Nissan Easter Fest Day 3: Lorette Knowles-Taylor wins 1.35m competition class

With three horses competing in this year’s Nissan Easter Festival, the Chartwell resident and co-owner of Farnham Stables, Lorette Knowles-Taylor, certainly has her hands full at the Kyalami Equestrian Park.

She ended the third day on Friday on a high winning the 1.35m competition class in the Bob Charter arena on Callaho Cento’s Boy.

“I have Nissan Farmham Elite Rhythm and Callaho Sampras competing in the 1.30s and Callaho Cento’s Boy is competing in his first 1.35m show which also happens to be in the prestigious Bob Charter arena,” she said.

“I thought that [Thursday’s] 1.30m track was quite large. I walked it in the morning and thought to myself that perhaps I was in the wrong arena, but most certainly was pleasantly surprised at my good rounds.

“The crowds have been fantastic – most especially [on Friday] with it being a public holiday, the stands are almost full as there’s non-stop action across Kyalami Equestrian Park, great food and perfect weather.”

Day one (Thursday, 29 March) saw Knowles-Taylor win the 1.30m pool on Callaho’s Sampas with Farmham Elite Rhythm coming fourth.

Day two (Friday, 30 March) saw Lorette win the 1.30m Pool 2 Two Phase on Nissan Farnham Elite Rhythm and Callaho’s Sampras coming in second.

With her top horse, Nissan Catwalk 22 now in Spain to be sold, Lorette does not have a 1.50m horse to compete on but said she’s delighted that she can focus on her up-and-coming youngsters.

“I’m ecstatic that I don’t have to jump that huge class,” she smiles.

“It’s really nice not to have any pressure for once and just enjoy my younger group of horses. My pupils have fared well, having had four classes in two days which wasn’t ideal. My daughter Ashlee has had a nice show too having been placed in two pony rider classes and one children’s class out of three. She has her Children’s SA Championships [on Saturday] and on Monday is the Pony Rider 1.10m Championships. My husband, Barry, has had a few places as well as an unfortunate pole in his 1.50m class [on Friday], but has qualified for the Nissan SA Outdoor Grand Prix final on Monday at 2pm.”

Describing her win in the 1.35m competition class on Friday, she said, “I feel like crying! I am absolutely delighted with this win as it’s been four years in the making on ‘the Bug Guy’ as he’s affectionately known. I got him as a four year old, he’s now eight – and I have believed in him from the very beginning, making this win all the more rewarding!”

Make no mistake that life as a professional athlete comes with its fair set of challenges, but when you get it right, there’s absolutely nothing quite like it.

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