Who's Who

Jarratt, Suzy

 

I was born in north-west London a long, long time ago – Willesden wasn’t a horsey area, nobody had a pony or went hunting – although we did look at showjumping on the BBC. We were quite a way from Hyde Park and Rotten Row but mother was keen for her only child to at least come into contact with those who were considered posh and privileged. In between attending private schools and taking lessons in elocution and ballroom dancing I was sent to some stables in Middlesex. I would travel on a tube train wearing my jodhpurs and tweed jacket clutching a whip with a silver handle which my dad had bought at Portobello Road markets.

I rode a horse called Crispin – I only went once a fortnight and needless to say I wasn’t very good.

Years later, after migrating to the other side of the world for only ten quid – an offer too good to ignore – I did buy a horse. By this time I had worked in the advertising department of The Australian and become an agony columnist on The Daily Mirror. I later became a feature writer for The Daily Telegraph and broadcaster on various radio stations.

It was during the late seventies that I was approached by movie horse trainer, Heath Harris, to write a pitch to ABC TV. This resulted in our presenting Horse Talk – twelve half-hour episodes screened nationwide in prime time. I have been collaborating with Heath ever since on many projects – working on what I enjoy the most – films and horses.

We’ve made documentaries for the 0-10 Network, researched and developed horse-oriented features, designed and produced live shows and, working with some exceptionally creative artists, developed concepts for a Theatre of the Horse.

I’ve worked as a publicist for various equestrian personalities, written articles for journals both here and overseas, worked for horse product companies and written and filmed promotional videos for YouTube.

I recently completed a treatment for a feature based on a horsey novel – that was the easy part – finding investors and getting it made is the hard bit. In the meantime I continue to interview riders and trainers, cover horse shows and clinics and continue trying to convince Australian networks and newspapers that horse sports are as deserving of major print and electronic media coverage as netball, lawn bowls and darts.

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