All About Cressida

 

I'm originally from Cheltenham but have moved around a lot living in Birmingham, London, Shropshire and now finally back to Gloucestershire. Planning on one final move to Cornwall in the future to be near the sea. Then I might stop!

I used to be a professional backing dancer and my training and original line of work was theatre and I worked backstage in the West end for many years before giving it up (somewhat stupidly!) When I (even more stupidly) got married and moved to Shropshire. I've always worked with horses on and off but that's when I started really properly doing it full time. I've ridden since the age of 3 but am from a totally non horsey family who still don't get it! 

These days my own yard keeps me very busy. I have 3 grown ups, my ex eventers and 3 youngsters that I've bred over the last couple of years and a full livery. I also freelance and drive polo lorries so I am very very busy!! I used to event and my one mare got to Intermediate. My big gelding was set to follow suit making very easy work of Novices but sadly lost him suddenly at the age of 11 to colic. So I don't event anymore. It's become a bit too expensive for me and as a single mum it's just too much of a stretch. That's why I started breeding, I love having babies around they're absolutely gorgeous and it will be hard to sell them on. 

What inspired you to set up SEU?

SEU was created in what was a pretty dark time for me. I was going through a very nasty acrimonious divorce and I just...Kept...Falling...Off! I don't know why! At stupid things. I was at an event at Aston le walls competing with a close friend whom I had shared a yard with up in Shropshire previously and we were, as we still do, comparing notes on our most stupid recent endeavours. Hers being that she was competing at Advanced, nobody had gone clear showjumping except her, she had a good dressage and no one had gone clear in the time xc. Except her.... so she was finishing her xc round knowing she would be in 1st place, cleared the last fence.... checked her watch and the horse tripped and she fell off just before the finish line. So, elimination! I mean if that's not shite nothing is!!!! So while we were laughing about this I said we should really start a facebook group for stories like this… It's hilarious. She said "you can, I'm not". So I did! That was 2019.