified as disabled, with a physical, mental health condition, or long-term illness that impacts their daily life, and an increasing number of people experiencing social isolation and loneliness, Michael is a passionate advocate for the vital role horses play in tackling societal issues. His love of horses was sparked at an early age growing up in London, and he still competes as a keen amateur event rider.

Mari Durward-Akhurst

Mari Darward-Akhurst started riding with RDA as a form of physical therapy, but loved it so much that she has just returned (with bronze medal) from the Paralympics in Paris where she competed at Grade 1! She mentors other Para riders and is an inspirational speaker.

Emma Davies

Emma is a Senior Lecturer in Equestrian Sports Science at Hartpury University. The modules that Emma teaches aim to advance students’ knowledge and practical skills in sports science & performance support for horses and riders. Across the last 12 years at Hartpury, Emma has specialised in research and teaching focusing on physiology, biomechanics, performance analysis and psychology for the horse and rider. She is keen to promote the benefits of developing our industry’s understand of the horse-rider partnership and the importance of the riders role in improving performance, reducing injury risk and maintaining a high standard of equine welfare. Alongside teaching and research in rider performance, Emma regularly works with industry to support athletes, including Pony Club webinars and performance camps, British Dressage South-West regional groups, and in 2023, Emma presented at the British Dressage Sports Science day on fitness principles for Dressage.

Emma has her MSc in Equine Science, and BSc in Equine Sports Science, and is currently completing her PhD (2025) at the University of the West of England (UWE) investigating the psychological implications of occupational injury on horseracing staff, working alongside Racing Welfare. She regularly publishes academic research on equestrian performance and the demands of rider performance and has hosted webinars & podcasts on AnimalWeb as an invited Expert on rider sleep, and injury psychology. Recently, her work on rider sleep at FEI Eventing competitions was featured in Horse & Hound.

Joanna and Rosie Mulgrew

Horses are one of our families greatest passions. Together with my daughter Rosie we have started to build a community holding Hobby Horse events across uk.

Tommy Jermyn

Tommy is one of The Hub’s strength and conditioning/rehab experts and sports therapists. Tommy now works with countless top level riders alongside the team with a specialist interest in lower limb injuries. Tommy previously worked for Bristol Bears Women, gaining experience in working with athletes who are both part time rugby players and full time players representing their countries.

Tommy’s ethos is engaging in the athletes process using empathy and understanding in their journey. He combines experience in both a performance and clinical settings to get the best outcomes for the sportsperson.

Having played rugby and undergone two ACL surgeries himself, Tommy is able to add a unique understanding to the rehab process by understanding the individual’s needs and the importance of returning to full performance as quickly and safely as possible. He sees injury as an opportunity rather than a burden, a chance to get strong, move well and reflect on performance to enable a return to a standard higher than pre-injury.

Dee So'oialo

Performance specialist to some of the best horse and rider combinations in the olympic disciplines and working alongside top experts in their field, Dee So’oialo has made her mark on equestrian athletic performance.

Founder of Dynamic Performance Hub – the only performance facility designed for elite horses and riders, EQ Bands – Resistance based training bands for on and off horse performance and Co Founder of Peak Rider – an online platform to support grassroots riders. Dee supports optimal rider and equine athletic performance and is changing the way we think about the horse and rider relationship.

Dee works with both horses and rider individually through fascial manipulation and strength and conditioning and as a combination through biomechanics. Always looking at every aspect of performance for both, and working with the wider team to connect the dots and optimise performance at every angle. She has a true love for horses and invests in them highly, alongside the world class riders she is fortunate to work with.

Lizzie Drury

Lizzie was amongst some of the first equine nutritionists to gain registration with the Nutrition Society over 15 years ago and is known for being an equine nutritionist who can put a friendly face and uncomplicated attitude to a sometimes very confusing subject. Lizzie heads up a team of nutritionists based at the Saracen Head Office and she also provides technical support to clients not just in the UK but Europe and the Middle East. Her career highlights are many but perhaps the most favourite is being the nutritionist to the GB Dressage Team, including our Gold Medal winners. Lizzie is a keen rider and competes in dressage with her 2 horses, Ferdi and Flo.

Ifa Simmonds

Beyond coaching, Ifa is a clinician, writer, and sought-after speaker, partnering with organizations across the equestrian industry. He’s been featured on a few podcasts such as Horse Illustrated and Noëlle Floyd and, in fall 2024, launched “Cross Training for Equestrians” on the Noëlle Floyd platform. As he continues his mission to redefine equestrian fitness, Ifa remains dedicated to bridging the gap between rider wellness and peak performance in both English and Western disciplines.

