2024 seems set to be an exhilarating 12 months for 25-year-old showjumper Alex Somerville-Cotton. She was once lately decided on for the British Showjumping, at the side of Game England, 2023/2024 gold building programme and, with a in reality promising string of horses that she’s been generating herself, the long run is taking a look shiny for this formidable and proficient younger rider.
Alex comes from a non-horsey circle of relatives however she and her mom were breeding some tremendous kids lately and her present best horse, the 11-year-old Conan Doyle, aka Henry, has lately returned from colic surgical procedures and has stepped up impressively to ratings categories.
Alex stuck the showjumping computer virus in class and made up our minds whilst finishing her A-levels that she would paintings full-time with horses as a substitute of going to college – and he or she hasn’t regarded again since.
She was once prior to now decided on for British Showjumping’s Complex Apprenticeship in Carrying Excellence (AASE) and is now embarking at the gold programme for riders aiming to determine themselves on the 1.40-1.50m stage, and people who are bidding for the sector magnificence efficiency pathway programme. She is happy on the alternatives it items to her, together with camps with lead coaches Matt Lanni and Nicola McLeish and classes with saddlers, farriers, equine physiotherapists and training in rider energy and conditioning.
“It’s superb. I’ve identified Matt for ages and he’s good,” says Alex. “They’ve in reality attempted so onerous to lend a hand the folks coming during the game to have the most efficient head-start.”
Alex says she wouldn’t be the place she is nowadays with out a horse referred to as Summer season – “the most efficient factor that ever took place to me” – who was once purchased by means of her overdue father from Matt Lanni, and is now an excessively a success broodmare.
“I’ve bred too many horses now!” says Alex. “I’ve about 12 in paintings, all of the younger ones I do myself and the oldest person who I began is 8, my gray Kevin [Amazing-K Van’t Kattenheye Z]. I began him as a three-year-old and he’s now leaping ratings which is in reality thrilling. He’s a whole lunatic, however he loves to leap so it’s in reality rewarding.”
Alex Somerville-Cotton says her purpose for 2024 is to leap the Queen’s Cup at Hickstead‘s Royal Global with Henry, having overlooked it ultimate 12 months owing to his colic surgical procedures.
“I believe subsequent 12 months might be his 12 months,” she says, making plans to go to Sentower and Riesenbeck in the beginning of February. “I do know everybody needs to leap on a crew and that will be superb, however to simply stay organising myself at score stage and being aggressive and seeing how we get on, that will be unbelievable.”
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Credit score: Dirk Caremans / Hippo Foto
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Credit score: Long run
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