SOUTH Africa’s top show jumpers are preparing themselves for what is set to be a fiercely-competitive Nissan Winter Classic.
The annual equestrian event will once again take place at KwaZulu-Natal’s scenic Durban Shongweni Club from Friday, 12 June to Tuesday, 16 June, where the biggest names in showjumping will prove why they are so highly ranked.
Top riders, Barry Taylor, Lorette Knowles-Taylor, Shaun Neil, Gareth Neil, Jonathan Clarke and Dominey Alexander, will be taking on last year’s main class winner, Nicole Horwood.
Organisers are anticipating a total of 450 horses at the event coming in from across the country.
Participants will be showing off their best skills during the five-day competition and those competing in the main FEI class will stand a chance of winning R60 000 in prize money.
This year’s course is set to be another magnificent one, having been designed by level three Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) designer, Michel Ismalun of France, who was assisted by South African level three FEI designer, Kevin Sprately of Cape Town.
Mike Whitfield, managing director of Nissan SA, said Nissan is proud to once again sponsor such a prestigious event.
“The Nissan Winter Classic has come to be seen as one of South Africa’s premier showjumping competitions. The event not only attracts the horse riding elite, but is set in a stunning venue with international-quality courses and pristine finishes,” said Whitfield.
The charity of choice for this year’s Nissan Winter Classic is the South African Riding for the Disabled Association (SARDA), a non-profit organisation which provides horse riding as therapy and skill for children with special needs from the greater Durban area. SARDA is an entirely volunteer-run and driven organisation that provides more than 1 000 riding sessions a year to children with physical and intellectual impairments.
Visitors to this year’s Nissan Winter Classic can also browse a variety of quality craft stalls, sample some of the delicious food on sale or check out the impressive Nissan vehicles on display, all of which are also available for test drives.
This family-friendly event has entertainment for the children in the form of a fun kids’ play area.
