Kangaroos at dawn and dusk, temperamental rivers prone to flooding, thoroughbred studs, hordes of weekend tourists on cellar-door crawls – and let’s not forget the dusty grounds of Denman Pony Club: Lyndal Oatley’s childhood in the Upper Hunter Valley holds fond memories for the 42-year-old equestrienne, but it’s a universe away from today’s existence.

Zooming in from Dülmen, a rural town in the north-west of Germany, at the ungodly hour of 6am (“I’ve been online for the last hour doing a remote lesson for someone in Australia” she admits), the Australian Olympic and World cup dressage representative is all understated chic: caramel cashmere turtleneck, glowing skin, hair slicked back into a low bun – a look that accommodates a riding helmet at any moment.