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Working and Winning - Carolyn Peters

This story is from the May 2019 Horse Deals magazine.

Carolyn & Janies Whiz Kid at the Gold Buckle Futurity and National Championships 2018.<br>
Photo: Ken Anderson.

Carolyn & Janies Whiz Kid at the Gold Buckle Futurity and National Championships 2018.
Photo: Ken Anderson.

Carolyn Peters - Reiner & Partner/Managing Director of an Accounting Firm

Carolyn, what does a normal working week look like for you in your job as a Partner/Managing Director of an Accounting Firm?
It starts with a fairly long drive from Palm Grove to Manly each day and back, which takes around an hour and a half. I generally work in the office for three days and then try to work from home on the other two days. Fortunately, technology allows me to do that now. Being a Partner in this accounting firm can be very demanding and busy at times, but I do love my job and the integration with clients and their businesses. I have been in this firm for at least 20 years so I am very used to having a working life.

What commitments do you have at the stables before, and after work?
Most of our horses are on our 40 acre property at Palm Grove. We have set our property up very well as it is probably a bit more self-sufficient than what I have seen at other properties. By this I mean we do not stable our horses at all. Unless of course, they have an injury and stabling is required. We have large grassy paddocks with hay feeders in them that allow our horses access to hay 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. We also have large self-filling troughs for access to water. The day begins basically with just checking them as I drive out to work and checking them again as I drive in from work. Winter is a little bit different with a bigger workload as rugging comes in to play. I ride after work, especially if it is hot as we have a covered arena and it is much more pleasant to ride late in the afternoon or at night.

How many horses do you have in work and what is their workload?
We currently have four full-on performance horses at home at the moment. They would be ridden a minimum of four days a week. We have three other futurity horses with a trainer in Stockinbingal at the moment. We also have babies, weanlings, yearlings and rising two year olds to handle.

Reining horses require plenty of training and fine-tuning, how do you switch your mindset from your business to training mode?
This is the best part of the sport. I get to get on my horse and just switch off in regards to other things going on in life. The riding is the pleasurable thing to get to do at the end of the day.

Do you do any fitness work other than riding?
Not really, just mainly working around the property and horses.

What are some of your proudest moments in your riding career and in your job?
In my riding career, probably winning all four levels of the Novice Horse Classes at the Nationals last September at K Ranch, Mount Hunter. In my career, probably becoming a Partner 20 years ago and then achieving further qualifications over the past 19 years: Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors, Specialist Adviser Self Managed Superfund Association, Diploma in Financial Services, and Licensed Financial Planner.

Do you have a strapper to help you on the morning of a competition and what jobs do they assist with?
Unfortunately no, wouldn’t that be great. However, in saying that, my husband and stepdaughter also ride so we do our competitions as a family and everyone just pitches in. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to do all together.

What do you do after a weekend comp, to prepare for the next weekend’s comp?
I give my horse a rest for a couple of days then I just get back into riding and maintaining her for the next competition. My latest competition horse is pretty outstanding so am lucky in the fact that I do not need to do too much extra training.

Out of your four weeks annual leave, how much of that is used for competitions?
All of it. Being the owner of the business also helps in getting permission for annual leave, LOL.

How many events would you do in a year?
I would probably do somewhere around 12 events a year minimum, including state shows in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland, so yes, there is a fair amount of travel involved.

Photo: Ken Anderson.

Photo: Ken Anderson.

Do you do anything in the offseason with your horses?
Not really. Just rest them and maybe do the odd trail ride. We live on the Ourimbah State Forest so I get to ride in that area. It’s absolutely beautiful.

How do you balance work, family, social life and competitions?
You just do, like everyone else. Family is extremely important to us so that is generally what will always take priority. I have wonderful staff to rely on in my business and wonderful friends, so very lucky in that regard.

What sacrifices do you have to make to do it all, and do it all successfully?
I don’t see myself as making any sacrifices. I feel very lucky in life to be able to do and achieve all of these things.

What words of advice can you give to other amateur riders who want success in all aspects of their lives?
Make sure you have a good balance in your life. Competing on a reining horse is an absolute privilege and firstly and foremost for me, it must be fun, so I am always conscious of making sure I am having a good time at our events. Keep focused and don’t be too proud to ask for help when you need it.

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