LAURIE Katie

General
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO AUSTRALIA
She previously represented New Zealand at international level, but began competing for Australia in 2019. She and her husband Jackson initially moved to Australia in 2017 following the birth of their second child Royce in 2016. "Plans changed, Royce was born and we decided to make the move to Australia. Jackson had always wanted to be on a farm and I had competed in Australia previously and the shows and the money over here was becoming bigger than New Zealand." (theplaidhorse.com, 13 Feb 2021; SportsDeskOnline, 17 Nov 2020; horsenetwork.com, 16 Oct 2020; australianjumping.com.au, 26 Dec 2019)

WELL TRAVELLED
In March 2017 she and her husband Jackson moved from New Zealand to Australia with their two children to set up an extension of Whispering Oaks Equestrian in Armidale, New South Wales. In early 2020 they relocated again, this time to Okotoks, AB, Canada. "We have both spent time in Canada. Firstly I did in 2006 riding for Eric Lamaze, and then again in 2011. Jackson did a Canadian summer [competing in rodeo]. We both returned together in 2013 where we were based at Attache Stables. I rode young horses for the Asselin family mostly during the week, Jackson did a lot of fencing and then we both travelled the Alberta rodeos in our little van on the weekends. We then got engaged in Jasper [AB, Canada] not long before we returned to New Zealand. I thought 2017 was a big year, moving countries with horses and two children under three, and it looks like 2020 is going to be even bigger." (equestrianlife.com.au, 27 Jan 2021; SportsDeskOnline, 12 Nov 2020; horsenetwork.com, 16 Oct 2020; Facebook page, 07 Jun 2020, 02 Dec 2017; australianjumping.com.au, 26 Dec 2019; horseandponymag.com, 29 Jul 2016)