We welcomed Mia Archer and her beautiful buckskin mare Poppy, to our little team earlier this year. We approached Mia to work with us, as we love her work ethic and really friendly and professional character. Mia is 15 years old and goes to school locally in Bury St Edmunds. Some of you might recognise Mia as the face behind our TikTok account!
Mia is actually from a non-horsey family. Whilst her parents love animals and the countryside, Mia is the first to be truly bitten by the horse-bug. She started riding aged 5 at Barrow Hall Riding Stables, which is the riding school next to our shop. When Mia was 10 and had shown her dedication to riding and looking after ponies, Liz (Mia’s Mum) bit the bullet, and they purchased Opal. Opal is 14hh and a stockier version of Poppy but they are exactly the same colour! For a first pony, Opal really was a handful but Mia proved that with a lot of time, hard work and lessons, it would all pay off. The rapport Mia and Opal formed was remarkable. Hopelessly outgrown, Opal is now with the Callan family in Newmarket, teaching their younger boys the ropes. Mia certainly wasn’t looking at giving up any time soon, so Liz was back looking for Mia’s next horse. After a long search, they found Poppy, who would be Mia’s step up onto horses.
Mia has owned Poppy for 3 years and when she arrived she had only show jumped and this was done at her fast pace! She had very limited schooling and hadn’t been XC schooling due to the speed she tackled her show jumps at! Mia’s challenge was to improve her flat work, decrease the speed she show jumped, improve the shape she made over a fence and to get her out cross country! Quite a big task for a 12 year old!
Mia asked local professional riders and coaches, Camilla Shepherd, Claire Stennett and Debbie Tate to help with their training. With their assistance and knowledge and a lot of hard work from Mia, they have absolutely cracked it with Poppy.
Mia is an active member of Worlington Riding Club, Suffolk Hunt Pony Club and competes at the National Schools Equestrian Association (representing her school). Mia and Poppy are competing under British Show jumping at 1.10m and they’ve started unaffiliated eventing this year at 1m. Poppy is really enthusiastic and brave XC and you can see how much fun they have, on their Instagram feed. Dressage has been a bit of a nemesis but again the hard work has paid off and they are now winning at Riding Club level.
Mia this year has part of the winning NSEA 1m Hickstead championships (team). Blenheim Eventers Challenge 12th/299
Burghley Pony Club SJ 1.05 and 1.10m
JCB Pony Club Championships 2nd/120
Swalciffe ODE Qualifier for the Dauntsey Unaffiliated Eventing Championships 5th
Arena UK Pony Club Spring Festival Championships
