Protea player beats ‘Boer Soek ’n Vrou’-star

Riders sat astride their glistening horses, eyes twinkling as the sun beat down on them.

The Weatherman said it would be 31 degrees Celsius that day, but anyone who spent the day kicking up dust in the saddle would testify that 31 degrees Celsius was a very conservative estimate.

The sound of a starting bell shattered the silence, and suddenly all was motion, and the air was permeated with the frantic pulse of hoof beats.

On January 12, Riverview Stables in Riverview Country Estate had their annual Christmas Show. December’s rainy weather necessitated that the show be moved to mid-January in order to minimise the risk to horses and riders.

The day kicked off at 09:00 with the lead rein pole-on-the-ground class.

This class was specifically designed to accommodate young children, or those who were still relatively new to riding, and saw riders navigate a course of poles laid out on the ground against time with the help of an assistant who guided them from the ground.

Some riders in the pole-on-the-ground class did not make use of an assistant on the ground, but navigated the course single-handedly.

The winner of this class was Kiara Sulter on Vera, with Kaylee Fourie on Pom-Pom coming in second, Lilly Shaeffer on Vera coming third and Mailee von Vollenstee on Juliette coming fourth.

The second class was the 20cm-30cm class which saw riders race around a course of jumps and obstacles ranging between those two heights.

As with all of the show jumping classes, the rider with the fastest time and fewest course faults (refusals or poles-down) took home the red ribbon.

Lizelle Bester on Erize came first, whilst Llewelyn van der Walt on Follow the Light took home a well-deserved second place.

Third place went to Kayla Ferguson on Erize and fourth was awarded to Jayden von Vollenstee on his lovely chestnut mare, Juliette.

The 50cm-60cm class started at approximately 10:30. The soaring temperatures did not stop competitors from putting their best foot forward.

Aimee-Lee Verster came first on Blue Streak, a young Thoroughbred who was recently retired from the racetrack, despite this having been Blue Streak’s first foray into show jumping.

Damian Briggs on Erize was close second, and is definitely a competitor to watch for the future; showing a great deal of courage and heart as he completed his course.

The show jumping phase of the competition was concluded with the 80cm-90cm class. Ashlea Parsons and her horse, Carel Hanke Chaka, flew around the course completing it within an exceptional time.

Ashlea’s faultless round and fantastic time won her first place, whilst Natalie Hiscock on Follow the Light proved tough competition and managed to commandeer second place.

In a stunning twist of events; Ashlea Parsons also took home third place on her striking grey horse, Carel Hanke Shadow.

At 11:00, all of the show jumping equipment was set aside and suddenly everyone’s focus was on a handful of blue barrels; the centrepieces to the much anticipated western games.

The western mounted games required riders to ride five separate patterns around the aforementioned blue barrels; the rider with the best time overall and fewest penalties would be awarded first place.

During the short break between the show jumping classes and western mounted games, Yolande Kemp Bezuidenhout, alongside her miniature horse Roxy, treated the gathering crowds to a jumping display.

Roxy, who is famously also displayed at the Horse of the Year show hosted annually in Gauteng, is capable of clearing an obstacle that is substantially taller than she herself is; proving once again that dynamite comes in small packages.

The western mounted games served up a fair helping of star power; Adriaan Koch, who could be seen in season 11 of the reality television series ‘Boer Soek ’n Vrou,’ and Dawnay Jacobs, a Protea polo-crosse player, both competed.

The ‘Boer Soek ’n Vrou’-star, Adriaan Koch, was unable to keep up with the fiery Dawnay, who had her gaze set firmly on the win.

The western mounted games ended with Dawnay Jacobs taking first, second and fifth place on Billabong Maxi, Billabong Dozi and Billabong Abby respectively, Adriaan Koch placed third on Billabong Gucci, Hugo van der Merwe came fourth on Billabong Zodiac, Chantel Edwards and her striking black stallion, Humphries Bismarck, took home sixth place, whilst seventh and eighth place were held firmly by Natalie Hiscock on Erize and Follow the Light.