It was pompous during the one-day 2nd Annual Kids Showjumping and Riding Competition, held inside the Nigeria Police Mounted Troop Barracks along Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way in Ikeja, Lagos, on Sunday.
Organised by the Gidi Up Horse Riding Academy in active collaboration with the Nigeria Equestrian Federation, the 2nd Kids Showjumping and Riding Competition lived up to the exciting expectations as kids from Nigeria, China, Japan and France took part in the championship.
Competing in various categories, the kids exhibited discipline and tenacity expected of horse riders, and more importantly, with the level of their ages, the kids’ artistry displayed showed the future champions in them.
President of the Nigeria Equestrian Federation, Obiora Anthony, said that the federation, which is about two years old, is out to develop and popularise the sport among Nigerians, adding that equestrian is a lucrative sport that can bring revenue and glory to the nation if its potential is well tapped. This is a sport that has an economic impact of over $300 billion globally.
“This competition is an access point for the kids to get involved in horse riding. We intend to expose the kids to the rudiments of the game early to be masters of the sport. They will acquire several skills through horse riding to shape their life.
“As a rider, you need to develop the skills to control the horse, communicate with the horse. The horse is emotional in nature, and the ability to relate and connect with them requires skill. To do all these required a high level of confidence for any horse rider.
“This competition is open to not just Nigerians, but we have participation from countries such as Japan, China and France. It is our own way of encouraging inter-country relationships,” Anthony said.
He said, though the sport is highly elitist, the federation will leave nothing to chance to ensure that more Nigerians embrace horse riding by opening it to those who are interested.
“We appreciate the effort of clubs like Gidi Up Horse Riding Academy and others across the country. You don’t necessarily need to own a horse because this is quite expensive, but we are creating the enabling environment to train, and those who want to buy, we link them up to acquire one. We have about 10 horse riding clubs affiliated with the federation. This kind of event is being organised by these clubs to bring people closer to learning about horse riding. In the long run, we want Nigeria to be recognised as an equestrian country
To Vanessa Asuni, also known as the Afro CowGirl, the owner of Gidi Up Horse Riding Academy, “the competition is a passion of mine and an opportunity for the kids to try horse riding. I must say that we are just shining that light here in Lagos, Nigeria, and we are grateful to everyone for the support, including our sponsors.”
She paid tribute to the Nigerian Police, which gave the enabling support to give Gidi Up Horse Riding Academy its roots in Ikeja.
“Retired AIG Idris Nagoyo facilitated this ground for us. He saw the vision because he knew what we were up to. That is why we give the children in the barracks the opportunity to train at the academy for free to showcase their skills. I want to call on Nigerians to give their support to this cause. It will be a worthwhile support that will benefit our youth in terms of capacity development in horse riding. It is high time we begin to think outside football. Horse riding is another avenue to get to the zenith of sports in the world.
“We plan to organise a horse riding league and hopefully, we will get sponsorship support to drive this league vision,” Asuni said.
The 2nd Kids Showjumping and Riding Competition ended with trophies and prizes given out to winners in the various categories, while individual awards were also dished out to the riders.
