The South African showjumping industry is filled with some exceptionally talented horses and riders as is becoming more evident with the number of riders stepping up into the top heights. The South African Outdoor Grand Prix event, hosted by Kyalami Equestrian Park, had its fair share of great moments including the return of Barry Taylor to competition after his accident in February. But another rider also marked a ‘first occasion’ as she stepped up to the top heights for the first time; Desiree Davidson with her trusty partner, Le Cadeau.
Desiree Davidson bought Le Cadeau without a try-out in 2014 off the Callaho auction and has not looked back. The chestnut gelding by Lissabon out of a Heartbreaker mare has been a stellar partner to Desiree as they rode through the ranks together. Developing a bond right from day 1, their first step into the top ranks was an incredible achievement for the pair. After training with Mandy Johnstone for several years, the start of the 2021 showjumping season birthed a new journey for Desiree and LC as they began their training with a local coach, Tossy Raynor, and Dutch coach, Michel van Eck.
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The 1st qualifier for the Outdoor GP, an A2 competition (one round on time), saw the pair complete their first-ever 1.50m round with a single rail down and a single time penalty while the 2nd qualifier, a traditional jump-off competition, saw the pair provide a beautiful clear round to move them into the jump-off. A slight loss of direction caused them to lose their way temporarily, however, Desiree still completed the course to finish the competition in 4th place.
With a strong field of competitors moving forward to the final competition, the Outdoor Grand Prix, their first attempt at the 1.50m heights was an enviable occasion as they qualified middle of the pack for the main day. With a single rail down in the first round, alongside 7 others combinations doing the same, they moved forward into the second round and displayed a confident clear with only a single time fault.
As every rider in the top levels will say, the aim of the debut event is to secure a confident round and successfully see the finish line and while there may have been the occasional rail for Desiree and LC, their debut event at the top was an exceptional achievement and will only be the first step for them for the remainder of the year.
Congratulations Desiree and best of luck for your new career at the highest levels of our sport.
-The JumpOff-
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