last updated on March 25, 2010 16:38

Nicola McGivern’s Olympic ride, Active Walero, who retired from grand prix competition at the National Championships in 2009, is to get a new lease of life as a schoolmaster. Two lucky riders will benefit from the 19 year old gelding’s wisdom and experience over the next 12 months; Young Rider Susannah Coleridge Smith and Horse Hero founder Fiona Price.

During the year Susannah is aiming for selection for the Young Rider Squad while eventer turned dressage rider Fiona hopes to fulfil her ambition to ride under FEI rules and see how far she can go. They will share the ride under the watchful eye of Nicola.

Nicola and Walero hold a European Team bronze medal and competed at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Nicola says of her equine partner “I cannot ask anymore from Walero but also he does not want to retire and is still a lunatic every morning to lead in hand. He is now a professor of dressage and it is a joy to see Fiona and Susannah learning so much from him. Walero has given me everything I could ever have wished for. He is a horse that truly when I look at him makes my heart ache.”

19 year old student Susannah Coleridge Smith makes her first competitive outing with Walero at Addington CDIJYP 2-4 April 2010. Nicola's support for Susannah and belief in her ability has inspired her to try for Young Riders and she now travels home two to three times a week for lessons.

Meanwhile Fiona Price is looking forward to fulfilling every amateur rider’s dream and will be sharing her journey into the world of dressage on the Horse Hero website. Having always preferred jumping to flatwork, ‘project Walero’ as it has affectionately been titled is sure to offer a new challenge and a steep learning curve that will provide lots of insight and entertainment on film.

Fiona commented; “This is just so exciting. After filming lots of dressage on Horse Hero, I started to fantasise about what it would be like to ride dressage at top level, which was a little surprising as my background and aspirations are in eventing! I filmed Nicola and Walero at the Nationals last year and Nicola told me in her interview that was the last Grand Prix ride for them as a partnership. I have adored Walero for years and plucked up the courage to phone Nicola and put to her the seed of the idea for this project. I can hardly believe it’s now happening. The reality is a lot more scary than the fantasy!”

Fiona will be documenting the project on www.horsehero.com with regular videos of training sessions and competitions, blogs and video postings; tune in to see how they progress. Project Walero is sponsored by Active Equestrian in conjunction with Winergy Feeds and Chiltern Equine Vets.