Phoebe Peters burst onto the international dressage scene as a teenager, partnering the prolific SL Lucci to become European pony champion in 2013 and 2015. Along the way, she set new world records, raising the bar for British youth dressage and leaving a lasting impact on the sport.
After taking a break from dressage to study French, German and Russian at Warwick University, Phoebe then decided to go pro.
“It felt like a part of me was missing during that time,” Phoebe told Horse & Hound last year. “After I graduated I had two options. I could go after my passion – dressage – or continue down the language route.
“But I couldn’t not give myself a chance to see where I might be able to get to with dressage. Our family’s finances meant we couldn’t afford to buy horses and fund a dressage career in the UK, so I decided to try to move to Europe.”
After six months training with Klaus Balkenhol in Germany and two years at Van Olst Horses, Phoebe began a new riding role at Reesink Horses in Eibergen, the Netherlands, in August.
“After two amazing years at Van Olst, which I am very grateful for, for me it was simply the right time to look for new opportunities to continue my development as a rider and horsewoman,” Phoebe explains.
“I was very lucky to ride a huge range of horses whilst at Van Olst, and developing my skills with the young horses in particular was incredibly valuable.
“Treating every horse as an individual and tailoring their training to their strengths and weaknesses both physically and mentally is something I learnt a lot through watching Lottie [Fry] train her horses during my time there.”
Phoebe Peters riding the five-year-old stallion Everest at the 2023 World Breeding Championships. Credit: Arnd Bronkhorst
During that time Phoebe made her under-25 grand prix debut riding Fendi T – who Spain’s Severo Jurado Lopez had previously competed at the Tokyo Olympics and the 2021 Europeans – and competed at the World Breeding Championships in Ermelo on the then five-year-old Everest (Especial x Negro).
But when the role at Reesink Horses came up, Phoebe says it felt like a really exciting way to progress her career and take on a new challenge.
“It’ll include riding a big variety of horses, from youngsters to more advanced horses. Something I’m particularly excited about is our links with the German bloodlines too. Having worked for Klaus I’m a big fan of German breeding and their training systems, so I am looking forward to being more involved in this from now on.
“Eugene and Bas Reesink have so much knowledge and experience to draw on, learning from them about both breeding and sport has been really amazing in a short period of time.”
Phoebe, now 25, admits that moving away from home at a relatively young age was challenging, but she didn’t ever consider moving back to the UK.
“For me, being based on the continent opens so many more doors,” she says. “There are so many competitions and different trainers over here and the freedom to travel and experience this both riding and watching is something I relish.
“I recently visited the Oldenburg Elite Auction on my day off for example, which again provided amazing learning and networking opportunities right on our doorstep.
“Horses are just a true part of the culture and lifestyle out here, there’s always something to see and do. Now I’m settled over here it really feels like home for me, and being around such amazing horses and doing what I love makes it much easier to be apart from my family.”
Back in that 2023 interview Phoebe described the difficulties she experience going from having had so much success on ponies to taking a break from the scene.
“It’s so important that young riders think about what’s right for them as individuals,” she said then. “It’s really easy to constantly compare yourself to others. I know I did. But it’s not healthy – everyone has their own challenges and circumstances.”
Now, she’s aiming for a return to the international stage.
“We’ll hopefully have a lot of stallions to start competing in Germany and Holland, whilst aiming to qualifying a few for the World Breeding Championships in years to come,” she adds.
“Personally, I have a very talented six-year-old who I hope to bring out at prix st georges next year and then develop him up to grand prix. He’s been with me the whole time, as I bought him as a foal, so he’s been a big part of my move and journey.
“Being back out at international competitions is a big goal, but developing myself as a rider and widening my skill set to train horses in the most positive way possible for them will always remain my number one priority.”
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