Vicky Lacey is a dressage and para dressage rider based on the Isle of Wight. Forty-one year old Vicky started riding at a very young age and got her first pony when she was just three years old. Having enjoyed many successes as a young rider, Vicky’s passion for riding was halted when she developed a chronic balance disorder which meant she was unable to ride. After many years out of the saddle Vicky determined to teach herself to balance on a horse and ride again.
Can you describe the events leading up to your diagnosis?
Most of my adult life I have suffered with a chronic balance disorder, it started one day when I was judging a showing class at a children’s show and out of nowhere, I got so dizzy I could barely walk. It got worse and worse and no doctor knew what it was. The only time I was ok was when I was asleep, when awake the room tilted and moved 24/7. My life came to a complete halt and so of course did horses.
I ended up at a top London Hospital that specialises in balance and they told me I had picked up a flu virus that had attacked my inner ear and my ear no longer sent the correct information to my brain so because of that my balance was gone and I would have to train myself to walk again and do normal daily things with help from specialist physios. I felt like I was on a fairground ride that never stopped and I couldn’t get off.
After about six years I taught myself to balance on a horse again, my partner Martin was my rock through it all, with me in tears because I couldn’t fill a haynet or walk in a restaurant without running back out because I felt so dizzy and unwell. Standing with me on the mountain block with me crying because I just couldn’t imagine being able to balance on a horse again and then having to help me off as I would just fall over, it was so scary but my dedication and love of my horse’s made me keep going and although now I know I will never recover back to 100% and have extreme anxiety issues I have learnt to enjoy the good days and rest out the bad when my body tells me to. I owe absolutely everything to Martin who has been by my side through it all and helped get me to this stage as without him I would never have my life back like I have now.
Tell us about your horses
I have six horses. My two main competition horses are buddy and Echo.
Buddy is my rising 5yrs Dressage horse who is a palomino 16hh Welsh x Warmblood. I purchased Buddy as a foal from a lovely lady called penny Teague who breeds fantastic natives and part breeds in Wales. It was my mum who picked Buddy out, she had a feeling he was going to be a special horse, and it was her dream to watch me compete him in the dressage arena. Sadly, my mum passed away one month before Buddy was backed so now everything we do together is in memory of mum. She was so incredibly excited for us and now when I go down the centre line on him, I feel her there with us and I’m sure Buddy knows too as he’s really turning out to be everything my mum predicted.
Buddy and I currently compete in BD at prelim/Novice level and in dressage to music classes. In the short time we have been a partnership we have had many wins with fantastic scores. We even achieved a massive 80% in our online prelim music test. We have qualified for the NPS supreme championships in may so are training hard for that and on Saturday we did our first BD show together winning the prelim straight and the prelim music which has now qualified us for the petplan area festival music. We are hoping to qualify in novice music too.
I have big dreams with Buddy. I would love to represent Great Britain as a para rider in the Virtus International competitions that are held each year. I would also love to do the Home Nations and represent England which is something I did in young riders so to do it again as a senior and on buddy would be Amazing.
My other competition horse is Echo, she is a dun & white, rising 15yrs 15hh Welsh x warmblood mare. I have had years of fun on Echo, she is a true all-rounder that has been successful in all disciplines, I love jumping her and competing in dressage to music classes. Echo is very special as she helped me get back riding after falling ILL with my chronic balance disorder. She looked after me 100% like she knew.
I also have Polly, a stunning black Welsh D mare, rising 4yrs who is recently backed and will be brought on slowly this summer. I have Teddy a rising 2yrs Palamino Welsh D gelding who I also purchased from Penny. He has super movement and a fantastic temperament, so I have high hopes for him in the dressage arena. Last of all I have my two miniature horses Jilly and Cami that I have competed with in the BMHS competitions and at the Royal international horse show held at Hickstead.
Where do you keep your horses and what does a typical day look like for you?
I am very fortunate to have my own stables. My Nan and Granddad were a huge part of my horse life as a child and growing up. My granddad built my stables and pretty much my whole set up. My Nan never missed a show, always came with packed lunches, spare clothes and just about anything I may have needed. I will be forever grateful to my very special grandparents for all they did.
Having an Illness does really make it hard each day. Especially without my mum and grandparents now and I truly could not do every day without the support of my partner Martin, my Auntie and my Dad. They keep me motivated living with an illness and probably the biggest help of all comes from the horses themselves as it’s not about how I feel each day, they need doing so this really does help me on the bad days.
How did horses come into your life?
