Hurst Equestrian Soars to Success!

Over the last weekend of September, the Hurst Equestrian team attended an important two-day show at Felbridge Showground. This competition offered the final opportunity for Hurst riders to qualify for the NSEA (National Schools Equestrian Association) championships, held at Addington Manor in October.

On Saturday, the dressage riders kicked off the show, with Tilda S and Sheona G representing Hurst. Both achieved respectable scores in the Prelim, with Tilda finishing in 8th position with 66.35% and Sheona not far behind at 63.08%. Unfortunately, these scores were not enough to qualify on the day; however, they were both commendable performances, and hopefully, we will see these two promising young riders qualifying in 2025.

Sunday was the turn of the showjumping teams. The first rider in the ring for Hurst was Rosie C, competing in the 70cm class with her pony Macho. They delivered a fantastic, speedy clear round, finishing 2nd individually and easily qualifying for the Championships.

In the next class, the 80cm, Hurst put forward both individual riders and a team. They all performed exceptionally well, with all four team members (Rosie C, Olivia S, Emma G., and Rosie YJ) jumping clear, fast rounds, and winning the class in style. The riders also excelled individually, with team rider Emma finishing in 9th position, and Lucy S and Danielle I jumping clear as individuals.

In the following class, the 90cm, Hurst entered one team of four. This was an important class, as at this point, the Hurst Equestrian team had qualified riders for every single height at the championships, and this was their last chance to secure a 90cm championship ticket. Emma G. rode first for the team, jumping clear and putting in a performance good enough to clinch 7th place individually. Unfortunately, the subsequent Hurst riders picked up some faults, resulting in a final team score of 8. However, the course was challenging, and this result was good enough to put Hurst into second place (the top two teams qualify) with one team left to go. It was a tense wait, but the final team finished with a score of 12, meaning that the Hurst team had done enough to secure 2nd place and qualify for the Championships!

This means that Hurst will be heading to the October NSEA Championships with riders jumping at every height, ranging from 70cm all the way up to 1.20m!

Well done to all the riders for their hard work over the last year in achieving these fantastic results.