It’s a sad reality that the legs of ponies do not grow as fast as the legs of children and the progression for many keen young riders has an end destination in a partnership with a thoroughbred.
The inaugural TSHA National Titles this weekend at Stonewall Equestrian seeks to bring together the racing and equestrian worlds in a way not seen before and when Breednet took up the challenge of sponsoring a team for the Maiden Teams Challenge I didn’t have to look far to find my dream team.
Most people know my twins Jack and Jasmine and I are involved in equestrian and specifically showjumping, but with Jasmine now working full time for Chris Waller and Jack electing to follow the dream of many 19YO young men and head to Qatar as a spectator for the Soccer World Cup, I found myself looking outside of Daybreak Farm to field a team for the first ever national thoroughbred championships at Stonewall.
When you have children competing in jumping events on the South Coast, you quickly become aware of Team Priestley and the quality coaching and support they provide to their clients.
Kel and Kareena and their daughter Jamie have put plenty of time and effort into our young Breednet team riders Aria Baker, Faith Banks and Lily-Rose Baxter, who have all been friends for years.
They started on ponies at local gymkhanas and I’ve been witness to their trials and tribulations along the way as ponies made way for galloways and finally the thoroughbreds they will ride this weekend.
All have worked their way up the hard way and right behind them are the dedicated mothers that put the show on the road – Sue, Deb and Jess are the people that make the magic happen!
Showjumping is an addictive sport and whether you are participating in a 1.50m World Cup or a 90cm teams challenge, the goal is exactly the same, jump clear and jump fast!
There are no grey areas in showjumping, you live and die by the sword.
It’s a unique partnership between horse and rider that tests the courage and resolve of both, you need to have each other’s back at all times, so when one of you makes a mistake (and you will) the other has it covered.
Winning is nice, but it’s not always about the winning, it’s about the pursuit of that perfect round… when you ride out of the ring lit up like a Christmas tree knowing just for that minute it was as good as it gets.
Whatever happens this weekend at Stonewall, we wish our riders the very best of luck and hope they along with all the other competitors and supporters enjoy the first ever TSHA National Thoroughbred Championships!
