ABOUT US
The Centre of Horseback Combat is the brainchild of couple Karl Greenwood and Zana Cousins-Greenwood.
Wanting to set up the first ever licensed and insured centre dedicated to safe and quality Horse Archery training in the UK the dream started. After a lot of hard work to find the right locations, the correct insurance, a riding school license and of course suitable horses the centre in its present format was finally opened in 2010. The Centre now welcomes National and even International clients and the couple have now taught over 6000 people the ancient skill of Horseback Archery.
ZANA
Zana’s Early Years
Zana's performance background started on stage when she was 3 years old.
She won her first cup at 4 years old.
Aged 9 she won a place at the prestigious Arts Educational School, Tring Park where she furthered her career in acting, singing, dance and music.
At this time she also discovered horses but was put off riding by her parents as it interfered with her ballet and muscle development.
Not discouraged Zana continued to have a love of horses and finally bought her own pony to compete in local x-country events on and pony club. After riding for her teenage years she still had the performance bug and dreamed of combining the two.
She trained to be a Trapeze artist, Fire eat, Stilt walk and perform aerial acts with her husband Karl working in Spain and Portugal and through having these skills found work at Lulworth castle, Dorset for a jousting team.
So it started.............
Zana and Horses
Zana is from First Nations descent, The Blackfoot peoples in Canada - the horse people. Zana has a huge affinity with animals and communication.
Zana is an accomplished Jousting knight having performed in hundreds of Jousting shows for over 14 years and still performing with their own team The International Cossacks. She was the very first female knight at Warwick Castle perfoming in hundreds of arena shows.
She is a very experienced Cossack Trick rider working with true Russian Cossack techniques linking in with Russian Trick riders in Moscow. Her tricks includes vaulting tricks, sitting backwards on her horse's neck and picking up hats and jumping over fire whilst still in trick!
All of course performed at full gallop and she can perform saddle falls and bull dogs.
She was trained by Cossacks to use a Russian Shashka sword, lance, gun and throwing knives all from horseback.
She also is an experienced Roman Rider (standing on the backs of 2 horses at canter), including four-in-hand and jump and also rode with The Rockin' horse stunt team which have performed all over the U.K and abroad.
Zana works with mainly with Niagara, an Andalucian gelding who she has owned since he was 3 yrs old. He is now 16 years and can lay down, sit up, rear at liberty and whilst ridden, Joust, trick ride and loves jumping through fire.
Together they make a strong pair and have a unique bond.
Rider Confidence - Zana is also the founder of the unique Rider Confidence course using psychology and classroom sessions plus practical training sessions learning skills such as rearing and falling to help nervous riders regain confidence. The course attracts clients from all over the U.K and even worldwide on occasion and has gained great reviews.
Experience Abroad
Dubai 2009- Zana also has worked in Dubai with Hoofbeatz entertainment as stunt team leader, teacher and show rider, providing Trick riding, Fire eating and Horse archery acts.
Oman- Zana is now a tent pegging coach having completed a training course in Oman March 2016 with the ITPF (International Tent Pegging Federation)
Russia and Dzhigitovka- Zana and Karl set up the British Equestrian Dzhigitovka and Trick Riding Association (BEDTRA) in Feb 2016 and then competed and coached in July 2016, July 2017, July 2018 and July 2019 in Moscow, Russia with Team GB for the first ever World Dzhigitovka (Trick riding and weapons) Equestrian Federation Championships.
In year one Zana won a personal silver medal in Horse Archery and the team came third overall in the team events.
In 2018 Zana won a bronze medal in the overall female catagory in the World Champs and was highest placed female overall in the weapons sections.
She now travels at least twice a year to the Moscow region in Russia to sit on the committee of the International Dzhigitovka Equestrian Federation -IDEF and to learn new training techniques and weapons skills to bring back here to train students and keep alive the traditional art of Dzhigitovka.
Zana has a coaching certification from the IEDF in Russia to teach Dzhigitovka here in the U.K.
Zana is also now Head of International Relations for the I.E.D.F
The BEDTRA is the only association affiliated to The IDEF in the U.K and is the governing body for the sport here in the U.K
Zana and Karl have both competed in Horseback archery International competitions in Russia, Jordan, Mongolia, Sweden and South Korea.
National Horseback Archery Society
She is an experienced Horse Archer and instructor and has competed in National competitions but also at The World Horseback Archery Championships in South Korea, Russia, Sweden and Mongolia for Team GB.
Zana has passion for Horse Archery and the commitment to see this exciting sport brought back to life in the U.K and and has set up along side Karl the National Horseback Archery Society - NHAS, which is the governing body for U.K Horse Archery which is committed to horse welfare and high quality, safe and legal teaching and standards in the UK, training coaches and hosting competitions both Nationally and Internationally.
See the N.H.A.S page for more info and to join.
NHAS is also affiliated to The World Horse Archery Federation - WHAF based in South Korea.
Zana’s other skills include:
Trampolining, fire eating, stilt walking, doubles trapeze, knife throwing, side saddle riding, gun shooting, swimming, trained ballet dancer, PADI Dive master in scuba, kick-boxing black belt, rock-climbing, fencing and broadsword fighting, British Action Academy Screen Combat courses - Phases I,II, III, has gained a Tent pegging coaching certification with the ITPF in Oman and has gained the JISC horse stunt test qualification.
She is also a qualified lifeguard, gym instructor and has a current first aid at work certificate.
KARL
Karl has worked with horses for the last 35 years starting with driving horses and horse logging and going onto Jousting and Trick riding. Karl even drove a horse from Devon to the very north of Scotland on his own (it took a while!)
A stilt-walking, fire-eating mixture of ringmaster, presenter, narrator and actor, his work has also took some odd turns playing most of the BBC's Dr. Who monsters such as a Cyberman, Ood, Judoon, Scarecrow, Dalek pig slave and many more. He also worked on the Dr.Who live tour playing at arenas across the U.K.
He has also been onscreen in 'Into the Woods', as well as 'Snow White and the Huntsman', 'Clash of the Titans 2', 'Dragon Crusaders' and 'Knight of the Dead' with principal actor roles.
He also writes and produces live stunt, Jousting and Russian Cossack shows.
Karl's other skills include: Acting, PADI Divemaster scuba, kick-boxing (black belt), trampolining, rock climbing, broad sword fighting, fire eating and breathing, fire spinning (doubles staff), knife throwing, stilt walking, trapeze and doubles trapeze, Roman riding, Jousting, Trick riding and saddle falls.
Karl co founded the National Horseback Archery Society (NHAS) and taught more over 6000 students the ancient skill of Horseback Archery at the centre and trains all the horses for this sport.
Karl is honoured to sit on the committee for the International Equestrian Dzhigitovka Federation, Moscow and is president of the British Equestrian Dzhigitovka and Trick Riding Association (BEDTRA) and he also coached the British Equestrian Dzhigitovka team for the World championships held in Russia in July 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 and is currently training towards next years competition.
Karl also holds a coaching certification in Dzhigitovka from the IEDF in Russia to coach here in the U.K
Karl is also a qualified Hypnotherapist and psychotherapist specialising in horse riders and is the co founder of our unique Rider Confidence Course.
Karl has written a book on Rider Confidence which can be brought from Karl directly or from Amazon -
Control Your Stress and Enjoy Your Horse.
Karl has his own website dedicated to Rider Confidence www.karlgreenwood.co.uk
All images are copyright protected by the Stampede Stunt Company and The Centre of Horseback Combat Ltd
© Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
