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.

Kelly Plumb, Stable Manager, Instructor
Kelly has been with CCHP from day 1 assisting Karen and Erin with the schooling of the horses and ponies that were purchased for the school. Kelly is our Stable Manager and became an accredited instructor with Horse Safety Australia in 2009.

Kelly is going to update her info with some details of her earlier horse experiences so check back here regularly. Kelly regularly rides and has just starting competing dressage with one of our school horses "Boots".

Sarah Drayton, Senior Instructor
Sarah started pestering her parents for a riding lesson as soon as she could speak and was eventually given one riding lesson for her 5th birthday to 'get it out of her system'; 27 years later and she is just as addicted to riding as ever! She progressed from riding her favourite black shetland pony (Tinkerbelle) to having a part time lease of a pony and eventually a horse to call her own. Jaffa was a young (4 years old) 15.2hh black mare who Sarah was given to educate. During the time that she had Jaffa they did all different sorts of riding - from pleasure rides to showjumping, dressage to one day eventing. She represented her riding club in England at regional level in both dressage and showjumping and a highlight was qualifying to ride at the National Dressage Finals in England and to compete at Hickstead. Unfortunately Jaffa couldn't accompany Sarah to Australia, but since arriving here she has bought her new young horse Inky to bring on. Inky is also black (a common theme in her horses!), 3 years old and an ex-racehorse that Sarah is hoping to educate to do some dressage and hopefully jump when he is a bit older.

            

Sarah has been working at CCHP since 2008. Sarah gained her Senior Instructor accreditation with Horse Safety Australia in October 2008. Before owning her own horse "Inky" Sarah successfully competed school horse "Raff" at FNEG Dressage Competitions in 2008/2009. Sarah's jumping experience is put to good use teaching CCHP clients of all ages and abilities in our regular jump clinics.

Julia Lockwood, Instructor

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Melanie Mulholland, Administration
Melanie has lived in the Redlynch Valley for the past 14 years and runs a bathroom renovation business with her husband. Melanie has been involved with horses for the past 22 years and learnt to ride at a horse riding school in Holloways Beach at a young age.

            

Over the years Melanie has had numerous horses and purchased her most recent horse 'Scout' about 3 years ago from the Gold Coast. Scout is a 12 year old Australian Stock Horse X Thoroughbred and is agisted at CCHP. She is currently training him in dressage under instruction from Geoff Blacklock.

Melanie was heavily involved with the Redlynch Equestrian Association for a number of years where she was an active member of the Committee taking on roles of Treasurer and Secretary. Wanting to spend more time riding she gave up her Committee roles and now works a few hours a week in the CCHP office. Melanie is responsible for all reception duties including lesson bookings, lesson payments, general enquiries from the public and support services to staff (and keeping in line).

Meredith Webb, Riding School Assistant

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Olga Kruger, Riding School Assistant

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Matt Wheatley, Farm Hand

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