Champion Woman Rider To Marry Next Month

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29746, 13 February 1962, Page 2

Champion Woman Rider To Marry Next Month

Few of the spectators who wildly applauded the outstanding performances of Miss Judith Nichol and her IT J^ re - Youillia. at the Horse of the Year Show on Saturday realised it was their last public appearance together. Miss Nichol will marry a West Coast farmer, Mr Bruce Smith, next month and the horse will he retired from show jumping.

Miss Nichol was awarded the trophies for the “Lady Rider of the Year” contest in the morning and was placed second equal in the horse of the year jumping competition in the afternoon. She rode A ouillia against top riders and horses of Australia and New Zealand.

Miss Nichol, a 21-year-old land girl on Mr B. G. Rutherford’s property at Waikari, has been invited to train for selection for the New Zealand Olympic Games show jumping team to go to Tokyo in 1961. Because of her approaching marriage, however, she has declined an opportunity that is the ambition of every good rider.

Not will Youillia be available for selection. ‘‘lf a horse goes to Tokyo for the equestrian Olympics it would have to be sold in Japan and I could never bear to sell Youillia,'’ Miss Nichol said yesterday. “Instead, I’m going to breed from her.” Miss Nichol who has been riding since she was two, intends to continue riding in some shows after she is married. She will use the mare whenever possible as a hack on her future husband's farm. "But Youillia definitely made her last public appearance on Saturday,” she added. Bargain Horse Three years ago Miss Nichol bought Youillia for £l5 from a racing stable in Hastings. At that time the mare had never jumped. After the first

schooling the horse continued to improve to her present high-class performances. Miss Nichol did all the schooling herself. She took Youillia to one of Mr C. Bolgar's courses and the eminent trainer told her he could not teach the brilliant jumper anything more at the time. “I have never used a whip or spurs on the mare, I just use my voice,” Miss Nichol said. “If I don’t say ‘up mare’ even in a show ring as we approach a jump, a rail is certain to come down.” The horse which listens for the word of command is a natural jumper and loves it.

“If I dismount at a farm gate Youillia gets really annoyed," Miss Nichol said. When Youillia stopped at a fence in the second round of the horse of the year jump-

ing competition on Saturday, after only four faults in the first round, there was a roar of sympathetic disappointment from the crowd. That mistake meant seven faults, though only one other combination—J Moss, of Australia. on Our Chief—had as few penalty points at that stage.

It looked as if the horse had baulked because she had staled. “The mare was not overtired. She was off-stride and I blame myself for that,” the rider said. “The more schooling and jumping she has. the better she performs.” Miss Nichol’s win in the best woman rider of the year event on Saturday morning, when she beat the leading Australian rider. Miss B Macintyre. was very popular. By the time the young Canterbury rider entered the ring for the horse of the year contest she had won the spectators’ hearts. And she lost no support by coming second equal with J. Moss in the competition, won by the captain of the visiting Australian team, R. W. Hyem, on Coronation.

Saturday was no “flash in the pan” luckv day for Miss Nichol and Youillia. They have been working up to top honours. In the short time this combination has been appearing in show rings they have won the horse of the year six-bar event in 1961, the South Island championship cup for open-class jumping in 1961 and 1962, as well as many jumping events at agricultural and pastoral association shows and New Zealand Horse Society jumping shows.