Our #FlashbackFriday for this week is Alex Kretzschmar. Alex is 14 years old and coached by Tasmin Maher.

Alex: “I started riding from the age of 5, but only came to Glover Paddocks in 2017, when I was 10. I was only here for about 6 months until we moved to the Western Cape for 3 years where I was blessed to get my first pony in late 2017. When I knew we were coming back to Johannesburg, I instantly decided that I want my pony (Tina) to come live here. My biggest lesson that I have learnt from riding is to stay calm in tough situations. There are times when things don’t go your way when riding, and you have just got to stay calm, stay patient and deal with the situation without freaking out (which would only make it worse).My goals are to compete successfully in the higher levels of showjumping and to hopefully represent South Africa in overseas competitions. My favourite thing to do at Glover, as boring as it might sound, is to have lessons! I’m always up for learning new things or being challenged. Bonus points for group lessons! Always fun to learn off of each other’s mistakes and successes. Recently I was presented with an opportunity to take on a new horse, Vertigo. He is the most gorgeous boy with so much talent and I am so excited to see what we can achieve together!”

Good luck Ally and your special new horse Vertigo, we are wishing you a very long successful time together!