About Kadi
Why the name changes to Gee Gee Equestrian after Kadi Eykamp Eventing?
I spent 15 years operating as Kadi Eykamp Eventing in the US, first around New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, then Texas with a fun team of horses, riders, and sales. Moving back to Australia changed the business structure to a mainly coaching business and not my personal riding goals or team of horses.
When and where did you begin this sport?
My first One Day Event was at Moree Pony Club in 1981 when I was 10 on an Arabian gelding called Zahama. The phases were run during the weeklong camp, it was so spread out I don’t remember how I went and didn’t really experience the true format of an event. My first event run in a recognized format was the State NSW Pony Club Championships at Belltrees, Scone in 1983 where I came 2nd on a schoolmaster called Copper Top and formed part of the NSW State winning team. Over the next few years at state PC championships I won individual, member of the State and Zone 5 team champions and in 1985 the National Championships at Southport in my age group. When zone 5 won the NSW zone championships, I think in 1984, Kibah Tic Toc was in the team with Barney Hyem riding before Matt Ryan took the ride and won gold for Australia at Seoul.
Why this sport?
I always wanted to event from the beginning of riding horses, even though the English riding style wasn’t common in my area. It might have been a book that my mother bought at the local saddlery called The U.S. Equestrian Team Book of Riding by Willian Steinkraus, an American eventing book. I remember pictures of x/c in Arizona or California, jumping what looked like in the middle of the desert galloping over forty four gallon drums with logs on them. Looked awesome to me. Then in 1983 I saw a small advertisement for a fancy new indoor facility called the NSW Equestrian center in the Land newspaper. An instructor called Heath Ryan was giving riding lessons and we organized to go for a week over the Christmas holidays with 2 lessons a day in dressage, jumping and x/c. So, after 10 hours driving from Moree to Lochinvar it all began.
Tell us about this sport?
The sport consists of dressage, cross country, and show jumping set over 1 to 4 days depending on being a One day Event or Three Day Event now called CCI-S or CCI-L, (short or long) at the levels 1* to 5* for international events and from EvA65cm to CCN at national Equestrian Australia events.
The same horse and rider completes each phase, except at the Olympics where teams can be maintained by a horse or rider substitution if a team member is eliminated. Originally the 3 Day Event had long endurance phases as part of the cross country day, now the modern sport has pivoted to become highly technical in the combination’s performance.
Another attractive point of eventing is it’s a sport that can be participated for many years at any level. Australia’s most decorated Event rider, Andrew Hoy has 8 Olympics under his belt and hopes to claim for his 9th in Paris 2024.
Why do you think eventing changed?
Eventing has evolved into a modern and technical sport to put the wellbeing and safety of the horse and rider at the forefront. The safety of the sport has increased with mechanisms like frangible pins for jump construction and multiple safety advances in rider equipment continue to develop making it a truly modernized version from its military origins. There are many exciting and beautiful venues in the annual calendar created by Events organizers building courses with amazing craftmanship and functionality to make an inclusive experience for spectators, breeders, and horse owners.
The technical part has increased the dressage movements to the equivalent of Australian Medium level and show jumping to 1.30m at the 5 star level and 1.35m for the individual Olympic event. I believe the winners here will be the educated; the coaching, training, and knowledge drawn in a holistic and flexible way will gain most from this truly exciting and rewarding sport.
What achievements do you have in the sport?
I’ve picked these results to show the different venues and some of my memorable CCI achievements which I couldn’t have gained without my amazing and kind horses, hours of training, and many very generous and talented educators and helpers.
