James Arkins and Rosthwaite Cover Girl competing at Hickstead in the UK. Image by Elli Birch - Boots and Hooves Photography.
Australian show jumper James Arkins is continuing to make a name for himself abroad. Briefly back home following an extensive stint competing in Europe and the United Kingdom, we caught up with James to find out more about his talented team of horses and recent travels – as well as the road ahead.
Following his Australian team appearance at the 2022 FEI Jumping World Championships, James Arkins made the difficult decision to sell Championship partner Eurostar 1 and his other top horse, Joevaro N. The sale was aimed at funding longevity in James’ stable and ensuring a stronger base for the future; selling his two champions allowed James to plan for long-term success.
Now on his fourth stint abroad, James’ young team is starting to hit their straps and produce results – with several horses approaching the elite level.
After a few months of travelling for competitions, the international team was due for a spell and so James is back home at Rosthwaite Farm in Moss Vale, NSW for short stint to start 15 young horses – the next generation of potential stars. While on Australian soil, we caught up with James to find out more about his current team.
James Arkins representing Australia at the 2022 FEI World Championships with stallion Eurostar. Image by Michelle Terlato Photography.
‘THE BEST HORSE I’VE EVER HAD’
Rosthwaite Cover Girl is a 10-year-old mare (by Caracas out of Oaks India) bred in Western Australia by Maddison Stephen. She was sold to Melissa Froesch of Glenara Park Stud in Victoria to breed from, but James purchased her as a four-year-old. “I produced her out of Australia, where she was jumping up to 1.35m prior to heading overseas,” explains James. The mare is now competing up to 1.60m and CSI5* level.
“Cover Girl, I would say, is my superstar at the moment. She can be hot-headed in some scenarios, but with training we’re working through this. I’d say she’s the best horse I’ve ever had. She’s incredibly careful and fast enough to win a CSI5* Grand Prix. The size of the jump is no problem; she’s got all the scope in the world. I’ve turned down some big offers for her in the last 12 months with the hopes of keeping her for the World Championship, and she’s young enough also to do the LA Olympics.”
Jevaro is an 11-year-old KWPN gelding (by H5 Elvaro out of Belrose, by Action Breaker out of Mariona), a three-quarter brother to Joevaro (by H5 Elvaro out of Mariona, by Equador), which James sold two years ago. “I bought Jevaro out of Canada and then he came to Europe. I don’t know him as well because I’ve only had him for 18 months, and we’ve still been building our partnership. But he’s also a sensational jumper and could be a team prospect.” Jevaro has competed to 1.60m and CSI5* level, and has already won with James in the saddle.
James and Jevaro N competing at Hickstead in the UK. Image by Elli Birch – Boots and Hooves Photography.
Quint Horta is a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (by Mosito Van Het out of Berenice of Colours, by Parco), closely related to one of Edwina Tops Alexander’s old Grand Prix horses, Erenice Horta. “I bought him here in Australia, but he was originally imported by Hayden James as a two-year-old,” explains James. Quint Horta has competed up to 1.45m and CSI4* level.
Glenara Luxury Z is a rising 10-year-old gelding, bred in Australia by Melissa Froesch via embryo transfer (by Lux Z out of Glenara Lady Bollinger, by Glenara Bollinger). Melissa started him under saddle and began jumping him, and Samantha Dernee produced him before James took over in 2023. Sammi now co-owns the gelding with James. “Glenara Luxury Z has all the talent, and he’s started jumping ranking classes, so I think he’s got a big year ahead of him.” He has jumped to 1.45m and CSI4* level.
Yalambi’s Jaguar is a 12-year-old gelding (by Dibadu L) bred at Yalambi Farm Stud in Western Australia. He’s competed up to 1.45m and CSI4* level.
Then there is Braveheart, a horse James imported as a two-year-old and produced out of Australia. “He has now jumped up to the 1.40m level. I’ve taken him overseas to campaign and sell.”
James also has a couple of rising six-year-olds currently being produced back home at Rosthwaite Farm, who may make the journey abroad once they are ready for higher-level classes.
THE IMPULSE BUY
However, perhaps one of the most exciting members of James’ stable is six-year-old Nickelodeon QC – a semi-unplanned purchase at a Belgian auction last year.
“He was a horse I liked when I looked at the catalogue, but I didn’t really intend to buy… I kind of got convinced at the auction. I’m glad I did because I think he could be something quite special. He’s now six this year,” says James of the chestnut gelding (by Nixon Van ‘T Meulenhof out of Vitamine de L’Isle, by L’Arc de Triomphe), whom he’s mostly been competing in young horse classes.
“He’s been exceptionally good… he’s probably one of the best-performed six-year-olds in the world at the moment,” says James, agreeing the horse has turned out to be a good impulse-buy.
James and Nickelodeon QC. Image by Spidge Photography.
