In 1995, Sam made the decision to leave his home in Australia and make a career for himself in the UK as an International Event Rider. He trained and worked as a back up rider for double Olympic gold medallist, Matt Ryan, for three years where he had the opportunity to train and compete all levels of event horses. After leaving Matt Ryan's base, Sam established his own team of horses and has since been short listed for the Athens and Beijing Olympics, finished 5th in the HSBC Classics for 2009 (a World ranking system for which points can be accumulated at the world’s four biggest three day events) and was a member of the Australian Team for both the 2010 World Championships in the USA and the London 2012 Olympics, with his top horse, Happy Times. Sam is currently ranked in the top 25 in the World Rider Rankings and is on the Australian Elite Squad with his sites firmly fixed on being part of the team for the 2014 Worldd Equestrian Games in France. Sam and his wife, Lucy, who also competes at top level eventing, run the team together from their yard on the Dorset/Somerset border and in early January 2013 they welcomed their son, Oliver, into the world!