A Dream Ticket to Russia

My Russian Trip

On the 17th July I’m heading to Germany and then onto Russia to represent New Zealand in the first ever Russian Friendship Games. I am so excited and feel very privileged to have been chosen.

It would be amazing if you could help me reach my target my parents have set me. I have been giving riding lessons and schooling horses for people but I am still quite a long way off!

I would also really love you to follow my journey on either:

Instagram (isabelle_ jameson_equestrian) or

Youtube (Isabelle Jameson)

I will try to post a daily account of my trip.

A little bit about me.

I am 15 years old and have been riding for 7 years now and spend all my free time training and schooling my team of 5 horses and ponies. My dream is to be able to work with horses and teach others my passion too.

As I needed to write this piece about myself, I took time to reflect on what I have done in the 7 years I have been riding and the choices I have made because of my passion.

I was that typical little girl going for the odd riding lesson and begging my parents for a pony when finally, one day after school, mum asked me to come outside and help her with something. A friend of ours had her horse float standing in the driveway. Mum told me to look inside and there she was, a pony called Skye. I had ridden Skye a few days earlier but mum had said we couldn’t afford her so I left very disappointed. But now here she was my first pony Skye.

From that day on I would do everything for Skye and just loved her as much as she appeared to love me.

My parents probably thought this ‘fad’ wouldn’t last long and that I would grow out of it and lose interest; discover boys and all kinds of things like that! But no not me, the more I did the further I wanted to go. I think they have got the message now!! Horses are my life.

Nearly 2 years later after selling Skye I bought a full height pony called Darvel Jade. I looked like a pimple on top of her as I was short for my age and she was a full size pony but together we learnt a lot and just before I sold her we won the Vinnie Cup at the Cambridge Pony Club Champs.

Jade was great at jumping but 1.10cm was about her limit. I really wanted to jump higher and set my sights on GP but I knew that Jade wouldn’t do it and my parents wouldn’t buy me a GP pony. A friend of ours (thanks Liz), had just broken in Pico Boo and although he wasn’t jumping any more than 50cm at the time, she thought he was the bees knees and really wanted mum to buy him for me. It took a lot but Liz and myself persuaded mum that I would work hard and train him up to jump GP. What did I know about training a pony, let alone to a GP standard! But mum fell for it! With a lot of work, time, effort and training he turned out to be the best pony ever, so keen and eager to learn and tries so hard. We have been placed in a few 1.20m and won a couple of 1.15m last season so I really hope that we will be doing our first GP next season, fingers crossed.

I have produced a few horses and ponies now including breaking in Kabo Cosmic . It’s because of these different challenges I have improved and grown stronger as a rider and they have taught me to be adaptable too. I love every minute of it and can't imagine doing anything else.

This opportunity to ride abroad is just incredible and I know that Lucy hopes she will be able to keep offering these experience to people every year.

Thank you so much

Izzy