Working & Winning - Ryle Waugh

As seen in the October 2018 edition of Horse Deals Magazine

Ryle, what does a normal working week look like for you in your job as a beautician? I work at Southern Downs Skin & Laser Clinic and my working week is Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.30pm. I enjoy the work and it’s a good change from jeans and boots.

In your occupation you have to a high level of personal presentation, how do you manage to maintain the look when working so much with horses? There’s nothing a hot shower and coffee won’t fix.

Share with us your top 3 performances to date in your career. Albury 2018 (World Cup Squad Team Games). South Africa U21 Tour 2016. Bomber 9k Competition 2017.

What commitments do you have with the horses before, and after work? I am up at around 5.30am so I can ride a minimum of two or three horses in the morning before work. Sometimes I work up to five, it really depends on where the horses are at and what they are being aimed for. As a family we all work together to work, unrug, feed and muck out the yards. After work it is a similar routine.

How many horses do you have in work and what is their workload? At the moment we have four good horses in work. They are for my sister Ella and I to take to Perth Nationals in October. My dad, Allan is a huge help and they are all his horses.

Leading up to riding for Australia overseas, how did you balance your paid job with your preparation for the World Cup? When I’m heading overseas to ride horses that are unknown to me I practice on the younger, greener horses. I ride as much as I can before and after work and try to have my racket in my hand as much as possible. Practice, practice and more practice.

You suffered a knee injury in Zambia how did that impact your job and your riding career? It was not ideal at all, I had a week off work and out of the saddle. Thankfully I have a very supportive boss.

Do you do any fitness work other than riding? No, not really. Once a week I play touch football but riding gives me my fitness.

Do you have a strapper to help you on the morning of a competition and what jobs do they assist with? No, I do not have a strapper. But my mum and dad help a lot during the week. I would never have achieved what I have without them.

What do you do after a weekend comp, to prepare for the next weekends comp? After a carnival all of the horses are given a day off and then gradually come back into work again so they do not loose their fitness.

Out of your four weeks annual leave, how much of that is used for competitions? All of my holidays are used for polocrosse.

How many events would you do in a year? We don’t play at as many carnivals as most people. By the end of the year I’ll have done about eight carnivals. Albury, Perth and Zambia are included in those, which are all many miles away.

Do you do anything in the off season with your horses? The older horses have all of the off season off. We ride the young horses through summer to get their education up.

How do you balance work, family, social life and competitions? I wouldn’t say I have much of a social life. My family are very tight and always seem to be together. It is busy, but I wouldn’t change it.

How important is it to have a supportive boss? I am so lucky that my boss is so very supportive. It has always been a dream of mine to play for Australia and she is totally behind me and supportive at every step of the way.

What words of advice can you give to other amateur riders who want success in all aspects of their life? You are never too young, or too old to make it. Just work hard, don’t give up and enjoy it.

What sacrifices do you have to make to do it all, and do it all successfully? Every polocrosse player sacrifices time and money. It’s all voluntary though, so you can’t complain. I’ve been on some great travelling adventures thanks to the Polocrosse Association of Australia, and polocrosse has given me friends and memories for life.

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