Equestrian fitness trainer

Ali Cooper talks about inspiring hunting mums, Pony Club district and superstar event riders - and her ubiquitous trainers commissioners

- Charlotte Mackaness

I’ve loved horses all my life. When I was little, my dream was to win the Grand National, ride at Horse of the Year Show or become a 400m runner. Growing up in Northamptonshire, we were surrounded by horses and I did a bit of showjumping. My JA pony was called Misty and we competed around the country. At the same time, I was a good junior athlete and took part in a range of sports, from gymnastics to athletics and hockey.

For me, human fitness and riding have always gone hand in hand. After studying sports science at university, I continued athletics but worked part-time at a point-to-point yard. Even then, I was fascinated by Martin Pipe’s system, as it was so similar to how I trained for the 800m, but at the time his methods were considered radical. After a year, my parents said I had to get a “proper job” so I went to work at Weatherbys, while training as a middle-distance runner.

I’ve never been one to sit behind a desk, but the job at Weatherbys enabled me to travel the country visiting racecourses, yards and breeding operations. While at Weatherbys, I’d take my trainers to the office to train at lunchtime. Bit by bit, I encouraged people to join me at the gym or on a run.