Before Andrew started working with Annette, he was already an experienced, successful, and well-respected name in the equestrian sport. He had built a strong business producing and selling horses, competed at a high level, and knew he was capable of great results.
But something was still missing.
In a sport and a business where results matter again and again, Andrew could not rely on the occasional high. He needed to perform with more consistency. This was not just for himself, but for his family, his business, and the people relying on him. When things did not go to plan, his doubts would creep in. Was he good enough? Was he doing the right things? Was all the sacrifice really worth it? At times, that pressure made him question not only his own riding, but his love for the sport itself.
For a while, Andrew looked for answers in the details. The wrong boots. The wrong saddle. The course. The footing. The weather. But over time, he began to realise those things were not the problem. What was missing was a deeper connection to what he was doing, to his horses, and to himself. One difficult round at Spruce Meadows became the turning point. After a mistake in a five-star Grand Prix, Andrew knew something had to change.
With encouragement from his fiancée, Kendall, he reached out to Annette.
Their early work was not always comfortable. Annette asked hard questions, and Andrew had to look inward in a way he had often avoided. At first, there was resistance. But slowly, that discomfort became useful. He started to see that the voice in his head did not always need to be judgment or criticism. Often, it was simply feedback.
Andrew’s biggest change came in his everyday work. He realised he could not expect a deep connection to appear in the ring if he had not practised it at home. Before, his mind could wander while he was riding, designing a barn, thinking through a business idea, solving the next problem. Now, when he gets on a horse, that horse has his full attention.
This impact has reached further than his riding. Andrew also credits the work with Annette to helping him handle difficult conversations, lead his team more clearly, and take ownership when something or someone is not right for the environment he is trying to build around him.
For Andrew, the shift was not about adding more hours or effort. It was about bringing himself fully to the work already in front of him.
Ultimately, Andrew’s transformation was about learning that the inner work is not something you can simply switch on when it is time to compete. It has to be built into everyday – not by adding more hours or more effort, but by bringing himself fully to the horse in front of him.