THE NEXT GENERATION

At Horse of the Year

When you are born into a horsey family, it’s hard not to catch the horsey bug… We saw this at Horse of the Year 2024 where lots of top adult riders’ children competed very successfully in the showing classes. It was amazing to see these young people participating in this discipline, and we’re certain they’ll become better horsemen and women because of it!

We caught up with a few of the riders after HOYS to find out how it all went…

Lilly Korber

Lilly is the first born of two of our top showjumping contenders, Rainer and Jeanne Korber. Lilly and her pony Lady Athelina had some winning moments and some learning moments, but always left the arena with a smile…

We chatted to Lilly’s mom, Jeanne:

HQP: Why do you think it is important that children do several disciplines including showing?

Jeanne: We feel it is very good for our children to experience different disciplines. Just because we [Rainer and I] are showjumpers doesn’t mean they have to be. Different disciplines, like showing, also teach them ring craft and different aspects of riding.

HQP: Do you have any top showing tips as a parent?

Jeanne: Buy a pony or horse with black or brown legs! Jokes aside, make sure you have enough preparation time to get your pony/ horse turned out and ready; it takes much longer than you expect!

HQP: What classes did Lilly and her pony do?

Jeanne: Lilly competed on her pony, Lady Athelina, in the Pony Rider Novice Classes in Show Hunter, Show Riding, Working Hunter and Working Riding Classes. She really rode beautifully and learnt a lot! They came third in the Working Riding.

We chatted to Lilly about her experience:

HQP: How did you find HOYS Lilly?

Lilly: HOYS was really fun! I enjoyed it so much; Lady was such a good pony. My favourite part was that I could ride in the Bob Charter, but unfortunately, I fell off in the dyke… But I’m so proud of Lady for getting a third place for me in the Working Riding. We had lots of fun and she was the best pony ever!

HQP: What is your favourite showing class and why?

Lilly: Working Hunter is my favourite class, because I love jumping and the gallop at the end and Lady also really enjoys it.

HQP: What is your favourite and least favourite thing about showing?

Lilly: My favourite thing about showing is that Lady always looks so beautiful, and my least favourite thing is that you always have to dress up so fancy!

Layah Gliksman

Layah had a super outing at HOYS, making it to the Supreme Young Child’s Championship for their Working Hunter win, and picking up a few more tickets along the way!

We chatted to her mom, Tamar:

HQP: As a parent and coach, why is it important that children do showing?

Tamar: I think all kids should do showing! It’s a great discipline to teach kids how to be good horsemen and women; they have to do the preparation of the ponies and the in-hand work rather than just getting on and jumping. I think it also teaches them amazing ring craft (if that’s the right word), to think for themselves, and also to lose!

HQP: What was your experience of the Children’s Classes at HOYS?

Tamar: We loved the show! The judges where so kind to the kids, encouraging showing and making it a great experience for them. We loved prepping the horses; the whole yard got involved. My grooms had amazing team spirit. In the Supreme Class they all got prizes and my daughter came out so happy. We have to thank the sponsors too; it’s amazing to see such big companies as Bogela Mining and Pomona Road Truck Sales sponsoring the showing!

We asked Layah how she found the show:

HQP: Layah, what was your favourite thing about HOYS?

Layah: I loved being with my ponies, and seeing the different ponies especially the Miniature Horse in the Grooms’ Class. The Arab dress up class was also really fun!

HQP: Can you tell us a bit about the ponies you rode?

Layah: Baloo is my first pony and I am in love with him. He’s my golden boy, but he does whatever he feels like on the day! He will either go in and win or buck through the whole class and refuse to move forward... But I still love him! Pinky is a new partnership so we only entered

one class and he came second. He’s a young pony and I was so proud of both of us. I’m very excited for future showing shows, because he is the nicest person, and we are becoming good friends. Then there is ‘Little Copper Coin’; he’s 20 years old and I adore him… He’s quite big but he makes me feel so brave!

HQP: What do you love about riding?

Layah:

1. I love being surrounded by ponies and your friends all day and all weekends

2. I love that they are my babies

3. I love winning

4. And I love going fast, jumping big and doing tests!

Qinn Luden

Qinn is our next generation star coming from a family line who have had success in all types of equestrian sport! From a family involved in racing, breeding, Derby winning (aunt Kelly O’Connor) and even equestrian attire (Macqmac), it’s no surprise that Qinn is a serious talent.