Julie Driver

Julie is passionate about the transformative power of Pilates and believes that improving equestrian fitness benefits not only the rider but also the welfare of their horse. With over 25 years of teaching experience in the UK and internationally, she has dedicated her career to helping others improve movement, balance, and body awareness. After serving as a senior faculty member at one of Europe’s largest Pilates training schools, Julie founded Julie Driver Pilates Education, specialising in mentoring Pilates teachers and creating tailored programs for equestrians. Her work is recognised by YMCA

Gillian Higgins

Gillian is one of the leading equine anatomy and biomechanics educators in the world. Her work has improved the lives of thousands of horses and she inspires equestrians from all disciplines. Gillian is passionate about horses, equine anatomy and sharing all she knows for the good of the horse.
An authority in equine anatomy and biomechanics, a British Horse Society Senior Coach, professional sports and remedial therapist, author and with a first-class honours degree in Equine Science and Business Management. Gillian specialises in assessing posture and movement, devising exercises for improving performance and educating horse owners. She is well known for her anatomical painting on live horses which she uses for her teaching.

Ruby Hughes

Ruby Hughes is a talented and promising 17yo British dressage rider who has won numerous national and international titles. She has represented Great Britain in 5 consecutive European Championships gaining a team Junior Bronze medal in 2023. Ruby is also beginning to develop herself as a coach focusing on  Youth riders. Her ambition and passion for horses continue to propel her career forward, making her one of the rising stars in the dressage world.

Abi Lyle

Abi Lyle is an Irish International Grand Prix rider. Abi moved from Northern Ireland in 2009 at the age of 24 to pursue a career in horses. She quickly became transfixed with dressage and made her way from working pupil to Championship rider. She had produced horses from just backed youngsters to Grand Prix. She first represented Ireland in dressage in 2014 and has since gone on to have International Wins. She also competed in the World Equestrian Games 2022, European Championships 2023 and this year she was honoured to be the individual rider for Ireland at the Paris Olympics.

Alan Davies

Alan has been working in the equine industry since leaving school at the age of 17. He has been fortunate enough to work with some amazing horses and riders in many different disciplines.

In the beginning Alan worked mainly with showjumpers, spending a lot of time in the USA and flying horses around the world. Alan has been to three Olympic Games, four World Championships and numerous European Championships.

Some of his achievements include:

2016 Horse and Hound Groom of the Year

2016 BEF Medal of Honour

2017 FEI Groom of the Year

Attended

4 Olympics

5 World Championships

11 European Championships

Ambassador for BGA and IGA

Alan Hiscox

Alan Hiscox is the strategic lead for safety in the British Horse Society. He heads the multi award winning ‘Dead Slow’ campaign and represents equestrians on the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport and Safety. A former police officer, Alan retired as the Chief Equitation Officer for the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch having advised police forces all over the world, presenting seminars and training events on police horse training and tactics. He led the Police Horse Display Ride for 14 years, performing at Olympia, Horse of the Year Show and abroad. He is passionate about improving the safety of horses, riders and carriage drivers on the roads. He has been instrumental in developing the Highway Code changes in partnership with other vulnerable road users, thereby significantly increasing the profile of equestrians in the road safety community.

Dr Katie Williams M.Sc (Dist) R Nutr.

Katie is a registered nutritionist and has worked in the equine feed industry for 25 years. Katie is Technical Manager at Dengie where she is responsible for product development, ensuring legal compliance and overseeing R&D projects as well as providing technical support to key accounts.

Katie completed her PhD in Veterinary Medicine Research at the University of Glasgow in 2023 and her current research interests are peri-operative nutrition, nutrition in the veterinary curriculum and implementation science.

She is Vice-Chair of the BETA Feed Committee and is a member of the BETA NOPS Committee.

Nicole Nason

Mary & Emily King

At 28, Emily King is a rising star in the eventing world, following in the footsteps of her legendary mother, Mary King. Based near Chester with her partner Sam Ecroyd, Emily runs a top-tier competition yard. Her impressive achievements include being a U25 and U21 National Champion, winning European Gold and Silver medals at the Junior and Young Rider levels, and securing a 4th place finish at Pau CCI5* – one of the youngest to do so. In 2024, Emily finished 4th at Badminton and was longlisted for the Paris Olympic Games, solidifying her position as a leading rider in the sport.

Sam Dracott

Sam Dracott is a UK-based Registered Farrier who has been established for over 13 years. His expertise spans all equine disciplines, including Polo, Dressage, Eventing, Hunting, Driving, and Showjumping, with a specialisation in Remedial and Laminitic shoeing.

After sharing his day-to-day work on TikTok, he quickly discovered that people were drawn to the satisfying and ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) effect of his videos. This led to him amassing a substantial following of over 1 million in just two months. With exciting projects on the horizon, there’s plenty more to come.

