SCOTS make up 12 of the 15 vaulters who will represent Britain at the World Vaulting Championships at Mannheim in Germany next week. They are drawn from the SEVT, the Scottish Equestrian Vaulting Team.
Equestrian vaulting, which consists of a routine of choreographed gymnastics performed from the back of a lunged horse cantering to music, is a demanding sport which required intense practice and split-second timing. The team, who will represent Britain for the fourth year running have been training in Austria under the watchful eye of trainer Anita Flamand since the middle of July.
Team members, aged between 11 and 17, include Daniel Mackay (Kinross), Philip Beasley (Saline), Pamela Murray (Tillicoultry), Ann Rogerson (Ancrum), Colette Smith (Peebles), Gemma Hope (Coldstream), Amy Panter (Ancrum), Samantha Auld (Braco), Joanne Eccles (Tillicoultry), and Louise Smith (Cornhill-on-Tweed).
The team have faced some setbacks during their training, explains Sine Russell, secretary. Changes to the line-up occurred when Gemma Russell retired at 18, although her connection to the sport remains strong; she is hoping to qualify as a judge. ''Disaster struck when Fly by Night, their team horse, stumbled on his way out to the field and damaged his knee, dashing his chances of carrying the team at the championships. Due to the skill of the equine surgeons who repaired his knee he will make a full recovery.''
Yet this accident left the team without a horse at short notice. ''Thanks to Anita Flamand's efforts an Austrian horse called Wilster was found at the last minute and it is with this horse that the team is now training.'' Sine adds that the help and advice Wilster's owner Karl Schonenberger is giving to the team during their training period has proved an invaluable and unexpected bonus.
Hannah MacIllivray, 19, from Comrie, who has proved herself as a leading British individual competitor over the past year will compete as an individual on Bowler II. She will aim to improve her world ranking at Mannheim. Besides competing as a team member, Philip Beasley, 17, will also compete as an individual on Lemon's As.
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