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CHICAGO FERREIRA

My name is Chicago Ferreira. I’m 12 years old and recently rode my first SASJ graded show at The Ranch Equestrian Centre.

Early days

I grew up in Centurion (Pretoria), and then in 2021, after the pandemic, our family moved to Randjiesfontein in Midrand to be closer to my grandparents, in the centre of Johannesburg’s equestrian hub.

I discovered my love for horses four years ago, as an 8-year-old, at a friend’s birthday party, where I sat on a pony for the first time. I had my first riding lesson at a local riding school the following week. That same year our lovely neighbour up the road, Aunty Anna-Marie Verhoef, gave me the ride on her dear little pony named Lady for two wonderful years until I sadly outgrew her. Starting out, my parents wanted me just to have fun with my pony and enjoy her, so that’s what we did for six months before I started having lessons with her. Every afternoon after school, I rode my bicycle to visit Lady, and with the help and guidance from Lady’s kind owner, I learnt how to tack her up, build little exercises with poles on the ground, and enjoyed many hacks and outrides along the bridle paths in the estate.

Having a pony as a child taught me an immeasurable amount as a human being and as a horse person. I learnt responsibility and diligence from knowing I had a pony to take care of after school and learning the consequences of my decisions when I neglected to ride her as often as I should have (cue a fresh pony under the saddle). My parents are non-horsey and naively thought that I was just going through a 'phase', but here we are four years later, much to my parent’s surprise, discussing my plans to travel abroad when I graduate high school to pursue a career in the equine industry.

Moving onto horses

In July 2022, my father’s company transferred him to Polokwane, which is now my home. Shortly after moving to our new town, I was fortunate enough to have another lease horse for six months until Christmas 2022, when my dreams came true. Under the tree, I was gifted my very first horse I could really call my own - Jumping Jack.

The Ranch

Fast forward to three months later at The Ranch, where I competed with Jack in the 0.80m classes alongside some of the top riders in South Africa. I was ecstatic to be riding my own horse at a graded show, and nothing could break my spirit until my coach Shea Wright broke her leg the day before our show was due to start. I was devastated for Shea but also terribly nervous to not only venture into this new milestone with my trainer in a wheelchair but to add to the panic, I was tasked to ride her horse in the 0.90m classes on her behalf. Talk about pressure!

Thankfully riding has taught me that life will throw a curveball at the best and worst of times and that resilience is the name of the game. So I put my brave face on and tackled this challenge with both hands firmly on the reins. Not only did I manage to safely complete each round, but Jack and I went on to place second in our first class and WIN our championship class! A moment I will never forget; the pride and sense of achievement is a high I will chase for the rest of my life, and the results reflect the dedication, determination and overwhelming love for my partner Jack who carried me safely around each course of jumps.

Making it work

Living hours away from the equestrian hub in Midrand has its challenges. Still, regardless of where I find myself living, the support from my parents, the phone calls with my trainer in Johannesburg and lessons during school holidays, and a plethora of online resources give me enough to work with as an aspiring equestrian athlete.

South Africa’s Pony Club has been an amazing stepping stone for me as a child born into a non-horsey family. Pony Club is notably affordable (even for a primary school pupil) and available to riders of any level all over the country. Pony Club offers a vast amount of study material for download online, monthly get-togethers, pony camps, and opportunities to learn hands-on whether you have a pony of your own or not. I have made friends and met a wonderful community of equestrians passionate about teaching young riders like myself the fundamentals of horsemanship.

My goals for this year are to grow my partnership with Jack and work on perfecting basic skills like transitions and contact. I’d like to try my hand at eventing once I feel that our dressage game is solid enough and hopefully go up a grade or two in showjumping to compete in the metres in the next year. It would be a dream to get our own horsebox to travel the country for shows, but until then, I am focused on becoming a more confident rider and learning from every opportunity I have in the saddle.

Riding heroes

I admire and look up to my trainer Shea as a rider and horsewoman, her kindness in and out of the saddle and her ability to adjust to any horse she is given to ride. Another top rider I admire from the sidelines is Charley Crockart; I love following her journey in the ring with her amazing string of horses.

Thank yous!

Thank you to SASJ and The Ranch Equestrian Center for an unforgettable show with a positive and calm atmosphere. Thank you to the sponsors for the generous prizes; I used my winnings to spoil my friends and family with a massive sushi platter to thank them and celebrate our results at the end of the weekend. I will definitely be entering shows at The Ranch again, as long as they are equally as well run as this last one!

I’d like to use this opportunity to thank my parents, grandparents, my trainer in Polokwane (Kerry Mackie-Joubert), Ryan and Caryn Sander, and everyone who has contributed to my journey thus far.