Yasmin Ingham

Image provided by LeMieux

Yasmin Ingham is an International Event Rider for Great Britain based in Cheshire, UK

Yasmin was born and brought up on the Isle of Man, a small Island in the middle of the Irish Sea and home to the World famous TT races.

Years of having to travel by ferry to events paid off, when in 2013 Ingham won her first British title and went on to win Individual and Team Gold medals at the Pony European Championship in Italy, riding her beloved pony Craig Mor Tom.

This success at 16 years old opened up an opportunity to be based with and ride for prolific event and showjumping horse owners Eddie and Sue Davies and Janette Chinn at their Cheshire Stud.

One of the Davies’ older top horses – multi medal winning Imperial Cavalier – was being stepped down from from 5* level, and Yasmin was offered the ride on ‘Archie’ to compete in Juniors, and they duly won the British Junior title in 2015.

In 2018 and 2019 Yasmin completed the full set of British Youth, titles riding Rehy DJ and Sandman 7 – a feat not achieved by any rider before, as well as finishing 4th in the 2018 Young Rider Europeans riding Rehy DJ.

Yasmin also completed her first 5* at Pau that year, finishing in 16th place, and was awarded the Goldman Cup for the leading under 21 rider.

In 2021, Yasmin became the youngest rider to win the Blenheim Palace 4*L with Banzai du Loir.

She has also had a phenomenal 2022, coming 2nd at Kentucky 5* riding Banzai du Loir, and following this up not only with an impressive selection for the World Championships, but also by becoming World Champion in Pratoni del Vivaro, against the best in the world, aged just 25 years old.

2023 saw 26 year old Ingham make the history books once more with a milestone win and becoming the first British combination to win the prestigious SAP Cup at CHIO Aachen, as well as being selected as a member of the team for the FEI European Championships achieving a Team Gold medal.

Yasmin’s 2024 seasonal campaign has seen her return to the Defender Kentucky Horse Trials where she took the 3rd place podium spot at the 5* event having maintained top 3 positions overnight throughout the duration of the event.

She is a member of the current British Equestrian World Class Podium Team, and Windrush Foundation Academy.

With an accolade of achievements already under her belt at such a young age, we are excited to exclusively support Yasmin in the development of her brand and career on the world stage.

Bob Champion CBE

Bob was born 4th June 1948 into a hunting family. His father was huntsman to the Cleveland in Yorkshire, where he started riding at an early age hunting with his sister and father.

At the age of 15 he rode his first point-to-point winner then went into National Hunt racing with Toby Balding at Weyhill, eventually riding for many top trainers including Josh Gifford.

Bob’s racing career took him to America where he rode several winners. In 1979 he was diagnosed to have cancer and was given six months to live. After several months of chemotherapy he returned to race riding, coming back with several winners both in England and America.

In 1981 Bob won the Grand National on Aldaniti, trained by Josh Gifford. He finally retired from racing in 1983 having won some 500 races. Other major races that Bob won during his career were The Tote Eider Chase, The Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, The Black & White Hurdle, The SGB Chase, The SGB Hurdle and The Whitbread Trial Chase.

In 1981 awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award. In 1983 he received the MBE and also formed the Bob Champion Cancer Trust which to date has raised approximately fifteen million poundstowards Cancer Research.

Bob has his life story portrayed in the book ‘Champion’s Story’ which was made into a feature film starring John Hurt.

In August 1996 Bob undertook ‘ride for life’ which was a ride on several horses from Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace London where he was greeted by Her Majesty The Queen. This was to raise a million pounds towards a new research unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital. This sum was achieved, and the Institute of Cancer also donated a further million pounds towards this project. The new research unit opened in September 2000.

Kelly Ude-Martinez

Kelly has trained and worked in the equestrian industry her whole life. Starting in the Pony Club, she discovered the world of stunts in her early twenties and hasn’t looked back. She now runs Knights of Middle England alongside Karl and is a professional jouster, stunt rider and performer & qualified horse archery instructor. She heads up the KOME teaching team and manages all the training of their horses. She also has a Warmblood who she events in her spare time!

Karl Ude-Martinez

Heading up The Knights of Middle England is founder and director Karl Ude-Martinez. A
born performer ; professionally trained, Karl’s charisma and enthusiasm for live theatre and shows inspires his team and is evident in all that he does.
He started his riding career almost before he could walk. Coming from an equestrian family
and being brought up on an equestrian centre, meant that he competed at an early age on
the show jumping circuit, team chasing & eventing. It was at school and University that he
found his love for polo – a sport that he now plays professionally as well as being an
international commentator and TV host for prestigious tournaments and events worldwide.
Karl first started Jousting and stunt riding at the age of 14, and performed in live shows and
stunt displays, with several companies, taking him all over the world, before setting up The
Knights of Middle England in 2003. He now writes, produces & directs all the shows for The
Knights of Middle England & KOME Entertainment. He is passionate about combining his
love of horses and performing to create unique equestrian theatre productions of the highest
calibre.
Alongside the shows and filming, his dream was also to shine a light on more of the unique
disciplines, making them more accessible to all, where members of the public could come
and have a go, learn, or train at The Knights of Middle England HQ training centre in
Warwick. These alternative equestrian disciplines range from Jousting, Trick Riding, Horse
Archery & Side Saddle, all taught by professional instructors in their fields and on expert
trained school masters.

