Shalynn McCauley came home from Surrey with her head hung low not because she lost, but because her neck sported two new pieces of jewellry.
McCauley received a silver for her own performance, and her horse Odyssey’s as well, in equestrian show jumping at the B.C. Summer Games along with a bronze for the joint performance of the whole zone 8 team.
“It felt really good. I felt really accomplished,” McCauley said of the win.
A veteran of the equestrian jumping scene, McCauley’s been on horses for a good part of her life.
“My mom’s had me on a horse since I was a baby,” McCauley said.
Despite that wealth of experience, McCauley said she spent most of the preceding summer in training for her biggest tournament challege to date.
Her experience since childhood and her packed training schedule payed off with a clear final run, an accomplishment that assured her a spot on the podium as she was only one of two riders who managed to ride the last stage clean.
Now that she has a provincial level tournament under her belt, McCauley is looking forward to taking her show jumping just as far as she is able.
And while McCauley is now adorned with extra jewelry, the horse, unbeknown to it, went unrewarded by the B.C. Games organizers. McCauley, however, was sure to reward her loyal horse after the win.
He got a big carrot.