KIARA BURN

Kiara Burn is a name familiar to anyone who knows anything about South Africa's Open Junior riders! She is the current SA Junior 1.30m Championships title holder and holds this for the second time. Beyond this, she is an incredibly passionate equestrian who loves her horses above all else! Kiara kindly did a 'horseback' interview and gave us some insight into her background and what the year ahead holds!

HQP: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am 17 now and have been riding since a very young age, probably about four years old. My dad (Simon Burn) was a big rider, and we have horses on the property, so I have always had horses in my life. My dad and Simon Hendry would give my best friends and me little pony-riding lessons at home, and that was how it all started for me.

HQP: Did you have your own pony, and can you tell us a bit about your pony rider experiences?

Yes, my very first pony was one we had living at the house; she was a little grey pony called 'Mimi', and she was so sweet! There's not really much excitement to report from that time as the most complicated thing we did was 'round the worlds.'

After Mimi, we bought another little grey called Swan Prince. This was when I started to ride more and was getting into it. He gave me a bit of a scare because he would run away with me often. I actually wanted to stop riding for a while, and I was terrified to get back on him. We had to take a few steps back from there, and I started slowly on the lunge again, and I did get back into it. We took him to a little show with poles on the ground, and that was just so much fun. I went with my friend, and we even did a little pony dress-up competition. She had a black pony, so we painted white spots on him and black spots on my grey pony. That was a good experience for me!

HQP: It seems like a lot of riders have had an 'I don't want to do this' moment in ponies! How did things progress from there?

I really didn't want to carry on, but my dad was pretty persistent! I had a few ponies before I moved on to Juniors. I started riding at Sun Valley Stable - that was my first riding school. I rode a pony there called Scandal, who was an interesting character… Quite forward and liked to run away! But I also had one at home called Zanzibar, and he was just the sweetest thing; I loved him to bits. So, I continued with my riding there, and a few years later, I moved to Kincardine with my last pony, Precious Penny, and from there, I transitioned to horses.

We tried a horse, and I loved him, so we brought him home and started having lessons with him, but that didn't work out. I would fall off him basically every lesson, but I just loved him. He was so cuddly… but it just didn't work out when I rode him!

Then, I was going to go to Youth Champs in 2018 in PE, and my dad wanted me to take another horse with me so I could have the experience and opportunity of having two there. So, I went to ride a horse at Bronwyn Meredith Dos Santos a few months before then, and I was just supposed to ride him at Champs… but four years later, he is still sitting in my stable, 'On Fire'. He was my first real competitive horse, and he's still with me today and has taken me to the 1.35s!

HQP: Tell us about some of the horses you will be riding/competing this year?

I have a lot I can say about On Fire! It didn't start off perfectly, not that any partnership ever does. He was quite difficult to get used! We went up to the 1.10s, and that didn't work out, so we went back down to the 1ms, and once we started to trust each other, it improved from there, and I did my first 1.20m at the beginning of 2021. It was actually during COVID, and I was so lucky to have my horses at home, and riding was all I could do, so I think that really got us working together well; I became more consistent riding him, and he learnt to trust me!

I also jumped Lindor in the 1.20s at the same show. He is a horse that my dad bought off the Callaho Auction that he was producing with Simon Hendry. I started riding him in 2020, and I actually had a bad fall with Lindor at the beginning of 2021, but didn't realise how bad I was until a few months later when the pain in my back was still there and it turned out I had fractured a vertebra!

HQP: Tell us about some of the horses you will be riding/competing this year?

I have a lot I can say about On Fire! It didn't start off perfectly, not that any partnership ever does. He was quite difficult to get used! We went up to the 1.10s, and that didn't work out, so we went back down to the 1ms, and once we started to trust each other, it improved from there, and I did my first 1.20m at the beginning of 2021. It was actually during COVID, and I was so lucky to have my horses at home, and riding was all I could do, so I think that really got us working together well; I became more consistent riding him, and he learnt to trust me!

I also jumped Lindor in the 1.20s at the same show. He is a horse that my dad bought off the Callaho Auction that he was producing with Simon Hendry. I started riding him in 2020, and I actually had a bad fall with Lindor at the beginning of 2021, but didn't realise how bad I was until a few months later when the pain in my back was still there and it turned out I had fractured a vertebra!

(HQP: Such a horse rider thing to say!)

