RISING STARS AT ROYAL WINDSOR
The country’s finest young riders showcase their talent at Royal Windsor in the prestigious under-25 class next Sunday. Jennifer Donald meets some of this year’s contenders
ROYAL WINDSOR Preview
WHO are showjumping’s rising stars? We meet a quartet brimming with talent, ambition and that all-important competitive spirit.
“HARD WORK IS PAYING OFF”
THE past three years have been a whirlwind for 20-year-old Connie Adams. This young talent has gone from juggling her A levels while producing three young horses, to a stint at the Billy Stud and she’s now Nations Cup teams, training with Helen Tredwell. This is the second time she’s contested the flagship class at Royal Windsor and she brings 10-year-old Jagger III (VDL Zirocco Blue x Indoctro).
“I’ve had him since a five-year-old so it’s taken a lot of hard work – at first, it was just my mum and me doing it pretty much as amateurs, although I’ve started doing it professionally recently,” she says. “Having someone like Helen Tredwell take me under her wing means so much – I’m learning all the time and I appreciate everything she does.”
Connie now also has the ride on some of Helen’s horses, such as 17-year-old Tornado De Monts and several homebreds, but Jagger is still the family’s “pride and joy”.
“He’s made my dreams come true,” says Connie, who has deferred her place at Notingham University. “Jagger gets tense and he’s very sensitive, but he loves hacking and we try to keep everything low key for him. “As I’ve learned to ride him better, his jumping has improved and he’s so reliable – he’s maybe not the most careful, but he’s forgiving and a great partner. While I’m in the age category I’d like to do all the under-25 classes, hopefully the London International.
“We’ll play the rest of the year by ear, but we’ ll go to a few county shows for the area trials and hopefully both Jagger and I can keep improving. I’ve worked so hard for this, so I want to give showjumping a good shot now.”
“WE DO IT ON ASHOESTRING”
MADIESON BLAKESLEY, 21, is a one-horse rider going places. She brings her 10-year-old mare Javelin IV (Zinedine x Quality Time) as she prepares to make her Royal Windsor debut.
“She’s an amazing horse, we were a bit unlucky at the last fence in the grand prix at the recent Blue Chip Winter Championships. She’s come up the levels so fast that it feels a bit mad to be jumping these kind of tracks with her,” says Madieson.
“She has a massive h
