Meet Daisy Coakley: ‘You’ll have to pull me away’ [VIDEO]
Successful dressage and event rider Daisy Coakley won the Charles Owen Advanced Medium Restricted class at the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships with Cleopatra II on Wednesday. We met up with this talented young rider to find out what makes her tick
Name: Daisy Coakley
Age: 22
Based: Sarratt, Hertfordshire
Horses at Hartpury: Cleopatra II (Daya), Urbanus VI (Louis), Affinity Bay (Finn) and Bing
When did you last score a 10?
Louis scored a 10 for his final halt in an open novice event last year. We have to do a lot of schooling with him to get him back in dressage mode after eventing!
What is your favourite event?
The British Dressage National Championships at Stoneleigh are always great. Daya has won six titles in the past three years – three at the winter championships and three at the nationals.
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What are your aims for 2015?
To continue at prix st georges, and possibly try an intermediate I later in the year with Merri (Aramis T) – Judy [Firmston Williams] told me to go for it!
What is your secret weapon?
Today it was electrolytes, for me and the horses! Also green smoothies – they’re delicious. I love the Equilibrium Stretch & Flex wraps as well – all of my horses wear them! I couldn’t live with my mum, Angela, who is part mum, part groom!
Do you have a training philosophy?
I always have to remember to allow, and not to overthink things. I have been doing a lot of work with my new sponsor, Lisa Sparrowhawk, who uses Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques to help me get in the zone between rides.
What do you think about as you ride down the centre line?
I don’t think! I try to put everything out of my mind, allow it to happen, focus and let everything happen naturally.
I usually count as I go round – I was at 101 when I got to H – but I don’t know what I’m counting. I used to speak German in my head!
Do you have any superstitions?
I’m trying to disown them all, but I always have to put my right boot on first.
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Storm joined H&H fresh from Nottingham University in 2013, where she studied Biology. With a background in eventing but a love of all horse sports, Storm can usually be found attached to a video camera, and has reported for H&H from events such as the 2014 World Equestrian Games, Badminton, Olympia and Royal Windsor Horse Show.