Director | Dressage Rider & Trainer
Lucy Palmer is a dressage rider, trainer, and director of Anmore Dressage, whose career has been built on dedication, adaptability, and a deep understanding of both horses and people. With a lifelong connection to the sport, Lucy brings a balanced and thoughtful approach to training, leadership, and long-term development, both within the arena and across the wider business.
Lucy began riding at the age of three, quickly discovering a passion that would shape her future. What started as a weekend activity soon became a lifelong commitment, driven by a genuine love for horses and the desire to build a career in an industry she felt deeply connected to. From an early stage, Lucy understood the challenges of working professionally with horses, particularly the financial and practical realities of the sport. This awareness has strongly influenced her grounded, sustainable approach to both riding and business.
Her professional journey includes extensive experience working within top dressage yards, gaining insight not only into training and competition, but also the day-to-day running of high-performance yards. A particularly influential chapter of her career was riding for Paul Friday, where Lucy gained invaluable competition experience across a wide variety of horses and secured her first National Title. These formative years helped shape her adaptable riding style and reinforced her belief that learning in dressage never truly stops.
In 2017, Lucy and Jezz Palmer established their own competition and training yard, building a strong client base and developing a reputation for producing horses with care, patience, and consistency. Alongside her riding career, Lucy has played a key role in managing staff, supporting apprentices, and maintaining the operational standards required to run a successful professional yard. Her experience also extends into specialist services within the industry, including fitting tail extensions across the UK, primarily at professional yards and competitions.
Lucy’s competition highlights include training her mare “Superstar” to Grand Prix and competing successfully at International Small Tour level. While not the easiest horse, Superstar proved to be one of Lucy’s most valuable teachers, reinforcing her belief in listening to each individual horse and adapting training accordingly. Together, they achieved multiple regional titles and international experience, milestones that reflect Lucy’s resilience and attention to detail as a rider.
At Anmore, Lucy’s role spans riding and training a variety of horses, supporting yard management, and overseeing marketing and social media activity in collaboration with Highland Marketing. Her leadership style is calm, supportive, and example-led, offering a counterbalance to faster-paced decision-making while maintaining clear goals and accountability. Lucy values fairness, clarity, and open communication, creating an environment where staff feel supported while still being encouraged to strive for excellence.
Looking to the future, Lucy shares a long-term vision focused on sustainable growth and international recognition. In the coming years, her aim is to strengthen horse sales while retaining selected horses for longer-term development toward Grand Prix. Over time, this approach will help establish Anmore as a well-recognised name in producing top-quality dressage horses, both in the UK and internationally.
On a personal level, Lucy draws strong motivation from her family. Becoming a mother to her daughter, Ella, stands as her most significant milestone and continues to shape her perspective. Lucy is driven by the desire to lead by example, showing that with commitment, resilience, and passion, ambitious goals are achievable. Known by colleagues and clients as committed, loyal, and approachable, Lucy brings warmth, perspective, and quiet determination to her role as director, playing a vital part in shaping the culture and future of Anmore.