Five Minutes with Charlie Richardson

This article is from the December 2019 Horse Deals magazine.

How old are you and how would you describe yourself? I am currently 14 years old and I would describe myself as an interactive guy who loves to go outside on the farm and ride any quiet racehorses to help out our workers, and ride my own horses as well.

What’s your proudest achievement? It would be when I won the 2 star eventing and stayed on my dressage score at the Nationals Championships earlier this year.

What’s your worst riding habit? It would definitely be not looking up, Mum always tells me off for keeping my head down.

What’s your most used app? Instagram is my most used app, closely followed by Snapchat.

Who’s your equestrian idol? Although I’m Aussie bred, my dad is actually a Kiwi and my idol is Sir Mark Todd from New Zealand, however this doesn’t mean I support the All Blacks. I like him the most because he is so passionate for the sport, leads by example and is an asset for all younger riders.

What’s your after-school ritual? Due to being at boarding school in Sydney it is very hard to get much riding in, in fact I don’t ever ride during the week. However, whenever Mum and Dad have a spare weekend and there are no competitions on, they will come down and take me to Sydney Jump Club for practice. So in the afternoons at school, I have sport (basketball) on Monday and Wednesday and on the days I don’t have sport, I either go for a run or some kind of exercise or just relax.

Among your friends, what are you best known for? At school I am best known as ‘the pony rider.’

What’s been your worst riding injury? Luckily I haven’t broken any bones due to falls, but I have had one scary moment where in the showjumping at an event, my horse’s back legs slipped on take-off and he went over backwards and nearly landed on top of me and I landed flat on my back and got very winded and hurt a few ribs.

What is the best gift you have ever been given? One of my best gifts that I have received was on Christmas day I woke up and Dad said that there was something at the stables and that I should have a look, so we went over there and there was a new horse there with a new brown Bates saddle.

If you didn’t ride, what sport would you be doing? The sports that I would do would be rugby and basketball.

Who’s your favourite YouTuber? Andrew Hoy because with his headcam footage, it gives me an insight to what it feels like to be going 5 star in Europe.

If you could ban one vegetable forever, what would it be? It would be cauliflower, because it’s the same as broccoli, just a different colour.

What do you want to do when you finish school? I want to go home for a few months and work for Dad and the business. After that I want to have a gap year and work for someone where I can ride and go to events with them. Then I might go to Uni (very risky if I don’t) and study something to do with vets. Then after that I’m not too sure, but I definitely want to stay eventing for as long as I can.

What’s your favourite competition item? My new Victrix Bates Saddle. And as they say, Victrix is just around the corner.

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