Localrider Magazine
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We talk to event rider
Adam Trew
March 2017
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March 2017 • VOLUME XVII NUMBER 2
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SPOTLIGHT Adam Trew and Willows Accent jumping into the water at Barbury in the CIC***
Adam Trew
Based in Meopham in North Kent, Adam Trew was inspired to try eventing after a trip to Badminton when he was 17-years-old. Just over ten years later he has produced a string of successful horses and the qualifying results which should see him riding at his first four-star event in the near future. Fiona Rafferty went along to find out more.
Jock said “You have to stop riding like a scaffolder.”
S
itting in the warm welcoming office/kitchen at Foxbury Springs ‘Home of Trew Eventing’, Adam Trew was refreshingly honest as he chatted about his journey from riding school to professional event rider and his ultimate goal to compete at fourstar level. Like many successful riders, Adam’s affinity with horses was present from a young age. Growing up in South London his parents first took him to the local riding school when he was two-years-old. A young Adam was hooked and asked his parents to take him back week after week. Finding themselves spending so much time at the stables, Adam’s parents Michael and Sharon started riding too and later his sister, Sarah. Adam progressed to a loan pony and then a pony of his own, with his sister and parents having their own horses too. Realising that the money they spent on livery each month would go a long way towards the mortgage on a property with land, Adam and his family moved to Foxbury Springs 14 years ago. The set up was much more basic then, but the family enjoyed hacking, going to local competitions and Adam enjoyed taking part in Riding Club clinics and shows.
Adam and Willows Accent during the
dressage at Barbury in 2014
It was a trip to Badminton with a friend when Adam was 17-years-old that changed everything. Adam said he had never been to an affiliated event and thought, “this looks cool, we should give this a go”. At various stages through the interview Adam reflected on his naivety in connection to decisions he made early on, including on his return from Badminton the purchase of an ex-racehorse to take eventing. The Irish bred eight-year-old Taweel had run in four races, with four different jockeys with no notable wins to mention, although he had been ridden by both Mick Fitzgerald and Richard Johnson in his short career. Unfortunately, his eventing career was only slightly more successful than that on the track, although Adam admits that was mainly due to his lack of experience and knowledge. Realising he needed some help, he looked through the adverts in a local
Pictures by Ultimate Images and Nigel Goddard
A trip to Badminton
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Adam with left to right: Quintina, Shag Rocks and Lamborghini
One of Adam’s seven-year-olds, Sir Quantum competing at Eridge equestrian magazine and found one that mentioned eventing and gave Anna Hilton a call. Adam credits Anna greatly for her help with Taweel, who Adam had bought pretty much off the track.
Putting a plan in place Having had three seasons with Taweel, Adam came to the conclusion that he needed a better horse. He decided to take a year out from riding, to save his money and at the end of the year buy a more experienced and consistent horse. At the end of 2010 Adam lined up two horses to view that he thought hopefully would set him on the right track for his next goal of completing a one-star. The first horse he went to see was a seven-year-old called Journey Man, who was ridden by Jock Paget. Adam found him the easiest horse he had ever ridden, but he had another one lined up, so wanted to try that one too. The second horse was Baldaghade, a 10-year-old ridden by Liz Halliday-Sharp. Adam had taken his father with him to view the horses and when there was a difference of opinion on which one to buy his father stepped in and bought the second horse for him to ride, and so Adam found his first owner. Adam admitted he had no idea who either Jock or Liz were at the time, just as he hadn’t known who Anna was when he found her advert in the magazine, he thought they were just normal riders. Hence when Jock suggested if he needed any help with the horse, that he was welcome to come back for a lesson, Adam didn’t take him up on the offer straight away.
Riding like a scaffolder Adam had a really good first season (2011) with his two new horses, competing both horses in the one-star events at Brightling in July, at Hartpury in August and at Aldon at the end of the season in October. It was at Aldon Adam caught up with Jock again and explained to him, how although still jumping and performing the horse wasn’t going as well as when he first bought him. Jock helped Adam with the horse over the course of the event and said: “If you want to event seriously, I can help you, but you need to give me three years, and then we can make a decision whether you have the potential to keep going.” Jock also told Adam he had to stop riding like a scaffolder, which as a former brick-layer was something he understood and could help Adam with. At the time, Adam worked for his family’s scaffolding company. He was in the café at 6am every morning eating a fry up and he spent all day carrying scaffolding poles and planks. He was a much bigger and stronger man, but explains how Jock understood that and helped him to retrain his body and change his physique. With Jock’s words forming in to a plan, Adam discussed with his father withdrawing from his day to day duties, but remaining as a director in the company, this would give him the time and support he would need to focus on eventing full-time.
Training, training & more training Over the winter of 2011/12 Adam spent a week every month based at Jock’s yard in Surrey. Adam said: “The first day I was there was
the day I realised I knew how to ride, but I didn’t know how to train a horse. I could sit and I could jump, but I couldn’t do it in a nice way and I couldn’t train the horses to improve.” Jock took it all back to basics for Adam, helping him to retrain his mind to focus on the right things. Teaching him how to put a plan in place and in setting proposed goals, working backwards from an event rather than forwards. Whether it is a combination of his natural business acumen and Jock’s training it is hard to tell, but Adam runs a tight yard at Foxbury Springs. Throughout the day he exuded a calm exterior, yet missed nothing in the yard, the paddocks or in the differences in how his horses went from when he last rode them. I surmised it had something to do with years spent up a scaffold, needing eye’s in the back of one’s head and staying calm in a crisis, also the perfect attributes for a professional event rider. Adam’s efficiency and order is complemented by his team and his partner, Natasha, who keep everything running smoothly at Foxbury Springs. Natasha loves DIY, driving the tractor and mending the fencing, of which there is a lot as all the horses live out. Commenting that I had never seen such a tidy office at a stable yard and how impressive the full height desk and filing cabinets were, Natasha admitted she had built them herself.
Looking to the future In 2014 Adam completed his first three-star event jumping double clear on Willows Accent at Barbury CIC*** and by the end of the season they were qualified for their first four-star event. As so often happens injury struck in one of the horse’s final sessions before the event and that dream has been put on hold temporarily. Willows Accent returned to competition in 2015 but a different incident required him to have further time off. He is still a fairly young horse and Adam is confident he will be back out competing soon. 2014 was a particularly good year for Adam as he also did his first CIC*** on Baldaghade at Blair, jumping clear around the cross country, just adding one show jump and time penalties to his dressage score. Now 17, Adam said that he will keep competing him as long as he is happy, but only run him when everything is perfect. Having had both these horses side-lined from top competition through age and injury, Adam realised he needed to build depth in numbers and has spent the last couple of years producing young horses both for himself and new owners. He said: “You can’t change what happens, but you can make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Adam continued training regularly with Jock until he relocated back to New Zealand, but the pair are firm friends and Jock still mentors Adam, helping him to plan and prepare for the season ahead. With the start of the event season just weeks away, we look forward to seeing Adam and his team of young horses and hope in just a few more years we will see him competing at Badminton, where the dream first began. Adam is available for training and clinics. He also has horses for sale suitable for Pony Club, Riding Club, JRNs and Young Riders. For more information visit www.treweventing.co.uk MARCH 2017 Localrider 11
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