Anne Dicker
Anne Dicker, nee Loriston-Clarke, was born in the New Forest and grew up at the Catherston Stud, Brockenhurst with her parents, Jennie and Anthony and sister Lizzie. She was the pony rider for many years for all client’s ponies, Show Ponies, WHP’s, Side-Saddle, Natives winning many Championships and finals at both the RIHS and HOYS when they were both at Wembley. She was an active member of the New Forest Branch of the Pony Club and was in all Pony Club Teams, Prince Phillip Cup, Dressage, Eventing, Show Jumping and Tetrathalon where she got to the Championships for all except the PPC! Anne won the Harpers & Queen driving Scholarship which she took for training at Frank and Cynthia Haydon’s famous Hurstwood Hackney Stud. She continued to become their apprentice and experienced driving single, pair, tandem and the team.
Anne successfully competed Internationally on Wellingtonia and White Christmas in eventing and dressage respectively. In 1983 she completed and placed in the Junior European 3DE team in Rome and was on the Young Riders European Dressage team in Munich. Following this trip Anne was involved in her first car accident where she damaged her neck and shoulders. A period of time out and a secretarial course then led her to an office job in London working as a junior secretary for the Sino British Trade Council (part of the BOTB). In 1986 Jennie persuaded Anne out of London and she took on the ride on the ride of the homebred Catherston Dutch Bid achieving team silver and was 6th individually in Kronberg, Germany as a member of the Young Riders European team with and in the team again in 1987 in Cervia Italy. Anne was also the under 21 National Champion in 1982 and 1983.
Anne’s overriding desire was to become as knowledgeable in every aspect of horsemanship that she could, taking and passing the National Pony Society’s Stud Assistant Exam and then was the youngest Diploma holder by the age of 21. She also took her BHS AI and all Pony Club Exams including passing the Pony Club A Test with Honours. Having taken her BHS Stage 4 Exam she went to Talland for a few days to brush up on her exam Teaching technique and passed her Intermediate Teaching Exam.
Anne retired from riding following a serious car accident in 1987. Further to a long spell in hospital Anne was offered a job in London as Showing Secretary to the Royal International Horse Show, Horse of the Year Show and the Olympia International Show jumping Championships. Anne progressed to Show Secretary of the Horse of the Year Show, which she retired from after the 1993 show.
In the 1990’s Catherston moved from Brockenhurst to Hurstbourne Priors where the Manor Farm site was transformed from a dairy farm into an Equestrian Centre and Stud. Anne then returned to the family business with knowledge and experience she had gained from running the shows to assist her mother, Jennie Loriston-Clarke with the running of Catherston Stud and Stud Farm, with the organisation and running of shows, teaching the staff and students and assisting with Stud work.
She married Brian Dicker in 1996, had Christopher in 1997 and Charlotte in 1998. With her life quite busy now and the fact that her parents wanted to down size, Catherston Stud sold the Hurstbourne Priors site and moved to nearby Over Wallop, Anne and Brian were left at what was to become Hurstbourne Equestrian Centre which they built up for the new owners to become a successful Show Centre and then a thriving livery yard and training centre for the next 9 years.
During this time Anne started riding and after a break of over 10 years competing again and in 2005 with her homebred horse jointly owned with Candy Burnyeat, Edgehill Drumroll, qualified for the Preliminary Regional Finals, the Novice Restricted Regionals and the Finals where they were 11th in 2006. Both horse and rider then had a rest while Anne underwent orthopaedic surgery. In September 2007 Anne had a further accident, off a horse this time, and shattered her knee again!
Now recovered, Anne has once again returned home to Catherston at Over Wallop, this time to allow her parents to enjoy a slower pace of life and has taken on the responsibility of managing Catherston Stud, and offering teaching from Preliminary to Advanced in all disciplines for all ages. Anne is also responsible for the foaling of mares, collecting and covering as well as being lorry driver and groom with competing horses, in particular for their daughter Charlotte.
