‘Beyond my wildest dreams’: top vaulter turned showjumper excels at European Championships

Meet the rider representing Cyprus at the European Showjumping Championships, whose experience in top-level vaulting has been of benefit – and who says being in A Coruña is “beyond my wildest dreams”.

Alexa Stais and Chad Blue PS jumped a fabulous clear in the opening round of competition as Casas Novas equestrian centre yesterday (17 July) to take 39th place of 89 riders after the first round of competition.

It is a first senior European Showjumping Championships for Alexa, who is based in Germany with Paul Schockemöhle, and for Cyprus. But it is not Alexa’s first championship; she competed at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in vaulting, within a few weeks of showjumping at the Youth Olympics, at which she helped the team to fourth place.

“The flexibility, the coordination, the balance from vaulting, I’d definitely say it helped a lot with the showjumping,” she says. “Sadly I don’t do it any more; I’ve been riding since I was three but have been living in Germany for 10 years so I’ve been following this sport, and to compete at a championship like this is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s very special.”

Alexa previously represented South Africa but was born in Cyprus, where her grandfather is from, and switched nationalities, which she said felt the right decision.

Chad Blue, owned by his breeder Gestüt Lewis, is one of the breeding stallions at Paul Schockemöhle’s, and Alexa took the reins at the start of last year.

“He has a very big heart and he’s a great character,” she says. “He’s very chilled and laid back for a stallion, and we’ve just been growing together. I got him as a nine-year-old, so this is our second season, and we’re just learning by doing it together. I’m so pleased with him.”

• To stay up to date with all the news from the European Showjumping Championships as it happens, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website today from just £1 a week. Our reporter Eleanor Jones will be on site throughout

You may also be interested in: