Meet showjumping rising star Alex Somerville-Cotton

2024 appears to be like set to be an thrilling 12 months for 25-year-old showjumper Alex Somerville-Cotton. She was just lately chosen for the British Showjumping, at the side of Sport England, 2023/2024 gold growth programme and, with a extremely promising string of horses that she’s been producing herself, the long run is wanting shiny for this formidable and proficient younger rider.

Alex comes from a non-horsey household however she and her mom have been breeding some tremendous children lately and her present prime horse, the 11-year-old Conan Doyle, aka Henry, has just lately returned from colic surgical procedures and has stepped up impressively to rankings lessons.

Alex caught the showjumping bug at college and determined whereas finishing her A-levels that she would work full-time with horses as an alternative of going to college – and she or he hasn’t regarded again since.

She was beforehand chosen for British Showjumping’s Superior Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) and is now embarking on the gold programme for riders aiming to ascertain themselves on the 1.40-1.50m stage, and people which can be bidding for the world class efficiency pathway programme. She is happy on the alternatives it presents to her, together with camps with lead coaches Matt Lanni and Nicola McLeish and classes with saddlers, farriers, equine physiotherapists and training in rider power and conditioning.

“It’s superb. I’ve identified Matt for ages and he’s sensible,” says Alex. “They’ve actually tried so exhausting to assist the folks coming by the game to have one of the best head-start.”

Alex says she wouldn’t be the place she is right now and not using a horse known as Summer time – “one of the best factor that ever occurred to me” – who was purchased by her late father from Matt Lanni, and is now a really profitable broodmare.

“I’ve bred too many horses now!” says Alex. “I’ve about 12 in work, all of the younger ones I do myself and the oldest one which I began is eight, my gray Kevin [Amazing-K Van’t Kattenheye Z]. I began him as a three-year-old and he’s now leaping rankings which is de facto thrilling. He’s a whole lunatic, however he loves to leap so it’s actually rewarding.”

Alex Somerville-Cotton says her purpose for 2024 is to leap the Queen’s Cup at Hickstead‘s Royal Worldwide with Henry, having missed it final 12 months owing to his colic surgical procedures.

“I believe subsequent 12 months shall be his 12 months,” she says, planning to go to Sentower and Riesenbeck initially of February. “I do know everybody needs to leap on a workforce and that might be superb, however to simply maintain establishing myself at rating stage and being aggressive and seeing how we get on, that might be improbable.”

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H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her function as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the globe reporting from reveals and interviewing riders, connections and people concerned behind the scenes. Since becoming a member of H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on each topic throughout the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to steady administration — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She additionally has first-hand expertise of working within the equestrian business as a using teacher and yard supervisor.