Ellen Berchner-Nolan – Dressage Trainer
Some people teach riders what to do. Others help them understand why. Ellen was nominated for her ability to teach classical, correct principles in a way that feels engaging, accessible, and genuinely enjoyable, a reflection of the clarity and lightness she brings to her work. Her story with horses didn’t begin with structure or discipline, but with freedom. A local pony hire place, ten pounds for an hour, Haflingers, Fjords, and the occasional Icelandic horse, and long, carefree rides through the woods with little more than instinct and excitement to guide the way. It was, simply, fun. But over time, that changed. Horses became more than just something to enjoy, they became something that shaped her, giving her strength, self-belief, and a sense of direction during her teenage years.
By fourteen, she was competing successfully, learning discipline under a strict trainer and understanding, perhaps for the first time, what it truly meant to put the horse first. And through it all, one thing stood out, their trust. That a prey animal, wired to survive, to flee, would allow us to sit on their backs, to guide them, to ask questions of them in environments that go against every instinct they have. It’s something she doesn’t take lightly, because to work with horses well is not about control, it’s about learning to speak their language.
There have been many moments along the way, winning large county shows, leading parades with lines of animals behind, riding out in Australia surrounded by landscapes that felt almost unreal, kangaroos moving alongside them. Moments of pride, of wonder, but also moments of loss. Horses sold at the height of their success, partnerships ending before they were ready, and the deeper losses that come with time, with illness, with age. The kind of grief that never quite disappears, but instead becomes something you learn to carry.
Spending time with Ellen, what becomes clear is that horses have taught her far more than technique. They’ve taught her acceptance, resilience, and perspective, to recognise what can be changed and what cannot, and to keep moving forward with both. She speaks about enjoying it all, the riding, the learning, the experiences that come from stepping into different worlds and meeting different horses. Because in the end, it’s not just about becoming better riders. It’s about staying open, staying curious, and allowing the journey to shape you just as much as the destination.
If you’d like to follow Ellen’s journey and the work she does, you can find her here:
Website: www.theequestriantrainer.com
