Our coaches and staff - the people who handle the day to day of RDA

Clair Hagan

I'm Claire, WRDA's Senior coach and Horse Manager and work full time on site at our fabulous Battle Hill Arena. My role consists of coaching a variety of RDA riders in all three core programs - Therapy, Education and Sport and Recreation. I also work in the specialised Eagala and Unmounted Youth Programmes alongside a Mental Health professional, as well as managing the care and welfare of our horses, making sure their many needs are met to keep them fit for purpose as therapy horses. 

The coaching team at WRDA is small but mighty. We meet regularly to share ideas and support each other.  

I joined the team when we were at Kenepuru in November 2015, and helped support the successful move to Battle Hill. 

I came to WRDA with a qualification in Equine Community Coaching and Veterinary Nursing. I have continued to up skill gaining an NZRDA Level 5 Coaching qualification and certification as an Eagala Equine Specialist.

My love for horses goes back many years. Owning and competing my horses in both dressage and showjumping, on and off, as a child through to my mid twenties.

I have seen many successes over the last few years, with so many of my incredibly talented riders and clients smashing their goals, learning new skills and gaining in confidence. A highlight was having three talented riders star in a wee segment on TV2's Fanimals.

Horses are an incredibly powerful therapy tool in both the ridden and unmounted setting. I feel privileged to be able to work alongside many like minded people, both volunteers and the WRDA team who, like me, are dedicated to helping our riders/clients achieve their personal goals, increasing ability and enjoyment.

We have had a successful first year in our indoor arena and I'm looking forward to many more years, helping both the riders achieve success, as well as helping the horses enjoy their important role at WRDA.

Jill Reti

Kia Ora.  My primary role is the Manager of Wellington RDA. I look after the "human" side of our organisation, so most days you will find me in the office.  I work 35 hours per week and my job is wide ranging dealing with anything that is not directly in the Arena. I work closely with our fabulous team of Coaches to keep things running smoothly. We really do have a fantastic team.

I hold my Level 3 Assistant Coach qualification, so you might see me Coaching from time to time in the Arena providing relief coaching. 

I have a background in HR, Administration, Management and Continuous Improvement and spent much of my working life prior to children working for the Royal New Zealand Navy and New Zealand Defence Force.

I have a competitive horse background.  I started riding at the age of 12 and was hooked. I competed my horses for 25 years and was  a regular competitor on the Show Jumping and Eventing circuit. My "one in a million" horse was Kamba, who I bought as a 3 year old and competed on for approximately 20 years. I had successes in  the Wellington Show Jumping Circuit and also had great success with eventing at 1* level – travelling away in the weekends. I spent some time “paying it back” by coaching at the local Pony Club and then moved on to helping others achieve their competition goals.

I no longer have my own horses, but am kept very busy being mum to Brooke who is a competitive dancer and Logan who plays both winter and summer sports.

I love working for Wellington RDA  – it gives me my horsey fix in between administrative duties and I love meeting our clients and watching them grow over the time they spend at RDA.  It's a pretty special place to work.

Sarah Piper

Hi I'm Sarah, the Friday and Saturday coach at WRDA.

I started volunteering in 2003 after being unable to afford riding lessons, but wanting a way to just be around horses. I was volunteering on Saturdays initially, and in 2011 started on Tuesdays too, enjoying the opportunity to work with different riders, volunteers and coaches.  In 2017, a few months after the move to Battle Hill, the Friday coach role became available, and I've been coaching on Fridays since then, along with one ride on a Tuesday, and in mid 2021 I picked up the Saturday coach role. Most of my riders are Sport and Recreation, however across my days I get to work with riders in the Therapy and Education programmes too.

In 2018 I gained my Assistant Coach qualification and as always, I've been lucky to have the support of such an amazing coaching team, as well as the fantastic work of such a great volunteer team and such wonderful horses too.

Currently I volunteer the rest of a Tuesday alongside my coaching, and I also look after all the horses on a Sunday as a grazer. I bought my horse Dex in July 2011, who was previously one of the RDA therapy horses, and he has remained grazing at RDA ever since, which means even if I'm not there to volunteer or coach, I'm often there with Dex.

It's been amazing over the years seeing WRDA grow, especially since the move to Battle Hill, seeing more and more riders benefit so much from this service is so powerful, and shows just how incredible our horses, volunteers and staff are.

Ingrid O’Sullivan

I joined Wellington RDA in 2024 as a part-time Assistant Coach and Horse and Grounds Coordinator. 
Like so many, I fell in love with horses as a child and unsuccessfully begged my parents for a pony
(we lived on a cliff face in Wellington!).  I managed to get my horsey fix through pony club, working at
a stud farm/horse racing stables as a teenager, and later through my own beloved mare. 
I also love children and teenagers and am lucky enough to have three of my own.
Joining RDA has taken me out from behind my desk and embracing the farmgirl within.  My husband
and kids are enjoying the better work stories that come from this change!
Working with young people and horses comes with weighty responsibility, but is also a huge privilege. 
I am often moved by the amazing humans and horses adding a little magic to peoples' lives and feel
grateful to RDA for the opportunity to bear witness to these moments.