Competing on the world's biggest sporting stage comes with extreme highs and lows. For many athletes, having their loved ones on the sidelines can be the confidence and comfort they need to perform.

Standing by the side of Australian dressage competitor Lyndal Oatley will be Patrik Kittle, her husband and coach. In a unique twist, he is also the competition.

"It's a very simple scenario," Oatley said. "When we ride - it's business."

Kittle competes for Sweden and if both athletes are successful in qualifying for the London Olympics, they will face off in the dressage competition, taking place at the iconic Greenwich Park.

"Patrik and I are in very different stages of our careers which is an advantage," Oatley said. "He won the individual bronze medal at the European Championships this year whereas this will only be my second Australian representation."

Oatley and Kittle will however both have their eyes firmly on the prize next year, with Australia's dressage team in increasingly good form.

"I will be there supporting him, and he will do the same for me," Oatley said of their imminent Olympic showdown. "However, when we are riding we focus on ourselves and the other person is just there on the sidelines to help in whatever way they can,” she explained.

"It's an entertaining switch of roles for both of us. You can feel like you have a dual personality, but so far we have the system under control. I have nearly beaten him a couple of times though and this was quite amusing as I think he was a little shocked... but he says he would be proud if I did so I’ll keep you posted on that!”

Surrounded by horses from the minute she was brought into the world, Oatley considers it her destiny that her life revolves around them.

Oatley’s father came from a horse oriented family - his father Robert imported one of Australia’s first Warmblood Stallions, established a successful thoroughbred breeding stud and also competed in harness driving. Oatley’s mother, whilst not born into it, developed a passion for horses, riding dressage and breeding New Forrest Ponies and Thoroughbreds.

After developing her riding skills at the local pony club, Oatley was lured towards the show ring by the “shiny beautiful horses”.

She rose through the show horse ranks in Australia, winning the Australian Championship two years in a row (2001 and 2002) – an achievement yet to be matched in her division and one that earned her a Young Australian of the Year Nomination.

It was during this time however that the talented rider switched her focus to dressage under the direction of her then trainer Matthew Dowsley.

“The Sydney Olympics was my first ‘in-person’ introduction to dressage at such a high international level,” Oatley said.

“I sat in the stadium and was so inspired to ride at such an event with great riding, amazing horses, the atmosphere and the admiration of what it must take to achieve such a level of training.

“You cannot get more inspiration in your homeland than that!”

Oatley described the feeling of watching people she admires and followed religiously through magazines and the internet as “nothing short of mind-blowing” and she knew from that moment on that it was what she was meant to do.

“It is quite surreal to look back now and realise that some of those riders are now the support crew I am very fortunate to have around me today – it is amazing what 11 years of dedication to a dream can achieve!”

Competing in Sydney, and again in Beijing eight years later was Oatley’s cousin Kristy, Australia’s most successful dressage rider to-date.

“To have her (Kristy) as a cousin is an inspiration without question. Kristy has given me some advice through the years which has really helped. If I am fortunate enough to be in the Team for the 2012 Olympics, then no doubt her advice will be in my mind then also,” Oatley admitted.

With the Olympics just nine months away, Oatley and Australia’s other equestrian athletes are busy preparing themselves and their horses for the Games.

Keeping her very busy, Oatley has two programs in place for the coming months. In November, she and her mount Potifar will compete to qualify Australia as a team for London, following which will be an international event in Germany a few weeks later.

Her focus will then shift as she takes her younger talent Sandro Boy to some small shows to test his readiness for the international show circuit. She hopes that by 2012 she will have both horses strategically placed to be ready to fight for a spot on the Australian Team.

So how will she choose which one to ride?

“That is like choosing between your children, or parents in my case!

“Potifar is the experienced turbo charged ballerina of the team. At 14 he’s a seasoned performer who puts his heart into his work. Sandro Boy is the young gun, with the talent to go far – he has a lot of quality and can be a big step forward for me, with the ability to get high scores.

“Both my boys are contenders, but for totally different reasons. At this point I can’t put one in front of the other – which is a situation I am lucky to be in!”

Alice Wheeler
AOC