On a show day we generally wake up at about 7am - we let the horses out in the arena if we can, so that they can get a feel for the show and stretch their legs and Helen and I muck out their stables. We set ourselves a strict 2 hour mark before the first show in which I groom the horses and make them sparkle… And then we have to make ourselves sparkle! We do 2 shows a day which are 35 minutes long each and they involve skipping horses/ dancing horses/ lots of vaulting and roman riding.
Howard Woolford Photography
Photo Taken by organisers at Abinger Medieval Fair What type of training do I do?
Living in Oxfordshire is a great place to start vaulting. Near Gaydon there is Julie Newell and the English Vaulting Squad who I was lucky enough to train with for a number of years. Julie helped me progress massively over the winters and gave me the opportunity to compete both nationally and internationally. In 2018 I competed at Saumur which was one of my proudest moments. Competitively I was never very strong but I absolutely love the performance part of vaulting, which is why I enjoy being part of Galloping Acrobatics so much – all the fun of competing but without the judges…! Also in Oxfordshire is the Unicorn Vaulting Group which is based in Stow-on-the-Wold. Rebecca is incredibly passionate and her sessions are so much fun, she let me train with them over the winter last year before I got my horse Suki. Training is hard work – you have to be physically very strong but also keep flexibility a high priority.
As with any sport, there is a cost involved with training. Both a monetary cost and a time aspect. Training is both of these, whether it is in a local gym or training with one of the previously mentioned groups. I have always tried my best to do a mixture of both but I was lucky enough to start loaning a horse earlier this year. She is truly the best horse I could have ever imagined! However due to this, my training commitments came to a screeching halt so Suki is now coming jogging with me and I’ve put my vaulting tack on her which she has taken to better than I could have ever imagined.
Biggest highlights from my career so far There has always been a standout moment for me each year I have been part of Galloping Acrobatics/ vaulting. 2014 was the year I joined Rosie and Helen in Galloping Acrobatics, I learnt such a huge amount but also (a little bit soppy) met my two best friends. 2015 I started vaulting in the shows and joined Moulton Vaulting Group to progress my skills - I used to get so nervous, my legs would be like jelly! In 2016 I started doing the ‘choreography’ section of the show with Helen. In this section we both have a horse each and they follow each other around our bunting circle while Rosie gets members of the audience to pick out one of eight cards to tell us what move to do. Rosie taught me to Roman Ride in 2017, this is when you clip two horses together, and stand with one foot on each horse. It takes a huge amount of balance and co-ordination but it my favourite thing to do during shows. In 2018 it was taking part in CVI Saumur and competing for my first (and last…!) time while abroad on the wonderful Cody. This year I’m a little bit greedy because not only did my year start fantastically gaining Super Suki and seeing how amazingly she is taking to vaulting, but I also did the most magnificent jump while roman riding! To do this, you have to wait for the horses to be in perfect time and then launch yourself into the air while tucking your legs up. I have spent 5 years watching Rosie do this perfectly and this year not only have I finally got the hang of it, but at the Royal Three Counties Show I also had a photo taken of it – it makes me so proud!
Clau Falcao Ilkley Carnival Organisers Please mention Central Horse News What’s On when responding to advertisements SUMMER SPECIAL 2019 81
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