Meet Diana

For over three decades, horses have been my passion, my profession, and my way of life. I'm Diana Burgess, an equestrian coach and trainer based in the beautiful Hampshire countryside. My journey began in Canada, where I developed a deep respect for the principles of horsemanship that continue to guide me today.

It's about more than just riding; it's about fostering a true partnership between horse and rider, built on trust, communication, and a shared joy in the sport.

Riding Career Highlights

My riding career has been a thrilling journey filled with competition, accomplishment, and invaluable mentorship. Here are some highlights:

Eventing: Competed at the prestigious 4* level, including appearances at Blenheim and Bramham Horse Trials.
Dressage and Show Jumping: Achieved success in both disciplines, showcasing elegance, precision, power, and athleticism.
National Accolades: Earned the titles of Canadian Preliminary National Champion and British Riding Club National Champion.
International Recognition: Long-listed for the Canadian 3-Day Eventing Team.
Legendary Mentorship: Trained under the guidance of equestrian icons Bruce Davidson, Martha Griggs (Canadian Olympian) and Lucinda Green MBE, whose wisdom continues to shape my approach.

Coaching Philosophy

Sharing the transformative power of horsemanship is what truly fulfils me as a coach. My mission is to foster a welcoming and supportive environment where everyone can find confidence and joy.

In my coaching, I incorporate the values of respect, partnership and growth. Going beyond just skill acquisition and competition success, I want to foster a deep connection between horse and rider. I enjoy mentoring aspiring equestrians, sharing my knowledge accumulated over years and guiding them through the complexities of horse care, training and competition.

My coaching style is adaptable, meeting the unique needs of each student and horse. We'll focus on building a strong foundation of skills, developing clear communication, celebrating those "lightbulb” moments, and setting goals that are both inspiring and motivating.

My daughter and her pony were introduced to Diana Burgess Equestrian after their unaffiliated eventing debut at 80cm went pear-shaped.

With confidence low and bad habits of both pony and rider peppered through each discipline, Di had her work cut out.

Initially Di provided the pony and rider some much needed self-belief and oodles of encouragement. Di’s almost super human ability to ‘really see’ the same as what the rider feels, coupled with her talent to clearly and concisely explain how to make subtle changes, means small improvements can be made immediately. Lots of small improvements makes for a big difference. These improvements bring trust between rider and coach and you all become part of the same team. That’s when the real positive changes occur.

We invested a commitment to trust in the process of the Diana Burgess Equestrian approach to coaching. Our return was to smash the goal we set at the start - happy and confident pony and rider and vastly improved the results on the eventing scoreboard - even managing to move up a level (an unexpected bonus). But we are not stopping there…Di is an integral part of our little team…onwards and upwards!