Shaun Neill and Kaprisch DBH Z

Photography: Megan Wright Media

Shaun Neill is one of South Africa’s most celebrated showjumpers, but he’s a rider whose career has been defined not just by his (many) victories, but by his resilience. After a herniated disc threatened to end his time at the top level of the sport, Shaun has fought his way back over years with remarkable determination.

This month, riding the talented mare Kaprisch DBH, he claimed victory at the Toyota SA Outdoor Grand Prix at Easter Festival; the same show he last won 14 years ago with the legendary Clyde Z. HQ caught up with Shaun to hear about his remarkable comeback, the mare that has made it possible, and the advice he has for any rider facing their own journey back.

HQ: After coming second in the Jeep Grand Prix in December, you’ve now won the first big showjumping title of the year, the Toyota SA Outdoor Grand Prix. How does it feel to be standing on the top step of the podium again after such a long journey back?

Shaun: It feels amazing! There was a time when I didn’t know if I would ride at the top level again, and to have a horse like Kaprisch and to be back up there really makes it feel even better than before.

HQ: You last won Easter Festival in 2012 with the legendary Clyde Z. What was going through your mind as you realised you’d won it again 14 years later?

Shaun: I was just so happy with my mare; she is young and inexperienced at that level, and she gave me everything she had that day.

HQ: You’ve said before that your absence from the very top of the sport for a few years, due to a herniated disc, means that you now have to choose horses based on comfort for your back, and that you need a specific saddle. How has Kaprisch DBH been the perfect partner for your comeback? What makes her so special? And which saddle?!

Shaun: ⁠⁠Kaprisch is a trier; she is definitely an A-type personality and tries her guts out for me every time we go into the ring. She is super careful and brave, and I think in today’s ultra-competitive sport, that is what makes her a good horse to have.

I can only ride in Devoucoux saddles now; they seem to keep my pelvis tilted at the right angle so that my lower back doesn’t take too much strain.

HQ: You bought Kaprisch in Belgium in 2020, during your recovery. Can you tell us about finding her and building this winning partnership over the past six years?

Shaun: ⁠I bought Kaprisch from our old friend, Lieven van Decraen, who also sold me Gold Rush and Clyde Z (via Wayne van Der Burgh). We took our time to find her. I did three trips to Europe before we came across her and I almost didn’t try her as I hadn’t ever had a mare at top level before so I was looking more for a stallion or a gelding, but once I jumped her over a few bigger fences, my wife, Cath and I both looked at each other and said ‘she jumps like Clyde off the ground’ and that was the deal done.

HQ: Between working full days at Delmon Mining and riding in the afternoons, how did you prepare for the Toyota Easter Festival? Has your training routine changed since your injury?

Shaun: ⁠I work a full day in our construction business, so I ride in the evenings after work. I try to work hard on my position, my balance and on my mare’s suppleness and adjustability. As she is so careful, we do a lot of pole work that I learnt from Gerry Flynn, who comes out and gives us clinics, and then my coach, Barry Taylor, comes once a week, and we have a good jump with Barry, who is a master at working on exactly what the horse needs.

I have had to focus on my body a lot more than when I was younger; I’ve also had to relearn to ride this more blood, careful type of horse like Kaprisch.

HQ: You’ve now been back in the big classes for a few months. Have you noticed changes in the sport? If so, have you had to adapt your riding style, and in what ways?

Shaun: Definitely! The sport has become so fast, and the horses need to be super careful. I’ve had to learn to ride more forward and be softer in my riding style than when I rode Gold Rush and Clyde.

HQ: What were the biggest challenges over the qualifiers and, obviously, the final class of the Outdoor Grand Prix?

Shaun: ⁠⁠The format of the Grand Prix class is a big challenge. It takes a lot of fitness and stamina to jump three rounds at that level.

⁠HQ: What’s next for you and Kaprisch DBH? Are there specific goals for the rest of 2026?

Shaun: ⁠⁠Kaprisch is new to the level, so I need to try and keep consistent now in the 1.50m classes and maybe try a World Cup with her when she feels ready later this year.

HQ: Can you tell us about the other horses in your string? What can we expect from them in the future?

Shaun: I am extremely grateful to be a part of the 334 Team, and I ride their super mare, 334 Klara, who is about to jump her first 1.20m show in a few weeks’ time. Klara was started late, so despite being nine, she is quite green, but I love riding her; she is so keen to learn, and I’m very excited to keep producing her up the grades.

HQ: Looking back at the journey from your herniated disc in 2014 to standing on top of the podium at Easter Festival 2026 , what do you want people to take away from your experience?

Shaun: Never give up. It was a long, hard road… There were times when I truly didn’t think I would ever be able to ride at that level again, but I have quite a cool head, and I just kept my head down and worked my way slowly back up. Having two super mares like Kaprisch and Klara makes it a lot easier as well!

HQ: What advice would you give to any rider facing injury or setback who wonders if they can get back to where they were?

Shaun: ⁠⁠Focus on what you CAN still do, and work slowly on what you can’t. Don’t force things, and try to make your life easier by changing something that hurts or limits you (like I did by finding the right saddle that doesn’t hurt my back).

HQ:⁠What does it mean to have Oliver win the Toyota Pony Rider SA Outdoor Grand Prix and Sarah win the Toyota 1m Pony Rider Championships at the same show?

Shaun: As a father, I was incredibly proud of them. It was something we could never have dreamed of happening, and we are very lucky to all share the same passion and to see their hard work pay off as well.

HQ: Do you coach Oliver and Sarah at all? What advice do you give them with their riding?

Shaun: No, Joanne van Achterbergh is their jumping coach, but I help them in the warm-up at the shows just to give them confidence, and I always say to them that they must make a plan with Jo for the class and then stick to that plan.

HQ:⁠Have either of them ever had a ride on Kaprisch, and do you think they’ve got an eye on her for when they come out of Pony Riders?

Shaun: Oliver has had a jump on her, and it would be my honour for him to ride her in a few years’ time.

HQ:⁠Is there anyone you would like us to thank you for in the magazine?

Shaun: I would like to thank Toyota for their fantastic backing of our sport; they have really elevated our sport and all the riders are very grateful to them. I’d also like to thank Barry Taylor, my coach for the past 20 plus years; 334 Stud for the ride on Klara; and also my team at home – managers, riders, grooms, vets, farriers, physios. It takes a village and I’m very grateful to everyone behind the scenes who helps Kaprisch feel as good as she did that day.

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Shaun Neill’s story is one of the most compelling in South African equestrian sport; it’s a real masterclass in patience and perseverance. Fourteen years after his last Easter Festival victory, he has returned to the top step of the podium, through his quiet, dedicated work across more than a decade. With Kaprisch DBH still growing into the sport and 334 Klara coming through the ranks, the future looks bright for Shaun and his team. And with his children, Oliver and Sarah, both winning titles at the very same show, it is clear that the Neill family’s love for horses runs very deep indeed.

We look forward to seeing much from Shaun and his family in the coming months and years. It’s good to have him back, where he belongs, at the very top of our sport!