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The creator of the UK’s first all-female stunt riding show, which showcased at this year’s North Show has said she was inspired to be a stunt rider from a young age.
Equestrienne Stunt Shows Creator, Nicky De Neumann, started trick riding at the age of 14. “Trick riding has always been male dominated, but I wanted to show that women can take part too,” she said.
“There have been times when I was learning that I would be told ‘that’s a boy trick you can’t do that’, or that I could be a part of show but only do one trick and would have to wear a princess dress. I really wanted to create an all-girl stunt team to show what women can do.”
Pictured: Ms De Neumann said she trains her four stunt riding horses "daily" and tailors routines to what they enjoy doing.
Equestrienne features western and Cossack trick riding, Roman riding, horse fire jumping, liberty, jousting, trick shooting, horse-back sword fighting and rearing horses.
Ms De Neumann said she had a “huge sense of pride” when performing.
“We train so hard and its hours and hours every day training my four horses. When the horses do well and you see the audience faces it’s an amazing feeling,” she said.
“I particularly love it when little girls show an interest and they just love watching the horses. I have two young daughters who travel everywhere with me and they love it and have already shown an interest.”
Pictured: Ms De Neumann has been stunt riding since she was 14. (Credit: Equiestrienne Stunt Riding.)
Ms De Neumann has trained the four horses in her stunt show “from scratch”.
“I have two ex-racehorses, a Spanish horse and an Arabian mare and I train them every day. It’s really important to me that the horses love what they’re doing, so I tend to get them doing what they enjoy. Some prefer jumping while others prefer liberty work,” she said.
“Trick riding can, of course, be dangerous but the aim is to learn the skills and not get hurt. To be a trick rider you need tenacity, courage, bravery, strength, fitness and to be a bit fearless.”
Pictured: Ms De Neumann's Equestrienne Stunt Show performed at the North Show on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Ms De Neumann said that people had expected her to give up after she had children.
“I want to keep doing this for as long as I possibly can. Everyone expected me to stop when I had my first daughter, who is now 5 but I carried on. When my second daughter, now two, was born everyone said that I wouldn’t be able to keep it up with two kids, but here we are,” she said.
Pictured top: Credit Equestrienne Stunt Shows
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