Tuesday 26th of March 2024
Interviews

Interview with Tamsin Drew, Amateur Eventer

As we gear up for the new eventing season and start getting the entries in, we chat to Tamsin Drew about what winning the EHOA Shearwater Owner/Rider award meant to this busy amateur event rider who juggles a full time job in London as a Finance Business Manager and manages the popular support network group #twittereventing.

 

 

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Lens Vanity Photography

Lens Vanity Photography

Credit: Lorraine Porter Photography

Credit: Lorraine Porter Photography

How was last season?  Who were you riding?

My last season was a little quiet as I sold my long term eventing partner Captain, who I had owned for nearly 5 years.  I found him a lovely home where he is currently providing his new owner with lots of confidence and fun! At the end of last season I found my new event horse, Ziggy, 6 so I spent the last few events getting to know him.   

Tell us about the EHOA Shearwater Owner/Rider Award.

The 2015 Shearwater Owner Rider award (£500 + glass trophy) was selected from nominations by Susan Lawton of Shearwater and presented to me at the annual EHOA awards dinner held at Saddlers Hall in London. It’s such a super opportunity especially with £500 going towards additional training which will be so useful in developing my partnership with Ziggy. It was such a lovely surprise to win and thrilled that my hard work and dedication was recognized!

How are you spending the winter?

I have been using my Shearwater Owner Rider bursary to have additional training with Sharon Hunt. I also took advantage of the British Eventing winter training series, competed in the BE Jump Training (JT) which provided me with invaluable training advice both in the warm up and in a competition environment and gave me some extra ideas to work on at home.  Furthermore I also competed at the British Eventing JAS competitions which are a great way to practice cross country type fences including corners, skinnies and more technical lines in preparation for the up and coming season.

What are your aims for the 2016 season?

I will start with a couple of BE100 runs and then move up to Novice, with being a new partnership I will be looking to gain confidence together at Novice prior to hopefully aiming for a CIC / CCI 1* later in the year.  I also would love to qualify for the Gatcombe National Novice Restricted Championships though this may be a few years away!

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How did #twittereventing come about?

It started as a conversation on Twitter three years ago and has expanded from there. It’s now become a high profile social media network which I co-manage with two other amateur riders.  With 5,300 members, a twitter account and Facebook Group it can get pretty hectic! The support network is a great way for riders, owners and volunteers to share their eventing news and seek advice on any equestrian matter. Members also have opportunities to trial new equine products and receive equestrian product discounts, as well as purchasing #twittereventing branded clothing!

How do you juggle it all with a full time job in London and commuting to and from the yard?

I use my train commute and evenings after riding to catch up with social media and #twittereventing. Thankfully I can work from home a couple of days a week which gives me some extra hours to concentrate on my riding and even have time to attend some training and in house jumping clinics!   

What advice would you give other amateur riders in your position?

Set yourself realistic goals to aim for and use the British Eventing Training opportunities to support you.  Also try using support network groups such as #twittereventing to meet similar amateur riders, who you can then share your experiences with, as well as making eventing more social and fun. 

How do you unwind/relax?

Catching up with friends over dinner, we have a small network of eventers who live locally so it’s always a good evening when we meet up!  I also enjoy relaxing at a spa for the day but don’t do this often enough. 

What would be your perfect weekend?

I really enjoy my eventing days out either competing Ziggy or watching friends.  Weekends away are always fun, I had some super weekends away last year staying onsite at Houghton & Barbury International supporting Clare Fielding and socializing with lots of friends   

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Credit: Lorraine Porter Photography.

Credit: Lorraine Porter Photography.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I’m a numbers person so would love to be more creative with my writing as it doesn’t come easily to me.

Who are your heroes in real life?

The legend Sir Mark Todd! A fantastic ambassador to our sport; especially with his incredible achievement of winning Badminton and competing in two Olympics post his 8 year retirement break!  As well as his riding achievements he has expanded his business enterprise with The Mark Todd Collection and giving something back to the sport and the younger generation with Mark Todd Bridging the Gap!

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Probably the word “amazing”, also though it’s not a word I do overuse “Emoticons” too!  

What is your greatest fear?

Spiders, horrid things, say no more!

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Not to get too disappointed when things don’t go to plan, with horses this can happen a lot!

What are you top indispensable pieces of kit for you or your horse?

I can’t live without my new Childeric bespoke green event saddle, I love how it fits Ziggy perfectly and has helped me with my balance and has given me a stronger leg position.  I also love the Apatchy London Equestrian Range, the grooming kit bag and long riding boot bag are essentials for the horsebox!  

 

Useful Links:

The Event Horse Owners Association 

British Eventing

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Editor’s Note:

Have you got a story you would like to share? Get in touch with us by email at hello@thegaitpost.com

Keep up to speed with news of the launch of our new interactive eventing guide by following us on Twitter here.

What was your favourite event in 2015? Share your experiences in our new Visitors Book and help other riders plan their season. Here’s how: Click here.

 

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