By Emma Cheape

WELCOME to a new regular feature in Scottish Horse, 'In my yard', which visits some of Scotland's growing band of successful equine businesses, the people who operate them and the people who compete from them. Emma Cheape reports ...

Just three weeks after breaking her tibia and undergoing surgery and plating, Caitlin Padfield is already back in the saddle with high hopes and a talented team of horses behind her going into this year’s eventing season.

The 22-year-old – a biochemistry student at Aberdeen University – has been riding as long as she can remember, keeping her mum, Susan, company on hacks from the age of three. Her mum never thought that ‘saving on babysitting’ would bring Caitlin to where she is today.

The yard that is based at Caitlin’s family home in Daviot, Inverurie, is home to her five horses – seven-year-old George, eight-year-old Quincy, 14-year-old Gus, 17-year-old Sid and happily retired, 21-year-old Randi.

“This year will be a transition year for the horses,” said Caitlin. Moving them all up a level, she has Quincy aimed at intermediate and 2* events this year, with George stepping up to novice. Caitlin is potentially looking to expand her current team and looking for new horses to produce for owners.

“I am hoping to qualify Quincy for the UK Novice Championships at Gatcombe Park, in August, with the aim of a top 10 finish at Floors International 1* and a run at Burgham International 2*. George will be aimed at the Scottish BE100 championships at Blair Castle International, with the hope of topping the BE100 points table,” she added.

Balancing her university life, working part-time at Jackie Stephen Racing to pay the eventing bills, as well as regularly running up as many as three horses at any one event, Caitlin relies on a strong support team at home and at competitions.

She commented: “I am very lucky to have a huge team of friends and family who make it all run smoothly."

Both her mum, Susan and dad, Simon, are a big part of the team as well as several others, including Pippa Adam who helps with the mucking out during the week and Karen Campbell, an equine and human sports masseuse.

Also key to her success is the team of sponsors behind Caitlin and her horses; Therapy Barn, Blair Equibuild, Frank Baines Saddlery and Neoflo.

“This is a hobby for now,” continued Caitlin. “And although I have high aspirations, it has to fit around my daily life. I’m unsure if I want to work with horses full-time, but I will make this decision once I have finished my degree.”

Alongside eventing, Caitlin regularly competes her horses at British Dressage and British Showjumping, finding that these help keep her horses’ baseline strength, suppleness and fitness high.

“This year Sid is aimed at the Advanced Medium Petplan finals and Quincy is being aimed at Medium. I’m a very competitive person,” explained Caitlin, “but I’m also very laid back, I generally cope with pressure particularly well which allows me to ride consistently in a competition situation. It’s interesting to see how far I have grown and matured as a person to be able to put difficult situations behind me and move on.”

With a busy season planned, Caitlin is excited for one of her horses: “I’ve never had the opportunity to ride something as talented as Quincy and my job is to enable my horse’s capabilities to the best of my abilities,” she concluded.