One local horse rider is making waves in the equestrian world, and at the age of 10 already has her eyes on the Olympic Games.
Auckland Park Preparatory School’s, Bella Ballenden and her warmblood, Charlie, came third in equitation at the South African National Equestrian Schools Association (Sanesa) Regionals while riding for Gauteng Metro. The pair then went on to win at the Sanesa Nationals.
Ballenden later represented Gauteng at the South African Equitation Championships where the province finished second and she came fourth.
All this in her first year of competing, and only after riding for about two years.
Ballenden is still not used to the limelight, and was shy to tell the Northcliff Melville Times that equitation is not actually her favourite riding discipline.
“Equitation is like a test,” she said. “So I do like show jumping more.”
Ballenden jumps 80cm at shows and her instructor, Michelle Dawson, wants to take her into the 90cm and intermediate category in shows this year.
“Bella is a very talented young rider who has a good brain and feel for horses,” Dawson said. “She is very committed and will probably ride right to the top of the pony echelons.”
Dawson said Ballenden loves her warmblood Charlie to death, and jokingly asked her if she wanted to move into the stables with him.
“Yay, thanks,” Ballenden exclaimed.
The youngster described her horse as very kind, obedient and ‘fuzzy’. “He just sometimes bites me when I groom him too much.”
Ballenden, who trains at Silver Tree Stables in Midrand, hopes to compete in the Olympic Games and earn a medal one day.
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