Many
Ariat riders have worked their way up through the ranks of their chosen discipline having started riding at a very young age. Junior show jumper Jessica Mendoza is no exception, and at only 15 is already at the top of her sport.
Jessica started riding not long after she could walk, when her parents bought her a Shetland pony named Molly, and it has all gone on from there. At first she tried showing but it wasn’t long before the jumping bug caught her! Luckily however, her mum Sarah helps to exercise the horses and ponies so Jessica can still concentrate on her studies.
In 2007 Jessica was the leading Rider at Pony of the Year Show, Individual Champion at the Hickstead Schools Final and achieved 1st & 2nd places in 128cm Championships at Horse of the Year Show. The next year she opened her account by winning nearly every Hickstead qualifier, a feat recognized by the BSJA as she was voted the youngest ever Show Jumper of the Month. She continued throughout 2008 to claim nearly every major class and later that year she won at Hickstead in the final and returned there to claim her second successive National Schools Championship. She also made the move into 138cms and won five Horse of the Year Show qualifiers on her two 138cms ponies - Creative Dancer and Dooneens Future Star. Her record of victories in the small pony scene will prove hard to emulate in the future.
Throughout 2009 the Ariat saddlecloths and badge on her trade mark red jacket was carried to major 148cms Grand Prix victories in Europe by Tixylix and Razorlite winning over 10 European Grand Prix`s in 3 years. In addition to these Grand Prix wins Jessica has won both gold and silver medals at Nations Cup events across Europe and is one of Britain’s major hopes for future medals.
In the 148s she has broken records winning Olympia, POYS three times, the John Whittaker Final, the British Open Final and Horse of the Year back to back. She has been formally recognized by the British Show Jumping Association as the Leading Pony Rider in 2009 and 2010. Her target now is the European Gold Medal.
Tina has enjoyed a glittering International showjumping career and still competes at top level in the UK. Her most recent success was winning the Hickstead Derby riding Promised Land which also made her the first woman to win the class since 1973! In addition, Tina has won the Queen Elizabeth cup twice, been reserve rider in the Barcelona Olympics, won Britain’s Leading lady rider, the Toronto Volvo World Cup qualifier and numerous International and UK competitions. As one of a handful of BSJA Elite trainers, Tina concentrates much of her time training horse and rider.