Olympic hopefull Camilla Kruger

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July/August 2016 • VOLUME XVI NUMBER 5

8 Page Report

07

We chat to Rio bound Milly Kruger

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Plus lots more Show Reports inside...

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SPOTLIGHT Camilla Kruger and Biarritz II competing at Hopetoun International CIC*** where they finished third

Good Luck to

Camilla Kruger & Biarritz II

At the end of July Sussex-based Camilla Kruger will fly to Rio de Janeiro to represent Zimbabwe at the Olympics, in doing so, she will be the first Zimbabwean ever to compete in Equestrian sport.

Riding racehorses in Zimbabwe

Milly learnt to ride as a child in Zimbabwe and loved exercising the retired racehorses which lived on her family’s farm. Something she continued during the holidays when her family relocated to England when she was six. The farm has now sadly gone, but Milly still returns to Zimbabwe at least twice a year. For Milly Zimbabwe is home and despite the years that have passed she says she has still managed to hold on to the Zimbabwean way of life.

The Zimbabwean Olympic Committee are really excited that Milly

will be their first ever rider competing at the Olympics and since setting out on this journey Milly has been increasingly involved in training and educating riders in Zimbabwe, with the hope of inspiring them to aim to compete at the Olympics. She hopes that one day they will have a Zimbabwean team competing at international competitions including the Olympic Games.

Milly said: “There are lots of talented kids and they have their first FEI CIC* event now. I have been trying to encourage them to come to the UK to train.”

Talented young horse

At just 10-years-old Biarritz is relatively young to be competing at the Olympics, but with just over a month to go until he flies to Rio, he is in the best possible form, having just finished third at Hopetoun International in the CIC***. The KWPN gelding started eventing as a five-year-old, went novice as a seven-year-old and did his first three star at Blenheim in 2014, ending 2015 with a clear at Boekelo.

Between now and the end of July the focus for Milly and Biarritz will be training, show jumping and possibly a run at Barbury, if it is decided he needs it. Milly will put Biarritz on a flight to Brazil on Thursday 28th July, where he will be met by Milly’s ‘super groom’, Fay Bryant. Milly will fly out the following day with her trainer and Zimbabwean Chef d’equipe, Darrell Scaife, as well as her vet, Daniel Carroll from Cinder Hill Equine Practice. Her family, sisters,

Pictures by ES Photography and Nigel Goddard

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t school when the teachers asked Camilla (Milly) Kruger what she wanted to do when she was older, she would say, to compete at the Olympics. Having dedicated herself to the sport of eventing ever since she left school aged 18, Milly is looking forward to fulfilling her goal and dream, when she rides her horse, Biarritz II, around the Olympic eventing course in Brazil, later this summer.

Owned by the Shamwari Syndicate, which means friend in Shona, Biarritz II also known as Sam The Man was bought as a fouryear-old in 2010 with the Olympics in mind. Milly said that Sam is growing in strength and confidence all the time and she believes that she can improve his dressage by 10 marks over the next couple of years. With the real focus being the World Equestrian Games in 2018 and the 2020 Olympics, the Rio Games this year have come as a bonus to 29-year-old Milly, who is aiming for a top 15 finish.

Camilla and Rufus, who normally goes everywhere with her.

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Camilla with Bellavilla and Biarritz II, both of whom are owned by Shamwari Syndicate. grandmother and boyfriend will all be in Rio to cheer and support ‘Team Zim’, Milly and Sam The Man. Milly and Darrell will be staying in the Olympic village, which is about forty minutes away from the stables, while Fay and Daniel will stay at the stables. Milly, who is a complete sporting junkie, is extremely excited about the prospect of living alongside and rubbing shoulders with Olympic heroes, such as the Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt.

When asked if she was looking forward to the Athlete’s Parade at the Opening Ceremony, Milly said: “It depends which day I am chosen for dressage, if it is the first day then I probably won’t be able to take part, as they go on quite late, which will be a shame as I imagine it will be something special in Rio.” Milly believes that by having dreams and pursuing them, you really can make them come true. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Milly and Biarritz II lots and lots of luck for the Rio Olympics and hope that a little girl’s dreams really do come true and that she goes on to inspire a whole nation of equestrian athletes.

Team Zim, Camilla’s family and friends Described as ‘Super Groom’, Fay Bryant will be travelling to Rio with Biarritz II.

Camilla and Biarritz II competing at Blenheim

WIN a complete ArcEquine kit worth £540!

To celebrate her qualification for the Rio Olympics, Camilla’s sponsors Arc Equine are giving one reader the chance to win an ArcEquine kit worth £540!

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s every rider knows, training and competition cause physical and psychological stresses on a horse, making effective management of health, soundness and wellbeing of fundamental importance to success - and ArcEquine’s unique microcurrent unit can help.

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