Jessica Dertell and Cennin hope to continue their Paris Olympic campaign in Europe. Image Amy Sue Alston
19-Year-Old Rider Seeks Support for Paris Olympic Dream
19-year-old Dressage Rider Jessica Dertell has called on the support of Australian equestrians and local businesses to participate in an online auction, with the aim of raising enough funds to support her Paris Olympics Qualifying campaign in Europe.
A strong presence on the Australian dressage circuit, Jessica took herself out of normal schooling at the age of 15 and worked full-time at her family farm, Future Farms, to help prepare for this goal. In the 5 years that have followed, Jess has solidifed herself as a top contendor for Australia, most recently being awarded as Equestrian Victoria’s Grand Prix Dressage Rider of the Year.
Jess plans to travel to Europe in the coming weeks with Sabble Farms’ owned stallion, Cennin, to continue their Paris Olympic campaign in the hope of representing Australia. The pair recently secured a hat-trick at Willinga Park Dressage by the Sea, winning the CDI3* Grand Prix, Freestyle and most notably the Grand Prix Special on a PB score of 72.043%. Their results at this competition mean that they have now fulfilled the Paris qualification criteria, and are currently placed third on our Paris Qualification Leaderboard: READ HERE.
“Hopes and dreams don’t come without a cost,” Jess shared online. “We are planning to run this online auction to help support this dream. We are looking for all the help we can get to ensure Cennin and I can undertake this massive journey and make this dream a reality!”
Cennin and Jess will fly out to Amsterdam in early April and will be based at Krom Stables training with Annemieke Vincourt Krom in The Netherlands. The pair will be there until August when they will both fly back to Australia. Together they will aim to compete at Nations Cup Dressage events and some CDI classes whilst based in Europe.
Jess shared with Equestrian Life “I have been overwhelmed with all the support I have received from the equestrian community – there are so many people following my journey towards the goal of representing Australia at the Paris Olympics 2024”
To bid or donate to the auction, please follow the link HERE.
To follow Jess’s journey on social media, please follow HERE.
