British Equestrian award three Level 4 Coaching Certificates
Friday 16 December 2022
Three coaches have been awarded a coveted British Equestrian Level 4 Coaching Certificate, following their final panel assessments. The certificates were presented to the three now Level 4 coaches, at the London International Horse Show on 15 Dec 2023, by British Equestrian Chief Executive Jim Eyre. The ceremony was organised by British Equestrian to celebrate coaching achievements from the past year.
The Level 4 Coaching Certificate qualification is run in collaboration with British Rowing and the University of Gloucestershire and is open to high-performing coaches with considerable experience. It involves an advanced syllabus of professional academic education and focuses on improving coaching skills and the holistic development of the coach/participant relationship.
The three successful Level 4 Coaching candidates were:
- Nicola McLeish – British Showjumping
- Mia Palles-Clark – British Showjumping
- Sophie Wells – British Dressage
Nicola McLeish – British Showjumping
Nicola McLeish grew up around horses and now runs a professional competition and training yard in West Yorkshire. She’s successfully produced horses from novice through to Grand Prix level and has competed internationally. With a passion for coaching young people, Nicola finds inspiration in working with up-and-coming youth athletes. She joined the British Equestrian Youth Pathway Coaching programme in 2018 and is the Assistant Coach for British Showjumping’s Step Up to Gold programme, which is designed to support athletes who are aiming for selection on British Equestrian’s World Class Programme.
“Following the completion of the Level 4 coaching qualification, I feel the past two years have positively impacted my depth of coaching knowledge and understanding further developing my critical thinking and problem-solving within my coaching practice,” said Nicola
“The Level 4 experience has been challenging at times but, with the support of my family, friends and peers to help me successfully manage my time and other commitments, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. I’d highly recommend the experience to coaches who are looking to advance their own and others development and want to make a positive impact on equestrian sport.”
Mia Palles-Clark – British Showjumping
Mia Palles-Clark was brought up in the showjumping world and always knew that coaching was the career she wanted. She became one of the first British Showjumping-accredited coaches in 2004, which was followed by a UKCC Level 3 qualification. Mia, who’s based on the Suffolk-Cambridgeshire border, is a champion of the British Showjumping Academy system, encouraging and developing riders of all levels and ages. She has been the England Chef d’Equipe for the Home Pony showjumping competition series for the last five years.
As a rider, Mia represented Great Britain at the Veterans European Championships in 2022 and continues to compete at 1.30m level. She was part of the first intake for the National Development Programme for Coaching Excellence, which was followed by the British Equestrian Youth Pathway Coaching programme in 2018.
Mia commented: “The Level 4 programme has enabled me to develop as a coach and as a human, expand my coaching relationships, and improve my communication and listening skills. It’s been a huge undertaking – going back to university at the age of 48 was never going to be easy – but I can honestly say it’s been life-changing to me as a coach.
“Since being on the Level 4 programme, my coaching is decidedly athlete-centred with a collaborative approach, and I have a better understanding of how to empower athletes to achieve their goals. Ecological dynamics, a constraints-led approach, leadership styles and the social licence for our sport have become corner stones in my coaching, yet I wouldn’t have begun to understand these before the last two years of the Level 4 programme.”
Sophie Wells – British Dressage
Paralympic medallist Sophie Wells, based in Lincolnshire, has balanced her Level 4 learning alongside representing Great Britain in para dressage, including at this summer’s World Championships in Herning, Denmark and last year’s delayed Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. She’s been coaching since a teenager, after being inspired by the World Class Programme’s para dressage coach Angela Weiss, and works with able-bodied and para dressage riders competing at national level through to senior championship medallists. She gained her UKCC Level 3 qualification in 2015 with British Dressage and was part of the inaugural intake of British Equestrian’s Youth Pathway Coaching Programme in 2018.
“Helping people enjoy their horses and fulfil their potential is something I love and I'm fortunate for it to be my job,” explained Sophie. “I genuinely love the lightbulb moments with clients, seeing their sheer joy and enjoyment when something comes off behind closed doors, with no cameras or spotlights.
“After the Tokyo Paralympic Games was postponed, I applied to do my Level 4 to continue my personal development. It's opened my eyes to so much more and put me completely out of my comfort zone. Being surrounded by people constantly wanting to improve and better themselves, as well as the passionate tutors we worked with, has been inspiring and I'm very grateful for the opportunity.”
“Seeing these coaches achieve their Level 4 and receive their certificates was a huge treat,” said David Padgen, who oversees the Level 4 Coaching Certificate programme as part of his role of Participation Officer at British Equestrian. “After two years of hard work, learning and applying the theories into their practice, they deserve all the credit they get and have truly earned the right to be ‘beacon coaches’. The coaches we awarded today will be at the cutting edge of our sport for years to come and I look forward to continuing to work with them all.
“I’d like to thank Nicola, Mia and Sophie, and their support networks, along with our coach developers and our colleagues at the University of Gloucestershire for providing the learning opportunities along the Level 4 journey.”
Further information about the Level 4 Coaching Certificate visit:
britishequestrian.org.uk/workforce/coaching/level-4-coaching-certificate
