Lisa Williams ready for world cup

Midrand show jumper, Lisa Williams has had a sensational time competing all over Europe and the USA but is now buckling down to train for the Longines International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) World Cup finals.

The world cup finals in Sweden from 3–7 April will be another good international test for Williams after she finished in the top 78 out of 140 contenders in her category at last year’s World Equestrian Games in America.

“[My horse] Campbell and I lacked experience at that level,” Williams told the Midrand Reporter. “In fact, I think we were the least experienced combination at championship level competing at the World Equestrian Games.”

Nevertheless, Williams described Campbell as brave and willing to try his best, jump higher and stretch more for the back rail of the oxers. Since that September, Williams and Campbell have been competing at indoor events to prepare for the world cup finals.

This included shows at the Munich Olympic Stadium, and in Salzburg, Austria and Leipzig. The pair will still compete in Dortmund and Paris before the finals start.

“Lisa’s greatest strength as a rider is her brain,” said Dominey Alexander, who has trained Williams for 12 years and visits her in Europe frequently. “She handles pressure well and is good with having a plan and sticking to it. She is a follower of plans.”

Alexander recalled how Williams has grown from strength to strength since she received her Hanoverian horse, Campbell, eight years ago. Williams herself described the horse as her good friend.

This friendship even survived Campbell’s four months of quarantine in Cape Town and Mauritius, where he was also sick for a time before he could travel overseas and compete.

The pair first won world cup qualifier series in South Africa in 2016 and 2017 to book their spots in the world cup.

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