Henk’s quote to teenage Richard was often “not getting out of bed to care for your horse is not letting me down but letting your horse down”. Henk had many such quotes that Richard often repeats to this day.
Richard had two older brothers who were already riding when he started at about age 5. He was a member at Pony club at age 6. Every weekend of Richard’s childhood, the family went to some kind of horse event.
During these years Richard was breaking in horses to harness and saddle with his father and broke his first horse in at the age of 12. He competed in Eventing, Novelties, Dressage, Show Jumping, etc. He travelled to Perth to represent South Australian in the National Tetrathalon Championships where he was given his competition horse 10 minutes before the event started! He also participated in musical square dance on horses at various festivals; many parades including through Adelaide city streets; picnic races; gymkhanas and show carriage driving.
Prior to getting his car driving license, Richard would use his pony and cart as his transport, driving to his job exercising racehorses; visiting friends and to the Nairne bakery for lunch!
After Richard finished school, he went to a Touch Training workshop which led to him going to Victoria to train horses to harness and deal with problem saddle horses.
He returned to Adelaide and was breaking Fjord horses to harness and saddle and also showing them.