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Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Equestrian Federation will be fielding a seven-member show jumping team at the Youth and Children African Championship starting in Oran, Algeria, on Monday.
The championship is running until March 26 and is organised by the African Confederation of Equestrian Sport (ACES).
Zimbabwe is competing in the juniors’ section (15 to 18 years) and the children’s category (12 to 14 years).
The juniors team is made up of four riders — Amy Hay, Emma Wales Smith, and sisters Zoe and Olivia Roberts. Katie Loubser is a non-travelling reserve. Chloe Loubser, Rayne Nichole and Isabella Gifford will compete in the children’s section. The team is expected to leave for Algeria today led by coach Ricky Johnstone and Cef d’Equipe Shayne Hay.
Hay said this is an opportunity for participants to compete in a different environment.
“Each athlete draws a borrowed horse which they will ride for the duration of the competition with the scores being taken over three competitions.
“This is an amazing experience as one gets to ride in a totally different country on completely foreign horses and it is extremely good practise,” said Hay.
Falling under the International Federation for Equestrian (FEI), the ACES’ aim is to promote and develop equestrian culture and sport on the continent in a sustainable and structured way. The continental federation have 21 member countries.
And of those 21 countries, 10 — hosts Algeria, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe — are expected to participate in the championship next week.
ACES secretary-general, Gayle Hanssen, said the event is part of development efforts to grow the sport on the continent.
“This is quite a new thing. We had this type of competition at the African Youth Games in 2018. We missed 2020 due to Covid-19, so now this is 2022. It’s our second time for the juniors but for the children, it’s our first time and we want to do this every two years.
“So we have got 10 countries competing and this is the most we have had, so the sport is growing in Africa.
“In 2018, we had Mauritius, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. We only had that for juniors,” said Hanssen.
Hanssen said the event is a stepping stone to the Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
In 2010 at the in the inaugural YOG, in Singapore, the continent won a bronze medal in the team event as well as in 2018, in Argentina.
“We have to remember that we had a team bronze in 2010, in Singapore. So it’s a stepping stone for the Youth Olympic Games for the junior riders in particular. And so now we have introduced children,” said Hanssen.
The former Zimbabwe Equestrian Federation secretary-general added that for countries like Zimbabwe that have qualified for the Youth Equestrian Games (YEG) to be held between June and July in Aachen, Germany, this will help boost athletes’ confidence.
“So this is a stepping stone to that event as well because we are trying to develop the sport as the African continent, so that we can step onto the international stage with confidence. And that’s why we have brought in children, we are bringing the next generation,” said Hanssen.
Other African countries that have qualified for YEG are Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia.
Zimbabwe’s Team
Zimbabwe Junior Team (15-18 years): Amy Hay, Emma Wales Smith, Zoe Roberts, Olivia Roberts.
Non travelling reserve: Katie Loubser.
Zimbabwe Children’s Team (12-14 years): Chloe Loubser, Rayne Nichole, Isabella Gifford.
Cef d’Equipe: Shayne Hay
Coach: Ricky Johnstone
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