Alice Oppenheimer

Alice started riding as soon as she could walk. Her mother, Sarah, rode competitively in showing, competing at HOYS and RIHS, as well as producing point-to-pointers, so riding runs in her family.

She started out sat on the front of a saddle with her mother on one of her horses and progressed through riding a variety of ponies, each gaining in size, starting with a very naughty Shetland and culminating in a lovely grey mare by the name of Dusty, who Alice did her first dressage test on, as Dusty showed little enthusiasm for jumping.

Around this time, Alice’s mother purchased her first dressage horse, Dacapo II, and Alice used to watch him compete. He won three National titles in all, and it was through watching him that Alice’s attention truly turned to dressage.

Alice’s first voyage into affiliated dressage was on her final pony who had been bought as a family pony, Perfection Himself. Together, they progressed from preliminary up to medium level, winning an Elementary restricted regional and being placed 3rd at the Nationals on the way. He also gave Alice her first taste of FEI competition.

At 15, Alice moved onto horses, starting with Wurlizer. They have progressed from Novice to Inter I, winning five regional titles and two national titles, as well as competing for Great Britain at the 2009 European young rider Championships.

Alice is now working at her mother’s livery stables and stud, producing the homebred dressage horses. The oldest homebred, Headmore Delegate, has, at the age of six, already won four regional titles and two national titles.

In 2010, Alice became the Under 25's Medium and Advanced Medium Champion and qualified three horses for six levels at the 2010 National Championships. All this while studying for A Levels!