HUMBERSTON showjumper Roxanne Hennebery says riding Brighton Boy at the National Championships will be 'a dream come true'.
The 23-year-old qualified for the competition at Stoneleigh Park, in Warwickshire, after two strong finishes at a local event held at the Horse World Equestrian Centre, near Market Rasen.
LOOKING AHEAD: Roxanne Hennebery with her horse, Brighton Boy. The pair have qualified for the showjumping championships in Stoneleigh Park.
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Needing consecutive top-six finishes to cement her position at the nationals in July, Hennebery twice cleared the Lincolnshire course, finishing second and third.
And while victory at Stoneleigh may prove beyond Hennebery and her beloved horse, the former Humberston pupil remains confident of performing well.
She said: "We are hoping to go there and get a place. We might not have a chance of winning the event, but we can definitely do well and we are planning to enjoy it.
"Being there is such an achievement for us both. When I was given Brighton Boy last January he was pretty much unrideable. I am happy to be riding him, let alone being at the nationals.
"Riding with Brighton Boy at this competition is a dream come true for me. He is the horse I have always wanted and he is ready for the challenge."
Although the experience will be a first for both Hennebery and Brighton Boy, the improvements both have shown in the last 15 months will stand them in good stead.
Since acquiring the 15-year-old, the Grimsby jumper has represented Lincolnshire and competed at Scope – the annual British Showjumping Festival.
However, while those accomplishments indicate Hennebery is on top form ahead of her biggest challenge to date, she remains focused on getting her preparations just right.
She said: "Before July it is a case of getting out as much as possible. It is not just the event he has to content with, but the amount of people as well. It will be really busy and we are hoping to get him used to that atmosphere.
"The course at Stoneleigh is quite large. We are planning to ride at as many places as possible before then, so we can get used to different jumps."
If you would like to sponsor Roxanne, contact her on email at r.hennebery@googlemail.com
