When Zoe first started working with Annette, she was 17 years old and stepping into the pressure of junior championships. Like many young riders with big dreams, she had the talent and the ambition, but the stress of performing at that level was beginning to weigh on her.
Annette and Zoe’s work began there, learning how to manage pressure, steady the mind, and feel more in control when it matters most. Ultimately, their work focused on helping Zoe handle pressure in a more grounded way, so that she could ride with a clearer head when the stakes felt high.
After that early chapter, Zoe faced a very different kind of challenge. She had a serious fall in Rome, where she broke her neck and needed surgery. Ultimately, getting back in the saddle became a mental journey as much as a physical one. Yes, she was riding again, but fear had quietly moved in. With Annette, Zoe learned to stop pushing that fear away and instead acknowledge it honestly. That became the turning point, and once she could see where the insecurity was coming from, she began to rebuild.
A few years on, and from the outside, Zoe looked like she was thriving. She was competing at a five-star level and producing excellent results. But inside, she felt there was still a missing piece to the puzzle. She was often looking outward for reassurance from trainers, horses, and other people, instead of trusting herself fully.
The real shift came when Zoe began learning to ride from a different inner stance. Not from slipping into “careful mode” and trying to avoid mistakes, but from focusing on the aspects she could control: being present, committing to the rhythm, trusting her plan, and ultimately, feeling the sheer enjoyment of the connection between herself and her horse.
And as that changed, so did Zoe’s results. In California, she won her first five-star class in a long time. In Ocala, she had one of her best weeks in years. But perhaps the most powerful change is not just what happened on paper. It is the way Zoe describes herself now. She is lighter, happier, more connected to her horses, and more in control of how she shows up.
For Zoe, the journey has been about more than confidence. It has been about learning that true power does not come from pressure, but from trust. And that shift has translated clearly into her results. Over the last 12 months, compared with before she started working with Annette, Zoe has won €97,000 more, moved up 147 places in the world rankings, and increased her percentage of classes won by 111%.