Equestrian Expertise

Keri Moore

 

I started riding at age 5, having lessons with Sally Allan at Broadacres Nursery School. I then had lessons once a week at a variety of yards, including Witkoppen Equitation Centre, Chinta Park Stables and Chartwell Stables, competing regularly at the yard’s training shows. At age 12 I started half-baiting my first horse. At age 13 I was given my first horse with which I competed regularly at training jumping shows around the area. At age 14 I was given a 3year old Thoroughbred off the track. Under the instruction of Lorraine Horak at Treverton College, I produced this mare to Novice Dressage level and jumping courses of 90cm at THS registered shows within a year. Due to medical reasons, the horse was unable to live in the dry Gauteng climate and was passed on to a friend in Natal. At age 15 I then acquired a ‘going’ horse, Victorian Eagle, for the rest of my junior career. With this horse, I competed up to 1.1m Jumping and, at Inter-Schools shows, up to Elementary Dressage, Open Equitation and Novice showing. At the beginning of my Matric year I received my School Colours for representing Dainfern College at the Equestrian League shows. Shortly after this, the horse was discovered to be showing early signs of Ringbone and was retired. I then purchased an un-backed 3year old SA Warmblood mare, which I produced slowly over the next few years. In 2004, I travelled to Barcelona for 5months where I received higher level Dressage lessons on a Prix St George level mare and worked on producing a young mare for sale (including flat-work/grid-work/gymnastic-work and jumping up to 1m). On returning to South Africa, I went to Riverside Equestrian Academy in the Western Cape where I completed my SANEF Modules 1-3 while teaching (in training for my Level 1 Instructors) the students at Riverside and at Evergreen Stables in Paarl. I was the top qualifying candidate in the Western Province in 2004 for my first 3 SANEF Modules. Whilst completing my SANEF Modules 4 & 5, I further produced my SAW Mare to jumping registered 1m classes by the age of 6years. By the time she turned 8, she was schooling Elementary-Medium level Dressage and jumping courses of 1.2m at home. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I was unable to compete much.

 

I started teaching novice child riders around the age of 16, volunteering to help my then teacher, Sally Allan, at her yard on the weekends and while she was away. After passing my SANEF Module 5 in December 2005, I taught for 6 months for Tamar Bernstein at Farnham Children’s Yard in Chartwell. I then moved on to Sun Valley Stables, where I taught for almost two years, giving up to pursue a career in Medicine. During my time at Sun Valley, I was introduced to the art of Showing and was given a better understanding of a discipline I previously believed to be for ‘people who can’t ride.’ I was also given the opportunity to judge the Dressage and Equitation classes at the yard’s training shows. I believe that I played a vital role in producing some of our most talented up and coming young riders, including Ruda Herselman, Sylvia Dixon, Rebecca Meeser, Kelsey-Jo Baumann, Danielle Nortjie, Claire Otgaar, James and Melanie Lowe and Catherine MacFarlane. I also assisted with some of the schooling of the young Waterside ponies and some of the privately owned horses/ponies, as well as accompanying the students to shows. My time spent at Sun Valley was invaluable and working with Kirsten Loots was, by far, one of the highlights of my career.

 

In November 2011 I took a teaching post at the Inanda Riding School in Sandton. I inherited a small mess when moving there and have managed to make some serious progress with a lot of the kids, picking up 5 new half-baiters and 3 new competitors attending Inter-Schools within my first 6 months. I also assisted the stable manager in managing the yard, the horses, the grooms and the day to day running of the yard. During my time at Inanda, I took an interest in polo, taking a few lessons here and there when I had time. I started schooling some young horses for a friend and in return, he gave me lessons on some of his going/playing horses.

 

Between February and July 2012, I completed a training program with the South African Lipizzaners, learning more about classical dressage, seat correction and bringing on young horses. The time I spent there was tough as the team had to maintain the highest standard of presentation for performances. 

 

In April 2013, I relocated to Plettenberg Bay to take up the position of Principal at the Plettenberg Equestrian Academy.

 

The Academy was situated on the Fijnbosch Nooitgedacht Stud. My duties include training (riding and practical stable/stud management), lecturing on stable/stud management, managing the stud of 70 horses, schooling horses, backing, bringing on and selling youngsters, managing the yard assets and grooms as well as the students and academy staff, organizing exams, outings etc.

 

Unfortunately the owners of the Academy decided that they no longer wanted to run the program and closed the Academy at the end of the 2013 academic year.