From a very young age, Anna has been in love with horses and we were lucky enough to be able to buy for her a mini Appaloosa pony, ‘Rosie’. Anna spent many hours brushing and taking care of Rosie. I believe that caring for nature and animals creates a deep feeling of responsibility and respect which enables development in a child that will be with them for the rest of their lives.
I myself have also always loved horses, it is said that horses ‘get into your blood’, and I think this is really the case. It is wonderful for me to see this passion for horses independently expressed by my daughter.
Anna works and trains very hard in a local showjumping yard where she is learning her craft in a professional environment. She has a focused dedication to the horses and the sport and I am sure this drive will make her very successful in whichever direction she chooses to take, in what is a challenging sport; I am incredibly proud of her. This photo is of Anna riding Harry, taking part in a competition in Belgium recently.
Showjumping is the only sport (that I know of) where anybody, old or young, professional or amateur, can compete as equals in the same class. It is also a sport where the rider has to not only manage their own abilities and emotions, but also that of their horse. It has to be a real partnership based upon respect. The horses in this sport are respected and treated like royalty, cared for by dedicated people; they want for nothing.
As with all sports, there needs to be competitions for riders to compete in where they can test and improve upon their abilities. They really enjoy the opportunity to compete and when you visit the shows to watch, you get a real sense of the excitement from both horse and rider. Believe me, if the horses didn’t enjoy it, you are never going to convince over half a ton of horse to jump over anything if it doesn’t want to!
As Devon Duvets, we are keen to give our support to all things local and this includes supporting our local showjumping events to ensure there are local competitions that both the horse and rider can enjoy. Therefore, we have sponsored a showjumping event at Bicton Arena https://www.bicton-arena.co.uk.
It is a joy to be able to contribute to this sport that sits very deeply in my heart – and of course, that of my daughter.