Ariat Rider of The Month - Chelsea Higgins

Congratulations to our August Ariat rider of the month, Chelsea Higgins. Chelsea is the youngest member of the Para Equestrian Games Team.

You are only 19 years old, did you expect to be going to a WEG so young?

I didn’t expect to be going to The World Equestrian Games and representing my country. It has always a dream of mine and a goal to achieve at some stage in my life, but it has happened a lot more quickly than I could have imagined.

Tell me about the moment you heard the news that you had made the WEG Para-Equestrian team.

It was very surreal, it didn’t really hit me because I was by myself when I got the phone call. It didn’t hit me until the next day when Equestrian Australia made the official announcement and it went public, and I got the congratulations, and the phone calls, that’s when it really hit me. When something that you have worked so hard for comes true it is the most amazing feeling.

Tell us about your horse HP Comedian?

Comedian is 17 year old warmblood, we bought him in 2011. He was competing at Grand Prix when we bought him, and we have done a few Prix St Georges, then I decided to focus on Para-Equestrian.

Comedian and I have an incredible bond, I have never had a horse like him before, he is my best friend. When I go to the stables he whinny’s when he sees me, and I feel as though he would do anything for me. His name Comedian suits his personality, he thinks he is funny, he is a very cheeky horse, and I love him!

What do you do in your spare time between preparing for WEG?

I don’t have a lot of spare time at the moment, in my spare time I like to hang out with my friends, because I don’t have any family down here (Chelsea is temporarily based down in Melbourne to help her prepare for WEG) I have to have one day off every week because my body needs to rest. It’s important in my preparation that I do rest as I fatigue easily so I spend a lot of my spare time resting.

How will you be spending your 20^th Birthday?

My 20^th birthday will be after I finish competing, so I will have my 20^th Birthday in Paris, then I will be going to London and after that I am doing a Contiki tour!!

What are your plans post WEG?

After WEG and when I return from overseas, I will be focusing on Rio Paralympics 2016. Rio is my next long term goal.