Former Ride of Simon Hendry, Erreplus Casper, has Moved to A Junior Rider

The 2020 competition year was somewhat stunted and unorganised due to the global pandemic, however, due to the appreciated actions taken by SASJ, the showjumping calendar was able to continue in the latter half of the year. With many of the competitions from the early half of the year unable to take place, those competitions were reallocated to later dates and this adjustment was certainly suitable for some partnerships including Simon Hendry and Erreplus Casper.

Simon Hendry has been a strong contender in the 1.50m competitions for several years. Although seen as the quiet guy in the background, Simon is a mastermind when it comes time to fight for the title. His relaxed demeanour has often made Simon the dark horse in competitions but when the time is right, he knows exactly what is needed of him and this has been evident in recent years where his partnership with Erreplus Casper. The 12-year-old gelding by Catoki out of an Argentinus mare, owned by Simon Burn, has been a great partner to Simon Hendry as they steadily climbed the heights to make their mark in the 1.50m competitions. The combination has been a delight to watch as they effortlessly negotiate the 1.50m tracks and this has seen them on the podiums in multiple 1.50m competitions including the South African Adult Championships for 2 years running. 

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Prior to his partnership with the great Erreplus Casper (Catoki), Simon was often seen on the podiums with the Franlaren-owned Principle’s Legionnaire including his victory at the World Cup Qualifier hosted by Maple Ridge Equestrian Farm in 2016. Unfortunately, Simon’s partnership with Casper has come to an end as the Oldenburg gelding starts his career with a junior rider, Kiara Burn. While the rumour mills were bustling with news of the talented Catoki gelding going to Kiara Burn, daughter of Simon Burn, prior to the Hollard-sponsored Pre-Easter competition held at Kyalami Equestrian Park on the 6th and 7th of March, the event saw the gelding re-emerge with an interim rider, Cheyenne De Beer.

Stepping into the arena for the 1.20m A2 competition was the well-known gelding with the young talent, Cheyenne De Beer, who has been a superb rider since her days on ponies. Coached by Zdenek Muchna, Cheyenne has always been a beautiful rider to watch with her very correct position, soft hands, and steady leg position. She enjoyed great success in her junior years with Pitu 014 where the pair was often victorious at the top levels available to them and has since been on a string of competitive horses including Luigi Di Cantero Z, Capital Carlo, and now, the most recent new ride for her, Erreplus Casper.

The new pair had a great outing together as they completed their round clear with a time of 67.68 seconds which saw them narrowly missing out on the places. The placings, however, were most likely not their priority but rather achieving some mileage together and doing so successfully. This single show together was a great outing for both Casper and Cheyenne, however, it has since been confirmed that the gelding will become the ride of Kiara Burn.

Kiara Burn has been active in the showjumping industry since her early years as a Pony Rider. With a fantastic string of quality ponies behind her, Kiara made the transition into Junior’s rather effortlessly. She has since been a regular on the podiums in the junior competitions on On Fire and Lindor, and with the guidance of her coach Joanne Van Achterburg, the addition of Casper is a delightful oppotunity to assist Kiara in the further development and progression of her riding.

While Simon Hendry is now, unfortunately, without a top-level horse, the new partnership between Kiara and Casper is an exciting one and we wish you all the best for the future ahead.

-The JumpOff-

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