with Amy Strapp

 

 

I want to say this is true for me, the truth is I think it is only half true, as my greatest weakness I am learning to be my genuine fear of making a mistake. Unfortunately for this weakness I believe my greatest strength to be my stubborn determination to have what I want! Which leads me to this quote, which I believe to be so true and so strong for me and therefore I hope for some others out there. 

 

 

So here I am writing my first blog for Equestrian Life, in itself a great hurdle for me. I am a very private person, I do not keep a diary, I do not post updates on what I am doing on facebook or twitter and I have never kept a blog or website on my activities. So when Rebecca contacted me after the article Annie Lever (very beautifully and generously) wrote on a few of the riders journeys in Europe and asked if I would be interested in writing a blog for the Equestrian life magazine; the truth is, along with the huge flattery this offer proposed was a genuine fear to put any details of my life on the internet for others to read.  

 

Upon realising how uncomfortable I was with the idea, I realised I had to accept!!!

 

I am afraid my blogs wont be the most conventional you have seen, I am not yet a great rider with a stable or team of horses. I am merely a particularly stubborn, greatly motivated girl just making a go of it, I work hard, try to grab every opportunity that I can see, to jump any horse I can and I genuinely love my life. The most I can offer you is that I promise, as long as EQ would like me to write these blogs, I will do my best to be as honest and as open about my experiences as I can. To share with you, not only what I see and learn while showjumping abroad but also my personal experience on this journey and the different showjumping cultures around the world. 

 

As Annie Levers beautifully written article in issue 11 of Equestrian Life detailed, I left for Europe with stars in my eyes to experience the world of international showjumping early in 2011. Originally it was only for a 6 week educational holiday with my mother (Michelle Strapp) while she taught Amy Graham at an amazingly beautiful show in Arezzo, Italy. But then I fell in love with Europe's showjumping way of life and decide to stay! To make my journey until now short, my mother and Amy’s family were both supportive of my idea to stay and so the Graham's offered me a short term job, riding there young horses for them in Holland while I got on my feet. This job then led to a year and a half of riding for the Saudi Arabian Olympic team, preparing their top grand prix horses for their eventual bronze medal in London (an amazing experience.) Followed then by about 6 months in Germany riding and competing young/dealing horses. 

 

 

However after riding for just over 2 years in the best parts of Europe, experiencing everything from preparing and schooling some of the greatest Grand Prix horses in the world, in lead up to the Olympics, to competing nice young horses in Germany, I decided it was time to find a way to be the rider who gets to canter in the ring at the 4 and 5 star Grand Prix’s.

 

So the next faze of my journey, the one I will try to take you on, begins in Brasil. A country that I am hoping will give me the opportunity to jump big Grand Prix’s so I may one day soon return to Europe with more experience at that level and hopefully a good horse!