Thanks to the help of the Nedbank-supported Sports Trust a young development show jumper is working her way through the ranks and hopes to represent South Africa in international competitions when she’s old enough.  Story and pictures by Joy Webber.

Shortly before her ninth birthday Tarin Gilbert told her father, Len, she’d like to ride a horse. He simply nodded and said nothing more but began to hatch a surprise.  A few weeks later Gilbert took his daughter to a riding school in Kyalami for her birthday treat.

’She couldn’t believe her luck and took to horse riding like a duck to water,’ Gilbert recalls. ’It was as if she’d been riding for years. She looked so small on that huge horse. I was more nervous than she was.’

From that moment Tarin was hooked and started riding lessons soon after her birthday.  Trainers at the Carswald Stables in Kyalami soon began to notice the petite youngster who seemed to have an astonishing rapport with the horses. Before long she was participating in show-jumping competitions and quickly won her first event in the Power Jump Class. The owners of the stables , Robert and Elizabeth Thompson, were amazed by her achievement.

’Here was this minute little girl on one of the school’s biggest ponies beating the other more experienced riders easily,’ says Robert.  ’We could see she had natural talent and decided to take her under our wing.’

But horse riding is an expensive sport and Tarin could not afford a pony of her own so she trained on a variety of stables ponies . (Show-jumping ponies are only a few hands shorter than the height of an average horse, but are by no means like the tiny Shetland ponies toddlers sit on at country fairs.  All competitive riders under the age of fourteen have to ride ponies and can only graduate to horses when they reach junior level.)

Then a beautiful pony was offered to the stables and Robert and Len decided to chip in and buy it for Tarin.

’Bobtail’ turned out to be an excitable and unreliable animal who in the middle of a show refused a jump, pitching Tarin into the heavy wooden poles. The result for the young rider was a concussion and three days in hospital.

’Bobtail was returned to his original owners, but unfortunately not all the money was re-imbursed,’ says Thompson.

’I was badly shaken and lost a lot of confidence but was determined to carry on,’ says Tarin.

So like the proverb she got back onto the horse and now, aged 13, is going from strength to strength. She trains regularly and spends all the school holidays at the stables.

’I love horses and being around them,’ says Tarin.  ’It’s just such a wonderful environment to be in. We get to care for and ride our ponies every day. It’s better than hanging out at the mall during the holidays and on the weekends.’

But it’s a constant financial struggle to finance the young jumper’s passion. Her dad, along with Carlswald Stables, does what he can to keep his daughter in the saddle. Shows are held every two weeks all around the country. There are entry fees and transport costs that have to be met and riding gear is costly, not to mention veterinary and farrier bills.

To help, the Transvaal Horse society agreed to waive Tarin’s annual registration fee for two years and the Nedbank-sponsored Sports Trust donated R2700 from their Discretionary Fund which went towards paying for the upkeep of  Tarin’s pony. The Sports Trust Discretionary Fund assists by making smaller donations to sportsmen and women on an individual basis and to the ’Cinderella Sports’.

In November 2002 Tarin saw, and fell in love with, a dark-grey mare at the SA Riders Amateur Series.

’Calypso Blue’ belonged to a friend of Thompson’s daughter about to graduate from Children’s to Junior level. The pony was too small for her to compete successfully in the new category.

’I was determined to buy the pony for Tarin and started searching for sponsors,’ Thompson says. ’I managed to get a third of the purchase price sponsored by a car rental company and also agreed with the original owner that once Tarin has worked her magic with Calypso Blue and reached the top of her game, the pony will be sold and the outstanding balance paid.’

Tarin started competing on Calypso Blue in February 2003 and has since moved up the ranks.

’She’s an absolute natural,’ says Thompson. ’She’s so down to earth and unspoilt, it’s a pleasure having her around. She’s has tremendous talent and we are only too happy to be able to help where we can.’
 
As soon as the Grade 9 pupil turns fourteen at the end of 2003 she’ll have to move up to Junior level and onto a bigger horse.

’It’ll be like starting all over again,’ says Tarin. ’The jumps and the horses will be bigger! It’ll be scary at first, but I’ll do it.  My ultimate goal is to get my South African colours and compete overseas.’

Father, Len has become quite an expert on horses and show jumping. He and his wife attend as many shows as possible and are their youngest child’s most ardent fans.

’She make us very proud when she goes into the ring,’ he says.