A RISING star in the field of equestrian sports is jumping for joy after receiving sponsorship from the local Nissan dealership which will allow her to compete in a series of important competitions.
Abbie Emms, 13 and from Leeds, has loved horses ever since she can remember and took up riding at six years old with her Welsh A white mare Babs.
Two years later Abbie got Tommy, a 13.2h Welsh C pony ,who has been pivotal in developing her riding skills and together they have competed in one day events, dressage, show jumping and eventing.
The sponsorship by Lookers Nissan Leeds, will now allow Abbie to compete in even more events by providing her with a Nissan Navara to transport her horse box on the days she is competing, as well as provide financial support for new equipment.
Abbie now rides a number of different horses, including Rose, a six-year-old Connemara pony, which she has on loan. She also rides horses for other people and has now qualified for competitions including the Royal London Show.
When she isn’t competing, Abbie spends most of her time at the stables caring for her horses. She said: “As long as I can remember I have loved horses and dreamt of competing at the highest level in all areas of equestrian sports. There are so many competitions which require travelling to some pretty distant locations. This is why the support I have from Lookers is so important as the Navara can handle this no problem and can get me to where I need to be in order to compete with the very best in the country. I would like to thank everyone at the dealership for helping me work towards achieving my dream, it means so much.”
Lookers has a history of supporting worthy projects and individuals within its local communities, including a host of promising young sportsmen and women, as well as grass roots sports organisations.
Martin Watson, General Manager at Lookers Nissan, Leeds, said: “We were really impressed with Abbie’s spirit and determination, which is only matched by her love of horses and horse riding. We hope that the practical help we are providing with the use of the Navara helps her attend more events and competitions and we’ll be keeping a keen eye on her progress in the sport.”
