Dressage For All 25: Meet the Urban Coach

Earlier this year, the second pilot for the BD Urban Equestrian Programme ran in collaboration with Stepney Bank Stables and BD coach Samantha Brown. As part of Dressage For All Week, we caught up with Sam to hear about her experience within the role.  

A core principle of British Dressage’s strategy is to ensure that the sport is accessible to all, by removing the barriers to participation and creating opportunities for riders with limited access to the sport, particularly for those who come from less privileged backgrounds. 

Launched in 2023, the Urban Equestrian Centre pilot scheme aimed to reach out to those in under-represented communities, helping to expand their equestrian knowledge, develop their riding skills and understand more about the sport of dressage. The first pilot ran in partnership with Summerfield Equestrian and coach Jo Swain; whilst the second pilot took place in the summer of 2025, with Stepney Bank Stables and Samantha Brown.  

Samantha Brown is a distinguished British dressage rider, having competed up to Small Tour and represented Great Britain on youth teams at the start of her career. Alongside her competitive career, she’s an accomplished trainer, coach and a prolific breeder of sports horses and ponies. Based at Durham Equestrian Centre, she runs weekly clinics, develops youngstock, and has and has recently completed the National Development Programme for Coaching Excellence. 

“In July 24, I was approached by British Dressage to coach the Urban Equestrian programme at Stepney Banks Stables, in the heart of Newcastle City Centre, just a stone’s throw away from the infamous Byker Wall as seen on Byker Grove. Having never heard of something as unique as this programme before, I was excited and intrigued to see what it was all about.” 

“Stepney Banks Stables provide the wellbeing benefits of access to horses to those who might not get the chance otherwise,” Sam explained about the centre, which is a key part of the community in the local area. Stepney Bank Stables (SBS) provides transformative opportunities to around 125 vulnerable young people per year through unique youth volunteering programmes. Operating as a charity, they offer life-changing access to horses, sports, cultural activities, accredited equestrian training, and positive adult role models. 

“Throughout the six-week programme, I worked with a small group of teenagers and young adults who spend a lot of their time there.” As a coach, responsibilities extend beyond technical teaching, as Sam explained about her influence: “My job was to give them an overview of the rules and values of British Dressage, an insight to the dressage movements and how to ride a dressage test at the participants chosen level.” 

“For me, what made this programme so unique and special was that it allowed them to see the door to a whole new part of the equestrian world and provided connections to further education for these young people should they wish.” 

“Coaching this programme has been a privilege,” Sam reflected, “to see not only their knowledge and understanding of British Dressage growing and developing throughout, but their confidence in their own abilities and that of others too, has been an absolute pleasure to watch and be a part of. The classroom-based goal setting sessions also proved to be thought provoking for some participants and showed them that opportunities they once thought might not be possible, are in fact within reach and achievable.” 

Sam expressed her thanks to BD and to hosts Stepney Bank for hosting, sharing her gratitude in their support and provision of horses. “Most of all, thank you to the individuals who took the leap out of their comfort zone and put themselves forward for this great opportunity! I may have been the coach for the programme, but they have all individually taught me so many things along the way, too.” 

The Urban programme will continue to be at the heart of the British Dressage commitment to equality and accessibility; with exciting plans for a wider roll out and industry collaboration in 2026 and beyond.