JUMPING FOR JOY

The 20-year-old Melton rider and his rapidly improving mount Take A Chance IX were an inspired pairing at the international show with four podium positions from five classes entered.

With Olympic riders looking on, Williams guided the nine-year-old wonderhorse to a pair of second places and a third, but capped it all with the best result of his career so far, victory in the British Novice 1m Show Jumping derby.

More remarkably still it was the first time either had set foot on the turf of the famous equestrian arena in Sussex.

He said: “It was absolutely incredible, one of the best experiences ever.

“It was a four-star international show with Olympic riders from all over the world so to be competing in the same place was amazing.

“I had never been to Hickstead before and I only went for experience.

“My horse hadn’t jumped on grass for a year and the derby course was very technical so to go out and jump at an international show like that and be placed in the top three was incredible. I was so proud of him.”

In sharp contrast to the jubilation, Williams was rocked by some devastating news just 18 months ago.

A riding accident while out hunting broke his leg in three places in October 2010.

Worse followed during his nine-month recovery when his favourite show jumper died from a brain tumour.

He added: “I’d been riding all my life, but suddenly I had to start from scratch again.

“We’d had him since he was 18 months old and he was put down when he was eight.

“In the first week afterwards I said ‘that’s it, I don’t want to do this anymore’, but before long I knew I had to get back on a horse again.”

Back riding again, his career took an upward turn when he was asked to try out a horse for Gail Simpson at Somerby Equestrian Centre.

But even after this bold new partnership was struck, fortune hasn’t always been kind.

He said: “He kicked into himself and fractured his splint bone just three weeks after I bought him. It was a complete freak accident.

“I was absolutely gutted at the time, but looking back it was perhaps a blessing in disguise because it meant he had to rest.

“As soon as I sat on him, I knew he was going to be the one to get me on the map.”

While competing regularly in the arena of elite international show jumping requires generous backers, Williams is hopeful one day his big chance will come.

In the meantime their next big target for the season comes next month at the British Festival of Show Jumping in Staffordshire.

He said: “I’ve been a few times before, but I would say this is my best chance of having some good results.

“I’ve got one more year at young riders’ level so I’d like to get on the ranking list of the top 50 before I finish there.

“Hopefully I can go all the way one day.”