EC riding high

Young horse riders representing provincial school teams from all over South Africa met to participate in the South African National Equestrian Schools Association (Sanesa) annual National Championship event last week - and Grahamstown girls fared very well.

The event took place between 4 and 10 October.

Melissa Amos (Victoria Girls High School), Kei Repapas (DSG junior), Erin Little (DSG junior), Kimberly Handley (Kingswood junior) and Hannah Jones (DSG junior) travelled to Misty Meadows near Pretoria with their ponies to compete.

They were all selected to represent the Eastern Cape at various levels of competition, in disciplines that included show jumping, equitation, showing, dressage and eventing.

These Grahamstown riders and their ponies all repre- sented the EC in multiple disciplines.

Handley, riding Dakkam Irish Angel, and Jones riding Rocky II took first places in their working riding and dressage team events, respectively.

Amos and her pony Forever Flika were in the EC team that came second in their show jumping team event.

Handley and her pony also took an individual 11th place for one of their show jumping classes, Repapas and Hildago were placed ninth in their working hunter event and Amos also took an individual place in a show jumping class.

“Our young riders and their ponies all gained valuable experience in competing at this high level of competition.

Congratulations to them all for doing their best and for representing our school riders at this event,” said Clifford Jones, honorary president of the Grahamstown Riding Club.