EQUESTRIAN - Hukerenui rider ready to jump to it

You are never quite sure what sort of horses you are going to get. Sometimes the horses are pretty average.Vicki Wilson
It has taken a trip to Germany and a stand-out performance at Dannevirke to get there, but when Northland showjumping rider Vicki Wilson finally gets a national flag on her riding jacket this weekend, she knows it has been worth it.
Wilson has been selected to ride in the Transtasman Cup showjumping event at Toowoomba this weekend. It isn't the first time she has represented New Zealand in the event, but it is the first time the selection comes with the silver fern. The national sporting symbol only goes to riders picked to compete overseas.
"I know what I'm in for because I have ridden this event before but, as it is overseas, I get to wear the flag on my jacket. I'm pretty happy about that," Wilson said.
Set to celebrate her 21st birthday on her return home next week, Wilson is making quite a name for herself on the national showjumping circuit.
This season, she is set to ride four of her own horses and up to eight other horses at showjumping meets across the country before heading back to Germany to compete on the European club circuit. She is aiming to get two of her horses, With Ease and Showtime Girl, up to World Cup level, the highest level attainable in New Zealand. In Toowoomba, Wilson and three other New Zealand riders will be coached by Auckland's Anna Trent. Gisborne's Carolyn Parkes and Tessa Williams, plus Levin's Chloe Ackers, are Wilson's team mates for the Australian event. They will compete against a Queensland state side for three days on borrowed horses. Wilson has been in the winning transtasman team twice before, and is determined to keep her wining record intact.
"You are never quite sure what sort of horses you are going to get. Sometimes the horses are pretty average," she said.
While happy to get her trip to Australia, Wilson's focus remains on the national showjumping circuit starting in September. The first meet is on September 20, after which she has competitions every weekend until April, culminating with the Horse of the Year Show in Hastings.
"That's the big show to aim for, the Horse of the Year. But I will be busy all season."