Now one of the country’s most successful dressage riders, Gareth Hughes has been a hardgrafter all his life. With a Hughes family dressage dynasty taking shape, Gareth talks training, reining and being a parent

As told to Kiera Boyle.

Gareth Hughes and Sintano Van Hof Olympia in the FEI European Championships 2021

Photos: Jon Stroud, FEI/PSV J.Morel

EXCLUSIVE interview

He was the British team alternative at the Tokyo Olympics, has since won a European team silver medal topped with a world team silver, and most recently he’s been crowned British national dressage champion. It’s fair to say that Gareth Hughes is as close to a household name in the dressage world as they come.

From his Warwickshire base, he and his wife, Rebecca, have built their formidable dressage empire. With Rebecca an international dressage rider, too, with too many national titles to her credit to mention, there’s not a young rider in the country better set up for dressage stardom than their 14-year-old daughter, Ruby.

Now a sought-after coach and trainer as well as successful competitor, Gareth explains what drives him, why he chose dressage and how it feels to play the hybrid role of father and coach.

Home on the range

Gareth Hughes was born in Yorkshire and, naturally, competes as one of us Brits. Yet, if you’ve ever heard him interviewed, his Australian accent may leave you confused. Well, he actually spent his earliest years in Britain before moving down under aged six. It was there that he spent the majority of his youth, in a town called Jimboomba, Queensland – around 50km south of Brisbane.