Isobel’s offering a great chance

But she still has a smile on her face.

For Isobel is living her dream on the borders of Worcestershire and Herefordshire at Cradley, near Malvern, where she runs a very busy livery yard and teaches dressage, show jumping and cross country.

She also has two young daughters, who share in her idyllic lifestyle, riding between ballet lessons and completed homework.

Isobel said: “It’s all a bit manic when I get up as I have to do the haylage round, feed the horses and change their rugs before I take the girls to school at 8.30. When I get back I complete the mucking out before I start teaching at 10am.”

Isobel is out again between 10pm and 11pm checking on her charges, skipping out stables and making sure the water buckets are full for the night.

Armed with a Horse Owner’s Certificate level one to four, Isobel is a Pony Club tester and is also qualified to teach British Horse Society exam preparation so it’s not surprising that soon after her menage and yard were built, youngsters were coming to her from miles around.

As were the liveries because Isobel offers full, part and schooling livery as well as hunter livery. She has tried to make Birch Farm livery a place where horses feel calm and happy with professional horsecare in family surroundings.

Because she is so busy Isobel wants to give an equally enthusiastic youngster the opportunity to become an to train someone up to the British Horse Society assistant instructor level. While being a great help to me it would be a fabulous opportunity for a school leaver wanting to work with horses. But they need enthusiasm, dedication and be eager to learn.”

Isobel always dreamed of having her own small livery yard once the horsey bug bit her at a young age.

After A-levels and during a gap year, she trained at the Talland School of Equitation where she gained her BHSAI. She was trained by equestrian luminaries Molly Sivewright, Pammy Hutton, Adam Kemp and Gerry Sinnot.

She then took up a place at Keele University to read English and American Studies.

Isobel said: “Mum and dad knew I wanted a career in horses but insisted that I got a degree so that I would have something to fall back on if I needed to.”

She has competed at Burghley, as well as the cross-country at British Eventing pre-novice and novice, on her horse Puck. They qualified for the Super Solvitax owner/rider series in consecutive years.

Puck’s eventing career culminated in reaching intermediate level by 2000, at Catton Park Horse Trials a week before Isobel got married.

While at university Isobel was a member of the Keele University Riding Club, becoming secretary and then president.

During inter-university matches Isobel qualified for the national championships in her first year, and after winning this was selected to ride on the Great Britain Student Squad.

She said: “This meant four fun filled years of competitions in Ireland, Holland, France, Germany, Egypt, Switzerland, and the UK competing on borrowed horses in the disciplines of dressage and show jumping.”

An added bonus was that Isobel was awarded her full colours and then Sportswoman of the Year in her final year at Keele.

Having gained a degree it was time to go back to Talland, this time with Puck in tow, to achieve the next level of qualifications.

She said: “Puck came on in leaps and bounds, and so did I.” Together they achieved the BHSII in 1998 thanks to hard work and to Paul Ingram, who helps Isobel to this day.

Isobel has ridden numerous horses for owners in eventing and dressage, has taught all levels and disciplines, has trained horses and riders from pony and riding clubs, and competed her own horses, the latest being Mikita, who has qualified for British dressage novice and elementary regionals.

She is a Pony Club B test trainer and examiner and regularly runs horse owners courses, and trains candidates for their BHS exams.

She said: “I have had tremendous support from my husband Rupert and through his determination and hard work, he has helped me to make the Birch Farm dream come true.”