My mum was horse crazy and competed mainly in show jumping up until I was born, she then stopped riding to support me in my dreams to ride and compete. I was extremely lucky to have my first pony for my third birthday but he grew to big so I had a couple more on loan and then along came Nipper a 12hh Palamino gelding who was so naughty on the ground but fantastic to ride, I had so much success on him in all disciplines and we nearly got to Olympia in the lead rein but when the judge asked me to get off and on, Nipper lived up to his name and bit my aunties skirt so we got moved from 3rd to 14th. I had Nipper the rest of his life, he got to the grand age of 33yrs. As I outgrew Nipper along came Palamino gelding number two, he was a 13.2hh called Barney. This is when my love of dressage really began.
I started dressage lessons with a lady called Daryl smith and Barney and I went on to qualify for the BD national championships 3 times, the first time I was 12yrs and got an award from Noel Edmunds for being the youngest at the time to ever qualify.
Next came splash a 14.3hh coloured who had been to HOYS as a worker pony but was nicely schooled and I fell in love with her. Splash and I went on to compete in the BYRDS and got to compete in teams and were put in the A squad which was the top one. This is when I had a dream that I wanted to ride for my country, sadly I didn’t quite make it on Splash but luckily for me, my friend Laura hurt her foot and asked if I wanted to compete her dressage horse Tristan, I just clicked with him straight away and went on to actually buy him. Tristan and I went on to win the Pe Plan area Elementary music and came 2nd in the Novice. Sadly, Tristan hurt himself right before the Nationals so we couldn’t go. We did go on through to represent England in the Home International in the young riders, and I got my dream of wearing that pocket badge I had worked so hard for.
Fast forward to now and I have a new dream and that is to ride for GB as a para rider and compete in the home nations representing England again but this time as a senior with my baby horse buddy.
Who have been your mentors and who do you train with now?
I have had so many mentors that have helped towards achieving my goals and dreams over the years and growing up, Daryl Smith, Lorie sims, Kirsty Mepham and Markus Bauer. But the main trainer who has helped me right from back in the days when I first became unwell is Olympic Dressage rider Andrew Gould. I just feel so comfortable with him and love how he trains horses, he backed Buddy for me, so he knows him so well. Buddy and I travel up to Andrew for a lesson every month. I also have regular lessons with island-based trainer Anita Niccols who has a fantastic knowledge of bringing on young horses. Buddy and I are so very lucky to have Andrew and Anita to guide us on our dressage journey together.
What do you love about dressage?
I love dressage as you’re really only competing against yourself in a way. You get to try and improve your marks each time so there are constantly goals you’re trying to reach all the time and I love that.
Memorable moments?
I have so many memorable times in my years of riding, but my top ones would have to be, representing England in the home international as a young rider, winning the Pet Plan Area festival. Another cherished memory is being the youngest at the time to get to the national dressage championships age twelve and coming 12th out of 60. Other highlights include winning strictly come dressage and getting 10s from every judge and also coming 2nd in the derby meet at Hickstead in the coloured pony class and getting to do the championship in the international arena. Coming 2nd at the royal international horse show with my miniature horse.
Dressage comes with challenges, what have been yours?
I think the most challenging thing for me with dressage is being on the Isle of Wight as having to arrange boat journeys for my competition and training days can be tricky.
What do you think horses have taught you?
Horses have taught me patience. I’m such an inpatient person with some things and you can’t be like that with horses, so they have definitely helped with that. I also realise how a bond with your horse is the most important thing as you need to trust each other completely if you’re looking to achieve your riding goals.
Your Top Tip
My top tip is something I’ve have always said to myself and that is ‘dream it, then make it happen. If you work hard, never give up when you have hard days and remain 100% dedicated then there’s no reason why your dreams can’t be a reality one day
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?
Believe in yourself and don’t compare yourself to others. You have one life so live it too the full as best you can.
It takes a team to do dressage, who is in your support team?
I honestly couldn’t do any of what I do without the support from my family. Since losing my mum my auntie has literally helped keep everything going so I can continue to chase my dreams.
My dad has taken mums place helping me sort shows and being that person I ring as soon as I’ve finished to discuss how I’ve done; he keeps me inline and motivated when things get hard and then celebrate when things have gone well just like I did with mum.
My partner Martin comes everywhere with me with the horses and probably gets the hardest job which is dealing with me when I’m nervous and stressed and need to take it out on someone.
My sponsors who believe in me and again support me so I can keep turning those dreams into reality. Red funnel ferries, Reynolds & Read, Arctic one, Joy and Mark Orlick hay and straw, Georgia Leavold bringing bodies back into balance. My trainers Andrew Gold and Anita Niccols. And most of all my wonderful horses that always try there hardest for me in everything we do.