All CCHP staff are dedicated horse people who have extensive, varied horse experience and who have a genuine desire to provide quality instruction and share their love of horses with our customers. All CCHP staff whether they are instructors, riding school assistants, volunteers etc make the well being and safety of clients, horses and fellow staff members there number one priority.

Karen Flanagan, General Manager, Owner & Instructor
Karen started riding horses on her grandparents' properties as a young child then later joined pony club. Karen became a Pony Club instructor at 17 however university, marriage and kids resulted in nearly 20 years away from horses.

Karen got back into riding approx 11 years ago with the purchase of Sweetpea for the family to ride. Of course one horse was not enough and very soon there were three. These horses were agisted at the Redlynch Equestrian Park for approximately 6 years. During this time Karen was an active member of the Redlynch Equestrian Association taking on the roles of Treasurer, Secretary and President at various times.

In 2006 Karen became an accredited Riding Instructor with Horse Safety Australia and started working towards her dream of opening a riding school so that the Cairns Community could learn to ride without having to own a horse.

Karen and her husband Pat purchased the property at Intake Road, Redlynch in July 2007 and the facility was open for business in December 2007.

Erin Flanagan, Operations Manager, Chief Instructor
Erin spent most of her holidays on her grandparents farm at Yarraman, SEQ, riding Banjo an old taffy pony that had been ridden by her uncle at pony club years earlier.

            

Erin's dream was to own a palomino horse. This dream was realized in 1999 when on returning home from a visit to her grandparents she discovered that Karen and Pat had purchased Sweetpea (a 14.1 palomino quarter horse mare) for the family. Soon Sweetpea became Erin's horse. Erin competed Sweetpea in western pleasure and trail classes as a member of the Top End Western Club and in the occasional dressage competition.

            

In 2003 Erin switched to dressage and rode her mum's horse Skite and competed in Associate Preliminary and Novice classes and Official Preliminary, Novice and Elementary classes as a member of FNEG. In 2007 Skite was retired from competition and has become a very useful school horse at CCHP.

Erin's current horse is Ordos (aka) Jack. Jack is an off the track thoroughbred. Erin has taken Jack from being a green horse with sparkle (ie likes to buck occasionally) to competing in Official Elementary and Medium classes as a member of ATDDEA and FNEG. Erin and Jack are currently waiting to hear if they have been selected to participate in the Queensland State Dressage Championships to be held at Gatton in October 2010.

            

Erin became an accredited Senior Instructor with Horse Safety Australia in 2007 and is currently undertaking an EA Level 1 Dressage Coaching course. Erin has weekly lessons with Geoff Blacklock and also attends clinics with Ron Patterson and Ann-Maree Cambridge.

                        

As well giving lessons Erin oversees and participates in the schooling of new horses/ponies purchased for the school as well as horses purchased to "sell on". A recent success story is Nobelate a 4yo off the track thoroughbred gelding that was sold on to Amy Ambrahams. Amy works with Kevin McNabb at Mt Tambourine and is successfully competing Nobelate in eventing. Erin is currently working with three young thoroughbreds Voodoo Power, Seeohtoo and Global Spin.