About Chris

I am 25 years of age and a professional show jumping rider, based in Germany. 

I grew up in Tongwynlais, Cardiff and started riding at a very early age and was a member of the Pentyrch Pony Club.

At the age of 9, I represented Wales for the first time at the Home Pony International Team Show that was staged at Wales and the West, and represented Wales on many occasions throughout my pony-jumping career, and was also part of the GB team that competed in the Pony Nations Cup in Belgium.

Having decided to pursue show jumping as a career, I went as apprentice stable jockey to Di Lampard and Dietmar Ackermann, and my successes included qualifying for the Young Riders Championships at Olympia for 2 years running on 3 different horses, finishing 2nd in the final on Witches Touch of Fleur du Lys and 3rd on Prince Termie. He also won the Under 21 Championship at the Festival of Show Jumping on Carlucci.

After 4 years with Di and Dietmar, I moved to Germany to ride for Olympic Silver Medallist Rolf Goran Bengtsson and Bo Kristofersen, where they own a fantastic training facility in which to produce top-class show jumpers and I ride and compete between 10/12 horses.

After working for Rolf and Bo for 4 ½ years I now have the opportunity to work for a private owner, Brido Graf zu Rantzau, who is the President of the German Equestrian Federation and has many young horses up to the age of 7 to be produced and trained.

I speak fluent German and have participated in a live interview on German TV.

In 2006 I was selected for the World Class Development Programme, which is Lottery funded through UK Sport. The Programme is designed to assist in the development of talented riders, with the best opportunities to maximise their competitive potential through an established training pathway that will see them progress onto the Olympic Performance Programme for 2012 and beyond.

I have recently been re-selected onto the World Class Development Programme for 2009-2011.

Although I see my future in Germany, I have my sights very much on London 2012, and believe that I have a horse with Olympic potential and my ambition is to win an Olympic Gold medal for Team GBR.

My motto is ‘Face Your Fears, Live Your Dreams' which motivates me to achieve my ambition.