Ken Dromgool comes from a family that bred and rode pleasure horses and grew up on sheep and cattle farms that his family owned in the far North. 

He rode his first horse aged two (with the help of his father!) and broke in his first horse aged 12.  As a child, Ken was a member of the local pony club, back in the days when kids rode (and jumped) bareback. 

In his teenage years, Ken worked for his father droving cattle up and down the famous 90 Mile Beach, between their two properties in the Hokianga and Houhora – 200 head of cattle at a time. 

Ken has continued on with the Dromgool family’s breed of horses and this year’s foals are the ninth generation. 

Ken’s horsemanship journey changed when he had a horse he couldn’t break in ‘conventionally’ and took it to Australian horseman Merv Kildey, who helped Ken to be where he is today.  Ken has also travelled with renowned American horseman, Ray Hunt.  Exclusively teaching horsemanship for over a decade, Ken’s loves range from dressage to roping, but his true talent is communication with both horses and students. 

Jane Dromgool

Jane Dromgool always had a passion for horses but lived in the city and couldn’t have a horse as a child.  She rode her first horse, which belonged to a friend (a very naughty Welsh pony), aged 12. 

 Jane’s initial career choice was nursing, specialising in intensive care.  Moving to Whangarei in 1991, she bought her own property and consequently her first horse, and started competing in dressage and eventing. 

Her passion for her work with horses saw her leave nursing and start a business breeding thoroughbred racehorses.  This has now expanded to pre-training, sales preparation, riding and schooling horses. 

Ken and Jane first met six years ago at one of Ken’s clinics.  They are now working and living together, and share their businesses – Ken Dromgool Horsemanship and Culzean Equine.