Nicole Smith Moves Back Home to South Africa

Wed, 09/15/2021 - 09:54
South Africa
Nicole Smith :: Photo © Astrid Appels

After 10 years in Europe, South African Grand Prix rider Nicole Smith has moved back home to South Africa to develop the yard of her family near Johannesburg into a dressage training business.

The 29-year old Smith began her international equestrian career as an Endurance rider, competing EDL Agbhar Tyson in the CEI-YJ in Kalahari, Namabia. Dressage, however, was her passion and in 2011 she made the bold move to relocate for Europe to lear the trade. 

Victoria

Smith based herself at Tineke and Imke Bartels Academy in Hooge Mierde, The Netherlands, and purchased Victoria, a Belgian warmblood mare by Havidoff x El Corona, through Bartels. 

The pair made its CDI Grand Prix debut in Leudelange (LUX) in 2011 and competed at major internationals in Biarritz, Drachten, Vejer, Vilamoura, Vidauban, Hagen, Donaueschingen, Bremen, Aachen, Perl, and 's Hertogenbosch. 

In 2012 Smith wanted a change of scenery and new input from a different trainer. She relocated to Germany and began training with Hubertus Schmidt.

Nicole and Victoria at the 2014 CDI-W Den Bosch
Their efforts culminated with a historic peak performance for South Africa as its first-ever team qualified for the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen, France, where Smith finished 48th in the Grand Prix (68.757%) as the highest placing South African pair.

Smith and her hot and sensitive Victoria competed through 2016 with their final event and retirement CDI show being in Lier. Victoria was shipped home to South Africa in March 2017, where mom Diane kept the mare fit. Nicole won the 2017 South African Grand Prix Championship on Victoria.

Chi La Rou

Nicole's new FEI partner and Grand Prix hopeful was Chi La Rou, a KWPN mare by Florett As x Pablo.

The complicated bay mare made her CDI show debut at small tour level at the 2015 CDI Roosendaal Indoor but had to be retired. In 2016 they rode in Darmstadt and in 2017 in Lier and Cappeln. 

In March 2018 Chi La Rou required colic surgery and had a break from sport, unable to qualify for the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon.

She returned to the arena in 2019 at Grand Prix level in Mannheim, and performed at shows such as Cappeln, Waregem, Exloo, Randbol, Lier, Hagen, and Herzlake. South Africa qualified a team for the Tokyo Olympics, but in the end after the postponement by one year, the individual riders did not obtain their MER and confirmation scores and only one individual, Tanya Seymour, made it to Tokyo.

Smith and Chi La Rou's last show in Europe was in June 2021. They posted 66.261% in the Grand Prix

Return Home

Nicole and Chi La Rou at the 2019 CDI Waregem
Smith returned home to South Africa at the beginning of September 2021. 

"I have been away from home for ten years now, and because of covid it was much more difficult to see my family and boyfriend," Nicole told Eurodressage. "I have thought about moving back a lot, but of course wanted to see if Tokyo would be a possibility for me. Unfortunately my mare is a little bit complicated, so that was not meant to be. I am so grateful for all I learnt from Hubertus over the last nine years, I hope that I can spread some of that knowledge in South Africa now and of course use it to improve my own horses as far as possible."

Smith will develop her business Gratian Sport Horses at the property where her family has been living for 35 years. It's located on the outskirts of Johannesburg. 

"We are very lucky to have our horses at home, which is fantastic because we are with them all the time, and all of our “oldies” stay with us long after they retire," she explained. "The horses have a very different life here compared to Europe… because of our nice weather they are outside for most of the day every day, and all throughout winter as well."

Photos © Astrid Appels

Related Links
Eurodressage Photo Database: Nicole Smith
Will South Africa/Brazil Make it to Tokyo, Or Will Austria And/Or France Qualify Composite Team?
Nicole Smith Wins the 2017 South African Grand Prix Championship
Nicole Smith, Bannerman of South African Effort for 2014 WEG Qualification