Dynavyte’s Elite riders Andrew Cooper and Maddy Wilson, have recently become engaged and moved to Queensland
The couple have had a big six months. In October they got engaged, in November they competed with much success at the International 3Day Event in Adelaide, and early this year they moved from Victoria to Queensland.
In Queensland they have bought a Thoroughbred spelling business located at Moorwincha, which they will run together while still riding, teaching and competing. It’s allot, but they wouldn’t have it any other way preferring to work outside every day with horses, than sitting in an office all day, every day.
It is a homecoming of sorts for Maddy who is originally from Birkdale in Queensland, whereas Andrew grew up in Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.
Early Days:
Andrew took to horses when he was five, and the first pony he sat on was his grandfather’s Welsh, Sam. His grandfather used to train some trotters, but his parents certainly weren’t interested. “My family aren't horsey at all, but they have been super supportive of me throughout my career.”
Maddy started riding when she was six months old, her first ponies’ name was Lulu. “My older siblings used to ride, but not anymore, I just followed in their foot steps, and now I'm hooked.”
Focus:
Today with Andrew 27, and Maddy 25, their main focus is 3Day Eventing. Both have a special love of the Thoroughbred, retraining off the track Thoroughbreds and breaking in horses.
Andrew says “I really love a Thoroughbred. I don’t think you can beat a good one, one that moves well enough and has a good brain, although they are hard to find. I look for a very good jumper.I think they need to be careful at the end of the day, especially the way that the scoring has gone.”
As well as finding some nice horses off the track, the couple breed some and are not adverse to “random purchases”.
Their training methods they believe are straightforward …”Keep it simple and keep the horses happy.” And their advice to others …”Never give up”.
Maddy says what keeps them “hooked” is “Our love for horses, and our competitive natures”, which makes for an interesting partnership to say the least !
Andrew “It’s hard with horses being a seven day a week job. There’s not really much spare time. Maddy and I try to go out for dinner or lunch on our day off … There’s not much time to go and do anything else and you are usually pretty buggered, you have a little sleep when you have a spare second”.
Big Things:
For Andrew it was competing for Australia at the 2017 Oceania Championships at Melbourne 3DE, also being awarded the Anna Savage award in 2017 for best and fairest.
For Maddy it was competing for Australia at the 2019 Oceania Championships at Taupo, New Zealand.
Both wish to represent Australia again, whether that is at the Olympic Games or WEG. It’s the next step, they don’t know when this will be, but in the meantime they are working on their current team of horses with this goal in mind, to have them performing well, very, very well.
Favourite Dynavyte products:
Microbiome Support
Stop Greasy (works great, especially in the Melbourne wet weather)
Photography courtesy @theblachat
