WORLD AT HIS FEET

Clinton Vandersanden dedicates seven days of his week to the training and caring for his horse Jack.

CLINTON Vandersanden has always said the first time I go on a plane will be with my horse and it is.

The 17-year-old will travel as part of the five strong Australian Young Riders squad to compete in the Trans Tasman series against each other and New Zealand.

Set to compete in his first international squad Clinton gained selection after finishing the highest placed junior at both the Sydney and Adelaide International Three-day events held earlier in the year.

Even more impressive was his sixth (Sydney) and eighth (Adelaide) placed finishes overall in the international field that included Sydney Olympics Gold Medal Winner Stuart Tinney and Athens Olympians Olivia Bunn and Rebel Morrow.

Already attuned to the sacrifices required for success at the highest level, he moved earlier in the year to Foxground Stable & Stud, under the guidance of two time Australian rider of the year Simon Cahill.

I have been competing full time for 11 years now. Dad got me my first horse and they are extremely supportive of my career I would be nowhere without them, he said.

When I left mum did lots of crying and it was hard but I have been here nearly eight months now and it is fantastic I will never regret the decision, he added.

" Simon Cahill

Cahill is a level three coach with his career highlight winning a silver medal at an international event in Saumur, France in 1995. The Foxground stables have also produced two junior Australian champions in showjumping and dressage in the last 12 months.

For Clinton his first trip overseas will be made with his horse Tarr Ritzi, who has the stable name Jack and is the horse he has taken from Pony Club to state, national and now international competition.

Jack is strong in all three disciplines show jumping, dressage and cross-country that form three-day eventing and coach Cahill is impressed with both rider and horse.

I am very impressed at what he has done with him (Jack) in only four to five years. It is quite well trained and is thee star rated and in the next 12 months we hope to see him four star rated.

In one year I expect to see Clinton in contention for the Worlds and then the Olympics.

In order to get there you have to train with an international coach. Clinton has gone from state to national to international in eight months and we are impressed, added Mr Cahill.

The new move has enabled the teenager to adopt a new approach to his trainer and although Simon is a hard taskmaster, Clinton said he is a funny guy, which adds to the experience.

Training with Simon is fantastic we work hard here. There is never a day or a time that I dont want to do it.

He is a funny guy and I have learnt really fast with him, added Clinton.

While he realises horses now consume his life, Clinton also realises it is a small price to pay for doing what he loves as he looks beyond his trip to New Zealand.

Hopefully the future will enable me to go further in horse riding and I keep getting picked for more international teams and get a bigger name for myself.

I am probably too young for Beijing but I definitely have my eyes on England.