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 | Biography |
Kate Attlee has represented Great Britain at the Junior and Young Rider European Championships in Belgium, Poland, UK and Germany.
Kate’s passion for dressage began at an early age and in 1996 she won a place in the final of the national Talent Spotting competition, riding Westwell Jem, a horse she had trained herself.
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Jem, a 15.3h Welsh cob x Trakener gelding enabled Kate to gain valuable international experience. |
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When she was just 16 years old Kate and Jem successfully competed at the Junior European Dressage Championships and the combination went on to be selected another three times for the Young Rider Championships.
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| In 2000 they won the team bronze medal and Kate was the best British rider in the team test. Once she had moved out of young riders Kate continued to train Jem and the pair were placed 2nd at the 2003 National Championships in Intermediare II and 10th in the Grand Prix. |
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Kate’s career has continued to blossom and she is a regular competitor on the national circuit where she has notched up an impressive number of wins. She is currently competing five horses and is focused on training them all up to grand prix level. |
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| During 2008 she competed at Frys CDI***, Addington International CDI**, Hartpury International CDI**, Hickstead International CDI**, won many classes at Premier League shows at Grand Prix, Inter II and Prix St Georges and enjoyed success at the British Dressage Summer and Winter National Championships. |
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Teutone in competition
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Kate on the yard with Louis
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Kate riding F.i Pleasure
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INTERVIEW WITH
KATE ATTLEE
Which rider do you most admire, and why ?
Kyra Kirklund because she has trained so many different types of horse to Grand Prix level. Carl Hester too - he's a great rider and has so many titles to his name.
Who has helped you throughout your career ?
Under 21's: Jean Griffiths, Lucy Farrer, Dane Rawlings, Adam Kemp, Henk van Bergen
Senior: Carl Hester, David Pincus, Trish Gardner
What has been your biggest achievement to date ?
Winning team bronze at Young Rider European Championships in 2000, competing for Great Britain and being selected for the World Class Development Programme.
What have been your best and worst dressage moments ?
My best and worst dressage moments came in the same test! It was during the Intermediare II at the 2008 Summer Championships, Teutone Z was doing a fabulous test but then bolted halfway through. We were placed third but would have won if he hadn't taken off!
Which horse would you most like to compete ?
Valegro because he looks so powerful. I would like to see how it feels to have so much power underneath you.
Which is you favourite venue?
Last year it was Fry's International because there was such a great atmosphere.
Have you always been interested in dressage?
No, I started out eventing but broke my leg quite badly when I was 16. After that I began to focus on dressage. I took part in the Talent Spotting competition in 1996 and my career went from there.
Who owns the horses you currently compete?
I can't stress how important it is to get the rides. I'm very fortunate that I have such good horses to train and compete and that's thanks to Ann Willetts, Sarah Outwin, Trish Andrews and Francis Meir.
Do you have a sponsor?
My current sponsor is Jeffries Saddlery.
Summarise yourself in three words.
Competitive,
motivated,
determined.
Your horses look so relaxed and happy, what's the secret?
I like a quiet yard and I'm a firm believer in treating each horse as an individual. They all have different personalities and we tailor their routine accordingly. The horses are turned for a proportion of each day and pampered with thorough grooming/strapping sessions. Work includes schooling and hacking but again, the frequency and intensity is different for each horse. Diet is also very important and I don't have a single regime - each horse is different.
What would you be doing if you hadn't become a professional rider/trainer?
A Chartered Surveyor. I recently graduated from the Royal Agricultural College having completed a degree in property and marketing.
What are your ambitions for the future?
To train as many horses as possible to Grand Prix level and to compete at International Grand Prix. |
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