A GRADUATE of the Showjumping Ireland Young Rider Academy, Galway native Lisa Leonard is one of many riders who have benefited from this new initiative. While on the academy, she was assigned Cameron Hanley as her mentor and as a result, has secured a position at his White Heart Farm in Germany.

The SJI National Young Riders Academy, which was being run as a pilot scheme for 2017, comes from an idea which has worked well in other European countries. It was first advertised in the SJI Bulletin and riders who were interested were asked to submit their CV for consideration. This academy has gone from strength to strength with many of Ireland’s leading riders gaining much assistance from it.