Over the summer, one member of the Hurst Equestrian team, Mette, was selected to represent Great Britain at the Junior Dressage Championships in Oliva, Spain. This event is one of the largest shows of the year for talented young dressage riders.
Countries from all over Europe select their top four riders to compete against each other through a challenging selection process. Not only is this an incredible honour for Mette, but as one of the youngest riders in the GB squad at just 14, she was the youngest rider to compete in the junior section for GB in more than 15 years.
Spoilt for choice
Mette also qualified for the Pony championships, which clashed with the Junior Young Dressage Championship, forcing Mette to decide in which category to compete. In the end, she chose to compete in the Junior Championships as it was early in the summer when Covid restrictions in Spain would allow the competition to go ahead.
Once selection had taken place, the GB team attended a three-day training camp in preparation. This allowed riders to practice in front of judges and trainers, speak to nutritionists and psychologists to enhance their performance, learn about drug testing process, but most importantly, bond as a team.
Two weeks after the camp, the horses departed on a three-day trek to the south of Spain. The riders and support staff were fortunate to fly directly to the venue. The first few days consisted of light exercise under supervision of the team vet. All horses had to undergo an official veterinary examination before being allowed to compete. Luckily, all GB horses passed.
Withdrawal
As the youngest and least experienced member of the team, Mette was the first to enter the arena. During the competition, Mette’s horse Florina showed signs of discomfort which resulted in a skin infection and withdrawal from the competition. A disappointing outcome after all their hard work. With true Hurst spirit, Mette made the most of the experience by supporting her teammates. Despite the unfortunate end to Mette’s GB Championship campaign, it still provided her with some great experience for the future.
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“ Overall, I was thrilled to have ridden in my first championship and I have learnt so much from this incredible experience – I was proud to have represented team GB at the highest level for my age ” Mette, GB and Hurst Team Member