Biography

British-based Australian rider Sammi Birch (47) first competed at Badminton in 1999 gaining 7^th place on her debut with Hunter Red. Last year she gained her fifth completion of the event with Finduss PFB – her entry this year. The combination was 25^th in 2022.

Sammi who is based near Cirencester, grew up around horses and started eventing on her father’s homebreds – mostly thoroughbreds that didn’t make the grade on the track. Her first Badminton horse Hunter Red was homebred.

In 2000 she represented Australia at the WEG in Jerez (15^th Frederick Hunter) and in 2003 with Enchanted placed 3^rd at the Australian 4* Adelaide and the following year placed 2^nd with Black Odyssey and was Olympic reserve with Enchanted. In 2005 she moved to the UK. In 2016 with Hunter Valley she was the travelling reserve for the OG in Rio.

In 2024 with Parkfield Breeding’s British-bred Parkfield Pumpkin, she was the winner of the CCI2* at Osberton, and earlier in the year the Kelsall Hill CCI3* with Susan Lamb and Therese Miller’s Jutopia.

Sammi is married to Edward and the couple have a nine-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. When not riding Sammi enjoys sleeping, sunny beaches and going home to Australia. She trains with Alex Franklin.

Finduss FPB owned by Parkfield Breeding and Sammi Birch, is a 15 year-old Dutch-bred KWPN registered gelding. He is by the Hanoverian Saffier out of a mare by Sarantos. He was originally produced by Holly Woodhead – Sammi took the ride in 2019. At home he is known as ‘Loopy Louis’ as he is ‘a bit of a lunatic most of the time’.