Equine Academy Personnel

Nick Burton
Academy Director

Nick is a former International Three Day Event rider and British Team member, having produced a number of top International horses and results.

He is now an FEI International Judge, and has officiated at Badminton, Burghley, Adelaide and Kentucky CCI****’s, as well as the World Breeding Championships in France, and the Junior and Young Rider European Championships. Nick was appointed as the President of the Ground Jury for Badminton Three Day Event in 2010, and has been appointed by the FEI as President of the Ground Jury for the 2011 Senior European Championships in Luhmuhlen, Germany.

Nick now competes in ‘pure’ Dressage and is a list one Grand Prix judge. He is one of the World Class Development Programme Dressage coaches, producing a number of the Pony, Junior and Young Rider combinations for British Teams.

Nick is also Chairman of Senior Selection and the Director of International teams for British Dressage.

It was recently announced that Nick will be judging at the London Olympic Games in 2012 for Eventing.

Corinne Bracken

Corinne enjoyed a successful career as a Show Jumping rider and competed extensively both at home and abroad before turning her attention to full time coaching. Corinne was voted Accredited Coach of the Year at the BSJA Awards Ball in April 2008. Corinne was also runner up in the Mentor section at the Woman of the Future awards in 2008.

Corinne sits on the Performance Development, Training and UK Development Committees at British Show Jumping.

It was 2006 when Corinne took up the post as official UK Team Coach to the Juniors and Young riders squads and these are some highlights enjoyed by the squads during this time:

2006 European Championships
Juniors (16 – 18 years):  Individual Gold  with TEAM BRONZE
Young Riders (21 Years & Under):  Individual Gold and Individual Bronze with TEAM SILVER

2007 European Championships
Juniors:   Individual Silver with TEAM BRONZE
Young Riders:  Individual Bronze with TEAM GOLD
Childrens Squad (14–16 years riding horses):  Individual Gold and Individual Silver with TEAM GOLD

2008 European Championships
Juniors:  TEAM GOLD
Young Riders TEAM BRONZE
Childrens Squad TEAM GOLD and Individual Silver

2009 European Championships
Juniors INDIVIDUAL GOLD
Under 21's INDIVIDUAL GOLD
Children TEAM GOLD

Corinne is also involved in the the British Show Jumping World Class Evolution Squad which is aimed at identifying combinations of riders with promising horses at 4* level or those that are developing towards that level. Its focus is on better managing the transition to Samsung Super League and Championship Level. The Squad is being funded through new investment by the BS, with support from World Class.

Carl Hester
Olympic Dressage Rider

Carl has amassed a record 38 national dressage titles and has been National Champion four times. He has competed in three Olympic Games, one World Equestrian Games, four European Championships and has reached one World Cup Dressage Final. Carl and Escapado were the highest placed British combination at the 2004 Athens Olympics as well as the 2005 European Championships, where they finished sixth with a personal record-score.

Carl was a member of the Silver medal winning British team at the European Championships, Windsor, UK 2009 riding Liebling, and  was also British team silver medalist in the World Equestrian Games, Kentucky in 2010.

Carl & Uthopia also won Team Gold and two individual Silver medals at this year's European Championships in Rotterdam. Carl's GP score OF 82.568% was the highest of all the GP team tests.