Loading...
Times Advocate, 1998-04-08, Page 13Pizza Pizza tzzzzzzzzzzzzz:zzzzzzzzzzz Second Section - April 8, 1998 South Africa trip adventure of lifetime for Thompson Proud colors. Five of the six Canadian Pony. Club :'m'embers showed off their flashy Canadian uniforms before heading -off to South Africa. From left: Catherine Yates from Prince George, B.C., Guelph's Paige Brenner. Ailsa Craig's Lindsay Thompson. Guelph's Annie Baird, Sarnia's Heather Forbes and chef d'equipe (chape- rone) John Baird. Big cat. Thompson photographed South Africa s native wildlife including this rest- ing lion while at Kruger National Park. A different mount. Another highlight of the South African trip for Thompson was .a chance to get close to the world's biggest birds of an ostrich farm. Story by Craig Bradford Photos contributed • 1 • AILSA CRAIG - Lindsay Thompson's love of horses has taken her to the other side of the world and hack: . Thompson. 17, travelled to Johannesburg, South Africa for the first ever Invitational Show Jumping Competition on March 21-22. Still suffering from .some jet -lag when interviewed on Friday, Thuilnpson had no time to for an extended rest when she returned earlier in the week. She got home on Tuesday. .was at school on Wednesday and was a fcaturcd speaker at the Middlesex Municipalities Association annual meeting and banquet hosted by- Lucan and Biddulph Township on Thursday. •Thompson was one of a six -member Canadian Ponv ('tub learn with other members coming from Pony Clubs in Sarnia. Guelph. Saskatchewan and 13.C. - They ;left 7i►ronto's Pearson International'Airport on March 11 and flew to Amsterdam for a quick visit. then flew to Johannesburg on March 15. One of the first things Thompson noticed was the high level of security at the airport and al homes. She had a wonderful stay while billeting with Peter and Linda Smith and their daughter • Abby. but even that friendly family's home was surrounded by if high iron fence with bars on the windows and four guard dogs. Thompson said the extra protection was to ward off robbers. a big problem in the South African countryside. "You could tell how much money people had by the amount of security they had," she said. The. Canadian team competed against trams from Swaziland, Kenya. U.S.A. /,Australia. Botswana and South Africa. The ('anucks were barely edged by the host team in the competi- tion— the two teams w.erc tied -at the end of the regular competition and South Africa won by a single fence in the jump off. - • "They had the advantage." Thompson said. since the South Africans rode their own horses while all other teams had to leave their own mounts at home and choose horses out of South African stables made.availahle for the competition. Thompson fared well despite only knowing Shipshape. a 13 -year-old 16 hands -high Westphalian. for five days. Out of the total 48 -riders, she finished in the top 20 in each. of the five classes: Although second-best,Thompson said the team took great satisfaction beating out the U.S. - - But the true goal of the trip wasn't to win the competition. Thompson said — it was to pro- mote sportsmanship, citizenship and loyalty. It was also a chance to learn about South Africa - and its culture...and to have the experience of a lifetime. Thompson said highlights of the trip include the team's stopover in Amsterdam where they visited a -the Vincent Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank's house, a Dutch Warmhlood breeding farm and a large market (she brought hack fresh tulips.for her mom Connie). . Thompson said the most memorable highlight in South Africa for her was the team's visit to Kruger National Park where she saw lions. zebras and giraffes up close. "Giraffes are cool," Thompson said. "They were just hanging out by the road eating." ' The team also visited Cape Town and one of the most breath -taking sights in the- world located just outside- the city — the Cape of Good Hope which is the southernmost tip of the continent.. • Another highlight for Thompson was the team's visit to a Lippizaner school. Lippizaners are a relatively rare breed of white horses Thompson said are only found in Spain and South Africa. - Thompson said the difference between Johannesburg and Cape Town was extreme. - "You wouldn't be able to tell you were in the same country," she_said. Although Apartheid has been abolished for several years, whites and blacks in Johannesburg are still mostly segregated. while Cape Town is more cosmopolitan. Most white families have black people employed as maids. gardeners and grooms, Thompson said, who only.get paid 'about $15 Canadiana day. . "A black groom didn't believe me when i said black people don't work for white people in Canada," Thompson said. "1 told him we were equals." Thompson said she would gladly return -to South Africa. especially because of the hospitality and friendliness showed to her by the Smith family who were a touch tearful when Thompson said her goodbyes. Thompson said the Smiths welcomed her to stay with them anytime. Thompson's trip was made possible through the generous support of her sponsors including the Lucan Lions Club that donated $1,000 towards Thompson's $1.775 travel expenses, the East Williams Optimist Club, the London Pony Club (she is a member), South Huron Hospital employees (her mom is a lab technician' there), W.G. Thompson. the Exeter Royal Bank, the •Ailsa Craig Knechte.ls store, her coach Wendy Johnson, the Financial Learning Centre and friends and family. Thompson plans to continue showing and jumping her horse Spur of the Moment (or Fruittie • around the barn) on the Trillium circuit and might move up to the 'A' circuit (a step up in com- petition) for a few shows while continuing to teach riding every Wednesday. She also hopes to move up to •preliminary eventing _where riders compete in three disciplines, stadium/shoe jumping, cross-country and dressage. An .OAC student at North Middlesex District High School in Parkhill, Thompson plans to apply to the University of Guelph for animal sciences studies. )4,t46-,Lv All are welcome April 8 & 9 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Check out our new products for 1998 - CASE L Series 2 loader backhoes - WHITE Field Master Tractors - DAEWOO Solar Series Excavators - LAMBORGHINI Racing Series Tractors - WHITE Centre Fill Planters - WHITE by MTD Lawn and Garden • ZETOR Tractors Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Your complete Agricultural and Industrial dealer C„ c, LWU Salsa & service Phone (619) 238.4934 Fax (619) 238.7330 22 Main St. E., Zurich ,$) � Would you Tike a colour or black and white copy of a photograph? N OW OFFERING... CO OUR 7 0S Tit - .i PI S . ..