One of Britain’s most successful female show jumpers, Emma Jane Brown, met Maltese riders in a brief one-day programme aimed at giving an insight into the techniques needed to succeed in the sport.

Ms Brown visited an equestrian centre where nine horse and rider teams were given tips on how to improve their performance. A practical riding session was followed by a discussion and a question-and-answer session open to all riders interested in learning from the seasoned expert.

Based on her brief encounter with the Maltese equestrian scene, Ms Brown said riders displayed talent but now needed to consolidate their abilities with increased technical knowledge of the sport as well as through exposure to competitions, ideally at a regional level with neighbouring countries.

“These riders have shown talent and dedication. It seems the Maltese show jumping scene has reached a stage where they now need to further improve upon their level of knowledge and take it to the next level,”

She said show jumpers in Malta had to be exposed to more competition and, if possible, more training opportunities, to be able gain valuable experience and further expertise.

“The facilities in place have served their purpose well but if the sport is to improve and flourish, even better facilities and conditions need to be made available,” she said.

She felt all stakeholders must continue to explore further possibilities for training, be it of instructors, riders or judges.

Ms Brown won numerous national and international awards for her prowess in the show jumping arena and has also made a name for herself as a sports commentator and feature writer.