Virus knocks back showjumping opportunity

Adele Rycroft on Jericho R at the Horse of the Year.

Promising Dannevirke showjumper Adele Rycroft has been deprived of a chance to compete in Europe in April because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Adele has been riding competitively for five years, the first three on ponies, and acquitted herself well on her favourite pony Oporaes Roulette.

In 2018 she graduated to horses riding Jericho R an 11-year old horse which had done virtually no show jumping.

The combination gelled well and last year Adele competed in the Junior Rider Series gaining placings and performing so well that at the Dannevirke High School December prizegiving she won $3000 from sponsor Southern Stars Saddlery.

In February she started a course at UCOL studying Creative Media. She also applied to be selected to go to Holland and expand her show jumping experience.

The event was to be held at the Peelbergen International Equestrian Centre in the Netherlands, with Adele jumping 1.20m - 1.30m on a borrowed horse. She was part of a 10-person team from New Zealand organised by Jacob Thompson, competing with teams of young riders from all over the globe.

Departure date was April 10, returning on April 24, but that has now been postponed until next year.

Part of the attraction for Adele was the training she was to receive before the event.
"I hoped that I would have gained a lot of skills and training techniques to apply to my horses at home," she said.

In the meantime Adele had combined her studies with showjumping, coming 4th in the Horse of the Year 1.10m-1.20m event in a huge field and finishing in the top half of the Junior Rider competition won by Samantha Carrington.