„ 6A" sheets ,, ....,, i/// Sized onto -1 ace Cost 52.00 e same copy) toal 5•00ea (addition 424 Main St. Exeter. << ,''s �' :.. (519) 235-1331 A 4 4 *: k;''' '• • 1 • AILSA CRAIG - Lindsay Thompson's love of horses has taken her to the other side of the world and hack: . Thompson. 17, travelled to Johannesburg, South Africa for the first ever Invitational Show Jumping Competition on March 21-22. Still suffering from .some jet -lag when interviewed on Friday, Thuilnpson had no time to for an extended rest when she returned earlier in the week. She got home on Tuesday. .was at school on Wednesday and was a fcaturcd speaker at the Middlesex Municipalities Association annual meeting and banquet hosted by- Lucan and Biddulph Township on Thursday. •Thompson was one of a six -member Canadian Ponv ('tub learn with other members coming from Pony Clubs in Sarnia. Guelph. Saskatchewan and 13.C. - They ;left 7i►ronto's Pearson International'Airport on March 11 and flew to Amsterdam for a quick visit. then flew to Johannesburg on March 15. One of the first things Thompson noticed was the high level of security at the airport and al homes. She had a wonderful stay while billeting with Peter and Linda Smith and their daughter • Abby. but even that friendly family's home was surrounded by if high iron fence with bars on the windows and four guard dogs. Thompson said the extra protection was to ward off robbers. a big problem in the South African countryside. "You could tell how much money people had by the amount of security they had," she said. The. Canadian team competed against trams from Swaziland, Kenya. U.S.A. /,Australia. Botswana and South Africa. The ('anucks were barely edged by the host team in the competi- tion— the two teams w.erc tied -at the end of the regular competition and South Africa won by a single fence in the jump off. - • "They had the advantage." Thompson said. since the South Africans rode their own horses while all other teams had to leave their own mounts at home and choose horses out of South African stables made.availahle for the competition. Thompson fared well despite only knowing Shipshape. a 13 -year-old 16 hands -high Westphalian. for five days. Out of the total 48 -riders, she finished in the top 20 in each. of the five classes: Although second-best,Thompson said the team took great satisfaction beating out the U.S. - - But the true goal of the trip wasn't to win the competition. Thompson said — it was to pro- mote sportsmanship, citizenship and loyalty. It was also a chance to learn about South Africa - and its culture...and to have the experience of a lifetime. Thompson said highlights of the trip include the team's stopover in Amsterdam where they visited a -the Vincent Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank's house, a Dutch Warmhlood breeding farm and a large market (she brought hack fresh tulips.for her mom Connie). . Thompson said the most memorable highlight in South Africa for her was the team's visit to Kruger National Park where she saw lions. zebras and giraffes up close. "Giraffes are cool," Thompson said. "They were just hanging out by the road eating." ' The team also visited Cape Town and one of the most breath -taking sights in the- world located just outside- the city — the Cape of Good Hope which is the southernmost tip of the continent.. • Another highlight for Thompson was the team's visit to a Lippizaner school. Lippizaners are a relatively rare breed of white horses Thompson said are only found in Spain and South Africa. - Thompson said the difference between Johannesburg and Cape Town was extreme. - "You wouldn't be able to tell you were in the same country," she_said. Although Apartheid has been abolished for several years, whites and blacks in Johannesburg are still mostly segregated. while Cape Town is more cosmopolitan. Most white families have black people employed as maids. gardeners and grooms, Thompson said, who only.get paid 'about $15 Canadiana day. . "A black groom didn't believe me when i said black people don't work for white people in Canada," Thompson said. "1 told him we were equals." Thompson said she would gladly return -to South Africa. especially because of the hospitality and friendliness showed to her by the Smith family who were a touch tearful when Thompson said her goodbyes. Thompson said the Smiths welcomed her to stay with them anytime. Thompson's trip was made possible through the generous support of her sponsors including the Lucan Lions Club that donated $1,000 towards Thompson's $1.775 travel expenses, the East Williams Optimist Club, the London Pony Club (she is a member), South Huron Hospital employees (her mom is a lab technician' there), W.G. Thompson. the Exeter Royal Bank, the •Ailsa Craig Knechte.ls store, her coach Wendy Johnson, the Financial Learning Centre and friends and family. Thompson plans to continue showing and jumping her horse Spur of the Moment (or Fruittie • around the barn) on the Trillium circuit and might move up to the 'A' circuit (a step up in com- petition) for a few shows while continuing to teach riding every Wednesday. She also hopes to move up to •preliminary eventing _where riders compete in three disciplines, stadium/shoe jumping, cross-country and dressage. An .OAC student at North Middlesex District High School in Parkhill, Thompson plans to apply to the University of Guelph for animal sciences studies. )4,t46-,Lv All are welcome April 8 & 9 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Check out our new products for 1998 - CASE L Series 2 loader backhoes - WHITE Field Master Tractors - DAEWOO Solar Series Excavators - LAMBORGHINI Racing Series Tractors - WHITE Centre Fill Planters - WHITE by MTD Lawn and Garden • ZETOR Tractors Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Your complete Agricultural and Industrial dealer C„ c, LWU Salsa & service Phone (619) 238.4934 Fax (619) 238.7330 22 Main St. E., Zurich ,$)