What inspired you to become a rider?
I think my mom and her passion did because she also used to own a few horses before she had me and her passion is addictive.
For you, what are the most rewarding aspects of being a rider?
I love my horse to bits, in that moment that I ride Thembinkosi it feels like it’s just me and him and our passion to succeed in whichever riding discipline we decide to do on the day. Thembinkosi teaches me how to be myself, confident, courageous, forget about the worries of the world around me and just be me on a very big talented horse.
What’s your favourite memories or experiences related to riding?
When I got my horse Thembinkosi , It was truly magical and It was the best day of my life! In our most terrible first year we still managed to go to SANESA Nationals and ended 3rd for 2022 in Dressage Gauteng and 7th Nationally in Prelim Dressage.
What’s your favourite go-to to prepare yourself and your horse for competitions or events?
Singing loud in the car with my mom and sometimes whispering in my horse’s ear telling him that everything is going to be fine.
What challenges have you faced in your riding journey, and how have you overcome them?
I had quite a bad fall in 2022 when I just started with Thembinkosi, I fell underneath him and he scraped on my stomach trying to safeguard me, it was really hard to overcome this fall and I almost gave up riding but with my coaches Andrew Salmon & Jennifer Jacoby at Aragon Stables they helped me get back up on my feet and get all my confidence back!
What are your current riding goals and aspirations?
My riding goals this year is to work on both me and Thembinkosi in our movements to be able to level up in our Dressage and create a passion under other young riders that Dressage is a fantastic discipline. My long term aspiration is to get back fully on Thembinkosi in both Showjumping,Dressage and Equitation and to show that our time we took to build our relationship was worth the time taken to build it up.
Do you have a favourite horse that you’ve ridden, and what makes them special?
I actually had two. Dance the Dance(Buddy) that passed to greener pastures in 2023 due to age. He showed me what type of rider I was and gave me the courage and confidence to show it and then my favourite Thembinkosi whom keeps my courage up and shows me that being a young horse has both its benefits and negatives but that I process the skills to be a fantastic rider and can achieve more that I dream about!
In your opinion, what stands out the most about ARCO360?
Arco360 only has the best interest at heart for both its rider and its horse by looking after their wellbeing at all times.
What aspect of ARCO360 gives you the most peace-of-mind when it comes to your horse’s wellbeing?
Thembinkosi is insured by Arco360 with Life, tack and medical insurance and we have peace of mind that what ever happens that he and the tack is covered at all times and his (Thembinkosi) wellbeing comes first. Thalia at Arco is simply my go-to lady and we can rest easy that our cover is in good hands.