Leaping to success: Upwell showjumping star bidding for year of glory

DETERMINED Stacey Nichols is hoping that 2012 will be the year she leaps to showjumping stardom.

The 22-year-old, from Upwell, who won her first championship at the age of 14, has built a team of five young horses for this season’s competitions.

Nichols, who has been training with international showjumper Philip Spivey since 2006, travels to the Hartpury Arena, in Gloucestershire, next month for the Blue Chip Championships.

She said: “I have only ever wanted to showjump. I grew up around horses and I got my first pony when I was seven.

“I have qualified for four different finals this year on three different horses so I’m hoping that 2012 could be really big for me.”

Nichols’ career achievements include solid performances in the Welsh Masters and Senior British Novice Championships as well as victory in the five-year-old Grand Prix at the Arena UK festival.

Last year, she competed abroad for the first time in Vidauban, France - taking a ride on Spivey’s horse Graffiti IV.

Nichols, who is expecting another foal in June, will contest the British Novice and Discovery Regional Finals this summer. She is also trying to get her horses selected for the Equine Pathway Scheme.

For more information on the showjumping star, who is looking for sponsors, visit her website www.staceynichols.co.uk