Lynda de Gruchy likes nothing better than a challenge, a trial, a contest or a project that pushes her boundaries. After a 20-year hiatus from riding, she is back more determined than ever.

To be able to take on all the challenges of work, sport, personal and family life and make them all thrive in a positive and exciting way is the only path Lynda de Gruchy knows to tread. She is never one to take the highway, instead exploring the more interesting byways and side roads along life’s challenges.

A woman of great integrity who loves every day of her life, Lynda is a deviously quirky character. Despite her thirst for adventure and excitement (and champagne!), she cherishes her family. She encourages them to stand on their own feet and follow their passions and hearts, but she is always totally supportive. It’s all about experience and coming back to the fold wiser, shrewder and better grounded!

Next to horses, Lynda’s passion is for fun: she is one to never shirk a party or an opportunity to have fun. All the same, beware, as despite her 65 years of youthfulness, there is a wicked glint in her eye and a great sense of humour that can still lead you astray in the nicest possible way.

Her passion for riding and especially dressage has never been far from her heart, despite enforced breaks for financial, family or work reasons. She was lucky to be able to keep it at bay for 20 years while she raised a family — two children and now four grandchildren. She achieved a lot and is now back in full swing, grinning from ear to ear with two fantastic ponies already out winning at big competitions.

Lynda was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1956. Her mother, Judith, was a dance teacher who had danced with the NZ Ballet Company. Lynda’s father, Peter, was an accountant but didn’t enjoying that and took up dairy farming, knowing nothing about the land or cows. He developed 120 acres from nothing through to managing 120 dairy cows with great success.

NO SADDLE… JUST GUMBOOTS

Lynda loved life on the farm with her two sisters, Jan and Margot, at Northland, about 80km north of Auckland. Initially there was no tractor, only a horse and cart and a sledge to take the milk up to the gate to meet the milk truck. Neither Peter nor Judith had any interest in horses but Jan, their eldest daughter, was handed down a pony from the neighbours, while Lynda was given Zendy, a 20-year-old pony that taught her to “hang on”. No saddle and rope reins, no helmets… just gum boots, but they survived. They all started pony club at Wellsford when they were old enough, but it was a two-hour ride there and two hours back!

Lynda was a great athlete and won in sprinting and long jump at regional athletics championships. At school she was retiring but driven and would go and train at lunchtime. Scholastically, she admits she didn’t exert herself but got by easily, enjoying the sciences and English.

At the age of 12 the competition gene took hold and she travelled with the neighbours in their cattle truck to pony club competitions. She says she was a bit of a thrill-seeker and loved hunter jumping and especially the wire jumping competitions, which she won a lot. She never liked being beaten but didn’t complain when she was, realising that she needed to work harder, a characteristic that is still with her to this day.

On leaving school Lynda had no idea what to do, so she did secretarial college and hated it! Still riding and competing, she started being competitive in eventing and qualified for the NZ Pony Club Championships. She came fifth for two years in a row, not bad given she was up against the likes of Sir Mark Todd, Vaughn Jeffries and Blythe Tait. She had two eventing horses, one of which she sold and which went on to England and competed at Badminton.

Working in an office job, she wangled time off and competed whenever she could, winning a scholarship to train with Lockie Richards in eventing and attending camps and bettering herself at all the disciplines. Lynda loved the point-to-point racing and the speed and competition, winning a lot on Kisimul, an Irish thoroughbred.

Lynda’s older sister, Jan, meanwhile married a doctor and now runs an alpaca and kiwi fruit farm in New Zealand, where her husband is a GP. Younger sister Margot is a counsellor in Bundaberg, well known for her supportive work with the Biloela Tamil refugee family who have been in the news lately.

“Lynda likes nothing better
than a challenge, a trial, a contest…”

MOVE TO SYDNEY

Lynda found love with an earthmoving contractor, Clarry, and they decided to travel the world. The first port of call was Sydney — and that was pretty much where the world tour stopped. They started an earthmoving business from Annangrove, about an hour from Sydney’s CBD. Lynda rode trackwork in the mornings at 4am and pre-trained racehorses and started jumping a few off-the-track horses with some success. She also spent time on the water sailing with Clarry, but buying horses from the saleyards and training, competing and selling them on was what she loved to do.

