Sylvia Read - MSc Equine Science, class of 2026

Understanding endurance

Sylvia’s decision to study equine science was motivated by a desire to give something back to the sport she loved.

“I wanted to understand more about the physiology and anatomy of performance horses,” she explains. “Endurance riding is taxing on the horses, and I wanted to understand more about what we ask of them.”

A friend and former student of the programme recommended the degree and Sylvia initially intended to study a few courses, but found herself drawn into the wider subject.

“Each course is designed to support independent learning, but when you put them together, you can learn about all aspects of equine science.”

She valued the way the programme translated complex scientific concepts into accessible language. For Sylvia, being able to communicate science in a way that people can understand is an important part of applying knowledge in practice.

Her studies culminated in a dissertation exploring the characterisation and genetic analysis of performance and fitness traits in endurance horses. The research aimed to improve understanding of equine performance, with the potential to support better-informed breeding and training decisions.

The scale of the project was considerable. Over three months of data collection, Sylvia worked with around 30,000 performance records, of which 12,750 were included in the study. The resulting dissertation ran to 122 pages, representing a year’s worth of work that began in summer 2025.

“I remember thinking, ‘I think I passed,’” she recalls. “I was mostly just glad to have submitted it.”

Two months later the marks were released. She called her husband but was nervous about opening the results.

“I was blown away by the mark.”

The following day, the programme director contacted her with further news: she had been named the 2026 Dissertation Thesis Award winner.

A new direction

While working on her dissertation, Sylvia also discovered a new sporting interest.

In early 2025, she met her now-husband, a cycling coach and cycle-holiday tour guide. Although she had cycled as a child, she had not continued with the sport.

That changed when the pair went cycling together and he suggested she try a road bike.

“Within 10 minutes, I loved it. I was just thinking about being on the bike, and it was liberating.”

She bought her own bike in June and entered her first race in September, winning the best-in-age-group and overall female winner award. After two further races, she was invited to join CDASJ Cyclin’Team Women.

By February 2026, she was competing seriously. She entered five races and won four, before going on to compete in the Portuguese National Road Cycling Championships in June.

She won.

The science behind performance

For Sylvia, the transition from endurance riding to road cycling has highlighted the connections between the two sports.

Both require athletes to develop endurance, manage fatigue and follow structured training programmes. Her studies have provided a scientific foundation for understanding these principles, which she can now apply to her own performance.

“The equine exercise physiology course taught me about the different stages of training, and there are parallels between what I learned and the training plans I follow myself.”

Genetics has also become an area of personal interest. Through her own DNA analysis, Sylvia discovered that her genetic profile suggests a predisposition towards cycling performance. She sees this as another connection with her dissertation research, which explored the genetic factors associated with performance and fitness in endurance horses.

For Sylvia, understanding genetic potential is only part of the picture. The next step is to consider how training can help an athlete develop that potential.

The same principle applies to the horses she spent years riding. Research into performance traits could help inform breeding decisions, while a better understanding of physiology and fitness can support more effective training.

Her experience has given her a new perspective on the science she studied, allowing her to see how knowledge gained through equine research can inform her own sporting journey.

Knowing when to push

Despite the similarities between the two sports, Sylvia recognises an important difference in how she approaches performance.

As an endurance rider, her priority has always been the welfare of her horse. Cycling has given her the opportunity to explore her own limits instead.

“With endurance, you ask, ‘How much more can I ask of my horse?’ With cycling, you ask, ‘How much more can I ask of myself?’”

She admits that she pushes herself harder on the bike than she would ever have asked her horses to race.

The comparison reflects an important lesson from her studies: understanding performance means looking beyond results to consider the individual athlete, their physical demands and their welfare.

The knowledge gained through equine science has helped Sylvia appreciate the importance of training and conditioning, while reinforcing her commitment to putting the horse first.

Looking ahead

Sylvia’s achievements have come in a remarkably short period of time. Alongside completing her studies and receiving the Dissertation Thesis Award, building a new sporting career and becoming a national champion, Sylvia also married her husband in March 2026.

Sylvia is preparing to celebrate her academic achievements at the University’s winter graduation in November and is working on an abstract for the 2027 British and Irish Society of Animal Science (BISAS) conference in Dundee.

She also plans to publish research based on refined dissertation data and extend the work following a recommendation from one of her external examiners. Her aim is to bring the findings to a wider audience and contribute to a better understanding of performance and fitness in endurance horses.

In cycling, her ambitions are equally clear: to defend her titles while remaining healthy and happy.

For now, Sylvia enjoys a relatively quiet life on her farm in Portugal, surrounded by cats, dogs, a very chatty parrot — and her bike.

Her experience demonstrates how the skills and knowledge gained through postgraduate study can extend beyond the classroom, connecting scientific research with real-world experience.

From endurance horses to the road cycling podium, Sylvia’s journey is a reminder of what can be achieved when curiosity, determination and a willingness to try something new come together.