Brett Cantle and Premonition.
© Jane Anderson
It’s no surprise that Brett Cantle is one of Queensland’s most well respected and popular Eventers. An extremely successful rider and trainer in his own right, having produced horses to the CCI4* level, Brett has also made a significant contribution to the development of the sport through his coaching and volunteering efforts. However for Brett, there’s a lot more to life than just horses – he’s a full time primary school teacher, a husband, and a parent to two busy teenagers. His ability to juggle, and indeed balance his range of commitments and interests makes him a role model for many.
Growing up in Gympie and later Bundaberg with three older sisters who all rode, it was inevitable that horses would play a big part in Brett’s childhood. As he explains, it was a case of either getting involved or getting left behind. The Bundaberg region has a proud reputation for producing keen, skilled young riders – the Cribb sisters Prue (Barrett), Felicity and Marjorie all came from the region – and by 14, Brett started to really enjoy eventing. Living on a 2,000 acre beef cattle and sugar cane property, Brett had the distinct advantage of having a very handy father with all the tools and equipment to build cross country fences he could practise over. If he had a problem at a competition with any particular type of fence, it wasn’t long before he had his own versions built at home, in E grade to A grade dimensions!
Brett Cantle and Premonition in the dressage phase.
© Rodneys Photography
Brett’s first high level eventer came along in the mid 1990s, a chestnut gelding named Alchemy that Brett produced to the former Three Star level before selling him to Tim Boland. “That horse set me up for life,” Brett states. A true horse of a lifetime, Brett rode Alchemy in the Three Star class at the 1999 Australian International Three Day Event, and it was only the horse’s fifteenth eventing start!
After Alchemy was sold, it was some time before Brett returned to the upper echelons of the sport. “There was a marriage, mortgage, children gap,” Brett explains, however before long a new superstar had emerged. Brett partnered Premonition, a licenced chestnut Hanoverian stallion imported by the late Madonna Hedberg of Arnage Warmblood Stud through the grades to the former CIC3* level, winning the Three Star class at Tamborine in 2017. Now as 2020 draws closer, Brett’s attention is on two young horses; another chestnut named Calvin by Calgary GNZ, and a young mare out of a sister to Belcam Ava and Belcam Caeser, both four star eventers under Stuart Tinney and Kevin McNab respectively.
“I generally have two horses in work, but at the moment there are eight on our property,” Brett explains. Rising each day at 5am to work horses before heading off to his school teaching job, Brett believes that the key to successfully managing the demands of horses, work and life in general is to find a routine and stick to it. “You have to plan ahead, and assess what will work within your routine.” After work, Brett allocates one evening per week to teaching riding lessons at his property from 3:30 to 9:30pm, and other afternoons are spent with his 16 year old son Jack and 14 year old daughter Isabelle, whether that’s at sport, riding, dance or music classes. Weekends may involve competing, teaching a clinic, or taking Isabelle and Jack to weekend sport. There’s never a dull moment in the Cantle household!
While some people struggle to pursue excellence while juggling a range of commitments, Brett is a big believer in having a great team around you to help you achieve your goals. “I surround myself with the best. It may sometimes cost more, whether financially or in terms of time, but when you get the results, it’s all worth it.”
Brett Cantle.
© Joe McInally
Hygain have played a key role in supporting Brett for many years; the company is an important part of his successful team. “When it comes to the horses, providing the right feed and nutrition is my first priority. Hygain ICE is my favourite feed, every horse that comes here is started on it as it’s a safe and reliable feed being low in starch, good for their guts, and a slow release energy source. I will then look to add some Micrbeet for more fibre, or Trucare for weight gain, and once their work load requires it I find that Balanced and Release are excellent feeds,” Brett explains. “Hygain have been a great source of information for me over the years. Sure I can read information on the feed bag, but being able to call my local rep Owen Kerin has been invaluable when I’ve needed advice about a specific horse.”
With nutrition in hand, plus a good farrier and a good vet to compliment the horses’ management needs, Brett can focus on riding healthy horses to achieve their potential. “As for instructors, I am coached by Emma Flavelle for dressage, as is my daughter Isabelle. She is a truly brilliant rider and an excellent coach. I trust her and try to do exactly what she says. When it comes to jumping, I go to David Finch, Guy Creighton and Glenn Pearce, they are all great”.
Brett Cantle is an in-demand coach.
Brett’s career choice and obvious respect for his instructors are indicative of his firm belief in the importance of education, coaching and mentorship. As a highly sought after EA Eventing Level 2 coach in Queensland, Brett takes great enjoyment from guiding his students through the levels of the sport. Recently he travelled to the Australian International Three Day Event with his student Amilia Schooley, who rode her horse Grande Exito in the CCI3*L class. It was his first time attending a major event purely as a coach rather than a rider.
Brett Cantle at the 2019 Australian International 3DE with student Amilia Schooley and her horse Grande Exito.
“You get just as nervous, but you have no direct control. You have to try not to over coach, and keep your student confident, with a few tips here and there rather than trying to make any major changes. You need to understand their personality, and know whether they need space and more time to themselves, or whether they’re looking to you for that extra rev up, or that extra word of support,” Brett explains. “Amilia’s result was outstanding, she was one of only 16 riders to finish clear and under time cross country, and finished third overall in the Young Riders. I’ve been coaching her since she was 12 on her off the track thoroughbred and I’m very proud of what they’ve achieved.”
As 2019 draws to a close, Brett is looking forward to another big year in 2020. As the Chair of Eventing QLD, and the July recipient of Equestrian Australia’s Volunteer of the Month Award for his contribution to eventing in Queensland, there is little doubt that a large amount of his time will be spent helping others. His goals are to get his young horses out and about, teaching them good habits through positive experiences, and to spend as much time as he can with his family.
Brett Cantle is an example of how with dedication — and careful time management — one can reach the top end of the sport, even while juggling a ‘regular’ life as a parent and full-time employee in a non-equestrian career. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
This article was written in conjunction wtih Hygain Group.
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