Madeline Sinderberry is the winner of the National Young Rider Selection series, an event held all over Australia, to highlight our talented young showjumping riders. In her first season of Young Riders, sixteen-year-old Madeline and her horse, Fernhill Zinzan, won all five rounds they entered. It topped a great year for Madi who also crowned Australian Young Rider Champion, NSW Young Rider Champion, and the most successful Young Rider at Sydney Royal.
Madi confesses that the attraction of showjumping is “the adrenalin on course” but it is also “the training at home and then going to a competition – when you succeed, it feels like you have accomplished something… There’s a lot of satisfaction in the training, I guess.”
And you have been so successful even though you live at the back of beyond?
“Yeah, Condobolin in the middle of New South Wales. It’s hard getting coaching there, so I don’t get a lot of help. Dave Cameron trains me, so I get a few lessons a year with him, and he helps me at shows as well. I also go to a dressage instructor in Bathurst – Megan York – and I get one or maybe, two lessons a year from her to help with my flatwork training.”
Is that really hard, working by yourself all the time?
“No… I’d obviously like to get lessons a bit more regularly, but I also think it is good for the development of my riding, because when I have a problem, I can work it out myself rather than relying on an instructor all the time.”
How many horses do you have in your team?
“I’ve got Fernhill Zimzan, Oaks Kosmo and VL Deja Vu. They are all Warmblood bred horses, although my young one, Deja Vu has got a little more Thoroughbred.”
Who is going to make it to Grand Prix first?
“Hopefully Kosmo! Fernhill Zimzan is probably the most talented, but he’s only 15.2 hands so he’s kind of maxed out at 1.40m. Kosmo, I’ve only had for a year, and we are slowly working up to Grand Prix level with him. I’m doing Mini Prix, he’s brave, he’ll jump anything and he’s got a fair bit of scope to jump bigger.”
It was a thrill to win the Australian Young Rider Series…
“It was very exciting, especially in my first year in Young Rider. This year I’m aiming to do well in Young Riders, and hopefully step up and do Grand Prix with Kosmo.”
Good for you Madi.I lived between Forbes and West Wyalong for years, and had the same miles to do to get any help or training with my passion to ride dressage.Like you, three or four days of instruction per year was about it ! However, I’m still riding and competing decades later, although living a bit closer in.Good luck to you Madi, for your future success.