Young showjumper shares hopes for the upcoming season

“I am currently competing at the highest level of showjumping in the country with my top mare, Investec Chanel, and my success on the country’s circuit has enabled me to compete abroad, taking part in shows in Belgium as well as an International three-star event in Holland, Engela said.

The Cape Town-based rider moved to Johannesburg in 2009 to pursue her dream and passion for horses as well as competitive showjumping. She won the 1m40 Victor Ladorum at the Easter Festival and the 1m40 Championships at the Presidents Cup last year.

“I have two horses, Investec Chanel and a gelding, Investec Inferno, that have just gone open. My trainer is Dominey Alexander, one of the top instructors and riders in the country, and I have been training with him for plus minus four years,” Engela said.

The 24-year-old rider’s hope for this year’s season is to be consistent in big classes with her horse Investec Chanel as she hopes to move around in the open grades with Investec Inferno. “Investec Inferno is at a really exciting stage of his career and I look forward to testing his capabilities this year,” she revealed.

The Lonehill resident shared that what motivated her was her love for horses and spending time with them on a daily basis, which has become therapeutic for her, even if she does not ride. “The journey of training a horse from a youngster to a top horse brings me so much joy. The small incremental successes are extremely rewarding and motivate me along the way,” she said.

“Big wins are undoubtedly what we work towards and when achieved, they motivate you to strive toward your next big win. I love learning new things from trainers, other riders, my horses and myself as I try to adopt different methods and practices to see how they might add value to my training and final results,” Engela concluded.