Private School News

13 year old to represent Australia at International Dressage Events

Jessica Blackmore, a Year 9 day girl at the Cheltenham Ladies’ College, is the youngest rider to have been given permission by the Australian Equestrian Federation to represent Australia at international dressage events in Junior Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) tests. She is currently the only junior rider Australia has on the International Tour. Jessica competed in the High Profile Dressage at Addington Manor over the weekend of 22nd to 24th January 2010 and came 3rd in the FEI Junior Individual.

Jessica has been riding since she was three years old and comes from a family with a reputation for success in dressage in Australia. Thekla Blackmore, Jessica’s mother, competed at National FEI level dressage for a number of years and trained Jessica in her formative riding years. The family moved from Australia to the UK in 2008 and Jessica now trains at the Talland School of Equitation with Pammy Hutton, Justine Sole and Richard Preston. Jessica manages to successfully combine her life at College with her rigorous dressage training schedule, which includes sessions at weekends and every afternoon after school. Don Romeo, her current international horse, and Jessica have only competed together at Advanced Medium and Junior FEI level twice. They have won or been placed in both competitions. Her second horse, Ventoux, is competing at Elementary level.

Jessica said, “College and my friends are very supportive of me and understand that I don’t have much spare time outside of school. I have always dreamt of riding internationally and it makes me very proud to know that I have now opened the door for other Australian juniors to do the same as me in the future.’

In April 2010 Jessica will compete at the Addington Manor International Dressage Competition and also hopes to ride at Hickstead in July 2010.