Young Rider: Hannah Klep

This article is from the October 2020 Horse Deals magazine.

Age: 20

Lives: Wallaroo, NSW (just outside of Canberra)

Education/occupation: I am currently a full-time rider and coach. I ride track
work in the morning six days a week and then come home to ride my own horses and fit in coaching wherever I can.

How would you best describe yourself? I would say I am an enthusiastic outgoing person who loves a good laugh. I’m quite determined and driven when it comes to my horses and riding. But I also like to have fun and try not to sweat the
small stuff.

Family history with horses? Many people are surprised when I tell them my family has no history with horses. I have very supportive parents who were willing to learn everything about the animal and put me through years of riding lessons, for which I am very grateful. I guess you could say my family history with horses is just me!

What age did you start riding? My parents gifted me five riding lessons at Gooromon Park Riding School for my eighth birthday. Shortly after they purchased a property across the road.
I started work at the riding school at age 16, firstly as a stablehand and then a riding instructor.

Tell us about your first pony. My first pony was a stunning four-year-old Australian Riding Pony called Charlie. Charlie was quite the expert at bucking me off and not suitable. It was a typical example of a mismatch with a young horse and novice rider. Crumpet was my second pony, a ten-year-old gorgeous palomino Welsh pony who was fun to ride at home but proved to be horse shy at pony club.

I learnt a lot of stickability on him. Through Hall Pony Club I met generous friends and neighbours who gave me their sweet and talented schoolmasters to learn to ride on and gain much-needed confidence. I realise now how
pivotal that time was in shaping my future.

What was your first competition and how did it go? My first competition was a pony club ODE at Bungendore Showgrounds, when I was 13 years old, riding Bucklebah Lyric. I was having a dream run winning after the dressage and showjumping. Then it fell apart when I was eliminated during cross country for jumping outside the flags. I was extremely disappointed. It gave me a good taste of how complex the sport of eventing is and the motivation to practise and train harder.

Why eventing? My good friends from pony club were actively competing in open eventing and they encouraged me to come along. My first eventing horse, Bucklebah Lyric was a cracker. He excelled in all three phases and together we achieved a lot, including State Pony Club Championships and National Interschool Eventing Championships. From there my love for eventing was cemented. A few years at the lower levels on Bucky set me up to move on to my first off the track thoroughbred, Reprieve. That is when I got serious about eventing. I thrive on the adrenaline of cross country and the challenge of training a horse to be versatile for the different phases.

What are some of the highlights of your success? There have been many highlights along the way, from state team selections to ENSW awards. Being selected for the 2019 Oceania Australian Young Rider Team was a dream come true, a goal I had set myself several years earlier. Winning the Young Rider 3* at the 2019 Wallaby Hill 3DE was very special for me. Everything came together on the final day after months of training!

How did training with Shane Rose come about? I was speaking to Shane at an event when he mentioned Bimbadeen Park was looking for another team member. After finishing year 12 I applied, went for a trial and got the job. My time spent with Shane was extremely valuable and the skills and knowledge I gained made the hard work worth it. It was a great experience to work with one of the world’s best and I’m so grateful for the opportunities I received from working with Shane and the team at Bimbadeen.

Tell us about your partnership with Reprieve. Reprieve was my first big horse and we bought him because of his quiet, gentle nature. We gradually moved up the levels together, starting at introductory and working our way up to 3. He was learning while I was learning and I think going through that journey together definitely strengthened our bond. There’s something really special about training a horse to this level, the hours spent in the saddle together becomes a powerful partnership. Reprieve has taught me so much, I would actually love to see him take another young rider through the levels, this time as a schoolmaster. But otherwise, he’ll have a forever home with me.

What did you take away from the Ingrid Klimke Masterclass? Training with Ingrid was a surreal experience. Her calming presence made me feel at ease in the massive atmosphere at Werribee. I learnt her method of how to adapt the training for different horses, as no horse is the same. I think it’s hard to describe to people who weren’t there just how big the atmosphere is at a Masterclass with one of the world’s best riders. You have to focus on so many different things, with the priority always being to focus on the horse. I feel like a lot of what I learnt in that short period of time with Ingrid has stayed with me throughout the months since.

What was it like competing at the Oceania Eventing Championships? The experience of representing Australia and the opportunity of competing at the Oceania Championships was the best two weeks of my life. Having unlimited access to Australia’s top coaches, vets, wellbeing experts and the support of the top senior riders was invaluable along with the experience of travelling overseas and competing for your country in a team environment.

What is involved with being a part of the National Youth Recognition Squad? Access to the high-performance squad training clinics, usually once a month at various locations.