They had five acres at Annangrove, where they had a daughter, Jodi. Lynda was in the first group to qualify as a NCAS Level 1 instructor, as she felt the need to improve her coaching skills and loved to coach, especially children.

At this time there was a thoroughbred called Inkerman who Lynda started from scratch and did one season of eventing. At five competitions he won every one without any problem before tackling the big track at Sydney Royal 3-Day Event in the park. They say a peacock one day and a feather duster the next! After the dressage in the top three and then on the cross country, they had to jump a narrow fence into a dark area, and Inkerman being a spooky horse refused. It was a huge defeat in Lynda’s mind but understandable given the horse’s lack of experience leading into such a big class. Lynda sold Inkerman to a friend who took him showjumping.

She and Clarry bought 30 acres at Maralya where Lynda kept up a keen interest in equestrian sports while Jodi, of course, had ponies. Lynda went to the doggers yard one day when she heard there was a big buckskin there that was interesting, tall, wild, thin but appealing. She saved his sentence and, thank the lord, he was not big in condition as he would have brought quite some dollars being 17.2hh. He only made $150 and was somehow manhandled onto the truck and ended up at Lynda’s. He was as wild as all get-out and was named Jackson after the singer Jackson Browne, a favourite of Lynda’s.

Jackson nearly ended up back where he had been purchased, but Lynda, not being a quitter, continued to tame the beast. It was Lynda at 5ft, 1in (152cm) weighing 54kg versus 17.2hh… or 5ft 9in (178cm) and weighing 800kg! David and Goliath had nothing on these two!

BUCKING MACHINE

Jackson was the most horrendous bucking machine and Lynda spent many days hurtling through the air. “Even though he was so difficult I knew he had talent. Huge movement with a very feisty attitude but I was not going to give up,” she recalls. “I got pelted so many times and I just got back on and continued. Despite it being a long way down, I never really got injured and he would look at me and think ‘surely she won’t get on again’ but I just did. I took him out to a dressage competition and despite me being scared witless he won. Being one who likes to win it spurred me on to be a better rider and find ways around his feistiness.”

Jackson went on to win Elementary Horse of the Year in NSW and went to Melbourne for the Nationals where he was in the top eight in all his classes. Lynda started him jumping once he was better on the flat. It was at this time that Lynda’s husband Clarry decided to go his separate way as he wanted to sail around the world while Lynda was all for pursuing her equestrian endeavours. Jackson was sent off to David Robertson who campaigned him to B grade showjumping and then sold him to Gavin Chester, then on to Japan to compete in Grand Prix.

Moving on to five acres at Freemans Reach, Clarry helped put in an arena before he left and Lynda set out on her new journey. Jodi now had three horses and was winning pony club classes and at national and state level. However, she soon stopped riding, as being a teenager there were many other more adventurous things to do. Lynda took over Timmy, an Andalusian gelding, and they went from Novice to Prix St Georges in no time before he was sold to Malaysia. During this time, Lynda remarried and had a son, Ben. Her riding continued and she took Ebeneezer Rosie Inn to Prix St Georges, winning several regional championships.

Lynda worked in administration at Hornsby and then became secretary of Hawkesbury Show for a few years before working at UWS as course coordinator running post-grad courses. It was on to part-time teaching for the equine diploma and at the same time gaining a position as technical officer at TAFE. She had a draught cross thoroughbred gelding, Mister Higgins, whom she took to Medium with many wins and a few one-day events, and was always winning or in the top few against more fancy-bred horses. Her dressage career with the two horses was booming but it was becoming expensive. Lynda’s second marriage fell apart in a somewhat difficult situation and it was time for a huge change.

OPEN A RESTAURANT

Lynda sold Freemans Reach and moved to Cronulla, where she worked for Macquarie Bank as an executive assistant — although she wished she had never given up her life at Freemans Reach, crying on the train on the way back to Cronulla from central Sydney. It was her first time living in the city and she was not coping at all. It was time for change! So, of course, you start a restaurant with no experience at all. The restaurant was Mezzo, and it could seat 80 inside and 40 outside. It had 20 staff and all the associated teething troubles with starting such a business, but as with all challenges, Lynda took it in her stride.

