Olivia qualifies for prestigious national equestrian event for young riders
A teenage rider from Melton Mowbray has qualified for a prestigious equestrian competition for the best young amateur talents.
Olivia Kohl (18) rode her mother, Louise Kohl’s, Highland pony, Valerock Maverick (aka Big Mav) to victory in the SEIB Insurance Brokers Search for a Star qualifier this week at the Royal Lancashire Show.
This success puts her through to the finals of the Your Horse Live Championships in Warwickshire this November.
A delighted Olivia said: “Mav is such a good boy, he just wants to please and takes it all in his stride.
"He’s still only five-years-old and performs beyond his years.
"We’ve had him since he was a yearling and have done in-hand showing with Mav too.
"We qualified for Your Horse Live last year and came second in the final.
"This year he’s been going great and he also took the Reserve Champion Novice title at Lancashire and then just last week we qualified for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in the Highlands too.
"I’ve just finished my A-Levels and am about to start a Land Buyer Apprenticeship University Course for Miller Homes Gloucestershire.”
SEIB Search for a Star first took place back in 1996 and over the years has provided thousands of opportunities for amateur riders to compete at HOYS.
Each of the SEIB Search for a Star qualifying shows offers opportunities for a full range of show horses to earn a place at the series championships at Horse of the Year Show and Your Horse Live.