Showjumping is a unique sport because a horse isn’t a vehicle: it is a partner. That part where you have to have that relationship with the horse is unique in itself. All riders compete against each other, but when you walk into the show ring it’s you and your horse against the course. There’s many elements to the sport that are intriguing to a lot of people, so we caught up with promising rider Zoleka Mosiah to find out more.
How long have you been riding for and how did you get into it?
I have been riding for 10 years. I used to watch horse-racing with my dad at Turffontein racetrack. I knew I wasn’t brave enough or small enough to be a jockey. I thought my dreams had been shattered until my dad and I came across a riding school in Kyalami where kids my age were doing all sorts of disciplines: jumping, dressage and x-country included. I enrolled immediately!
Tell us about your top horse?
Nissan Winter Fern is a South African Warmblood jumping in the 1.30m classes. She was kindly given to me to ride by Nina Stephanou at the beginning of 2014. She is straightforward and quick which makes my job much easier!
You recently came second in the Nissan 6 Bar. Tell us about your nerves, what made you do so well, and the pressure of jumping 1.75m.
I wasn’t nervous at all going into the 6 Bar. When Barry told me that he had entered me I thought he was joking. But I went along with the joke expecting to be knocked out in the first round. Between my horse exceeding my expectations, the cheering crowd and all my friends around, it really just became about having fun (and not falling off). I didn’t notice the height of the last fence because I closed my eyes before I got there!
What do you love most about riding?
I love the challenge of doing something unusual and, initially, frightening. The fact that you have to communicate with an animal and set goals that your horse isn’t aware of makes the journey even more challenging and exciting.
What do you find the biggest challenge in terms of showjumping?
The difficulty with showjumping, for me, is the need for quick thinking in a short amount of time. So much can go right or wrong in 2 minutes and there are so many decisions to be made while not being intimidated by the height of the fences or the technicality of the track.
What are your plans for next year: Are you going overseas? What will happen to your horses?
I am currently on a gap year and will start university next year. Unfortunately I won’t have the time to ride competitively. I only have 1 horse and she is 17, so she will retire next year.
What advice do you have for those wanting to get into the sport of showjumping?
Horse-riding is a sport, a lifestyle and a form of therapy. It can get incredibly tough and frustrating but that just makes the success more rewarding. Showjumpers are such a close-nit community of friends and competitors all sharing a unique opportunity to share their highs and lows with a partner and friend who happens to be a horse. There is nothing quite like showjumping.
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