Megan Champoux of Aldergrove has recently been named to Zone 3 for the B.C. Games in equestrian showing jumping.
She is 12 years old and has been riding since she was aged four. She is the youngest ever named to this event and her family had to challenge the age requirement last year to give her the opportunity to try out.
She went to her first show at five and by the time she was seven she was showing in California on her pony, Hocus Pocus.
Her mother Sarah said, "Last summer I was looking at the specifications of the B.C. Summer Games and I believe 14 or perhaps 13 (I can't recall) was the youngest age able to try out.
"I contacted the B.C. Games office, which put me in touch with Horse Council of B.C. It took the summer, back and forth, with reasons why Megan should be able to try out for the games and the minimum age requirement changed to allow her to try out. HCBC agreed and the changes were made sometime last August."
All through this past winter and spring Megan competed at Thunderbird in the qualifying rounds, winning many of them.
The heights that she is jumping are 1.10 metres and there are very few if any kids her age competing at this level.
Megan trains with her mother, Sarah Champoux, and Andrea Strain of Villa Training. She has also had help from another local trainer, Cassandra Kahle of SilverFox Horse sales, so there is a lot of local support behind Megan.
The horse that she is riding is Pontenelle, a 16.2 hands-high mare, owned by Shelby Fairbairn of Surrrey. She is a Dutch warmblood, a 10 year old mare. Megan has been partnered with this horse since January of 2012.
The selections were finalized in mid-June and Megan won one of two positions.