Showjumper Ricki Hill is gearing up for a busy year after stepping up to senior competition.
The Benfleet rider recently returned from Milan where he finished fifth in a grand prix on eight-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding Matador.
Ricki rode the same horse to the Young Showjumper of the Year title at the National Showjumping Championships at Olympia just before Christmas.
It was the first time Ricki had competed at the event but he prepared for it with three months in Holland being coached by Albert Voorn, the silver individual medal winner at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Ricki was back on the Continent after Olympia when he rode Swiss-Russain mare Athena at Mechelen in Belgium.
He finished fourth in the 1m45cm jump off class and fifth in the grand prix.
Now Ricki is gearing up to compete at events such as the Hickstead, Eindhoven and Hamburg derbies as well as attempting to add to his three European Champion-ship gold medals and getting on the Senior Nations Cup team.
"Ricki has started competing at senior level; he's not winning but it is only a matter of time as he is up against the best in the world," said dad Rick.
Published Friday, January 31, 2003
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