Coach of the Month - June 2026

Coach of the Month - Sarah Clark

For South Australian eventing coach and rider, Sarah Clark, a love of horses from a young age shaped her life from the very beginning.

Growing up in a “non-horsey family”, Sarah’s pathway into equestrian sport wasn’t a very traditional one. Instead, it began with a childhood obsession that quickly turned into an all-consuming passion for both the sport and the community.

“I was pretty young when I first fell in love with horses. I went for a pony ride when I was two and was just hooked,” she said.

“My aunt would send me VHS recordings and old Horse and Hound clippings and anything horse related. It just fed the addiction.”

That passion eventually led her from taking a few riding school lessons and working there in exchange for rides, to later owning her own horse and working for two-time Olympic gold medalist, Gill Rolton.

Looking back, Sarah recognises the challenges of pursuing equestrian sport without a horse-centric family background, but also how those experiences shaped her approach to coaching and riding today.

“It’s always what I wanted to do, but I didn't really know what I was missing because I hadn't been exposed to performance horse management, competition and professionalism until I went to work for Gill,” she said.

“Horses are an all-encompassing thing. It’s not just something you can dabble in, It really is all day every day.”

Sarah’s transition into coaching wasn't something she consciously planned. Instead, it developed naturally through years of riding alongside her friends and other riders, sharing ideas and helping each other work through challenges with their horses.

“I was often helping people with horse training or riding problems, taking on horses that were difficult and helping owners continue that training when the horse went home,” she explains.

Eventually, Sarah decided to formalise those skills through the Equestrian Australia coaching pathway, something encouraged by Gill Rolten.

“Gill was actually the person who pushed me towards coaching. She told me I’d be a good coach and encouraged me to start that accreditation process years ago,” she said.

“I had started to build my own coaching and training business, so I decided to get more formalised.”

Now as an Equestrian Australia accredited coach for four years, Sarah works with a dedicated group of riders pursuing a range of different goals, from grassroots through to high-performance eventing.

Regardless of her rider's level, her coach philosophy remains the same.

“I want to help every horse and rider achieve whatever they want to achieve, whatever their goal is,” she said.

“I don't want my pupils to be dependent on me. I want to give them the tools they need so they can perform when I’m not there.”

Sarah’s philosophy is the understanding that every horse and rider combination is different. Rather than prescribing one rigid system, she encourages riders to stay curious and learn from a variety of experiences.

“I tell my riders that what I’m teaching is my system and my opinion based on what has worked for me in the past. That doesn't mean another coach’s approach is wrong,” she said.

“There is no one rigid way to do things. It’s about finding what works for each individual horse and rider.”

Being an accredited Equestrian Australia coach has also allowed Sarah to contribute to the sport beyond her riders. Through coaching clinics and fundraising initiatives, particularly within South Australia, she has been able to support both developing riders and the broader equestrian community.

“Being an accredited coach means that I can help the South Australia community with their fundraising, and do a lot of fundraising clinics,” she said.

“The clinics help both the riders to get lessons that they can't regularly afford, but also help the organising committees and the discipline committees to raise money.”

Being named Equestrian Australia’s Coach of the Month came as a surprise to Sarah, however she is very excited and proud to be acknowledged.

“You might not have the biggest group of riders and people interstate might not know your name, but that little bit of acknowledgement and recognition gives you extra motivation and a sense of pride.”

Through Sarah’s thoughtful approach and passion for developing riders, she continues to make a lasting impact on equestrian sport in not only South Australia, but in the entire equestrian community.

We thank her for her commitment to the equestrian community and congratulate her on becoming Equestrian Australia’s Coach of the Month.