Mezzo went from strength to strength. There were no horses at this time; it was restaurant life and a whole new culture that engulfed her life. The full-on lifestyle lent itself to a new, diverse and interesting group of people! Perhaps it was one of those lanes off the highway with new and interesting views that seized Lynda’s attention. Lynda managed to adapt and thrive, but hardly a day went by when she didn’t yearn for the ride on a horse. She craved the smell of the country air and equestrian sports.

“I felt strangely privileged
to be accepted .”

Then along came the Cronulla riots of 2005. It shut Cronulla down and created mayhem for all the businesses in the area, particularly the restaurants. Mezzo folded and six hard years of work was lost.

Lynda was at a loose end, feeling that her world had fallen apart. For the next six months she basically wallowed and wondered where her life was leading her. Picking up a job in administration at the University of Technology she trudged on. Hating city life, she was looking to break free when daughter Jodi moved to the Northern Territory to work as an executive assistant to the shire manager of East Arnhem Land.

BACK TO COUNTRY

Lynda visited on a holiday and had a genetic adventure moment; not long after returning to Cronulla she packed up 12 boxes of belongings and her dog and went to Arnhem Land. Within a week her mojo kicked in and she found a job working in an Aboriginal community at Gunyangara. The region was truly remote and the stunning beaches were largely uninhabited and pure nature. It was a 10-hour drive from the nearest town of Katherine, a drive that can only be done in the dry season from May to October.

Again wanting to better herself, Lynda did a post-grad degree in community management and then worked in community programmes, taking on a huge role in managing a women’s domestic violence shelter. This entailed managing staff and working with the women and children of the country who were affected. There was a 24/7 shelter that had up to 12 women at a time. The management of trauma and advocating for the women was quite incredible and the effect the trauma had on the children was incomprehensible. The indigenous local people lived in communities near Nhulunbuy and on remote homelands, migrating between them.

“It was something I never thought I would or could experience,” says Lynda. “The Yolngu culture was pure and beautiful and close to their country and land. For Yolngu people ‘country’ does not just mean the creeks, rocks and hills; it includes all living things. It incorporates people, plants and animals. It embraces seasons, stories and creation spirits. ‘Country’ is both a place of belonging and a way of believing. To see how important their land was to them was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

“Hunting was mainly fishing due to the coastal location and I was lucky enough to visit some locations in their company. It was real hunting with spears and fabulous to see the instincts of these people when it came to tradition and hunting and life.

“It took some time for me to be accepted into their community but I was passionate about learning their culture and language. Art was a big part of their culture and they are internationally famous for their cross-hatching on bark. I would sit with the women while they painted… and this is also the homeland of musicians Yothu Yindi and most recently Baker Boy.

“Yolngu is one of the oldest living cultures on earth and stretches back more than 40,000 years. There were so many ceremonies and dances that I attended and I felt strangely privileged to be accepted and allowed to witness. Up until 1960 it was pure culture and the introduction of the bauxite mine saw a change in their lifestyles creating primary and secondary health problems due to fast food and alcohol.

“It was sad to see the disruption to these happy people. There were always troubles of sadness; funerals and ceremonies and sorry business went for extended periods of time and seemed to run one into another. It’s a very hard thing to talk about, the Stolen Generations, and it’s a very private and personal thing.”

For Lynda it was a time of connection and realisation, a chance to experience a life that not many know. It was very special and to achieve the acceptance she did is a huge credit to her as a person.

“Just throw yourself at it full-on.”

BACK TO HORSES

After seven years Lynda returned and bought acreage at Old Bar on the Mid-North Coast of NSW. She has a close connection with her family and her mother was having a trying time battling poor eyesight. Jodi also returned to the area with her three children and now has a job as executive assistant to the Mid-Coast Council. Son Ben, who studied mechanics, lives in Orange and manages a tow truck company and always was and will be a rev-head.

