EQUESTRIAN - Silver fern for young champion

KERIKERI'S Sophie Burling earns her second silver fern this weekend when she represents New Zealand in the FEI Childrens' International showjumping competition at Foxton.
It will be the second national representative event in 10 months after top results earned her her first silver fern before she was even a teenager.
Last May Sophie rode two horses in the FEI Childrens' International Showjumping competition in Bogota, Colombia. She finished fourth overall on one of her mounts and had the fastest time in the A final on the other, but dislodging one rail cost her the chance for gold.
She has now turned 13-years-old and will ride in a four-person team this weekend to heights of up to 1.30m and including a triple bar with a spread of 1.50m, on her pony Jupiter's Boy.
The selection caps off further good news for Sophie. Last week she was selected by Northland Area Equestrian Federation to ride Jupiter's Boy in the Saba Sam team, who will compete to heights of 1.35m at the Horse of the Year show in Hawke's Bay in early March.
The other team members are Vicki Berger (captain), Megan Battensby and Amanda Wilson.
Sophie was also named on Sunday as a Bay of Islands Pony Club representative and will ride her hack, Manuka Scrub, at the Timberlands Teams Eventing competition to be held in Tokoroa in April.
Earlier this month, she won the Horse & Pony Magazine Dale Pederson Equitation Cup, riding Maverick Mega Whoopee at Woodhill Sands. This was a combination of flatwork and jumping and was judged by American Dale Pederson.
Sophie lives on Purerua Peninsula, out of Kerikeri, and is fortunate to be surrounded by thousands of acres of amazing riding country, so her horses are always in top fitness.
She trains with Kate Hewlett, a former international rider who now operates Kates Riding Centre in Kerikeri.