A new coach has been awarded British Horse Society (BHS) Fellowship, one of the most prestigious equestrian trainer accolades, with currently fewer than 60 active BHS Fellows in the world.
Liz Eaton was welcomed as a new Fellow, following a two-day assessment of her knowledge in all aspects of equitation and horsemanship. The BHS Fellowship is the highest qualification offered by the equine charity and represents the “ultimate career aspiration for any equestrian coach”.
“I am thrilled to welcome Liz as our newest fellow,” said Tracy Casstles, Director of Education at the BHS. “She demonstrated a tremendous depth of equestrian knowledge and outstanding coaching skills during her assessment, and will be a huge asset to the work of the Society.
“This achievement by Liz illustrates her dedication to lifelong learning, as well as her passion for changing other people’s lives through the power of horses. Our Fellows are critical to the long-term sustainability of the industry, helping others to grow and flourish in an equine environment.”
The candidate assessments took place at Wellington Riding and involved advanced-level horses and riders. Tracy thanks all those who gave up their time or loaned their horses to support the assessment.
“It is always a pleasure to welcome new Fellows and it has been a particular honour to be part of the assessment process,” said Carole Broad FBHS led the assessment over the two days. “The standard was extremely high, and I am excited to see what lies ahead for Liz.”
David Sheerin, General Manager at Wellington Riding and BHS Fellow described the process as a “complete journey”.
“It was great to welcome all our assessors to Wellington this week; with a Stage 1 assessment, followed by the Fellowship,” he said. “Having obtained my Fellowship in 2022, I know the hard work and dedication that goes into achieving this qualification. I am so pleased to have played a part in this year’s process.”
Sam York FBHS and Chair of the F&I and Technical delegate for the International Group for Equestrian Qualifications (IGEQ) added: “You can change lives through coaching, and achieving a qualification, such as the BHS Fellowship, is testament to a life of learning, equestrian excellence and creating appropriate and very strong philosophies, that will in turn, now be used to help so many other people within the equestrian industry and beyond.
“The Fellowship status is one to be so proud of and one that is totally based upon the horse’s needs, and we could not be more privileged to be involved in one of the most transparent and comprehensive equestrian qualifications in the world. So, on behalf of the Fellows and BHSI’s association (F & I) as well as the IGEQ, we congratulate Liz and we so look forward to working alongside her and gaining such insight from her in due course.”
The Fellowship assessment is open to any Performance Coach BHSI aged over 25 – although the average candidate is older. Trainers who would like to be kept informed about future BHS Fellowship training opportunities, or find out more about what is involved, can email education@bhs.org.uk to register their interest.
To find out more about the BHS qualification offerings visit bhs.org.uk/pathways
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