Of course, the real reason for Lynda’s move was that life without horses was no longer bearable. She bought nine acres of bare land and created a new home and infrastructure with the dream of riding again. The three-bedroom home was built totally off-grid and eco-friendly. No water and power bills make Lynda feel great about being environmentally conscious.

It was her dream to ride again and she bought a saddle pony that had been a kids’ pony. She was worried that she had been too long out of the saddle, but to her surprise the competitive nature soon got the better of her and she needed more. The buckskin mare Kirrah was purchased and turned out to be a mini-Jackson. Terrified to canter her, it was probably nine months before she did as she used to shy and bolt. Patience and determination paid off and now Lynda is competing her at Elementary (and winning).

Despite still being quirky, Lynda is back in full swing and can’t wait to get further up the ladder. She bought Kingswood Maximillion, a Welsh B 13.3hh chestnut gelding who thinks he is a warmblood on short legs. He had done some showing and Lynda has taken him to winning nearly every test she has had him in, with percentages around 70% to Elementary and about to start Medium.

Lynda rides almost every day and has an arena with floodlights. It is sometimes at 5am in the morning or at 6pm at night, all year round. Her delight in progressing drives her on and the passion that she has at the age of 65 is magical. Her love of the country and her family also sees her encouraging her grandchildren to ride and of course another pony for them and now Jodi is considering taking to the saddle again!

NEVER TOO LATE

On returning to Old Bar, Lynda worked in disability for about six months and then took up a job as manager of a programme that looks after people in the community with severe mental health illness. She is now also studying for a diploma in counselling. She has also updated her coaching accreditation and is learning to become a dressage judge, having nearly completed all the work and practicals required. She feels it is an advantage to see the sport from where the judges are looking, as it then puts training and competition in a better light. She believes that, “It’s never too late to study and learn new skills so you can become a better person.”

Asking Lynda what it was like starting again, she says: “Firstly, it was daunting that I needed everything from a halter and lead to saddles, bridles, my clothes, boots and the lot. There was feeding regimes to sort out and rugging. Stables and yards to be prepared and above all finding time to fit it all in with my work and children and family.

“The realisation of needing to work super hard to pay for an addiction was a bit daunting, but the love I have of riding and training to get out there and compete is all worth it. But to wake up in a house that we built ourselves and go to the stables and enjoy my two ponies has made the full circle in my life.

“For anyone out there contemplating getting back into riding and competition, just throw yourself at it full-on. I was so scared at first and I took so long to gain trust in Kirrah. I lost 12kg and I did Pilates and fitness work as it was partly my lack of fitness and core strength and a feeling of not looking good on a horse that was creating my lack of confidence. I started to eat better and felt re-established about myself.

“I was getting fitter with all the work associated with the riding and the maintenance of the ponies. Once I lost weight and started to get better strength and hence balance, it really affected the entire well-being of my life. To train again was amazing and you really don’t forget how to ride but you do develop a better way as you understand it’s not about strength only; it’s about logic and really being a partner with your horse. It’s about learning new and interesting exercises to create a better riding horse. It’s about empathy and passion. I never stop being amazed and excited by the new feelings I can create within my two horses.

“Of course, that will to win is still within me and I ride every day with the intention of being able to better my performances and see how far up the ladder I can get. My life without horses was indeed a challenging time and one I don’t regret, but to now have the chance to do what I so love is incredible. My life with horses is far from over and it excites me to be able to feel better and fitter every day. Thank the lord for horses.”

To learn of Lynda’s life and where it has taken her, the diversity, the ups and downs, then the joy she has found in returning to the primary love of hers, is totally inspiring. Her attitude is something to applaud. What a story and what a life, but ask Lynda and she will simply say you are never too old to give things a red-hot crack. You will never know until you have a go.

The dressage world will be seeing a lot more of this competitive lady and all will be proud of her tenacity and share in the delight she sheds in her life and association with riding and dressage — not to brush over her life helping so many troubled people. Lynda is a special, caring woman and a fun-loving, positive, good rider and mentor. EQ

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ:

‘Destination Tokyo For Simone & Destano’ – (Equestrian Life, July 2021)

‘Will My Horse Make It To Grand Prix?’ – Roger Fitzhardinge (Equestrian Life, July 2021)