PROFILE: local event rider Chelsea Pearce is moving up a level and has promising new horses
Chelsea Pearce with (left) Djakota EB aka Hugo & (right) Kilnaboy Buffet aka KilliIt is a very busy time for eventer Chelsea Pearce: next month she celebrates her seventeenth birthday, she has just gone back to school, a new horse arrived a couple of weeks ago from Austria, the eventing season is not yet over - and she is in the process of winning her way from Pony Trials to Junior Trials.
Two weeks ago she rode her ten-year-old gelding Albert VI to win the Open Novice under 18 event at the Treborough Hill horse trials near Minehead. She then came third there on her second entry - seven-year old gelding Djakota EB. A very satisfactory way to round off her sixteenth year.
It all began with GianniShe has been a dedicated rider since she got her first pony at the age of two - that was Chelsea's age not the pony's. And that pony, Gianni, who came from the Blue Cross animal charity, still puts his head out of his loose box at her stables near Marlborough - just to say hello.
There is ample proof of her dedication in hanging in from the kitchen ceiling - row upon row of rosettes!
Chelsea has had great successes at the pony level of eventing. In 2013 she was in Arezzo as an individual competitor with the Great Britain team at the European Pony Championships. The next year she represented Great Britain again at the European Championships - this time at the Millstreet centre in Ireland and despite a fall, she returned with a silver medal.
Chelsea and Albert VI competing at Treborough Hill (photo copyright Jayphotos)Once back at Stonar School, near Melksham, she has to juggle her A-level work with the last weeks of the eventing season. And there must be time too for the other sports she has excelled in - being in school teams for hockey, netball, cross country running and swimming. She is the daughter of the footballer and manager, Stuart Pearce.
It is probably quite lucky that her journey to and from school each day gives her two hours for homework on the bus. She is doing A-levels in PE, psychology, English and biology.
She does not want to go to university: "I really do want to become an eventer." Her mother, Liz, smiles: "The A-levels are just in case she needs them to fall back on when it comes to earning a living."
Once a week she has training sessions with Annabel Scrimgeour who lives in Marlborough, works with Andrew Nicholson at Lockeridge and is also a judge for dressage and eventing competitions. Liz is her greatest supporter - and drives the horse box.
Chelsea...and some of her rosettesChelsea is supported by Ariat who make footwear and clothes for riders, by Haygain the Hungerford firm who make hay steamers, and by Pewsey company Aqueos which makes water-based disinfectants and other products for horses and dogs. And she wears a new skull-cap from Gatehouse and a body protector from Rodney Powell.
She has also had financial support from SportsAid UK - which some years ago supported William Fox-Pitt on his way to becoming a British eventing star.
Chelsea now has three horses. Djakota EB is a seven-year Dutch bred gelding - also known as Hugo. Chelsea has been successfully competing Djalota EB at Novice level.
Ten year-old Albert VI - or Albie - is another Dutch bred horse. He has been with Chelsea for six weeks - which makes their success Treborough Hill all the more remarkable.
The newest arrival is from Austria: Kilnaboy Buffet - a seven year-old Irish bred horse who has been competing at CIC2** level - and twice at CIC3*. Chelsea describes Killi as a "very easy" ride. Just the sort of horse to help her rise up the eventing rankings next season.
(Photo of Chelsea and Albert VI competing at Treborough Hill by kind permission of Jayphotos. Click on photos to enlarge them.)