We had a quick catch up with a few members of the family after watching Qinn compete:

HQP: Firstly, we asked ‘Gogo’ Celeste Lochoff what her key to successful showing outing is?

Celeste: Between Dom (Qinn’s mom) and myself we try to have everything you could possibly need for showing with us. We have everything from safety pins to elastics for numbers and Dom has a box especially for Qinn’s hair goodies and ties and Galahad’s browbrands! A good outing is seeing Qinn remembering the test that the judge has asked for and the pony behaving well!

Preparation and attention to detail are essential. I think it is very important for Qinn at this age to learn to take the losses with the wins.

HQP: Can you tell us a bit about Qinn and her pony?

Dom: Qinn’s been riding since she was two years old and she’s had her pony Sir Galahad since 2022. They started on lead rein together and went off lead last year, ending the year as SANESA National Champions in Dressage, Equitation and Performance Riding for Level 0.

HQP: What classes did she enter at HOYS and how did it all go?

Dom: This HOY they entered the following four classes: SASA Child’s First Pony, SASA Child’s First Working Pony, SANESA Show Riding Pony and SANESA Working Riding Pony. They won the SASA Child’s First Working Pony and the SANESA Show Riding Pony, which qualified them for the Young Child’s Supreme Class. They also came second in the SANESA Working Riding Pony.

HQP: What is your favourite showing class and why?

Qinn: It’s the Show Pony Class because I get to make my pony look pretty!

HQP: What is your favourite part of showing?

Qinn: My favourite part is cantering a figure of eight.

HQP: What is your least favourite part of showing?

Qinn: Wearing the hot jacket!

HQP: What showing title/prize would you love to win one day?

Qinn: I want to win a Supreme Class at HOYS so that I can win a trophy, a sash and a day sheet for my pony!

HQP: We’ll look out for that moment in the future!

Taylor Kloeck

Taylor comes from a family of horse riders, with her mom being the super speedy Rechelle Kloeck, and Gran, Elaine Pestana, heading up Zambezi Equestrian Centre.

Sarah Neill

The next generation of Neill’s are on their way up in the sport too! The youngest, Sarah Neill, was spotted at HOYS and is daughter to two SA Showjumping Champions, Shaun and Cathryn, who won the title on the same horse - the legendary Clyde Z.

A coach’s perspective

Michael Blom

We also had a quick chat with top coach, Michael Blom. Michael happens to be Lilly Korber’s coach but had several pupils at the show. This is what he had to say about the show…

HQP: How did your students do at HOYS 2024?

Michael: They all came home with a ticket or two each which was fantastic for each of the girls. They’ve been working really hard throughout the year to prepare for this massive show so I’m really pleased overall!

HQP: Why do you encourage your students to do showing?

Michael: I always encourage my students to do showing because it teaches them the correct manners for the show ring, and the correct way to handle their horses when they are at a show. It also teaches them patience and gives them a lot of time in the ring to get rid of the usual ‘show butterflies’ that everyone gets. It is one of the greatest disciplines, because it gives the rider an all-round experience when it comes to riding; not only is there a lot of flatwork and schooling involved when preparing for these shows, but for some of the other classes there’s a lot of practice and preparation required as well. For me I think the greatest thing about showing and why I encourage all my students to do it is because it teaches them ring craft and how to improvise and not be set on a fixed plan. You must adapt to what is going on, and yet you can still create a great test and have a great outcome if you are smart and have been taught well before the show.

HQP: What are the benefits of showing for coaches?

Michael: I think it is a great platform for us as coaches to show off our means of training and how we get our riders up into the open platforms in all disciplines. I use it as a springboard for pupils to then decide what discipline they want to go into one day, whether it be the flatwork classes suggesting a dressage interest, or if they enjoy the Working Hunter, then it suggests eventing or jumping. The SANESA side of it is also great as they get an all-round preparation for those shows.

HQP: Are there particular classes that you find more ‘fun’ than others, or your students enjoy more?

Michael: I’d say most of my students enjoy the Working Classes a bit more than the Show Classes. I think this is because the kids enjoy having a few obstacles, or for instance, the gallop in the Working Hunter, which is always a lot of fun.

HQP: Do you have any top showing tips?

Michael:

1. Take lots of deep breaths!

2. Preparation is key- you need to be prepared and have practiced a lot.

3. Have a good pit crew -Turnout is obviously hugely important and makes a massive impact on the end result.