RIDER, Reine Marshall, competed in the South African Open Pony Derby Championships at the Durban Shongweni Club and took the title of 2018 open pony derby champion.
The Grade 10 learner at Thomas More College said she started riding when she was four years old.
“I have always thought that horses were very different animals. I was very excited for my first ride. I do remember asking my mom when we were going, over and over again. I may have even been a bit over-excited about it,” she laughed.
Two years later she competed in her first event, the 90cm grades and intermediate equitation.
“During her first show she fell off, but she cannot remember it,” jibed her loving mom, Alta. “It is always nerve-wracking to watch her as anything could happen.”
In 2014 Reine broke the vertebra in her back and was in surgery for four hours. Doctors told her she shouldn’t ride for up to a year, but Reine climbed back into the saddle after three.
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“I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I was excited. Not being allowed to ride for a certain amount of months and especially when you are told that you shouldn’t do it, meant I had to go and ride and prove everybody wrong,” she said.
While she insists she doesn’t crack under pressure, Reine does anything possible to keep her mind busy before an event, whether its listening to blisteringly loud music or chatting to her friends.
“I don’t like anyone seeing that I’m stressed either, so I stress out internally,” she said. “If I’m really panicking I will talk to the horse.”
The win for her was ‘overwhelming’ and she was shell-shocked for a few seconds before the high fives poured in and she was hugged.
Reine spends nearly each minute of her spare time riding horses, but does enjoy riding motorbikes, go-karts and chilling with her friends.
“I would like to thank Hirschs for sponsoring me as well as thank my coach, Grant Langley.”
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