Clifton Eventers on 
Clifton Eventers on 
Clifton Eventers on Hollie Swain
Hollie is another South Island girl, this time from Gore just outside Invercargill.
She came to Auckland in 2008 to study Environmental Science (which she finished in November), but along the way migrated from riding just one Clifton horse occasionally (Clifton Housemaster) to becoming a full-time and much appreciated member of the Clifton team.
"Horses have been in my life the whole time because my dad trains harness horses, my grandparents train horses and my auntie and uncle also train harness horses."
"I got my first pony when i was about seven and slowly got involved through pony club and friends. It has always been in the blood, so it was bound to happen."
"I started out show jumping but when I looked around for a horse to do dressage I ended up with another show jumper. When I was at pony club at Waikaia, Helen Christie (a well-known South Island eventing personality) told me to jump a couple a couple of ditches to see if it would do cross country, just out of curiosity, and it did. So from then on it turned from a show jumper into an eventer and that's how I got into eventing."
Hollie exercises several Clifton horses on a regular basis, including Clifton Tasman, Clifton Airtight (photo left) and Clifton Anzac. She's planning to do a one-star in the new year. Meanwhile, Clifton Anzac is having his first pre-novice start at Woodhill Sands in mid-November.
Like all the other riders at Clifton Eventers she is fiercely ambitious and is aiming for the top of the sport. "I'd love to do what's Jock's done and to do the big competitions like Badminton and Burghley. If you can do those events then it's on the cards that you can represent your country."
Hollie is also developing the agistment side of Clifton Eventers. Please contact her if you want your horse to be agisted at the leading eventing yard in New Zealand.
