Alison Kenward | Senior Equestrian Coach & Coach Developer

Alison Kenward Senior Coach & Coach Developer

I'm a BHS Accredited Professional Coach and Senior Coach, British Dressage Judge and UKCC Level 3 Coach with more than 30 years' experience coaching riders, developing programmes and helping people enjoy learning with horses.

My work also includes coach development, business mentoring and digital marketing. I've delivered professional development for coaches, supported sports businesses and clubs through CIMSPA's Digital Marketing Hub, and worked with business owners through Enterprise Nation's Help to Grow programme.

I founded Equestrian Heroes to bring together my interests in coaching, learning and creating opportunities for riders and coaches, with online programmes, individual coaching and professional development all part of my work today.

The Equestrian Athlete Coach Team

During a visit to the University of Bath with my fellow Centre10 coaches, Charlie asked us a question that stayed with me: “What would it take for riders to identify as athletes?”

I spent a great deal of time exploring that question, reflecting on my experiences as a competition rider, talking with riders I coached and discussing ideas with fellow coaches at professional development events. Those conversations inspired me to write The Equestrian Athletes Journal and The Equestrian Athlete.

My collaboration with Sarah at Danesmoor Eventing showed me how much we could offer riders by working together. I went on to create the Equestrian Athlete Coach Team as an online hub bringing together coaches and practitioners who share a belief in both horse and rider as equestrian athletes.

Today, our shared interest is supporting the partnership between horse and rider. Each member of the team has their own business, expertise and programmes, and we enjoy bringing our skills together when opportunities arise.

Work with me as a Rider

What are you working on with your horse, and what do you dream of doing?

I'd love to hear about you and your horse.

We can talk about what you enjoy, your personal schooling or competition plans and what would help you in the arena.

I offer a series of exercises you can try, coaching online and in person, and an Online Equestrian Centre for you to explore.

Explore Rider Coaching

Work with me as a Coach

What are you working towards in your coaching career, and what would you like to develop next?

I'd be interested to hear about your plans, whether you're developing your coaching qualifications, thinking about a new opportunity or looking at how to grow your coaching business.

I'm qualified to provide BHS Skills sign-off and, as a Ride Safe Advisor, assess coaches to deliver the Ride Safe Award. I also design and support coaching curricula for equestrian centres overseas.

Through Coach to Coach, I offer business mentoring, professional development and practical support for developing your coaching business.

I'd be pleased to hear about your coaching plans, professional development or a project you're working on, and discuss how we might work together.

Contact Me

My Work with Other Coaches

I enjoy working with other coaches and equestrian professionals to design programmes for rider and coach development, bringing the horse to the centre of our thinking and finding new ways to support the partnership between horse and rider.

I work with Sarah at Danesmoor Eventing on our Ride & Stay experiences, and I'm part of the Coaches for the Future team with Penny and Danny, contributing to coaching and professional development opportunities.

My work also includes mentoring coaches and providing PR and marketing support for freelance coaches and equestrian centres. I particularly enjoy working with equestrian brands to develop innovative sponsorship activation programmes that bring coaches, riders and brands together.

I'm always interested in discussing ideas for new programmes, professional collaborations and projects that could make a difference to horses, riders and the people who work with them.

Discuss a Collaboration

About Alison

I'm Alison Kenward, an equestrian coach and coach developer with more than 30 years' experience, and much of my working life has involved developing the business around my coaching too.

My professional development has taken me further into business mentoring and digital marketing, working with business owners through Enterprise Nation's Help to Grow programme and delivering digital marketing coaching for CIMSPA to sports businesses and clubs. I've built my own programmes, online learning environments and marketing systems, and worked with coaches, equestrian businesses and organisations on their ideas.

I enjoy the variety of my work as a rider, coach, coach developer and business mentor, particularly when there's an opportunity to create something new. My work ranges from individual coaching and professional development to programme design, marketing and collaborative projects, with the horse and rider partnership remaining central to my thinking.

Professional Qualifications