EQUESTRIAN
Chas Randell
Isle of Wight
Showjumper 2001
a lot of events with her, even though
she was still only a 13-year-old, but
jumping above her age against seniors,
as well as in junior events.
“She was a brilliant little horse and
I rode her until I was 17, and also did
quite a bit of showjumping on her
both on the Island and the mainland
at Newcomers and Foxhunter levels,”
she said. But perhaps one of Jodie’s
biggest disappointments was just
missing out on qualifying for the
Horse of the Year Show at Wembley on
Miss Jingle when she was 16.
“I took part in a qualifier at Dorset
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Showground, and there were about
100 starters. We finished third, but
only the first two qualified. But
someone saw how well my pony
competed, so we sold him and he went
on to do very well, competing for
Britain in one competition.”
Jodie’s passion for riding remains
as strong as ever. She admits: “I have
ridden every day of my life since I
was three, and I would never think of
giving up. I wouldn’t know what to do
without it.”
One of the 10 horses at the stables is
Poppy, and she and Jodie have won the
Somerton Open seven times, and also
qualified for the National finals some
years ago. Poppy is now 21 but still
as sprightly as ever, according to her
owner.
Inevitably travelling to the mainland
is a costly business, and Jodie admits
that is the main reason why her
showjumping career has not progressed
as much as she would have liked. But
she takes satisfaction that she has had
several horses that she has nurtured
to a certain level, and then they have
gone on to gain successes elsewhere.
“Unfortunately I have not been able