Riding - Atlantic beckons for Simon's six (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Riding - Atlantic beckons for Simon's six

8:10pm Thursday 19th February 2009 in

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INTERNATIONAL showjumper Simon Buckley from Ings sets off this week for the eight-week Atlantic Tour of Portugal.

He will be taking six horses to compete at Comporto and Villamoura.

They including his own Warrior Van Het Dingeshof, John Heath’s Silvano and Coral Mowbray’s Corinthos for the international classes and Johanna Gate’s Jericho for the seven-year-old sections besides two young horses.

Simon first rode internationally on ponies and was in the gold medal winning team at Stockholm in 1999 with Quayside Caution.

Simon enjoyed major success in horse classes with Lakeland Gold Diamond in 2001 when he won the Newcomers Championship at Wembley.

He has moved up to 37th position in the riders’ ranking list from 124th position last year - a great achievement in shuch a competitive area, Simon has just sealed a new sponsorship deal for the next three year with Equine Products from Newcastle, who will supply him with feed supplements and lotions to keep the horses in peak condition.

He had a great 2008 season with Warrior Van Het Dingeshof, winnign the Renault Jump Sections at Royal Highland and Great Yorkshire.

Simon has worked tirelessly to get to the top level, producing his horses from novice to grade A, and he was placed in the Grand Prix at Rowallan on Sunday.