Hannah Francis

Hannah is an equestrian content creator, who shares the ups and downs of day to day life with her pony Affie and puppy Clemmie! She has recently started vlogging her rehab journey with Affie

Esme Higgs

Esme is the content creator, Spotify Number 1 podcaster and best selling author behind the ‘This Esme’ channels.
Esme makes videos and content about horses, fashion and country living.

Megan Elphick

Megan Elphick, widely recognized as Elphick Event Ponies, is a talented producer, eventer, and a prominent equestrian social media influencer. With over 250 thousand subscribers on her Youtube channel, Meg has been creating top equestrian content since 2019. Her videos following her training, competition as well as vlogs and behind the scene content. On top of creating videos for her own channels, Meg has featured in various series, including Horse & Country’s 2024 Megan‘s Talland Takeover.

Freddy Steele

Freddy is a Horse Trainer and Equestrian Performer and has competed and performed all around the world with his highest world ranking being 9th in 2019 for Cossack trick riding.  He has spent many years studying horse behaviour and always strives to achieve new and exciting things with horses he works with. Freddy and his partner Holly Barber share a passion for Lusitano horses and want to showcase everything they love about horses through their training, shows and riding holiday packages.

Jenni Winter Leach

International Equestrian Mindset Expert & Best Selling Author

As an international master mindset and performance psychology coach and trainer, award-winning professional speaker and international bestselling author, Jenni Winter-Leach trains riders at all levels of equestrian sport to develop their mental strength and create real and lasting impacts on their enjoyment and results. Through her company, Flying Changes Mindset, Jenni also coaches and supports instructors and trainers to continue delivering her methods after she has left. Her book “Dream it. Do it. Love it.” is out now.

Nurturing individuals and their talent have always been at the heart of Jenni’s professional life. After enjoying a successful corporate career as a global consultant in talent management, Jenni felt the need to combine her love for the equestrian world and her ability as a performance coach. This led her to develop Flying Changes Mindset, a market-leading business in the equestrian sphere and one of the UK’s largest equestrian mindset training and coaching companies. Over the years she has helped thousands of riders to overcome fear, performance anxiety and overwhelm and instead fall back in love with riding and get results.

Rosie Turner

TV Presenter

After gracing the front cover of Vogue at the age of 16, Rosie worked as a top international model for 10 years before turning her attentions to TV presenting in the sporting sphere.

Rosie now presents at key events at home and internationally such as the Cheltenham Festival, Aintree Grand National, Epsom Derby, Royal Ascot, Longines Global Champions Tour, Burghley Horse Trials and the Saudi Cup.

She is known for her engaging interview style, her ‘can do’ attitude and her magnetic yet down-to-earth demeanour.

A day off for Rosie is climbing a mountain or swimming in a cold river!

Carl Hester MBE

Raised on the tiny, car-free Channel Island of Sark, Carl’s early connection with horses was natural and inevitable. His first equine experience involved riding a stubborn donkey to the village shop, a task that sparked a lifelong passion for riding. Growing up, Carl honed his skills on the island’s ponies and horses, often driving carriages for tourists and participating in the annual Sark horse show.

At 19, Carl ventured to the mainland, starting his professional journey at the Fortune Centre in Hampshire, where he discovered a talent for competitive riding, winning the 1985 Young Dressage Rider Championship. His career advanced further in Gloucestershire, where he refined his horsemanship under the mentorship of Jannie and Christopher Taylor.

The turning point came when Dr. Bechtolsheimer invited Carl to join his prestigious yard, leading to Carl’s participation in the 1990 World Championships, the 1991 European Championships, and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where he became the youngest British rider to compete.

Today, Carl is a successful dressage rider and trainer, known for his meticulous approach and unwavering dedication to his horses and students. His journey from the sleepy island of Sark to the heights of international equestrian sport is a testament to his talent, hard work, and passion for horses.

Rhea Freeman

Rhea is an award winning PR adviser, social media expert and works with numerous equestrian businesses and riders to help them promote themselves better. She produces the award winning Small & Supercharged Podcast each week and also has a free Facebook community for equestrian brands and influencers called Small & Supercharged. Rhea is passionate about the equestrian trade and spends a lot of time teaching people- whether businesses, influencers or riders- how to grow their brands, work together for mutual benefit, and reach their target audience in more effective ways.