I had to take a couple of months off riding but came back and jumped my first 1.30ms at the end of 2021. So, we took them to Cape Town (Youth Champs) and On Fire won the (1.30m) Championship there, which was awesome!

Then, I also started riding my dad's other Callaho, which he got off the auction a few years back, Caspar. That has been quite a tricky one to navigate. He is a very different horse; it has taken a lot of time and hard work with him, but I think we are in a good spot now, as he won the 1.30m Champs at Shongweni Youth Champs last year!

HQP: Well done! Do you only do show jumping?

I fell in love with showjumping, but when I did SANESA in the pony days, I did pretty much everything to figure out which discipline I really liked. My dad never said so, but I think he was quite relieved that jumping was the one he enjoyed the most! It was also lucky for me as he happened to be in the process of bringing up two showjumpers in the back garden! I also still enjoy equitation; it has another side that is still involved with jumping but also the discipline that comes with it.

HQP: And we hear that you've been successful with your equitation too?

Equitation really has been great! I think I won quite a bit on Penny, too, in the Pony Rider Opens. Then I did equitation on Lindor too. We started at Intermediate to see how it would go, and he won it! So, we moved up to Opens and did Champs at Mistico (SA Youth Champs 2021). We came second individually and qualified for the Phillip Smith Memorial Trophy. Caspar and I competed in that last year. The jumping part went so well, even in the pouring rain, which was unpleasant! I ended up third, but it was such an amazing experience! I carried on in the Open Equitation last year. Lindor and I won quite a few qualifiers. We tried to qualify again at Champs last year (the top four from Champs qualify for the Phillip Smith), but unfortunately didn't do such a great job, only coming 7th overall. But I was on the Gauteng Open team last year, and we won that, so that was some consolation!

HQP: What would you like to achieve in the long term?

I want to get Lindor and Caspar to the 1.40ms sometime this year. Hopefully, sooner rather than later! I would love to jump Lindor in the Mini-Derby. I also just want to give it my all for the Junior titles, as it's my last year to go for them, so I am going to try my best. On a smaller scale but still exciting (and scary), I want to get Hermes, my little Callaho baby, to some shows soon.

HQP: Who coaches you, and what do you enjoy most about your lessons and stable yard experience?

I ride at Kincardine with Joanne Van Achtenburg, but I also have Kelly Slater helping me with equitation and some flat work sessions, so she comes to our equitation shows, but jumping is Jo. I have been riding at Kincardine for four years, going on five now. I love being there; Jo is just so helpful in any and every way that she can be. She goes above and beyond for her clients and puts the horse first. The lessons and competitions are always so enjoyable. It is a great environment in general! We go to shows, and we can joke and laugh, but then we all know that there is a time to be serious, but overall, it is fun. I had the opportunity to do a bit of travelling with Jo, going to Mistico and Shongweni, and she is always so happy to help and be there for us, and that is really great.

HQP: Who inspires you in equestrian sport?

I don't really think that there is one person who inspires me. I view it more as wanting to do better for my horses and try to be the best rider I can be. Although, I do look up to Charley Crockart as a rider. I think she is a great rider, and she makes the most difficult horses look so easy, and I would love to ride like her.

HQP: What does your training schedule look like with the horses?

For Lindor and Caspar: Monday and Tuesday alternate between hill-work and flatwork with cavalletis. On Wednesday, I take them for a jump at Kincardine. Thursday, they go for a hack around the estate, and Friday is normally flatwork lessons with Kelly or equitation if an equitation competition is coming up. Then Saturday and Sunday alternate; one is a lunging day, and one is an off day (unless we are competing, of course!). And then with my Callaho baby, his schedule isn't completely set and is a little bit chaotic still. We try to do some work on Monday and Tuesday, a walk out on Wednesday and then Thursday/Friday is some work again. Then depending on when we can find time on one 'work' day, we have a jump at home for now. We are starting to take him out to Kincardine to get him used to the outing. Then it's the same thing for Saturday and Sunday - a lunge and a day off.

HQP: What is the one piece of riding equipment you can't do without?

I 100% have to say my Erreplus saddle! It is so comfortable, and I feel so safe and secure in it; it is perfect for my horses, and I know that they feel comfortable. It looks good too! I have to say it just really is perfect. I am lucky enough to have all my horses in an Erreplus, and I can't imagine jumping them in anything else!

Kiara, we wish you all the best, and we can’t wait to see you up on the podium again soon!