Photography: Kay Photography
Felicity Theunissen, at just 12 years old, is making her impact felt across the showjumping world. Jumping against pony riders, juniors and adults and topping plenty of podiums along the way, she’s a surefire bet for the future. We caught up with Felicity to hear about her string of horses, her plans for 2025 and how she fits it all in around school and other commitments.
HQ: So, first of all, tell us about your horses.
Felicity: Okay, so currently, I have two ponies, Coco Chanell and KEC Spirit. Coco is in the metres; she’s very comfortable there. Spirit was jumping the Open Pony classes, but he got injured so he’s just starting rehab.
Then, I have a few horses. I have Callaho Qui Cassa, who is a new horse for me. Currently, we are jumping in the 1.10m and we’ll see how that goes.
I also have two young horses, Callaho Con’Quest and Callaho Simply Will. Simply Will just went into the metres. This (Post-Derby) was her first metre show. She had such a good, confident round, and it was her first time in the Bob. Connie also had such a good show; she’s getting there. Then, I have a bigger horse called Seeis Montano. He’s going to be my big horse for the future. Right now, Ashley Healy’s helping me ride him a little bit. And then I have a horse that’s at Neriske Prinsloo, Capital Clover. She is very nice, and we’re trying to sell her.
HQ: What would you say has been the biggest achievement of your riding career so far?
Felicity: There’s been a few highlights, but definitely the highlight of this year was winning Gauteng Champs with my pony Coco, because this year was meant to be my last year on her, so it was definitely quite a big thing.
HQ: What got you into riding in the beginning? What made you choose this as your sport?
So, my friend would go with her mum to the yard every day, and I would go with them, and I just got into it like that. Then I got my first pony.
HQ: Which yard did you start riding at, and where are you currently?
Felicity: I started riding at Glover Paddocks, and currently, I am at Ronnie Healy with my horses and Kincardine with Jo van Achterberg with my ponies.
HQ: How do you manage swapping between so many different types of horses?
Felicity: My horses do vary quite a lot in their way of going but my ponies are very similar in type. Coco is very spicy and very hot; she jumps better the hotter I can get her. This is the same with Spirit; the more I can get him to go for it and flow, the better he jumps. With Qui Cassa, I need to stay light and just let her flow. And then, with Simply Will, I do need to support her a bit more as she is a bit younger. With Connie, I have to be very confident in what I’m doing, like knowing where I’m going and what I’m doing. With Monty, we’re getting there; I just need to be more exact on where I want to take off and where I want to land.
HQ: And how do you make that shift?
Felicity: I almost think of it as pulling the right book out of my pocket. So, I really have to think about who I’m going to ride and what I need to focus on. I particularly have to focus when moving between the ponies and the horses, as my ponies go very differently from my horses.
HQ: What’s your biggest goal for next year with your horses?
Felicity: My biggest goal for next year is to do really well in SA Champs. So, ideally, I’d like to win the SA Champs on my pony Coco and the 1.20 Junior Champs on Callaho Qui Cassa. Finally, I’d like to win Derby on both of them.
HQ: What’s your favourite show to go to?
Felicity: I love an Easter Festival and an SA Champs, especially when we get to go to different venues. I love Derby, especially because the horses I do it on are so confident, especially when it comes to jumping in the Bob; they are so happy and excited when they get to jump on the grass. I must say that I also love President’s Cup.
HQ: Is there an Adult show you are particularly looking forward to jumping?
Felicity: I definitely want to jump a few World Cups and a Derby. I’m excited for these already!
HQ: If you could choose any horse on the circuit today to ride, which one would you choose?
Felicity: I definitely want to ride Hannah Garton’s horse, PMH Pollyanna. I really like her; she seems like such a nice ride. She looks like a quirky mare and I love that.
HQ: You’re certainly blazing quite the trail for yourself, but which rider would you say you look up to most in South Africa?
Felicity: I definitely look up to my coach, Ronnie; I love how he rides, and I love how patient he is with the horses.
HQ: How do you juggle school with having and competing so many horses?
Felicity: It’s definitely a struggle. I’ve got quite a packed week since moving from ponies to horses. I do a lot of my schoolwork in the evenings, but I try to finish as much as I can at school, so I can focus my afternoons on the horses. On Monday, I have biokinetics and flatwork lessons. On Tuesday, I have lessons at Ronnie, and then on Wednesday, I have a jumping lesson at Jo with Coco and Spirit when Spirit is fit, and then flatwork lessons at Ronnie. On Thursday, I have jumping lessons at Ronnie and then on Friday, I normally hack all of them. This does vary depending on my show schedule for the weekend, but generally that’s how I run the week.
HQ: What does a day in your life look like?
Felicity: My day usually consists of going to the gym in the morning. I wake up at about 5 and go for an hour. Then, I shower and get ready for school. I am at school from about 7 until half past 1. After that, I go straight to riding. I’ll be home by about 6, and then when I’m home, I go shower, eat, study, and then go to bed.
HQ: And do you have any hobbies outside of riding?
Felicity: My main thing is riding, but at school, I do a little bit of athletics when I can manage it, and I do enjoy swimming a lot.
HQ: What do you want to do in the future?
Felicity: When I finish school, I want to go study. I either want to study law or I want to study medicine so that I can become a dermatologist. They’re very different, but I’d be happy with either one.
HQ: Why Dermatology? This seems a very specific choice!
Felicity: I love working with skin, and I love the idea of surgery, but not the hectic stuff. Dermatologists also make a lot of money, and they are always really busy. It’s so hard to get a dermatologist appointment, that I feel if I become a dermatologist, I’ll always have enough work to pay for the horses!
HQ: Any tips for other young riders?
Felicity: Definitely one tip is not to listen to a lot of people because people can be very harsh. And just stay humble, stay kind, and it will come eventually. I remember on Coco all I wanted to do was win a championship. Like last year, all I wanted was my points to go to the 1.10ms and it took many shows. It sometimes seems like the more you want it, the longer it takes to come, so just enjoy it and live in the moment.
HQ: Tell us about your sponsors.
Felicity: Currently I’m sponsored by Tech Stirrups, which is an overseas brand. Then I have a sponsorship with Equestrian House, and I have a new exciting sponsor coming up soon.
New partnership – Callaho Qui Cassa and Felicity
Callaho Qui Cassa and Felicity have recently formed a partnership. With Felicity’s record against the clock, this speedy mare has met her match! We’re looking forward to seeing more of the pair in the ring next year.
HQ: Tell us a bit about Qui Cassa and how you got the ride on her.
Felicity: So, I got the ride on her because Hamza Minty and I are quite good friends, and he was her previous owner. He saw me battling a bit with Monty, so he asked me to come sit on her, and I sat on her, and I just fell in love. She’s such a quirky little mare, and she’s got such a nice jump.
HQ: What part of her made you fall in love and decide this is your horse?
Felicity: She’s just such a kind horse, and I don’t know, when I get on certain horses, I just have like a feeling that this is the right one.
HQ: And what are your goals for her in the next couple of months and next year?
Felicity: My goal for next year is to win a few titles with her. By the end of next year, I want to be confidently jumping in the 1.30m classes with her. And by the end of this year, I want to get to know her a little bit and see how she is with different things so I can be prepared for 2025.
HQ: What’s the best thing about her personality?
Felicity: She’s small, but she’s like a little firecracker. She looks so calm, but she’s like a little ball to ride. She bounces!
HQ: And then what’s her stable name nickname?
Felicity: I call her Qui for short.
Thank you, Felicity, for taking the time to catch up with us and fill us in on all your plans for next year. We can’t wait to see you and your string topping the podium again in 2025!