Inkster Bulgaria Bound for World Final

Inkster Bulgaria Bound for World Final

Laura Inkster may only have two seasons of showjumping under her belt, but it proved good enough to earn her the right to ride for New Zealand at the FEI World Jumping Challenge Final in Bulgaria.

Inkster flies out late Sunday with her parents Lianne and Murray, her sister Sarah and trainer Mike McCall to prepare for the event that starts onJuly 2 in Zhitnica.

Since learning in January she had made the final, she’s been riding a variety of horses belonging to Carissa McCall, and working with Equestrifit’s Jason Hill.

“I have learnt a lot,” said the 17-year-old from Clevedon. “The Equestrifit is a lot about strengthening and it has helped me with straightening me up on a horse . . . it’s really interesting.”

Inkster, a former Junior Rider of the Year, won the New Zealand class in October aboard Oporaes Jackamore, but had to wait until January to find out whether she was through.

“It is so exciting,” said the year 12 St Kentigern College student. “I didn’t expect to be representing my country this fast.”

New Zealand is part of zone 8, which includes Hong Kong, Taipei, South Africa and Australia. Inkster and Oporaes Jackamore qualified second on 88.45 seconds for the zone, just behind South African rider Simon Hendry on Franlaren Beau Des Trois on 87.42. She was the only non-South African rider in the top 20.

In Bulgaria, the riders will compete on borrowed horses. The first competition is a speed round, with the second a two phase for the best of the field.
“A lot depends of what sort of horse you draw,” says Inkster.

The family have a brief stop-over in Shanghai, where they’ll “go exploring” for 11 hours, before heading to Bulgaria via Germany. Once the competition is over, the Inskters will spend three weeks getting home, stopping off in London, Paris, New York and San Francisco

For the coming season she has both Oporaes Jackamore and Cabana, and is hopeful of doing grand prix level, and continuing their success of 2014-2015, when twice she won both the junior and young rider classes at a show.
“I want to really push myself this season.”

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