Teenage showjumper Flo Norris is based at Ben Maher Stables with her eight horses and is already enjoying plenty of success on the international circuit. This weekend (Sunday 4 July) she heads to the CSI5* at Royal Windsor for the prestigious under-25 class being held in the Castle Arena shortly before the start of the Rolex Grand Prix. We caught up with the 19-year-old to find out a bit more about her hopes and aspirations.
What do you love most about competing at Royal Windsor and what are you most looking forward to this year?
Flo: “The venue is second to none. It feels so special walking into the arena and seeing the castle. I feel very lucky to compete at such a prestigious event.”
How important is it for young riders to have an opportunity to compete at a five-star show, especially on grand prix day?
Flo: “I think it is amazing they run the under-25 class on the same day as the five-star grand prix as you get easy access to watch the amazing riders in the ring and in the warm-up, which a lot of people can’t watch first-hand. Winning would mean so much to me because not only is it a home show, it is also so well known, so to say I have won a class at Royal Windsor would be an incredible achievement.”
Tell us about the horse you’ll be riding on Sunday, the 15-year-old gelding Gin Chin Van Het Lindenhof?
Flo: “Gin is a seasoned professional. He knows his job and loves to do it! That being said he can be spooky and a bit quirky when he wants, but I think that’s what makes him so good. He notices everything and is always fighting to win.”
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Tell us a bit about your current set-up and how you’ll be preparing for Royal Windsor?
Flo: “I am based at Ben Maher Stables and I have eight horses at the moment. I have recently been in America competing in Tryon, NC and Wellington, FL. I came back to England in April and I plan on being here until December. A few weeks ago I had the honour of riding for Team GB on their young rider Nations Cup in Cabourg France.
“Gin’s preparation for Windsor is nothing special. I do a lot of dressage training with him and try to keep him fit between shows. He is so experienced we just keep it very simple with him.”
What are your hopes and ambitions for the rest of the year – and beyond!
Flo: “Short term, I would love to ride for the Great Britain team again, qualify for the under-25 championship at Olympia, and work on getting consistent results and moving up the ranking list. Long term, I want to compete at the highest level of the sport and ride for Great Britain at five-star level.”
We’ll be bringing you all the action from Royal Windsor (1-4 July) both online and in next week’s magazine (out Thursday, 8 July).
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
