Nine year-old Tabitha Morgan-Evans from Newmarket, Suffolk has been awarded the NAF Shining Star for October. A recent new member to the Suffolk Academy, Tabitha has shown great maturity and is always supportive of her team mates which led lead coach Mia Palles-Clark to nominate her.
“Tabitha has attended training throughout the summer and taken her novice pony to be part of the academy mini team at the academy championships in August. She has since progressed onto a new pony to finish her October half term at the English Home Pony at South View Equestrian Centre as part of the u10s team as well as being placed in the fledgling’s championship,” commented Mia.
“Showing great maturity, she is excellent to coach and is always supportive of her team mates. Tabby is a delight to have around, she is polite to officials and generally an excellent shining example of the sport of showjumping. I see her long-term commitment to showjumping developing through the fun and success she’s already enjoying. She does all of this with a smile on her face and a pat for her ponies!”
After finding out she was the winner of October’s NAF Shining Star, an excited Tabitha said “Thank you for choosing me for the award. I had great fun with my two ponies at the Home Pony show last month. I qualified to jump in the England mini team and I was so proud to be selected. I managed to jump bigger than I have ever jumped and I am very proud of my ponies. It was a big learning curve for me and my younger pony but my coach Mia has really helped me – thank you so much! This has really encouraged me and I can’t wait to do more.”
Lisa Field from NAF added “It is great to hear the progress Tabitha has made with her pony throughout the summer and to end on being part of the u10s team and placed in the fledgling championship is a fantastic achievement. Tabitha’s commitment and dedication, along with the support she provides her team mates makes her a worthy winner of this month’s NAF Shining Star, congratulations Tabitha!”
The NAF Shining Star Award was introduced when NAF became a British Showjumping Business Partner. The award is for members of a Junior Academy who have shown a great deal of commitment, progression, and outstanding behaviour along with their riding ability and much more. Riders are nominated by their lead coach, and then judged and awarded by NAF to one person each month.
Image credit landscapeandhorses.co.uk