How many horses do you have in work? I currently have four horses in work. Reprieve, my off the track 3* eventer, who while on break from competition is teaching a five-year-old girl how to ride. I really do think that Reprieve’s versatility is what makes him an incredible horse. I’ve been so lucky to learn with him, and I love that he can go from taking me through an international 3* event to being a quiet and safe horse for a beginner!

Tulara Chicouve, a full Warmblood by Chico’s Boy has just started jumping bigger tracks in the showjump ring.

We have been working towards the Young Rider Show Jumping classes. My new off the track gelding Lenny is working well and has an awesome can-do attitude. I am looking forward to getting him out eventing as soon as we can. I am working with a client’s super-talented mare Highland Hermione who recently came Reserve Champion in the Melbourne 3DE Virtual Young Horse Class. I am extremely excited to help progress her future in
the sport.

Share a typical day in your life. I wake up at 3.30am and head to Thoroughbred Park where I ride track work for multiple trainers. This is my favourite part of the day. There is something about being up before the sun rises and the rest of the world awakens that is peaceful and refreshing. When I finish at the track, around 9am, I head home to start riding my own horses. The afternoons are spent coaching at home or travelling to clients.

Tell us about your track work experience. I’ve been working with the racehorses for a few years now. I started on the pre-trainers at Bimbadeen Park. When I moved home, I continued riding track back at Thoroughbred Park Canberra. It’s not an easy job and I find myself continuously learning. I am riding a mixture of slow work, pace work and gallops. I have to be quite fit and strong to be able to get on and off each horse and be able to hold them to the exact times each furlong and judge the speed I’m going. I am grateful to be part of the racing industry and have the guidance and support from trainers at Thoroughbred Park.

What does your eventing training regime look like? I form a strict training regime before a three day event to make sure both myself and the horse are as prepared as we can be for all three phases. Eight weeks out I plan what I am going to do every day, making sure I cover all three phases. Every four days I have a gallop day where I do interval training to ensure the horse is fit enough for the extended cross country course at a three day. I have to ensure I am also prepared mentally. I back off from work and stay organised to allow myself to stay calm and focused under the pressure of an FEI competition.

Who’s your idol? A local horseman named Frank Farrugia. Frank practised true horsemanship and taught me some basics back in the beginning. Frank is enduring personal challenges that are incredibly tough and he does so with dignity. I admire that and I am still yet to meet a horse person with his skill and ability to work with horses.

Who is your coach and what are their best words of advice for you? I have grown up with Sam Lyle as my consistent coach from aged 12 until now. He has been a massive part of shaping the rider I am today. Before moving up each level, Sam would ensure I was more than ready. It was a bonus for me to have Sam with us when we travelled to NZ for the Oceania Champs. The past year I have been training under the guidance of showjumper Izabella Stone. Her knowledge and experience of dealing with a range of different horses have helped me to get my horses jumping to the best of their ability. Izzy’s best advice for me has been to just take a deep breath. When I have a long run coming into a tall vertical or wide oxer, instead of overthinking and anticipating the distance, I take a deep breath, trust the canter and let the distance come to me. Like many riders, I have had many influential coaches through my riding journey, each of which has taught me something that I carry with me on every ride.

How do you manage the highs and lows of the sport? In a sport where you can win one weekend and fall off the next, it is important to stay level-headed as you never know what is around the corner. The lows provide an opportunity to reflect on what you could have done differently and drive you to continually improve and work harder. The highs remind you recognition is possible with hard work and persistence.

With competitions on hold, what have you been working on? I have been working on my own personal fitness while just enjoying my relationship with my horses without the added pressure of competitions. It’s also been nice to have a social life on the weekends instead of constantly travelling and being away at competitions. In addition to my own training, I’ve really been enjoying helping my students to progress their riding during this downtime, and to focus on translating my skills as a rider to being a great and effective coach.

Future plans? The good thing about being 20 is I don’t feel pressured to have it all figured out right now! I have a few different ideas for what I would like my future career to look like, and I’m lucky to have quite a few different opportunities on the cards. For now, I am enjoying what I am doing, especially developing horses and teaching clients. It’s great to be at the point in my career where I’m kind of switching from the single focus of developing my own skills as a rider to being able to use that knowledge to support other riders with their journeys and to train horses to draw out their
best qualities.

What do you like to do outside of horses? I like to keep fit by running with my dog and going to the gym. Catching up with friends is always a nice break!

Can’t live without? The support crew around me, they know who they are! Oh, and my phone!

What is your tip for young riders with eventing dreams? Treat every horse you ride as a learning opportunity and focus on turning challenges into opportunities. Often it’s not the wins that teach us the most, it’s actually the failures. Anything is possible if you have enough nerve, so don’t be afraid to chase your dreams!

3 things we don’t know about Hannah Klep? 

1. I have undergone three heart surgeries to correct an extra pathway in my heart.

2. I am of Dutch Heritage.

3. I used to play chess competitively and have three trophies.

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