Blog Take Over 03. Ria Ginley - Grand Prix Show Jumper with Olympic Fo

Blog take over 03. comes from Grand Prix level show jumper Ria Ginley who's best mare has just taken in foal to Nick Skelton's Olymipc gold medalist stallion Big Star!!
Ria tells us about the process, her future plans for the foal and gives us an insight into her riding career!

Hi Ria! Thank you for taking the time to feature in our blog takeover series. We are very excited to hear your best horse, Amelie, has just tested positive in foal to 2016 Olympic gold medalist Big Star rode by Nick Skelton.

Hi Team AD I am super excited to share with my news on my horse Amelie scanning in foal to Big Star with you guys!

For those who don’t know you, tell us a little bit about your equestrian background and your riding career

My dad Roger Ginley ran the best show centre in the country at the time called Rufforth Park. Were he ran shows, events, sales etc week in, week out! He was also a full time show jumper & horse dealer. I started riding when I was 2 & the rest is pretty much history. It all went on from there, right through from pony club to full time BSJA showjumping. I basically wanted to do what dad did, so I did that.

For most of your time in seniors, a lot of your best results have been whilst competing with Amelie, tell us about her

Yes most defiantly, Amelie is my horse of a lifetime without a shadow of doubt. Amelie is a 178cm grey mare by Animo X Namleus R. She is not for the faint hearted & is a total cow bag. She bites, kicks, got zero manners, super irrate & just rude. But I wouldn't change her for the world as she is extremely loyal to me, I love her to bits.

What has been your best result with her to date?

It would have to be jumping clear round the 1.60 class at the great yorkshire show. She also in 2012 jumped DC 5th & qualified for the 1.50 Young riders held at Olympia international. She has countless placings & winnings round 1.30, 1.40 & HOYS grade C qualifiers. Her print out really does speak for itself, she was very consistent.

What level did you compete up to in her peak?

Grand prix level

So, you’ve just recently sucsesfully put her in foal to Olympic gold medalsit Big Star! Congratulations!! How did this come about?

Thank you. After her suffering from injury, it seemed the best thing both her & I to take some time out from competition together & put her foal. We knew it would be a great thing to do.

I bet your so happy with his recent results! Did the mare take first time?

Delighted & yes she did! Which with frozen semen is half a miracle, so full credit to Amelie & the team at the Rainbow fertility clinic.

For anyone looking for any advice on this subject, tell us a little bit about the process of of choosing such a high profile stallion

First & for most, you have to go on the international stallions website & choose your preferred stallion. You have to look into the breeding off both sides to make the best match. Also the cost, semen, availability etc is very important. Choosing such a high profile stallion such as Big Star you have to go through the process of sending in the breeding papers of your mare & her results, to get passed & approved to use his semen.

Were there any cons you’ve encountered so far with choose a ‘celebrity’ daddy should we say

No none at all, I think possibly for other people his con per say probably will be that as he's not a working stallion at stud, his semen isn't chilled or fresh, its frozen which for first timers isn't recommended, but we had no problems at all. It was a concern but not big enough to put us off.

I know you chose the stallion pre Olympics – how did you decide on him?

I’ve always loved Big Star. Obviously his jump, talent & bravery ticked all the obvious boxes but I really love the stamp of horse that he is. I like how he goes to a fence, his technique & his build. It fitted in with Amelies confirmation as well. With him being a Gold team medalist in London 2012 & him going back to the Rio Olympics 2016 it was really a no brainer for us. Bonus for us, he now is individual Gold medalist also. He is the best horse in the world.

I bet the decision to put your best horse in foal was difficult, were there any factors that made it easier?

It was difficult to come to terms with that fact that id lost the best member on team for a few years, but it was made easier knowing that in the end you'd have something worth waiting for!

Do you have any experience with breeding?

I don't personally, but both my mum & boyfriend do, thank god, phew! I think near time when she is due to foal, we shall send her back to the fertility clinic to foal, just incase if there is any complications, she's in the best of hands & safest place she could possibly be. I think with it being our first foal as well we don't want to risk anything.

Now your best horse is out of work, do you have and exciting plans for any new ones?

Yes we have lots! My very good horse Achillus S is fast replacing Amelie, he's doing a very good job so far & we have lots of plans, places & dreams for him next year. I am also on the look out for quality young horses at the moment, aged 5-8 year olds really, as were are having a total re vamp on the yard this next year. So We will have a super string of horses, finally! Changes are being made as speak, so watch this space..

Expectations of this foal are going to be ridiculously high! Do you have any thoughts

currently on what you will do with this world beater?

I’m in two minds still. I either sell the foal as a youngster for a lot of money, put myself, Amelie & the yard as team on the map for breeding quality super horses yearly. Or I keep the foal, obviously bring on & produce the horse & have all the fun & glory on it myself, as if the foal makes it to the top, having it as a homebred you've had since a foal, makes the glory even better. I don't know yet, I suppose that is to be continued but either way it is highly exciting for Ginley horses & we cannot wait for the years to come...

We have a couple of show names in mind already haha.

Ameio Star or Ria's Star ( mums idea obviously )

I’ve also preached that if the foal comes out a liver chestnut I'm definitely keeping it as its my dream to have a liver chestnut show jumper haha

We will keep posted on the progress of the foal :)