Stanford equestrian shines at championship
A grade 10 learner from Stanford Lake College who is also a rider participated in the SA Equestrian Youth Championships held from 15 to 20 December at Kyalami Equestrian Park.
Ruben le Roux (15) from Haenertsburg has beaten the odds as 2020 was a challenging year due to Covid-19, residing far from the equestrian action and very few equestrian shows held.
Ruben and his horse, TI Quinta, did a sterling job at a very hot and humid Kyalami while competing against SA’s best equestrian athletes.
A very focused Ruben and TI Quinta finished in 8th place overall. A splendid achievement indeed.
TI Quinta is a 10 yr old South African Warmblood horse, and Ruben’s companion for the past two years. At the Youth Championships, they participated in four show jumping classes, jumping at 1.20m high. Three classes built up to the final day’s Championships class.
Two of the classes were speed classes (which means one round only), and two were competition classes (which means a clear round without a pole knock, an elimination or retirement, brings you to a speedy jump off round).
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During the championship, the competition was very tight.
Classes in the junior categories were made up by more than 60 riders. Patience is a virtue especially at such big shows with strict Covid-rules in place. Ruben is being trained by Chris van der Merwe – a very accomplished rider in his own right from Blouberg Stables in Vivo.
Ruben’s plans for the future include show jumping TI Quinta at 1.30 and 1.35m in 2021. He also has a young horse (4 years old) that he is producing into a show jumper.
Ruben’s other interests include spending time outdoors – kayaking, mountain- and quad biking, fishing, hiking with his dog, and keeping fit.