1st CCI4* Sydney International 2003 AUS
1st American Eventing Championships Intermediate 2011 USA
1st CC1-S3* Richland International Michigan 2011 USA
1st CCI2* Qantas Lochinvar Three Day Event 1996 AUS
1st CCI-S2* Poplar Place 2010 Georgia USA
2nd CCIW4* Warwick World Cup AUS
2nd CCI3*Melbourne Three Day Event 2003 AUS
2nd CCI-S2* Virginia International 2007 Virginia USA
2nd CCI-S3*Poplar Place 2010 Georgia USA
2nd CCI-S2* Chattahoochee Hills 2015 USA
3rd CCI3* Qantas Lochinvar Three Day Event 1996 AUS
3rd CCI-S3* Weatherford International 2012Texas USA
5th CCI3* Fair Hill International 2011 Maryland USA
5th CCI-S3* Fair Hill 2008 Maryland USA
5th CCI2* Bromont International 2008 Quebec CA
8th CCI3* Bromont International 2008 Quebec CA
6th CCI5* Adelaide International 2004 AUS
7th CCI-S4*Richland International Michigan 2011 USA
8th CCI4* Galway Downs California 2012 USA
Athens & London Olympics - Long Listed for Australia
Ranked 11th in FEI Olympic Eventing Rider World Ranking 2004
Completing 6 CCI5* rounds at Adelaide on 3 different horses.
When did you change from competing to coaching?
In 2012 my business Kadi Eykamp Eventing changed to focus on coaching and training horses for sale instead of competing to the top levels. I continued to compete client and sales horses at lower levels for business objectives and expanded the time and devotion spent to becoming a relevant coach for my client’s needs as my core objective. I gained my US coaching ICP Level 3 in 2015 to meet the recognized training qualifications for Young Rider level- CCI3*. In 2022 I have fulfilled the Australian standards for EA level 2- Eventing Specialist.
What is it about coaching that appeals?
I want riders to do their best rounds possible with the best riding they are capable of. I also want horses to have the best experience possible from the training and care given by the rider.
How did you get to where you are?
I have returned from the US to Brisbane Queensland because I have family here. I lived a few years in Queensland after high school and did my first Open Intermediate runs at Fig Tree Pocket when I was 18 with winning success all those years ago. As a coach I want to help riders and horses learn and understand the sport and where they fit it, whether it’s for local, national or an international pathway.
Awards and honors?
Winner of "Best & Fairest" Australian Event Rider '"Anna Savage Memorial Award" - Integrity, Horsemanship and Sportsmanship 2004
2019 business winner of ‘Best of’ award for the Riding School category in Fort Worth Texas.
Most memorable riding?
Lochinvar 3DE in 1996. I won the CCI**on Iz’bella Rosellini, a Trakehner by Copernicus that my mother bred, and I had trained, she was 6 years old, and it was my first big win, there were about 75 in the class. I also came 3rd in the CCI3* on Somerset Savannah which opened the squad school training system up for me. I remember the next day Craig Barrett phoned to ask if Izzy was for sale. The first of many turn downs on that popular question. She is still living out her retirement at 32 at Winks Armstrong farm in Cassilis.
Winning the CCI****Sydney International on Seal was also a very special memory. He was an OTT I bought from Tim Boland because he thought he was a bit too strong x/c and I think Tim knew that would challenge me. He certainly was very strong, but I soon found he also suffered from loudspeakers causing real fright and flight, which in the dressage was a disaster unless we could get the announcer to not talk till the end. Everything came together that weekend after several seasons of working out his anxiety and quirks and he powered around the x/c in the heaviest rain Sydney had had in 50 years. The jumping was the boldest I’ve ever ridden so that was no wonder. Great horse.
Most memorable coaching?
When my long time student and part time groom Ashlyn Hayworth won the CCI** at Texas Rose on her winning dressage score. The work and commitment she put towards her training and my coaching was what made the win so special.
Another long term student, Claire Gordon won the highest points nationally at amateur Training level and we attended the big awards night with Claire going up on stage and to get her awards. This was a great moment because she had fallen off her horse backwards, or over the hindquarters twice on the first x/c schooling we did just after we got him, her mother was unsure of what we had purchased on her account! There was a lot of faith restored from then to the national award moment. Great times.