Owner of NR Equestrian Team

Meet Coach Ness

EA level one general coach

Hi and welcome to NR equestrian team

I’m Coach Ness

I was born in outback Mount Isa (the home of champions!) growing up riding in a bush setting. I have had a passion for horses since I can remember and started riding when I was five years old. My love for horse riding was cemented when I had my first broken bone at 5½ and was back riding the same afternoon with a full leg cast.

We moved to the eastern suburbs of Melbourne where I continued my riding, getting my first pony Tessa when I was 10. We attended Nunawading pony club for 8 years, a huge club with over 100 riders. The club had a strong mounted games team as well as competing at state showjumping and one day eventing.

My journey around Australia started with working for showjumper James Mooney in Sydney and continued with travelling to the Kimberley’s and working on cattle properties learning to muster and campdraft from one of the best in the business; Wayne and Rachael Bean.

A riding school & campdrafting

I moved back over east to Airlie Beach in north QLD where we purchased a riding school from Jo Bailey who is an incredible horsewoman. We ran a successful riding school for 20 years with a wonderful team of horses and coaches.

I continued my journey in the western world with Greg Cook, an all-round cowboy and clinician from Townsville. Greg introducing me to the world of cutting, letting me get the ‘feel’ on his trained horses.

I then started and trained out my own campdraft mare Princess and had great success in the campdraft, Challenge ASH showing and two-handed cutting arenas.

My many teachers

I love to learn and have attended many clinics with Greg Cook, Pete Comiskey and many others.
After starting and training many horses they have definitely been my biggest teacher, every horse is unique with their own personality.

I came back into the English world with my jump coach Evan Parker, completing my EA level one general coach under the late amazing Lea Bierman and David Finch. I have also trained under Thomas Muehlenbeck, Sue Hearn, Gary Lund, Sally Evans, Pamela Kingwill, Kim Weston, Jody Burrows and many more.

I love learning from the best and filling my toolbox of knowledge so I can share with my students.

NRET future vision

I would not be here today without the support of my mum Ann and two wonderful children Angus and Kai. After having a break from coaching while raising my boys, I’m ready and excited to build a team in our new home, the Northern Rivers.

I have big dreams for a bright future alongside my Equestrian Team. On the vision board is a complex that the team can share and enjoy consisting of an Olympic size undercover arena, a 20x40m undercover jumping arena as well as outside jumping arenas, a multipurpose campdrafting arena, cutting arena and a fun cross country course!