US-based British showjumper Grace Debney has loved a breakthrough 12 months through which she received her first five-star courses, stepped as much as grand prix and received a workforce bronze medal on the European younger rider showjumping championships.
This 18-year-old is clearly a star of the long run.
“I actually am residing the dream, it’s been superb,” says Grace, who relies in Massachusetts however will likely be spending the subsequent few months competing within the Winter Equestrian Competition (WEF) at Wellington, Florida.
{The teenager} has been driving for so long as she will be able to bear in mind and has channelled a powerful aggressive spirit and pure aptitude within the saddle, rising shortly via the ranks and he or she is now catching the attention on the worldwide leaping circuit.
“I’ve all the time been aggressive,” she says. “However that aggressive facet helps me to battle for fulfillment within the ring, particularly when my horses are preventing for it as a lot as they do.”
Grace received two five-star courses in 2022, the primary coming at WEF in April and the second at Traverse Metropolis Horse Present in September, each along with her 11-year-old mare Zarina De Vidau, a Spanish-bred daughter of Diamant De Semilly beforehand ridden by one other British rider Amy Inglis and US Olympia Reed Kessler and whom Grace refers to as her “trusty steed”.
Grace Debney: ‘I’m figuring it out and it’s a number of enjoyable’
Her different prime mare is the 15.3hh Boheme De La Roque, however Grace has added two thrilling new horses to her string in current months. The 11-year-old gelding Agadance Van’t Gelutt Z is proving a implausible schoolmaster.
“I obtained to leap my first larger grand prix on him,” she says. “It’s a studying expertise each time I’m going within the ring, which is the way it’s going to be, however I’m figuring it out and it’s a number of enjoyable. I personal Agadance with Jos Lansink, we purchased half of him in August to get me going within the larger rings and he’s actually performed a very good job of that. At solely my second present on him I jumped my first five-star grand prix. He’s an actual confidence giver. I additionally purchased an eight-year-old, who exhibits a number of good expertise so I’m very enthusiastic about each of them.
“I nonetheless really feel ‘wow’ about leaping at five-star, however hopefully it might develop into an everyday factor for me,” she says. “I’ve some massive objectives this Wellington season in Florida, so hopefully I can obtain all of them. It’s actually thrilling to have so many good horses going into the brand new season.”
In July, Grace Debney fulfilled a life-long ambition to fly the flag for her native Nice Britain when she was chosen as a part of the younger rider workforce on the European Championships in Oliva Nova, Spain with Boheme. The squad received a bronze medal and Grace completed sixth individually.
“That was unbelievable, I used to be so glad and happy with my horse, she gave her all,” she says. “It was a bit intimidating coming in and not likely figuring out anybody on the workforce as a result of I’m in a special space clearly, however everybody was so welcoming, I made a number of buddies and hopefully I’ll attempt to hold working in direction of a championship once more in 2023 — I’d like to do it once more and attempt to journey on some groups, it’s undoubtedly a objective.
“So after Wellington the plan then is to return to Europe — I don’t wish to miss one other alternative like that. We have now good expertise from final 12 months as to the place to go and what to do, so hopefully it is going to be enjoyable.”
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