Andy Thomas MCSP

Developer of Testt®

Testt® founder and Chartered Physiotherapist Andy Thomas is a leading educator and innovator in rider asymmetry . Having held the roles of High Performance Human Science and Sports Medicine Advisor to the USA and GB Equestrian Teams  Andy has a wealth of experience second to none including attending 3 Olympic Games, 4 World Championships and 12 European Championships.

Forming the link between asymmetry and rider-horse performance, Andy set about extensively researching and developing a system that would allow riders, coaches and therapists to monitor, discuss and remedy asymmetry in athletes across all equestrian disciplines.

And so Testt® was established.

Emily Sutherland

Demonstration Rider

Emily is university student studying equine science with therapy at Hartpury University. 

Emily is currently riding two horses, one at Advanced medium, with the aim to ride their first PSG this summer, but today she has brought her rising 5 year old warmblood mare Paris, who she is hoping to take out to gain confidence at prelim and novice level. 

Judy Harvey

List One Judge FBHS, UKCC Level 3

Judy is an international rider, trainer and List One Judge based at Richard Heley's Yard in Buckinghamshire where she has been for 30 years. She is Director of International Teams for British Dressage.

During this time, Judy is proud to have trained and mentored many students who have evolved into top riders.  These include Charlotte Dujardin, Daniel Sherrif, Ruth Edge, Bubby Upton, Leilia Paske,  Roland Tong, Hannah Esberger, Gemma Maddocks, Fiona Brennan, Carmen Gammie, Laura Wollen, and Jayne Turney.

Judy rode successfully at International Grand Prix Level with Richard Heley's Fitzcerraldo. This combination also had several National Titles to their credit and were nominated for the London Olympics 2012. Judy has qualified horses for the BD National Championships every year from 1980 to 2020. Current top ride is SP Bento an eight year old National Champion about to step up to small tour level.

Judy was part of the BBC TV Commentary Team for several years and received many plaudits for her London Olympics commentary. She is in demand for clinics and symposiums world-wide. 

Judy's professional career began in Kenya re-training former racehorses to become show jumpers and eventers. This invaluable experience provided a balanced all round approach to training horses and riders. On returning to the UK she concentrated on her BHS Exams, eventing, show jumping and gradually moved towards Dressage. She ran the Lee Valley Riding School in London for 10 years, appreciating the requirements and anxieties of Novice riders, whilst still developing as a competition rider and trainer. She achieved her FBHS in 1987.

Judy has a reputation for finding bargain horses for herself and her clients and bringing them up top class competition level. She prioritises soundness and temperament in her competition horses.

Emma Hindle

Demonstration Rider 

Double Olympian (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008) Emma Hindle is a British international Dressage rider. She first rode for her country in 2004, competing for Great Britain in Dressage at both the Athens and Beijing Olympic Games.

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She also competed in the world equestrian games in Aachen 2006 and won a Bronze European medal in 2005 and a silver medal in 2009.

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Michael Whippey

Demonstration Rider 

Mike is a freelance BHS performance coach and rider, based in Wiltshire.

He is currently riding for Judy Peploe and has a string of dressage horses ranging from 5 year olds to Inter 1. 

Today he is on Rosie, she is a 13 year old warmblood mare bred by Judith Davis of Hawtins stud, currently competing at PSG. Mike has been riding Rosie since July 2020, and hopes to attend the Nationals at PSG this year, with Grand Prix as their long term aim. 

Sarah Payne

Testt® Certified Coach Pathway

Sarah Payne has been the driving force behind Sheepgate Equestrian for the last 24 years. A former international pony rider, Sarah’s passion for the effect of the rider on the horse has been evident from the beginning. Completing the British Horse Society exam route up to Instructor level, an established Dressage trainer including of her daughter Lily Payne who was the first ‘children on horses’ British Rider to be selected for the Europeans in 2017 and 2018. A Dressage rider, British Dressage accredited coach and Dressage judge, Sarah qualified to teach Pilates and Equipilates TM in 2012 as well as studying Biomechanics. On discovering what Andy Thomas could offer to a rider in 2018?? Sarah’s passion as a coach has taken on a whole new dimension with how the horse then responds.

Olivia Towers

Demonstration Rider

Olivia Towers is a Grand prix rider and coach. She competed for Team GB in juniors and young riders and is now learning the ropes at Grand Prix level. Alongside this she also does a lot on social media showing the ups and downs of the equestrian world in a honest and encouraging way.

