3 minute read
YOUNG RIDER
YOUNG RIDER
From strength to strength
Our December Young Rider is 18-year-old Madeline Sinderberry, better known as Madi, whose jumping career is most definitely on the rise, writes AMANDA MAC.
Madi Sinderberry, from Condobolin NSW, can’t remember when she first started riding, but knows she was riding by herself by the time she was four years old.
“I rode on the family farm, and later went to Pony Club and competed at the Interschools. I tried out eventing and campdrafting, but by the time I was about 10, I realised that I really liked show jumping. At that time I had a palomino Quarter Horse who also loved jumping and was very fast.”
After her Quarter Horse, Madi got an OTT Thoroughbred. “He was a great jumper,” she says. “When I was 12 I went to my first jumping show and did well in the Juniors, so I just went on from there.” So does the love of riding run in the family? It does: “My older sister used to ride at Pony Club and Interschools, but eventually she gave it up because of her studies. When she was young, Mum rode up until she went to boarding school, and more recently she’s competed in campdrafting events.”
After completing Year 12 last year, Madi began working at Yandoo Equestrian, located on the outskirts of Sydney. “I do everything from feeding and mucking out to riding their horses. I love it! It’s really good and there’s always plenty to learn,” she says.
And when Madi’s not working, she’s competing – either on Bamboo, her own six-year-old warmblood who has been with her since he was a weanling, or on Ciel, the seven-year-old warmblood mare owned
Madi and Ciel demonstrate the style that won them Australian Young Rider at last month’s Australaian Show Jumping Championships (Image by Geoff McLean, Gone Riding Media).
Above: Madi and Bamboo well clear at Jump Club (Image by Mike Lee Photography). Opposite page: A delighted Madi after her Australian Young Rider win (Image by Geoff McLean, Gone Riding Media).
by Yandoo Equestrian and Pip and Sue Middleton. “I’ve been competing on her for five months. She’s very cool,” Madi says.
Her recent successes in the arena include Overall five-year-old Champion with Bamboo at the AQUIS Champions Tour; Leading Young Rider with Ciel at the Melbourne Royal, and then of course, Australian Young Rider at last month’s Australian Show Jumping Championships, again with Ciel.
“It was very exciting because I didn’t know whether she was up to it. Ciel’s still very young and hadn’t jumped that high before. I knew she had the talent but I thought she might be too inexperienced,” Madi explains.
And in the future? “I’d like to work in Europe to experience the sport there and soak up as much knowledge as possible on how to manage and train horses.”
Madi is more than appreciative of the help she’s received along the way: “There’re a lot of people I’m grateful to, but I’d particularly like to thank Mum for putting me on all those different horses; Mum and Dad for travelling with me; David Cameron, whose jumping clinics I went to from the time I was five, and who later trained me when I first started riding in major comps; and Jamie WinningKermond and Jamie Kermond from Yandoo Equestrian for all their guidance and training, as well as putting me on lots of different horses throughout the year. I’d also like to thank Trailrace for sponsoring me for the last six years and Interpath 4Cyte for keeping my horses feeling so great.”
Congratulations to Madi from all of us here at HorseVibes. We wish you a very bright future and look forward to hearing more of your success stories soon.
