Meet Scottsh younger showjumper Fraser Reed, a rising star of the game

Flying the flag for Scotland in large model is rising star younger showjumper Fraser Reed.

The 23-year-old horseman has loved loads of success via ponies and into senior ranks however 2024 has been a 12 months of thrilling new alternatives and the gifted younger rider is greedy each probability he can.

Fraser joined the East Sussex yard of Matt Pike earlier this 12 months, the place he joined his buddy and fellow Scottish showjumper Sandy McLean, and he certified for the celebrated evoke under-25 British championship on the London Worldwide together with his high horse Westbank Rio.

“Getting that qualification was actually good,” says Fraser, who jumped spherical for simply eight faults within the closing final 12 months with the identical horse, owned by his mom Aileen.

Fraser certified this time round at Morris Equestrian Centre, close to Kilmarnock, after sharing the spoils with one other sensible younger Scot, Emma Crawford (Dukes Of Hazzard).

“I missed the primary qualifier, then I used to be there or thereabouts on the second, so I assumed I would as properly go for it at my third!” he says. “Rio additionally received the qualifier final 12 months at Enviornment UK. I jumped at Olympia on ponies, too, however the under-25 British Championship is a good class to leap at an incredible present.”

Fraser Reed: born and bred in Fife

Showjumper Fraser Reed was born and grew up close to St Andrews in Scotland, the place his mom is a using faculty teacher.

He began competing on ponies on the age of seven, qualifying for all the celebrated finals together with Horse of the Yr Present. On the age of 16, he and his pony Harry have been a part of Nice Britain’s silver medal-winning staff on the pony European Showjumping Championships in 2017.

A few years in the past he left Fife and joined Irish showjumper Richard Howley at his base in Yorkshire for 2 years.

“My time at HK Horses with Richard and Morgan was my training actually,” he says. “It’s the place I learnt the commerce, find out how to work the horses, find out how to get them ready for the day. It was a extremely good place to be taught and I worth that a lot. I actually like his programme and the way in which he rides.”

Fraser is now based mostly with Matt Pike, the place he “can get caught in”, constructing on all of the foundations he’s laid.

“I did ponies with Sandy McLean, so I grew up with him, and he phoned me in the summertime saying he wanted a hand on the yard with Matt as a result of that they had loads of horses to experience,” explains Fraser. “There’s two actually promising five-year-olds and some six-year-olds, then we’ve a seven-year-old referred to as Bingo 55 who’s leaping the 1.40m courses and Matt’s given him to me to run for a bit.

“We have now so many beautiful horses right here, coming out and in on a regular basis, however Matt can be striving for a greater string of horses to remain within the yard – whether or not that’s one or two of the nicer five-year-olds or an older grand prix horse.”

“Westbank Rio and I’ve learnt collectively: he’s superb”

Fraser describes his long-term experience Westbank Rio, an 11-year-old Irish-bred gelding by Riverland Roi x Douglas as his “devoted previous companion”. They certified for each the Grade C and Foxhunter finals finally 12 months’s Horse of the Yr Present and have stepped up persistently to worldwide courses and the larger tracks at dwelling this 12 months.

“I’ve had him for 3 and a half years now and we’ve learnt collectively. He’ll forgive me after a foul spherical and he’ll additionally assist me out of some dangerous locations!” says Fraser. “He’s very cautious, he has all of the soar and he does loads of clear rounds. He’s jumped clear in all these grands prix and 4 or 5 rating courses this 12 months. He’s been superb for the beginning of my profession.”

As for future ambitions, Fraser is sustaining a stage head.

“We’ll head to Europe at first of 2025 probably to attempt to get a tour or two in, and attempt to decide up some good placings within the rankings courses then we’ll see the place we’re after that,” he says.

“I’d like to get on a three-star Nations Cup staff subsequent 12 months if I nonetheless have Rio. That might be an excellent objective to work in the direction of and could be a incredible spotlight if we may get there.”

It’s a marvellous period for younger Scottish riders, with the likes of double Olympic gold medallist Scott Brash for the subsequent era to look as much as and be impressed by.

“Scott and Richard Howley have been nice position fashions for me to attempt to mould myself round,” says Fraser.

You’ll be able to’t do higher than that and showjumper Fraser Reed is certainly an thrilling younger expertise who is de facto going locations; preserve him in your radar in 2025.

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H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her position as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her all over the world reporting from exhibits and interviewing riders, connections and people concerned behind the scenes. Since becoming a member of H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on each topic throughout the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to steady administration — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She additionally has first-hand expertise of working within the equestrian trade as a using teacher and yard supervisor.