I’ve been a competitive horse rider from an early age, leading me to start the horse trail riding business in 1990. The Wine Valley Horse Trails business was initially based in the Stellenbosch area and now runs in the spectacular Paarl and Franschhoek valleys, based on the beautiful Vrede en Lust Wine Estate on the new golden mile of the Cape Winelands.
I am passionate about Horses, Wine, Mountains, and People. As a child, I was crazy about horses and used to sit on the side of the road all day, just waiting for someone on a horse to ride past. Through this business, I’ve lived all my dreams. Not many people can say they absolutely love their jobs! I don’t work a day in my life! I often joke with people saying what a terrible job I have: “I get paid to ride horses and drink wine all day.” It does come with a lot of sweat, blood, and tears, and working with animals can be very testing. It’s a life’s calling of love and passion. We put everything back into our animals and especially our horses. Horses have brought incredible people into my life and helped me go to spectacular places.
I am a qualified SANEF Instructor and former SAPPI Horse Trails winner with expertise covering most equitation disciplines. These include show jumping, eventing, dressage, endurance, horse racing, polo cross, and film work/stunt horses. I’ve been working with horses for the past 40 years and have run my own yard and stud of over 180+ horses for 30+ years. I’ve been privileged to have worked in the film industry for over 30 years, working with some of the best horse trainers worldwide, including in Australia, America, England, Spain, and France. Our extraordinary horses have worked in big future films carrying famous actors like Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Pierce Brosnan, Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Robert Pattinson, Richard Harris, Peter O’Toole, and Burt Lancaster. Great directors we’ve worked with include Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, and Phil Noyes, to mention a few. Through my horses, I’ve traveled the world to incredible locations.
What a roller-coaster ride it’s been.
I love to share some of my experiences and crazy stories, as well as a wealth of knowledge of the local area’s food and wine. Most of these stories are unbelievable in themselves, but all true. They promise to keep you well entertained and crying with laughter.
My motto is “live a life well lived.”
