Thornley off to Badminton

Young New Zealand harness racing driver Gemma Thornley freely admits she misses home but is embracing all the opportunities she’s encountering whilst working in the UK.

Thornley is employed by twenty three year old American eventing rider Cosby Green who is currently ranked 136^th in the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings.

Green has ridden up to five star level and trains her horses at Chedington Estate alongside New Zealand Equestrian greats Tim and Janelle Price.

“We just rent the boxes. There’s an Aussie event and show jumper here, Tim and Janelle, and German and Belgian riders based here,” Thornley said.

Thornley looks after six horses and works six days a week with most days offering variety.

“I start work at around 7:30am doing normal horse chores like mucking out the boxes. After that I get the horses ready for Cosby to ride. I hack and gallop horses every now and then. There’s a lot of water treadmilling too. We go to a local galloping trainer and gallop the horses up the hill.”

Thornley is living in Beaminster which is 15 miles from Dorchester and 145 miles south of London. Beaminster has a population of 3,000 and she says it’s very different to living and working in New Zealand.

“The roads are awful over here. It’s not fun driving the truck but I’m slowly working it all out. I do miss home a lot and miss my race driving. Everyone is telling me it’s getting colder at home though so that makes it easier being here.”

Gemma received her early education at Tai Tapu Primary School before she headed to Lincoln High School and like most country girls she had a horse and enjoyed eventing.

She says being on the other side of the world has accorded her some great opportunities that many young kiwi horse people wouldn’t get.

“Going to all the local events you see all the world class riders which is pretty incredible. When I first got here we went to Spain for a big show jumping event. I flew there and then it took us three days to drive home through Spain and France. But my biggest one coming up is Badminton which is very cool. That’s going to be a bit crazy seeing it in real life I guess.”

Badminton runs from the 8^th to the 12^th of May and Thornley says the riders and horses will be based there for six days.

After Badminton the stable will be heading to Ireland at the end of the month.

Outside of work, she says she’d like to get to a local galloping meeting.

“There are a few jumping meetings near here.”

Thornley represented Canterbury at age group rugby. She’s keen to see the All Blacks play England later this year if she can. And naturally she keeps an eye of New Zealand harness results.

“Dad keeps me informed with all the gossip from back home (laughter). I do miss some of Dad’s horses, the ones I did a lot of work with.”

It was a thrill to see Crystal Hackett winning the Group One Taylor Mile last Friday.

“It’s great seeing the juniors kicking massive goals at home.”

On her days off Gemma likes to take day trips in her trusty Toyota.

“I managed to get to London for a couple of days (not in the car) and do all the touristy things and feel a little out of my depth. It was cool seeing all the famous landmarks.”

Thornley says the nearest harness racing in England is five hours north of where she lives but she has plans to visit some of Europe’s biggest tracks if she can and if money allows.

“Unfortunately we were away in Ireland when the Elitloppet was on. I looked at going there but I couldn’t fit it into my timetable and it was pretty expensive. Before I leave I’d definitely like to see some European harness racing.”

She was fashioning a good record in New Zealand as a junior, reining sixty five winners over six seasons of driving. Last season she drove thirty one winners with Bella Button and Lizzie Richer providing six apiece in her season’s tally.

Beyond Badminton and Ireland Gemma’s mother Carolyn and her auntie Linda Malloch are heading over in June or July so she’s looking forward to that.

Gemma is unsure of how long she’ll stay in the UK but does plan to return home.

“It’s that harness bug that never leaves you. Hopefully when I do come home people haven’t forgotten me (laughter). I’ll always have Dad’s horses to drive but hopefully I can land myself back in the good stable.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink