Burlington gets ready

The Burlington Stables hosted a training show for semi-professional and professional riders on 3 February.

Co-owner of the stable Anne-Marie Esslinger said, “This is our first show of the year. Most people are away in December and January and their horses got a bit of a break, and there were some African horse-sickness vaccinations to be gotten through. So horses and riders are getting into the swing of things.”

With a cheaper fee and no prize money, the day gave the riders and their horses the opportunity to canter around an actual course ahead of the main competitions. Esslinger said that the atmosphere for the day was a lot more friendly and relaxed giving riders the opportunity to go around more than once and to try different height categories.

The day focused on the 120-class horses and upwards. Esslinger said that the year is looking positive and is pushing her students to write down their goals and to methodically achieve their goals.

Co-owner David Wilkens said that the importance of the training day is that it is an inexpensive way to train horses and to make sure they’re ready for competitions. “Even though the rules apply, it’s a little more informal and people really enjoy it and its been really well supported.”

Recreational rider, a longtime supporter of Burlington Stables and veterinary surgeon Sarah Boyd said, “We are very blessed here. And we probably have some of the best facilities here… These riders are unbelievably good. Though the jumps are a little more simple, they can be a warning if the horse comes back and is not well.”

Boyd added that the training show gave her good preparation for her first show coming up soon.

Semi-professional Christine Smith said the training show went very well for her and she prepares to take on as many shows as possible this year with her horse Capital Chilli Pepper.

Details: www.burlington.co.za