International showjumper Yazmin Pinchen has announced plans to step back from riding to focus on her family and her equine breeding programme.
Yazmin, who has a five-year-old son, Harry, is expecting her second child in six weeks with partner Nick McCulloch and told H&H Harry is “looking forward” to being a big brother.
“I want to thank everyone for their support over the years – I‘ve had some amazing horses and achieved things I never imagined,” she said.
“There is so much more I want to achieve and will, but for now I am taking this time to step down from riding and focus on my growing family.”
Yazmin plans to concentrate on her breeding programme with 19-year-old stallion Van De Vivaldi, whom she has owned since he was seven. The pair competed at the 2011 young rider Europeans and in 2015 won the Bolesworth grand prix, a “career high” for Yazmin.
“I’m trying to get some offspring from Vinnie so my plan is to start producing and maybe sell some good ones, and just get a bit of a name for myself,” she said.
“He’s still sound and probably capable of going on but I thought with my baby due around the end of March, and realistically by the time I’m back, we’re going to have lost a whole breeding season so I thought at this time I should focus on that and then maybe towards the end of the year [consider competing again], but he’s ticking on 20 so it all just depends.
“I would never want to push him because he’s been the horse of a lifetime for me and I owe him so much. I think if I can just give him an easy life, and see how he finds it, then we’ll go from there. I would never want to make him do something he’s not happy doing. Right now he’s not jumping but my team is riding him at home hacking and doing the odd bit.”
Yazmin added that she knows she can come back to riding when she is ready.
“I wish the new riders on horses I have had the pleasure of riding the best of luck and can’t wait to follow their journey,” she said.
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