SA show jumping on the rise, says Easter Festival defending champion Healy

Ronnie Healy believes he has what it takes, but he admits he will need to be at his best to retain his title at the Toyota Easter Festival Outdoor Grand Prix which takes place at Kyalami Park Club on Monday.

A professional show jumper, Healy has prepared well for the competition, which is described by organisers as an “equestrian extravaganza”, but he says the quality of the field will make it a challenge.

“I think the current state of show jumping in South Africa is at the highest it’s been for a long time,” Healy said ahead of the Easter Festival.

“You can only be as good as the horse you’re riding, but there are some studs which are breeding top horses with foreign blood lines, and the more horses we have, the more opportunities we will have for people to turn professional.”

‘Exciting sport’

According to Healy, show jumping is a “hard and demanding” sport, both for horse and rider, but it has become a key part of his life.

His wife, Ashlee, is also an elite rider who works as a financial advisor, and they own a stableyard in Kyalami with around 50 horses, as well as a feed store.

Aside from riding, Healy says it’s important for show jumpers to be active in other ways, with fitness being crucial to performances in the sport.

“We train around six days a week and we give lessons two days a week,” he said.

“Consistent training is required because the more you are conditioned, the better you will perform. It definitely makes a difference when I feel good in my body, mind and soul.”

‘Development opportunities’

While it is considered an elitist sport, Healy believes show jumping is becoming more inclusive.

“It is an expensive sport, but what’s great is that there are opportunities being created in terms of development thanks to various programmes, and we’ve already seen a few success stories.”

Show jumping is also an attractive spectator sport, according to Healy, who urged people to attend the Easter Festival which started last weekend and ends on Monday.

“It’s an exciting sport and there are lots of thrills and spills, and it’s pretty easy to follow because it’s not difficult to understand the rules,” he said.

Title defence

His wife was pregnant with their second son last year, and after borrowing her stallion, Healy went on to win the prestigious Easter Festival Outdoor Grand Prix title.

He has since had to give her horse back, and while he remains confident that he can retain his crown, he’ll be equally satisfied if his partner takes it from him.

They won’t have it all their own way, however, against a quality field which also features 2021 winner Nicole Horwood.

“I feel really good. I’m coming off the back of a good show and my horse is riding really well, so I’m as confident as I’ve ever been going into this show,” he said.

“I want to win, but Ashlee is also jumping and I’ll be just as happy if she wins. You know what they say: Happy wife, happy life.”