New Zealand Eventer and Young Horse Trainer Greg Smith Moves to Australia

Dressage

New Zealand

New Zealander Greg Smith, an international eventing rider who switched to dressage almost two decades ago, has relocated to Australia.

Smith has joined the team at Mulawa Performance Horses and will ride alongside Australian dressage rider Kate Farrell and New Zealand WEG team rider John Thompson

Greg Smith

Greg (Gregory) Smith's international eventing career began in 2002 in Taupo aboard Billy Elliot.

For the next twelve years he competed at international CCI 1* and 2* level in New Zealand, Ireland, and Great Britain. In 2002, Greg groomed for Heelan Tompkins at Badminton Horse Trials and the World Equestrian Games, after which he moved to Ireland to work for Sasha Harrison for the next five years. While at the Athens Olympics in 2004 Greg met Carl Hester, and a few years later began working for him. After eight years in the UK, competing in 2008 and 2009, he decided to come home and start GJS Equestrian His last international eventing competition was in May 2014 in Taupo. Nationally he continued at 3* level.

Smith ran his own business in Auckland, New Zealand as an FEI dressage rider and young horse trainer. Greg went on to balance his dressage career with the equine film industry in New Zealand and Europe, doubling, riding and wrangling on projects such as the Hobbit, Shannara Chronicles, Spartacus, Kiwi, Mulan and The Letter for the King.

Move to Australia

Smith has now moved back to Australia to join Farrell and Thompson at Kate's yard.

"We are thrilled to say that Greg Smith has joined team Mulawa as an assistant rider, " said Kate and John.

They jokingly added, "although Greg is modest about his achievements, we’re happy to point out that he’s semi-famous in our eyes, having been featured in commercials that have been played in the Super Bowl and most recently starring in a music video for Crowded House."

Photo © Mulawa