by Cassidy Nunn | photo by Nunn Other Photography –
“I was probably put on a horse before I could walk!” laughs Georgia Knight, a talented 20-year-old show jumping rider from Central Saanich. We’re seated on a bench out front of the barn she’s grown up, almost literally, in. The stable, surrounded by beautiful lush green fields, an outdoor riding ring and round pen, is situated on her parents’ Peninsula property and is home to several horses, four of them her high-level and up-and-coming show horses.
While Georgia is also a gifted soccer player and could have pursued playing soccer at university, upon graduating high school, she instead chose horseback riding and has set her sights on competing professionally. “I never thought of doing anything else after school other than coming back home and riding,” she says. Since finishing high school, the past two years have been focused on training with coach Elizabeth Gingras, showing and putting in as many hours in the saddle as possible while she pursues her goals in the world of elite level showjumping. “My goal is to develop my riding skills more to eventually go professional,” she says. When she’s not away competing, she stays involved with horses by working for an equine veterinarian on the Peninsula.
Georgia inherited her love of horses from her mum, who also grew up riding. She says her mum “always knows what I’m thinking, which is really important at a horse show. She’s taught me so much and I still learn from her every day.” And while Georgia’s dad did not grow up around horses, he’s been a constant supporter of her riding ambitions. “He loves now and really wants to learn about what I do. He comes to every horse show,” she says.
Georgia is incredibly busy at the horse shows these days with competing her four horses, all of which are different ages and abilities and therefore compete in a variety of heights from 1.25- to 1.45-metre classes. For reference, the top height competed at in show jumping, such as in the Olympics, is 1.60 metres. Georgia is steadily moving up the levels and has become more successful over the past two years.
“All four are completely different horses,” she says. It’s a testament to her riding ability as it takes great skill to successfully ride four horses who all ride differently and aren’t of the same “type.”
In 2023, Geogia won the overall championship of the U25 league at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, B.C. as well as the George and Diane Tidball Legacy Scholarship (18 to 25 age group) which is awarded to “individuals who exemplify hard work, dedication to the sport of equestrian, good sportsmanship, and leadership.”
Earlier this year, she was selected to be a part of the team representing Canada at the North American Youth Championships (NAYC) held in Travers City, Michigan and travelled there this past summer with her horse Ero Del Pierire to compete. Even though she’d only owned and ridden Ero Del Pierire for a few months before heading to the championships, “our partnership is really strong and he trusted me,” Georgia says, citing how big and technical the jumps were on the courses in Michigan.
Horse showing at a high level, especially with the goal of going professional, means a lot of time on the road and competing in cities all over the place. Since March, Georgia said she’s only been home for a total of 10 weeks in between horse shows. In the winter she travelled to compete in the U25 Jumper National Championship in Toronto, then to California where there’s a large jumping circuit, then back to Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, B.C. Thankfully it’s a lifestyle she loves. “My camper is my second home,” she says with a smile. “I can’t wait for the next show as soon as I get home!”
