2024 SA JUNIOR DERBY – GIORGIA SCRIBANTE AND CAPITAL CRAWFORD

Text: Amelia Campbell-Horne

Photography: Merlynn Trichardt Photography

The SA Junior Derby had some thrills and spills, and we spent most of the class waiting for a clear round! It finally came from our penultimate rider, Giorgia Scribante, aboard Capital Crawford, and then our top qualifiers, Hamza Minty and Callaho Conray, produced a second clear to force a jump off.

Knowing how fast Hamza can be, Giorgia had no option but to go quick and try to leave the rails up. Quick, she was, but a soft rail meant 4f in 40.38 seconds. Hamza then jumped off and was aiming for a well-calculated clear, which he looked set to achieve until a soft rail midway through the course, after which he had to rapidly adjust his game plan and move as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, another rail chasing the clock meant Giorgia and Capital Crawford claimed their first SA Junior Derby title win!

We quickly caught up with Giorgia to learn more about her and her future aspirations…

HQ: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Giorgia: I am 17 years old and I come from Summerveld, KZN. I started riding at the age of five.

HQ: Can you tell us about your current string of horses? Do you have any exciting youngsters coming up?

Giorgia: I am very fortunate to be able to compete on four horses currently. I have Capital Crawford and Ultime D’Eliapi, with whom I compete in the 1.35m and 1.40m classes; Callaho Casey, with who I compete in the 1.30m classes; and then Piemonte Jack Frost, with who I am currently competing in the 1.20m classes. Piemonte Jack Frost is one of our family’s homebred horses, who I started riding a few weeks after he was backed and have ridden ever since. I’m slowly bringing him up through the grades. Callaho Casey was my very first horse, and we bought her off the Callaho Auction. We currently have two homebred youngsters, the first of which is currently being backed, and the second will start to be backed early next year. I am incredibly excited to see how those two come on.

HQ: What are your plans for the future?

Giorgia: I am currently in Grade 11 at St Mary’s DSG Kloof. My plan for after school is to hopefully study human physiotherapy and then further my studies to equine physiotherapy while continuing with my riding career.

HQ: Do you find it hard to be based in KZN and compete in Jo’burg at the title shows?

Giorgia: From a competitive riding perspective, yes, it is a little tougher being based in KZN; however, we are very blessed with the annual weather that we get in KZN.

The downside of being KZN-based is that almost every title event is based away from us, so both I and my horses need to travel a tremendous amount to compete. This normally entails travelling to Gauteng around five times per year.

Travelling as much as we do means that the horses really need to be as comfortable as possible, as it takes a lot out of them. I always make sure that my physio sees my horses before we leave for any big show to ensure that they are loose and feeling good within themselves.

I am incredibly fortunate to have the most supportive family, as without them, I would not be able to do any of the big shows. Travelling is incredibly expensive, with trucking costs, show entries, stabling fees, accommodation, grooms’ costs, etc.

HQ: Can you talk us through your Junior Derby title win?

Giorgia: Preparing for the first round of the Derby Championship, I was really hoping to get around the track and hopefully jump a clear round. Going in at number 23 and seeing how all the previous riders had poles here and there really showed just how tough a Derby track is. I had the confidence in my horse, Capital Crawford. He has always loved jumping on the grass and has always been competitive in the Bob Charter arena. So, it was up to me to make sure that I gave him the best ride that I could and to make sure that I put him in the right places to allow him to do what he does best.

Crawford can be a very spooky and sharp horse, and coming into the devil’s dyke, he got a bit distracted and then spooked at the ditch, so we ended up doing the dyke at a trot, but he was super brave and did an amazing job to get himself out of trouble. Other than the little issue at the dyke, Crawford was amazing and just absolutely flew over the rest of the track to jump clear.

Going into the jump-off, there was only myself and one other rider, so I decided that I was just going to give it a go, and whatever the outcome would be, I was already incredibly proud of what Crawford had achieved. I was the first rider to go in the jump-off, and again, Crawford was amazing. However, he got distracted coming to the second last combination and had 15b down but still achieved the fastest time in the jump-off.

When I heard that Crawford and I had won the Junior Derby, I was totally blown away. I cannot express enough how proud I am of Crawford, who never stopped giving me his absolute all, not just in the Derby but throughout the entire year. This was the first Derby for Crawford and me as a team, and this was my first National Title win.

HQ: Any plans to jump the big Derby one day?

Giorgia: ​When I first thought about doing the big Derby one day, I was not so convinced. However, after walking the track with Grant, Courtney and Helen, I changed my mind and would love to be in a position to, hopefully, give it a go one day.

HQ: What do you think is the toughest element on the track?

Giorgia: ​I would say that the toughest element on the track is the bank. It is absolutely enormous and very technical, as at the bottom of the bank, you have a two-stride distance to the very large set of planks. It is very difficult to have your horse in the right position at the bottom of the bank and the riders have to be very quick to adjust for where they are.

HQ: Earlier this year, you were part of the Tri-Nations team. What was that experience like, and what impact has it had on your riding?

Giorgia: ​Being part of the South African Tri-Nations team taught me so much in such a short time. Riding for your country and being part of a team, is totally different to the normal situation of riding for yourself. Firstly, it is an enormous honour to represent your country. Secondly, you are being counted on as a member of the team, and then thirdly, there is the incredible feeling of hearing the supporters cheer each and every team rider on.

It is a different type of pressure that is very hard to explain, but you need to learn to overcome it very quickly so that you are fully focused on putting together the best rounds you can. Being on borrowed horses that you have never ridden before puts another level into your riding as you have to be very adjustable between horses to get the best out of them. The experience of being a rider for Team South Africa and being a teammate is something I will cherish for the rest of my life, and it was an incredibly humbling experience.

HQ: How do you fit in all your riding with schoolwork, and what does a normal ‘day in your life’ look like?

Giorgia: ​I have a very busy day during the school weeks. I get to school by 7am every day and only finish school at 2.15pm. I will then start riding at about 3pm and usually ride until about 5.30/6pm. I ride between four and five horses a day, and on certain mornings, I will ride before school, and then after school, I will go to my coach, Grant Langley, for my weekly lessons.

HQ: What is the most important advice your coach has given you, and what does he always say to you?

Giorgia: ​I ride with Grant Langley at Langley Equestrian. I would not say that it is any particular piece of advice that Grant has given to me, but more so, the ongoing support and self-belief that he gives me. When I am worried about an element or the height of an obstacle, Grant will always discuss it and show me that I am capable of doing it and how it should be ridden.

HQ: What advice do you have for other young riders who, one day, would like to jump at the top Junior level?

Giorgia: If I were to give any other young riders any advice, it would be to enjoy every moment you have on your horses because being able to do the sport that we love, on the animals that we love, is a true gift. So, you should never take it for granted. Another piece of advice that I would give is to not compare yourself to anyone else because everyone is on their own journey. So, do not try to speed up the process of getting to the destination; rather, enjoy the journey that you are on.

HQ: Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Giogia: I would love to say a massive thanks to my parents, Dino and Shelley, and my sister, Olivia, for all your love and support; without you, I would not be able to do the sport that I so love. To my coach, Grant Langley, thank you for your continuous support, guidance, mentorship and coaching, as without you, I would not be where I am today. To my amazing grooms, Moregood and Lenmore, thank you for all your hard work in ensuring all our horses look and feel their best. Thank you also to my teammates at Langley Equestrian for your never-ending support and encouragement. And lastly, thank you to my amazing horses, who always give me their absolute best.