Alex Goldsack is preparing for the National Summer Games in Christchurch later this year, with help from horse trainers Nicole Grimme (left) and Lisa Goodhart. Photo / Jenny Ling
Alex Goldsack is preparing for the National Summer Games in Christchurch later this year, with help from horse trainers Nicole Grimme (left) and Lisa Goodhart. Photo / Jenny Ling
Northland “horse whisperer” equestrian Alex Goldsack is gearing up to compete in his second Special Olympics in the South Island later this year.
The 30-year-old Kerikeri resident, who has learning and communicating difficulties, will compete in the National Summer Games hosted by Special Olympics New Zealand in Christchurch from December 10 to 14.
The event follows his success at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi in 2019 when Goldsack collected a bronze medal in the level C1 dressage.
His support worker and trainer Nicole Grimme said Goldsack’s patience and his calm, relaxed manner around horses had been key to his progress.
“He’s got this special affinity with horses,” she said.
“He’s like a horse whisperer; they relate to him really well.”
Goldsack has been training with Kerikeri equipilates biomechanics trainer Lisa Goodhart, from The Balanced Riding Centre, for the past eight months to prepare for the summer games.
He practises on Lance the Simulator, a life-sized, rider-powered simulator that helps riders with their balance and self-carriage.
Goodhart said Goldsack had “grown hugely” in confidence and was progressing well.
Equestrian Alex Goldsack has progressed a lot since he started riding as a youngster.
“He’s communicating more, and his comprehension and learning keeps building momentum,” Goodhart said.
“Alex has much better balance, he’s better stacked in the body and is getting really well-balanced in trotting now.
“Each session he is building his skill level, and he recently cracked the canter motion.”
Around 1350 athletes are expected to compete across 11 sports and seven venues at the National Summer Games.
Whangārei Special Olympics has around 30 athletes attending the event, including in athletics, swimming , indoor bowls and 10-pin bowls.
They include the Bay of Islands Swimming Team, which has athletes from Kaitāia, Kawakawa, Kerikeri and Kaikohe.
Goldsack plans to compete in dressage and working equitation, which is similar to dressage but riders don’t have the test in advance, and working trail, which involves obstacles.
While at the previous Special Olympics, he was only confident walking with his horse, which he will be provided with on the day; this time he will advance to trotting.
Goldsack has gone from strength to strength since he began riding horses at age 10.
A former Riding for the Disabled student, he was awarded Disabled Sportsperson of the Year at the Far North District Council’s Sports Awards held at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri in 2019.
Grimme, who has been voluntarily training equestrian riders for Special Olympics events for 15 years, said Goldsack “loves everything to do with horses”.
He recently had the opportunity to ride a Kaimanawa horse during a trip to the Kaimanawa Ranges in Waiouru in November.
The annual trips, organised by Kaimanawa Heritage Horses, are a chance for supporters to see the horses in the wild.
“Alex hopped on a strange horse and rode it and everyone was like ‘wow’,” Grimme said.
Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.
