Marie first sat on a pony at the age of 18 months and was the stereotypical ’pony mad’ child. She became an active member of the Pony Club representing the Suffolk Hunt and later the Thetford Chase branches at Area level in Horse Trials and Tetrathlon.

At the age of 22, she went to Switzerland and Germany to train in dressage. On her arrival back in the UK she purchased her first ’proper’ young event horse called ’Master Hati’ (Tubs). Whilst trying to juggle working full time as a Sales executive and train Tubs for competition, she attended a Lucinda Green XC clinic at Tweseldown. This turned out to be a huge ’turning point’ in Marie’s career, as Lucinda advised Marie to ’quit her day job’ and to concentrate on horses full time. Upon taking Lucinda’s advice, Marie then quickly passed her B.H.S.A.I. examinations and set up her own yard at her parent’s home on the Norfolk/Suffolk border.

In 1998 she moved to a new property in Warwickshire where she could concentrate more on her eventing career. She had by this time produced Tubs to Advanced level (although he had to be retired from competition through injury) and had purchased the young horses Penny Royal III and Sparrow Hall.

Marie had been successful to Advanced/CCI 2 star level when she met Matt in 2000.

Since this time Marie has enjoyed success at CCI 3 and 4 star levels, competing at Burghley, Badminton and Luhmuhlen CCI****.

Her horse Penny Royal III is the only mare to have won the ’Best British Mare Award’ at Badminton for two consecutive years.

Marie has consistently been on the ’Top 100 Riders Rankings’ each year and is a member of the British Team Training ’A’ squad.

Marie’s parents are pro active supporters of eventing. Her mother, Jennie, is a dressage judge and co-owns her two top horses Penny Royal III and Sparrow Hall. Her father Malcolm sponsors a number of B.E. events in East Anglia through his company Rubicon Computer Systems Ltd, as well as owning Matt’s Badminton ride this year, Bonza Katoomba.

Married to Matt in 2003, Marie is now expecting their first child in early July.