It’s been a whirlwind 2023 for emerging superstar Alice Knight and her 13-year-old gelding SJL Dom Perignon (Hauptstutbuch Recianna x Don Primus), affectionately referred to as “Perry”. In combination the fairly new mixture gained the hotly contested inter I silver at Alice’s first-ever Nationwide Championships on 67.73%.
“He has essentially the most superb persona and places a grin on my face each day,” says Alice. “Successful my first nationwide identify was once essentially the most fantastic enjoy, it’s the most important success of my profession to this point. We’ve been running and coaching for a few years and it has made me much more decided and bold for additional luck.”
Alice Knight: One to observe
She provides: “I’m so thankful to have one of these particular horse in Perry, who’s beginning to make my desires come true.”
The mix was once additionally an in depth 2d within the silver prix st georges on 68.62%, with highlights from the judges together with their expressive prolonged canter and canter pirouettes, for which they were given 8s and seven.5s.
“Perry is tremendous proficient but additionally scorching and delicate to experience so in coaching, I spend a large number of time construction our self belief and making sure we’re safe at small excursion degree as he’s at all times attempting so exhausting to delight,” explains Alice.
“He loves his coaching however he additionally loves to head hacking round our farm. I love to combine our coaching regimen up by means of including quite a lot of selection to stay him in the most efficient form imaginable.”
The longer term without a doubt seems shiny for nineteen-year-old Alice, particularly bearing in mind the adulthood and seriousness that comes throughout when she speaks about her horses and profession.
“This wintry weather we’re focussing on coaching him as much as inter II, which we are hoping to compete at within the spring in preparation to compete at below 25 grand prixs at some point,” she says.
Along her supportive mum, Wendy, and sister, Isobel – who’re each themselves a hit dressage riders – Alice has taken steps to safe her long term within the recreation.
“We’ve just lately arrange our trade, Knights dressage,” she says. “In 2022, we purchased a farm in West Sussex, which had a protracted historical past of dressage, and we’ve been busy construction and developing amenities to run our trade from, the place we plan to coach and compete our group of horses.”
“My plan subsequent 12 months is to proceed construction the trade up so we have now a a hit festival dressage backyard – we’re very excited as we have now such a lot of plans for the long run.”
In addition to having a excellent fortify community in position, Alice’s best guidelines for younger riders having a look to climb the degrees are to “paintings exhausting, keep focussed and feature amusing.
“However maximum of all revel in your horse and admire any luck you could have a protracted the best way.”
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