Olivia and Des competing with Nottingham GP at the 2024 Sydney CDI. Image by Franz Venhaus.
Olivia Gillespie is embracing the long road to success, refining her craft between Germany and Australia. With patience, hard work and two promising horses, her journey is shaped by the quiet, unglamorous work of developing horses and herself in tandem, guided by instinct, patience and an evolving feel for the sport.
There is a temptation in dressage to focus on the destination. Grand Prix. Championships. Team selection. The horses that turn heads and the scores that fill social media feeds.
Yet for many of the sport’s most successful riders, the real story lies elsewhere. It is found in the thousands of ordinary rides that happen long before the spotlight arrives, with young horses that take years to develop. For Australian dressage rider Olivia Gillespie, that process has become a defining theme of the last eighteen months.
After taking time away from university in 2025, Liv packed her bags and headed to Germany with her talented gelding Nottingham GP (by Daily Diamond), known fondly as Des, spending six months as a working student with Beata Stremler. Now back in Australia, she is balancing university studies with a position at Salisbury for David Shoobridge, and the continued development of her own horses.
The lessons learned in Europe are still present, but they are now being applied much closer to home – in the daily training of young horses the pursuit of Grand Prix ambitions and the careful balancing act of building a future both within and beyond the sport.
For Liv, Germany was never about leaving Australia behind. It was about returning better equipped for what comes next.
Olivia Gillespie and Nottingham GP. Image by Kate Sheffield Photography.
A HORSE WORTH GROWING FOR
The decision to travel overseas was never simply about the opportunity to ride in Europe. At heart it was about Des, a horse Liv believes possesses genuine international quality.
Having completed her first year of a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 2024, Liv found herself increasingly uncertain about the path ahead. Rather than continuing on autopilot, she chose to step away from her studies temporarily and invest in her development as a rider.
“Owning Des was a massive factor,” she explains. “He is such an incredible horse, and I wanted to grow as much as possible as a rider and general horse person for him.”
Having already enjoyed significant success together, including winning the six-year-old class at Sydney CDI in 2024 with an impressive score of 88%, Des shows great talent for the future.
Supported by her family, Liv relocated to Lüdinghausen, Germany, where she spent six months immersed in the realities of professional dressage life. The transition was not without surprises. While the training philosophy felt familiar thanks to the foundations laid by Liv’s coaches Justine Greer and Vanessa Way, competition environments were an entirely different story.
“We tacked Des up in the truck and headed straight to the warm-up with at least ten horses in a 60 x 20m arena,” she laughs. “That was a shock, but Des handled it very well!”
It was not the busy warm-ups that left the greatest impression, instead it was the work ethic. “I found the culture of Germans to be very immersed in hard work and ‘proving yourself’. Many top professionals, such as Beata, have earned their reputation through years of tiring stable work, training young horses through the levels and persevering with challenging horses. Their success is not just measured by their results at the top level.
“This was super important to me. I wanted to prove to myself that I could not only ride well but put in the tireless work that accompanies this sport.”
BRINGING THE LESSONS HOME
Returning to Australia did not signal the end of that education. Instead, it marked the beginning of a new chapter at Salisbury, where she had previously worked before leaving for Europe. “I worked for David [Shoobridge] from December 2024 to April 2025 and really enjoyed the experience,” Liv explains.
Olivia riding David Shoobridge’s young stallion, Verstappen DS. Image by Jess Atkins.
The appeal was obvious. Germany had further fuelled her passion for producing young horses and Salisbury offered the opportunity to continue developing that skill on a daily basis with top quality horses.
Today, Liv’s riding list can vary considerably, but currently includes six horses ranging from three-year-olds through to seven-year-olds. The variety is exactly what she enjoys. “I have always loved the journey of young horses,” she says. “My own horses have all been purchased as youngsters, so in some ways I don’t know any different.”
For Liv, the greatest reward comes from building relationships. “There is something truly special about the bond that forms when you have worked with a horse from the age of three or four. Few experiences are as rewarding as those moments when a horse encounters something new – whether in training or in an unfamiliar environment – and instinctively looks to you for guidance.”
The transition back to Australia has also brought a greater balance. Unlike the twelve-hour days she often experienced as a working student in Germany, she is now juggling riding commitments alongside university studies and the management of her own horses. Whilst time management is key, Liv is never one to complain.
“The team of people at Salisbury make the job even better. They make every day run like clockwork, through being super organised, supportive and fun. I am very grateful to have found a lovely team of people and horses.”
REFINING THE FEEL
When asked what Germany changed most for her, Liv’s answer is feel. “Beata possesses an exceptional feel, which is reflected in the correctness and softness of the horses she produces. The key change I experienced in my own riding was more consistently driving the horse out to the contact and encouraging self-carriage. Being immersed in Beata’s riding daily, training under her guidance and riding her horses, has given me a clear benchmark for the standard I now strive to achieve in producing my own horses.
One exercise she regularly uses that Beata taught her is for creating more suppleness and collection. “I ride counter-canter down the three-quarter line with travers; increasing the bend in the travers and collection in the canter works to create suppleness. The counter-canter helps the quality of the canter and straightness.”
TWO HORSES, TWO JOURNEYS
Back home, much of her focus centres around Des and her new addition to the stables, Don’t Stop Me Now, known as Dizzy. Both horses have settled happily into Australian life, enjoying the space, sunshine and turnout opportunities that are often difficult to replicate in Europe.
Olivia and her new young horse, Don’t Stop Me Now. Image by James Abernethy.
“I think they were both happy to skip the German winter,” she laughs.
For Des, the focus is firmly on the future. “He has a baby understanding of the Grand Prix work,” Liv explains. “Now it’s about strength and time.”
Dizzy’s story is slightly different. She first discovered the Danciero x Fürstenball gelding while trialling auction horses in Germany. Among a group of talented prospects, he immediately stood out: “It took me three steps of trot to know he was the one.” His combination of rideability, energy and personality made an immediate impression as well.
While both horses are at different stages of development, the approach remains the same – patience and correctness. Along with plenty of variety of training, including hacking and pole work, to build strength and keep their minds fresh.
LOOKING FORWARD
Liv’s long-term goals remain ambitious: international Grand Prix competition sits firmly at the top of the list, with Des central to those plans.
Olivia and Des were the winners of the six-year-old class at Sydney CDI in 2024. Image by Franz Venhaus.
At Salisbury, she hopes to continue producing young horses through the levels and helping establish strong foundations for future owners and riders.
Beyond horses, there is another future taking shape as well. With a year and a half remaining of her degree and plans to pursue a Juris Doctor (post-graduate law degree) afterwards, Liv is equally committed to building a career outside the arena as well.
The most important part of her journey so far – from Germany to Salisbury and everything in between – has been the support from her family. “From helping muck out stables to giving advice on university assignments, my parents do it all,” she says. “I couldn’t be where I am today without them.”
For now, the journey continues but one thing is for certain – Liv Gillespie is well and truly setting herself up for success. EQ
Related articles
For many young riders, dreams of competing at FEI level begin in well-established horse families, with purpose-bred horses, extensive facilities and a clear pathway through the sport. For 16-year-old Sophia Coombes, the journey has been very different.
There are moments in every rider’s career where the dream suddenly becomes real. For Australian dressage rider Alanna Richards, that moment came while trotting around the arena before the bell at her first CDI Grand Prix in Europe aboard Mist of Titanium OLD.