Colby Winther-Konig, a 15-year-old Prince George horse show jumper, is the new Jump Canada national champion and the Canadian Equestrian Team champion, taking both wins during Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair.
“I grew up competing and this is the first time I have come and shown at nationals and it’s really cool to win them both the first year,” Colby said, who started riding when she was two and has been on horseback ever since.
These competitions see youth up to 18 years compete for the Jump Canada title and those up to 21 years old compete for the Canadian Equestrian Team championship. The Jump Canada competition features hunter-type jumps and the Canadian Equestrian Team competition is a three-phase jumper contest, including a gymnastic phase, a jumper phase and the jump-off phase, Sorine Winther, Colby's mom and trainer, explained.
“People are saying she’s probably the youngest person to take the Canadian Equestrian Team championship, but I can’t confirm that yet,” Sorine said. “And people are checking into the history of the two competitions and it looks like there’s only four other people since 1988 who have won the double header.”
Colby’s older sister Taylor won the Canadian Equestrian Team Championship two years ago and that’s when things changed for Colby, mom Sorine said.
“Colby set an intention and a goal that this was what she was after,” Sorine said. “It has been a very goal-oriented last few months and I guess we can say that’s a pretty big goal achieved.”
Colby qualified to represent BC at the regional competition in Langley in September, then went on to the Western qualifier in Calgary in October and then is now at the Nationals in Toronto. Four riders from each of four regions in Canada qualified to compete.
The Winther-Konig family own Ridge Country Farm in Beaverly, west of Prince George, and the horse Colby rides, Big Ticket, nicknamed Snickers, was born and raised on their farm.
“I think everyone in Prince George will understand what extra challenges go into coming from that far north to compete in Toronto,” Sorine said. “The preparation that we have to do, the extra miles we have to travel. It’s a unique set of challenges.”
The horse was transported to Calgary by Sorine, where he was commercially transported to Toronto. Mom Sorine came back to Prince George to fly to Toronto with daughter Colby soon after and horse, rider and trainer met in Toronto on Wednesday, ahead of the start of the competition on the following Tuesday.
And for those looking to achieve their goals like Colby?
“I think working hard and keeping at it really pays off and we’ve really seen that here this week,” Colby said. “People start to notice that. They see me taking care of my own horse - I’m always the first one in the barn, the last one out of the barn – I’m always doing it and you have to know that eventually it will always pay off.”
