Kingswood College’s young horse riders excelled at the South African National Equestrian Federation (Sanef) Schools League nationals held in Johannesburg recently.
Kingswood College’s young horse riders excelled at the South African National Equestrian Federation (Sanef) Schools League nationals held in Johannesburg recently.
The massive three-day multidisciplinary equestrian event attracted over 1 000 horses and ponies and 3 200 entries from all over the country. A total of 21 teams representing their provinces flooded Kyalami Equestrian Park for the event.
Eastern Cape’s Sanef Equestrian Schools chairperson Glynis Fuller said that the Eastern Cape Equestrian Schools Team finished 13th overall with just 21 young riders – a very small team compared to the other provinces. "Eastern Cape riders did us proud! To participate in an event of that size and do so well is absolutely amazing,” she said.
Kingswood primary school pupils Taryn-Maie Wille, Jaime Kent, Alison Knight and Megan du Preez did their fair share to contribute to this brilliant overall result. All of them qualified for and participated in the national event.
Taryn-Mae, riding Assegais Garrick, finished 28th in the level one dressage out of 73 entries and Jaime and Taryn-Mae’s efforts helped the Eastern Cape to a 10th team place in this event. Taryn-Mae also contributed to the Eastern Cape team scoring a fourth place in the Working Riding Level 3 competition.
This team also finished fourth in the level one equitation with Megan riding the feisty Rocky II coming 20th out of 73 entries overall. Alison on Retina R took sixth and ninth out of 50 entries in her level two dressage tests. They also scored a fourth place in the Working Riding level four competition.
In the 80cm show jumping Alison came 13th out of 68 participants. Jaime and her pony also finished 14th out of a class of 66 in the level one performance riding while Alison’s stunning performance in the level four performance riding competition pushed the Eastern Cape team result up to third.
“Well done to each and every rider in the team and to the support group of parents, grandparents, instructors and grooms,” said Fuller.