“The last six months he’s turned heads wherever he’s gone, and he’s been a bit of a talking point. He was the most successful six-year-old at his last four shows and he was the six- and seven-year-old champion at Hickstead CSI5*. He was a six-year-old competing with the seven-year-olds there, so that was a pretty serious performance.
“My biggest issue right now is hanging on to him… people are chasing me for him. I definitely think he could be a team prospect, and he reminds me a lot of Eurostar. He’s probably the most similar horse I’ve ridden to him, except he’s maybe just a little sharper, a bit more sensitive, and he’s probably a little bit faster,” says James, adding that his own development as a rider perhaps does give Nickelodeon a little bit of an edge over his 2022 FEI World Championship partner.
BAREFOOT SUCCESS STORY
Balancing ambition with careful horse management, James is also continuing to pioneer barefoot jumping techniques, combining performance, natural movement, and hoof protection.
“We’ve been gradually integrating and transitioning our team to jumping barefoot,” explains James. “It’s an evolution that’s been on our radar for some time. Inspired by the remarkable performances of others who’ve made the switch, we knew there was something special about going barefoot. And even in these early days, the results speak for themselves.”
The decision to go barefoot comes down to the individual and it’s important to listen to your horse – for James, it’s proven to be the way forward for the majority of his team.
James says Scoot Boots have made this transition not only possible but genuinely successful. “Scoot Boots have been a game-changer. They’ve allowed us to pursue peak performance while protecting and supporting our horses’ hooves, every step of the way. The freedom, natural movement, and confidence they provide, both in and out of the arena, are unmatched. We’re excited to keep pushing the boundaries and sharing the journey as we continue to explore what’s possible, one barefoot jump at a time, with Scoot Boot leading the way.”
James and Nickelodeon QC, competing barefoot. Image by Spidge Photography.
A LOVE OF ITALY
During his latest string of competitions around Europe and the UK, James has certainly covered some miles. He and the team began in the Netherlands at the start of year, followed by six weeks in Italy.
“We did some amazing shows there, such as the CSI4* Giorgio Armani show at Pisa and another in Montefalco.”
Next, they crossed the Adriatic Sea via a ferry with the horses on the truck and visited Greece. “We did two weeks in Thessaloniki, which was pretty amazing. I never expected that I would be showing horses in Greece, let alone taking them across the ocean on the truck to get there.”
James then road-tripped through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to compete in Šamorín, Slovakia. The venue – X-Bionic® Sphere, a large, multidisciplinary sports complex that includes one of Europe’s largest equestrian facilities, the Hipo Arena Šamorín – was one of the best James has seen.
“The venue there was absolutely insane… definitely up there with the very, very best in the world. It’s a bit like the European version of the World Equestrian Centre in Ocala, Florida, but probably a little bit more beautiful.”
It was then over to England for two months, which included competing at Hickstead, and now the horses are back in Germany for a spell.
Of all the countries visited, James says Italy was his pick. “If I was to live in Europe full time, I could definitely see myself living there because it’s just a nice way of life. The food is incredible. All the shows are good. It’s beautiful countryside. The people are friendly. It’s a nice place to be.”
Extensive travelling in recent times means James is now far wiser when it comes to moving horses through Europe than he was during past campaigns – but he says it’s still far from simple.
“I’m definitely more educated and capable of it now… and it’s still incredibly difficult and incredibly challenging and incredibly expensive! For example, just for the horses to go from mainland Europe to the UK, just in paperwork and fees alone, it was between €10,000 and €15,000.
“In the [European Union countries] you can travel freely but then to leave and take them to another country outside of the EU, you either have to import them or you put them on a temporary travel document with a bond. There are health papers, blood tests, ferry crossings… and a lot of it is assumed knowledge.”
Even with a fair amount of travel under his belt, James still found himself at a service station in Bulgaria at 3am with the horse truck, trying to converse with the staff and local police via Google Translate in order to purchase the correct toll pass for the truck. In the end, all was well, and they did find their way north to Šamorín.
And while Italy is his pick of Europe, James is itching to get back to North America. Now with his US Visa approved, he’s one step closer and hopes to have the team back in Florida by November.
James and Rosthwaite Cover Girl. Image by Elli Birch – Boots and Hooves Photography.
“I don’t think there’s too
many better places a rider
would want to be!”
‘A DREAM TO RIDE THERE’
With a developing team, James has his eyes on the future – including the 2026 FEI World Championships next year in Aachen, Germany.
“Hopefully my horses will develop further throughout this year as the World Championships draw nearer. You have to work out what’s best for you at the current time, where you and your horses are at, make a calculated decision, and go from there. I’ve never ridden at Aachen, and it’s a dream to ride there. To have the World Championships there next year… I don’t think there’s too many better places a rider would want to be!” EQ
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