Posted on 15th December 2023
Nine coaches awarded their British Equestrian Level 4 Coaching Certificate at London International Horse Show
Today, nine distinguished coaches were awarded their British Equestrian Level 4 Coaching Certificate (endorsed by UKCC), in conjunction with British Rowing and the University of Gloucestershire. The ceremony took place at the London International Horse Show, with certificates presented by British Equestrian’s Chief Executive, Jim Eyre.
The Level 4 Coaching Certificate course designed to allow high-performing coaches to develop their skills building on vision and knowledgeable decision-making, while displaying exceptional behaviours and the highest professional and ethical standards.
This year, the coaches came from a range of organisations and disciplines:
Photo credited to British Equestrian / Jon Stroud Media.
Steph Bradley commented after receiving her certificate, “I would highly recommend doing the Level 4. It’s a journey, you learn so much about yourself and it’s a life experience which is really rewarding. I’m looking forward to doing the master’s as well.”
Steph is continuing her studies investigating the effect of menopause and peri-menopause on riders,” she said. “I would never have had the confidence to do this before doing the Level 4, and now I know I can challenge myself and see the reward from it. Obviously, menopause is quite a hot topic anyway and I hope this will bring better awareness.”
Ellie Halsey explained, “I’ve found it quite a transformational process, I think I was a bit intimidated at the beginning and the calibre of other coaches on the course was really high but we were just talking about what a lovely group we’ve had and how we’ve had a lot of support from each other throughout the two years, so that’s been fantastic. Being with the other sports as well has just been fascinating, to see their perspectives and how sport in general becomes a personal development journey for the riders as well as you as a coach.”
Senara Caddy continued, “I feel I’ve transformed hugely. I come from Cornwall and it’s quite isolating down there, I don’t mix with a lot of other coaches and have to drive miles to get anywhere. So, to have this as a regular check in has been brilliant. The biggest thing for me is realising that you don’t have to be teaching elite riders and performers to be a high performing coach, you can be a coach teaching participation level riders.”
Nina Boex commented, “It was a really interesting course, it was quite challenging at times. After Jim [Eyre] talked about ‘bearing the flag’ and the responsibility we now have, it’s very important to share our knowledge and collaborate. We all learned a lot from each other, as well as from the course itself, as we all have different backgrounds. Completing the Level 4 has given me confirmation of my abilities. It’s also feeling that if I can do this, others can as well.”
“I am delighted to see these wonderful coaches receive their Level 4 Certificate,” said David Padgen, who oversees the Level 4 Coaching Certificate programme as part of his role as Participation Officer at British Equestrian. “It’s a huge privilege for me to be involved and see them grow throughout the two-year programme, learning new theories and applying to their coaching practice. Huge congratulations and thank you to Steph, Senara, Becky, Ellie, Nina, Liz, Joanne, Claire and Eve for their commitment.
“We talk about coaching in equestrian sport as being a three-way partnership between the coach, the horse and the rider, and this programme is a three-way partnership between the coaches, the coach developers we are honoured to use – Nicky Fuller, Colin Wilson, Dr Jane Booth and Jenny Coe – and the academic team at the University of Gloucestershire, led by Dr Pauline Williams. Thank you to all those that make today’s celebrations possible.”
Further information about the Level 4 Coaching Certificate is available here.
