Somerset teacher Nicola Foad wins the NAF Five Star Bronze league championship at HOYS
Wednesday 06 October 2021
Nicola Foad, a teacher from Somerset, fulfilled a life time's ambition by winning at the Horse of the year show in Birmingham this morning when she won when the NAF Five Star Bronze league championship.
The PE teacher was riding Potsdam Junior when she dominated the jump off by over a second and a half. It was her first ever appearance at the iconic show.
Nicola was naturally delighted to win on a horse she took on when the owner wanted to find a good home for him when he was 16 five years ago. Talking about how she took him [Potsdam Junior) on after the presentation she said “About five years ago a lady said to me my horse is retired will you look after him, then after about six months she said would you like to start riding him, so I started riding him and here we are! Because of his age [21 years], I went on the theory that I knew he’d had five years off so thought he’d be ok! I try and not do too much and we just do the local Showjumping circuit and because of his age limit it to 1.10m”
About the competition today she added “When I walked the course this morning I just thought to myself I don’t care how many poles I have down I just want to have a nice round and enjoy it. Then when four had gone clear before me in the jump off, I rode into the arena and just thought we have to go for it! He’s so good, if ever we make a mistake it’s always my fault it’s never him. It was just sheer luck that I get to ride him and I am forever grateful”.
Full results
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