Olivia Oakeley
From pony club star to International success as a Young Rider European Team member from 2012-1014, Olivia Oakeley should need no introductions. Born and bred in Hampshire, we’ve followed Olivia’s career with interest since she graduated from the stables of the great Carl Hester.
A passionate horse (and dog!) lover, Olivia now has a number of her own young horses and is balancing her riding & training with a focus on rider fitness and sports massage. Olivia is one of the most determined and hard-working riders we've come across and we're delighted to have her as part of Team Honest Riders.
We caught up with Liv to find out what makes her tick...
Tell us about the horses that got you where you are today...
I started off at a riding school when I was 6 and up until 11, I was all about showjumping! My parents then got me a pony, who I competed at pony FEI and I did my first international at 12, so the Dressage started from there!
My parents couldn’t afford to buy me a European standard pony, so on advice from others, we got a young horse, Donna Summer (Rio). He was a very green 5yr old and I was just 13. My parents always joked that, at least if I found boys, they’d make some money on the horse!!
As it was we progressed from Prelim to Grand Prix in our time as a partnership, competing at multiple internationals including 5 Junior and Young Rider European Championships, in our last year, finishing 5th in Europe. We were also on the World Class Development Squad for 6yrs. He was the most incredible horse, who started my career and put me on this path!
How do you relax at the end of the day?
I’m not very good at relaxing! But I enjoy going to the gym and spending time with my boyfriend, family and friends. I also love to read, but I’m hopeless at putting a good book down, so I don’t read so much when I’m not on holiday!
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What's your biggest luxury in life?
My biggest luxury in life would be time off!! I’m a bit of a workaholic and anyone who has horses knows, they can’t just be left to fend for themselves for a day! But I am exceedingly lucky to be based at Woodington with Heather and Maurice Ashley and Alison Jenden, so if I do need a day off or I’m away, my horses are in the best care, which makes taking time off much easier.
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When the going gets tough, what keeps you motivated?
I am very lucky that my 5yr old, Rocky, is just the most incredible horse to train and I always know, if I’m having a bit of a rubbish time, that she’ll put the biggest smile on my face. Also, I know I’m very lucky to be doing a job that I love, so reminding myself of that on harder days, do work!
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What's the biggest challenge you face as a professional rider?
I think the biggest challenge, for me as a professional rider, is finances. I own and pay for 6 horses myself, so paying for them plus training, competitions etc means a lot of budgeting. But as I said earlier, being a workaholic helps fund them!!