The Burlington Cup is set to take place from 4th to the 8th of November, and Investec sponsored rider Jeanne Engela is on course for a good performance,
“Both of my horses have been superb in their training and in their shows over the past month. My mare Investec Chanel vd Zeshoek loves the show before Burlington Cup – which is at Maple Ridge and has won many titles in that arena including the Stal van Decraen young riders series, Young riders SA Champs, the 1m40 Presidents Cup and the 1m50 Presidents Cup. Investec Inferno just keeps on pleasantly surprising me at how far he has come and I am so excited for his future- he will be doing his first few 1m35 classes at these shows so I look forward to that.”
In terms of the size of the competition, Engela says the field is bigger than ever and that the standard of horse and rider is increasing exponentially,
“We are seeing more and more quality, scopey horses in the big classes and lots of our riders are taking opportunities to train overseas with the likes of Rob Hoekstra and some of the best. We also attend clinics locally so the knowledge is growing and spreading which is great for our sport in SA. I think it is fantastic that the competition is getting stronger and stronger, it makes it more rewarding when you win and it challenges and pushes us to compete on an international standard. The tracks that our local and international course builders are building are also getting bigger and more technical and more of our horses and riders rise to the occasion each time, so slowly but surely we are aligning our standards with that of the rest of the world.
Having placed a very credible 9th in her last show, Jeanne says that it’s thanks to a solid support team,
“Firstly, I attribute my success to my small horse with a HUGE heart; Investec Chanel vd Zeshoek. She gave me everything she had on the day and more than that I cannot ask for. I had her on a strict training regime in the run up to the derby that started long before with fitness and track work and went through the stages before finally resting her before the qualifiers began and that seemed to work. I then also attribute my success to my generous and supportive sponsor; Investec Bank ltd. They have been truly amazing for my show jumping and I can’t thank them enough. Then my mom and dad for their continuous love and support, they always encourage me to ride my best and grow and develop as a rider. My boyfriend Brendan who shares my passion of competing at this level, he is always there for me at home when I am training and at shows in the warm up arena and he always keeps me calm. My trainer- Dominey who has put many long hours of valuable time, energy and knowledge into myself and my horses over the years and fills us with confidence before very event. And last but not least, my groom- Lyton Mbisi, he is not only my groom but also my manager, he has wise words for me every day and he takes such good care of my horses. With riding as well as having a full time job I really would not be able to do it without him.”
Burlington Cup : Jeanne Engela ready for the challenge
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