I want to go to bed at night knowing that I have given the best possible personalised coaching support that I can to each of my clients. I want them to go home feeling positive.”

Equestrian coach Heather Graham is the embodiment of identifying a niche and pursuing your passion. A competitive career spanning over 25 years eventually expanded to incorporate the coaching of other riders.

Heather undertook her British Horse Society exams, and also trained to become a Horse Sport Ireland coach. A freak riding accident and subsequent loss of confidence in the saddle caused her to realise that there was no specific equine-focused support available in Northern Ireland for people in the same position as her. Seeing the gap, Heather applied to the UK based Centre 10 academy. Selected to participate, Heather went on to graduate as an APEC (applied psychology for equestrian coaches) advanced coach.

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Scaled back

Heather is based in Lisburn, County Antrim. She and her husband, Tom, live at Flush Hill Equestrian, and from there Heather runs her livery and coaching business. “I have scaled back the livery side of things, so that I can concentrate more on coaching. My husband has helped me throughout my eventing career and he has always supported me with everything I have wanted to do. Our two sons are grown up now, doing their own thing. We have four grandchildren, but so far none of them have shown any interest in horses,” laughs Heather.

Horses have always been a mainstay in Heather’s life, and the equine addiction took hold early on. “When I was four, my father took me and my cousin to a riding school as I was showing a real interest in horses. Things progressed from there. I saved up over the years and when I was 15, I bought my first horse for the princely sum of £100. The price included all of the tack and the rugs. I wanted to move to the country with my horse but my mother was not having any of it! I found a place to keep the horse three miles away from our house. This was during the Troubles, and I will never forget walking past soldiers on patrol whilst carrying all of my tack. I learned that if you want something, you have to work hard for it. That’s just the price you have to pay.”

Motorsport

Heather enjoyed occasional trips to Pony Club rallies, and attended any local shows that she could. At 19, she gave up horses and for a while, rally motorsport took her interest instead. Heather met and married Tom, but realised that her yearning for horses was still strong as ever.

She had her first taste of eventing at a venue called Beechmount. “I watched the competition and I loved it. I said to myself, ‘I want to be an event rider!’ I had no idea how I was going to manage it, but I was determined. I met the late Len Caskey and he took me under his wing. He was the best mentor I could have had. I bought a lovely grey mare from my friend, Lisa Dundee, called Poplar Heidi. She got my eventing career underway. Another special mare called Trendy Rose came along and I progressed to competing internationally. I loved being involved in the big events, there was such friendship and camaraderie.”

These days, Heather still keeps her hand in competitively with another grey mare, Flutterbye. Together, they enjoy show jumping and working hunter competitions. A stand-out memory for Heather was finishing second in a working hunter class at the National Balmoral Show, riding Flutterbye. “It was such a special day. We jumped well around a tough track and I enjoyed it so much. I was surrounded by family, including the latest addition to our ranks – my five-day-old grandson.”

Heather decided to train as a riding instructor and coach after repeated requests for help from her livery clients and from there her passion for helping other people grew. After attending a talk in Belfast given by Centre 10 founder Charlie Unwin, Heather was inspired. “Hearing Charlie talk, I was captivated. It was a real lightbulb moment realising that I could make a genuine difference to others who had been through similar situations to me. I want to help riders to see the importance of mindset in the saddle, and to provide a supportive framework that is accessible to everyone.” Heather has since enjoyed many successes as a coach, and now offers tailored packages for riders at all stages of their equestrian journey.

When I asked Heather for a motivational quote, this is what she shares: “In the main arena at the Vilamoura show in Portugal, competitors ride underneath a banner that says, ‘Focus. No Distractions. This is your time.’” No truer words spoken.