Ambitious Ward keen to make her mark during pivotal year

Beverley’s rapidly emerging showjumping star Scarlett Ward has no hesitation in outlining her ultimate sporting ambition – representing Team GB at the Olympics.
Scarlett WardScarlett Ward
Scarlett Ward

Yet even Ward knows fulfilling that ambition is another matter altogether.

The 22-year-old will give it a damn good go, but for now the cool-headed customer is focusing on a top 10 British ranking spot – not to mention going one place better than last year in the 2014 Under-23 final at Olympia.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ward enjoyed her career high in December when partnering 17-year-old Milena 8 to a brilliant second-placed finish in the Under-23 British final at Olympia.

The success was all the more notable given that Ward’s now 27-year-old sister Steph finished third in the corresponding event in 2006 when held as part of the British Open.

Showjumping success is clearly in the blood and last month’s showing was no surprise given that Ward has spent the past year-and-a-half developing her game at Ben Maher’s yard near Stansted. Maher has now departed for a stint in Florida with Ward now based in Northamptonshire with Tim Stockdale, who has been quick to snap up the talents of a rider who has also gained showjumping experience with a stint in Germany.

And as well as being blessed with natural ability, the Yorkshire rider has a cool head on young shoulders with Ward admitting she will need to become more established before even entertaining dreams of competing at the Olympics – and later setting up her own yard in Yorkshire.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think the Olympics is the dream for everybody but not many people really realise that dream,” Ward told the Yorkshire Post.

“To be a bit more realistic, I would like to be in the top 10 in the country and successful. I don’t just want to make a living, I want to be successful at it as well and produce good quality horses. First and foremost I’ll be hoping to qualify for Olympia again – ready to compete again in the final at the end of this year.

“Hopefully, I’ll go one better. Then I’d like to go to Spain because there is a tour in Valencia in March in two and three-star international classes. Basically I would like to step up a level. I’m already jumping the national Grand Prixs, but I’d like to step up to three-star Grand Prix level if I can and boost myself up the rankings a little bit and get a bit more recognition as a good national rider.”

Ward was ranked 135th in Britain prior to Olympia, but her efforts on Milena 8 have shot her up to 81st. And the former Queen Margaret’s School pupil has already taken big steps towards qualifying for the Under-23 final at Olympia 2014. Ward and Milena 8 finished second in the year’s first qualifier at Bury Farm where her other ride, eight-year-old Bustino, won the Grade C class.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ward beamed: “It was a brilliant start to the season and coming second on Milena 8 gave us 30 points towards qualification for Olympia.

“I would hope this would be enough to be in the 2014 final, but I will still compete in the remaining qualifying competitions.”

And expect the rapidly-improving Ward to be a force to be reckoned with wherever she competes this year – so much so that dreams of an Olympics might not be so fanciful after all.

Either way, the Beverley ace admits she would eventually relish the opportunity to one day set up her own yard in Yorkshire.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“That would be the plan one day but at the moment I don’t feel ready and I’m not established enough in my own right to do that yet,” added Ward.

“I love Yorkshire and we produce a lot of good riders but you have to go away, learn and then come back and sort of formulate your own strategies and own plan.”

Related topics: