Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2014 | Page 65

EQUESTRIAN
In her busy schedule, Sarah also
passed her BHS Stage Four teaching
exam with distinction, and has already
begun training for her Intermediate
exam, which she hopes to take later
in the year. After a six-week winter
break in Australia, she is now gearing
up for the new season, and will again
be competing on family horse Lowhill
Clover, an experienced 12-year-old, as
well as Harley Brown, owned by Andrew
and Ellen Brown, who is still at the
Novice stage. Sarah pointed out: “He has
got to do two more novices this year to
reach One Star, and that is also one of
my aims.”
She continued: “I have recently received
confirmation that I have got through to
the Two Star GB selection stages again
for 2015. So I am hoping to get as far as
I did last year, when I got to train with
the squad, and hopefully I can go that
little bit further, even if it as a travelling
reserve. But if Lowhill Clover goes really
well we might push him to go Three Star.
The problem is that I cannot compete in
the Two Star GB team if I have ridden at
Three Star, so that is the decision I will
have to make at some stage, and it is
going to be a tough one.”
She added with a smile: “If I feel ready

and he feels ready I think we might crack
on for Three Star toward the end of the
season, but it’s is a big step up. The horse
has to be super fit, everything is far more
technical – and I will have to see how
brave I am feeling!”
Sarah has a third horse, Dunganstown
Fleur, which showed a lot of promise
in her first year, and could even attain
One Star this season. With no events
staged here, she and her family, aided by

Wightlink sponsorship, travel not only
to the south coast to compete but as far
as the north Midlands and East Anglia.
She added: “I am so lucky to live on the
Island, with the indoor school here, and
getting on so well with the people I teach.
We are also close as a family. I suppose
if I could pick up this whole set-up, and
move to the mainland, which would
save a lot of time and travelling, I would
be gone like a shot. But I know that can’t
happen.”

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