She is passionate about helping others to improve their mindset not just for riding but all areas of life.

Louisa Cuomo

Testt® Certified Coach Pathway and Saddle Fitter

The love of horses lies at the heart of Louisa’s work. Having learnt to ride herself as a six-year-old pony-mad girl, horses have remained central to her life. Her passion for their welfare and comfort drove Louisa to develop her bespoke saddles and new fitting techniques. As well as being a qualified saddle fitter, Louisa is an experienced dressage rider and British Dressage judge. Her knowledge and understanding of both horse and rider biomechanics have enabled her to develop a unique process of saddle fitting and create a collection of saddles that maximise the horse’s comfort, performance and reduce issues over time. Louisa works with all types of horses, from newly backed youngsters to older horses. She also works with elite riders and trainers around the world, with horses performing at the very top of their sport. Louisa was the only Saddle Biomechanist to attend The Vet Congress, Amersterdam 2019 - a gathering of leading international vets. Louisa continues to work on several of her own and others research projects, aiming to understand and improve asymmetry of horse and rider.

Emily J Baker

Coach and In - Hand Specialist

Emily is founder of The Dovecote Stables and Equinethos LTD, a training centre based in Oxfordshire. She works with riders and horses of all levels and disciplines and has an interest in retraining and rehab work, especially of dressage horses. Emily is passionate about working horses in hand and uses these techniques not only in rehab but for riders to develop and improve their piaffe and passage work. She is fortunate to have been influenced by Arthur Kottas and Andreas Hausberger throughout her career.

Ivan Aguado Melet

Demonstration Rider

Ivan Aguado Melet is a showjumping rider and trainer originally from Barcelona, Spain where he competed at national and international levels. Ivan is based at The Dovecote Stables in Oxfordshire where he specialises at working with jumping horses at all levels. He also has a passion for producing young horses and working with re-schooling horses.

Ricky Balshaw

Team GB Paralympic Rider, Dressage Coach

Ricky started riding as part of his physio therapy at the age of 4. He suffers from cerebral palsy and has very little natural balance and as such had to be held on either side of the moving ponies and a leader looking after the direction of things.

At the age of 10 he became the RDA national champion but underwent major spinal surgery later that year to reduce the level of spasticity of his limbs. After a 12 month break he started riding again but had to start from scratch due to his limbs now working extremely differently.

At the age of 14 he was asked to join the GB para team and is still the youngest person to be inducted to the senior team.

He was named as first reserve for the Athens Paralympic Games in 2004 but was on the team for the Beijing Paralympic Games where he secured an individual silver medal in the freestyle on his horse, Deacons Georgi.

Since then he has won medals at World and European Championships but retired from dressage at the start of 2016

He then went on to compete in Para Reining and in 2019 became the Para Reining World Champion and retired from competitive sport shortly after.

Sara Jones-Williams

RDA Green Coach

Sara has been involved with RDA for 36years and the Ynys Môn RDA Group coach for 30years and currently RDA Green Coach, SJ Coach, working towards her RDA Advanced National Coaching and SJ level 4&5 coaching qualifications .  She is also the RDA North Wales Dressage Representative.  Sara has a special interest in developing Grade 1 , Visually Impaired & riders with autism.  Sara, through her love of producing quality graded horses & ponies,  developed a team of equines for those riders wishing to further their competition aspirations . 

Elan Haf Williams

Demonstration Rider

Elan is 12yrs old and has Quadraplegia Cerebal Palsy type 3 and both spastic and ataxic cerebal palsy. The later being the least common type of CP. In addition to this she also has dysphagia. 

Elan started hippotherapy with the RDA at the age of 2 and began riding independently since 2019 when she qualified and competed at the RDA National Championships.  During the Covid year she has been competing virtual tests and has achieved a PB at Grade 1 of 75%.  Elan is awaiting her BEF Classification for BD Para competitions. 

Elan is a rider with the Ynys Môn RDA Group, located in the most northern point of Wales,  and is coached by Sara Jones-Williams.  The aptly named WSH Something Borrowed (Trinny) is her current ride, owned by Gethin Williams and is a sports performance graded pony with the SPPS. 

Elan & Sara are both fluent in English and Welsh as is most of her support team.