A NEWCASTLE showjumper has overcome huge obstacles to win his golden ticket to the Horse of the Year Show.
Danny Nicholson and his horse Jarley VI are counting down to the most prestigious event in the equestrian calendar at the NEC, Birmingham, on October 8th to 12th.
Danny, from Swalwell, will take on the cream of Britain’s show jumpers after qualifying for HOYS.
The stunning achievement came against all the odds as his hopes of qualifying appeared to be left in tatters when Jarley suffered a freak accident in his stable. The chestnut gelding managed to get his leg tangled in his haynet and the harsh material ripped open his foreleg, leaving him needing 30 stitches.
After six weeks out of action while the wound healed, Danny and Jarley made a spectacular comeback, jumping treble clear to win their class at Northallerton Equestrian Centre in North Yorkshire to advance to the semi-final of the HOYS qualifiers.
At the semi-final in Northcote Stud in Blackburn, Jarley again jumped three great rounds to finish second overall and secure their place at HOYS.
Danny bought Jarley after being drawn to the horse’s name as it reminded him of a much-loved mare he owned called Joly who tragically broke her leg – another setback he has encountered on the road to showjumping glory.
Danny said: “It was just amazing to qualify for HOYS. After we jumped clear, I couldn’t hold back the tears, and I was hugging Jarley because I never thought we would qualify this year after his injury. I had only owned him for eight weeks before he suffered the injury which left a deep wound above his hoof, so I’d only sat on him a few times before we qualified.
“The injury healed much more quickly than I thought it would, and he was sound enough to go to Northallerton. To do as well as he did, jumping clear and winning out of a class of 50 riders was a real shock. Then, to go and qualify at the semi-finals, was incredible. It has been such a rollercoaster, and I am so proud of what we have achieved.”
Danny added: “I wasn’t looking for a horse, but I saw Jarley was for sale. His name reminded me of Joly as she was my heart horse. It’s not often you see a Joley and a Jarley and I believe he was sent to me.”
Danny’s showjumping career is going from strength to strength, but the road to the top has not always been easy for the 27-year-old who first sat on a pony when he was a toddler growing up in Swalwell.
As well as talent, guts and determination, it costs thousands of pounds to compete at elite level, so financing his showjumping career has always been challenging.
Danny, who stables his horses in Throckley, has been boosted by sponsorship from Morpeth entrepreneur and businesswoman Christine Jamieson, who owns Maximize Education which provides educational support to students from pre-school to undergraduate and adult learners, and clothing brand Edge Up, which makes gym and leisurewear.
Christine established her Dream Chaser programme which supports young people and sportsmen and women to pursue their aspirations to compete at the highest level or study overseas.
A chance meeting when Danny served Christine while he was working as a waiter in TGI Fridays in Newcastle led to her agreeing to sponsor him. Her backing has lifted some of the financial burden for Danny as the sponsorship covers stabling at competitions, accommodation, transport, entry fees and other costs of competing at the top.
It will be the second time Danny has competed at HOYS as he competed at Birmingham NEC in 2023, finishing eighth on his mare Oriana Van Hat Wilderhof.
Danny said: “Qualifying for and competing at HOYS is every showjumper’s ambition. I have chased this dream ever since I was a kid and you have to be in the top 15 riders out of thousands to compete in the final qualifier. Then it is only the top seven who qualify for HOYS.
“Christine has been a massive help as competing at this level is very expensive, and she is helping to make my dreams come true. I hope we can go there and give a good account of ourselves. Jarley is strong and quirky but he knows his job and is very capable. We’ve encountered adversity along the way, and it had made qualifying even more special.”