Meet the Staff

We are proud to have seven BHSI's on our teaching team, and many staff compete on an national level.

They are experts in their fields, with years of teaching experience, and are highly regarded in their profession. Below are some staff profiles. Julie Ellis Julie competes on her own horses in dressage. Her specialist areas are horse and rider performance including nutrition sports injury / therapy. She was the leader on the research project which lead to a more accurate equine weight estimation and body composition assessment (largely in conjunction with Dodson and Horrell) and is currently undertaking research in relation to rider posture, performance and injury. She is also involved in delivering sessions on equine performance on the McTimoney College MSc in Animal Manipulation. Additionally, she is a fully qualified sports therapist and Member of the Society of Sports Therapists, working with riders and other sports disciplines.

Liz Fellows Liz is a BHSI and an experienced trainer. She has been a competitor and coach of young student riders, competition riders and horses for many years. She competes regularly on her own horses at advanced Level, with success in British Dressage competitions. She was the holder of the national title, ‘Medium Restricted Champion’ achieved at the Winter Dressage Championships 2007 with her horse Masquerade V. She also trains regularly with top trainer Gareth Hughes. At College she is involved in teaching practical riding and theory of horse care and management, as well as being an advanced teaching practitioner.

Karen Bennett Karen holds a BHS AI and a degree in equine studies. She teaches a range of subjects throughout the equine unit - theoretical and practical and is the funcational skills co-ordinator. Karen enjoys competing her horse in novice eventing, showjumping and elementary dressage. She has achieved ninth place in the pre novice championships with British Eventing and she has competed at the riding club championships for Stoneleigh riding club - two years running.

Richard Bacon Richard is responsible for making sure that all courses run smoothly as the senior curriculum leader. He also teaches business management to equine courses - something he is uniquely qualified to do. He has a masters degree in business, has done extensive research into horse business performance, published books on the subject, been a speaker at conferences arranged by leading equine organisations, and provided consultancy advice to a range of businesses. Richard also does course development and verification work for the main exam boards so he knows what the latest standards and developments are.

Jackie Vallance Jackie is one of our ‘behind the scenes staff’. She has worked at the College for about five years in a number of roles and is currently the work based learning business administrator. Jackie has a BHS Stage 3 and has recently completed her NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration. She also co-ordinates the Moreton Morrell riding academy and the Warwickshire and Worcestershire Fresh Start Academy.

Clarissa Dawson Clarissa is one of our seven British Horse Society Instructors (BHSI). She has won the national title of ‘Side Saddle Rider of the Year,’ three times. Clarissa has also qualified her own novice dutch mare for the winter regionals at Addington Manor, in both the novice and novice freestyle to music 2010.

Christine Bailey Christine was originally a student at Warwickshire College, and was drawn back to the College to assist with the showing and breeding operation. She then progressed into the lecturing field, specialising in sports therapy, gaining vast experience in hydrotherapy, therapeutic machines and rehabilitation. She has a wealth of experience tutoring all levels of FE students, and is at present the course tutor for the horse management courses.

Dr Tanya Carey Tanya studied for a BSc (Hons) degree in zoology at Leeds University, she then moved to the departmental of anatomy at the University of Liverpool, working for her doctoral thesis involved the study of primate biomechanics, exercise physiology and hominid evolution. Her role at Warwickshire College is varied, but primarily involves supporting and managing distance learning equine undergraduate students. She also enjoys teaching equine biomechanics, at final year degree level. She also supervises dissertations and teaching and supports students with research methods and statistics. Her current research interests are mainly focused on biomechanics and gait analysis in horses, including researching the effectiveness of various equine physical therapies. .

Sue Coombs Sue has worked in three Olympic level dressage yards, schooled several horses working at Grand Prix and has competed at Prix St George and Inter II in dressage, and discovery level showjumping. She has extensive knowledge of the care and travelling of top class competition horses, and has since built an extensive client base teaching all ages and abilities.

Clifford Mitchell Clifford I has been heavily involved in delivering business and agricultural subjects to equine higher education students. He is now mainly involved in business management teaching and is responsible for co-ordinating all of the equine higher education provision, which has included the development of the new suite of courses now available. He is also an external examiner for many equine courses at other universities and colleges

Debbie Butler Debbie is the horseracing specialist. She has strong links to the horseracing Industry, with relations who have ridden as jockeys or are racehorse trainers. She has ridden as an amateur on the flat and worked for Capt Jimmy Wilson, David Nicholson and Alan King. She currently rides out for Martin Keighley. For her doctoral research she has been investigating the formation of work identities, horseracing and gender. She is currently involved as a researcher as part of a research project that is investigating 'animals as kin'.

Donn Collins Donn is a British Horse Society Chief Assessor, a Pony Club Visiting Instructor, B and A [HPC] Examiner, formerly a National Instructor at the New Zealand Pony Clubs Association, Riding Clubs Master Judge, British Dressage Approved Trainer and Judge. He was won the Zealand Dressage Championship and Kür [twice]. He has trained many riders and horses, with success at national championships and three students going on to win Olympic medals. Donn has ridden and trained horses for most of his life, as well as working as a secondary school teacher, newspaper editor and public relations manager. This has given him a broader perspective from which to view the equine industry. .