Preparations are well underway for the touring Young Rider Showjumpers from Victoria, Australia who are heading to Towerlands in Braintree, Essex, UK with the team members, this year traveling in from different parts of the world to make up this years team.

The team heading to Towerlands are Amy Johnstone, Matt Williams, Jamie Kermond, Andrew Long and Scottie Barclay and they will be competing in the International Challenge hosted by Mike and Karen Florenz who are now based at Towerlands.

This is the second time this Challenge has included the Australian Young Riders, with last years Challenge being held at Talk of the North in Rochester, UK and also hosted by Mike and Karen who were based at that time in Rochester.

The 2003 Team consisted of Russell Morrison, Matt Williams, Jamie Kermond, Andrew Long and Scottie Barclay and for these lads it was their first adventure overseas to compete for their country. Russell Morrison had a very successful tour coming home with the Leading International Young Rider award to add to his already extensive CV and as well as the year started for Rusty, it finished when he won the World Cup Qualifier in Sale, Victoria, Australia in November, 2003. Rusty's non-inclusion on the 2004 team was due to his turning 21 in 2003 making him simply "too old" to compete for Young Riders.

Rusty Morrison seen left on board his huge and aptly named Mr Terminator competing at the recent Tempo Showjumping Spectacular held at the Sydney Olympic 2000 venue. Mr Terminator is an 18hh thoroughbred cross Quarter Horse which Rusty has produced from a 4 year old through to the talented World Cup horse he is today.

Matt Williams, Jamie Kermond and Andrew Long are three more of the very talented Victorian showjumpers who head off to Towerlands, leaving from Victoria on Wednesday, 10th March, 2004 in the company of officials for this tour, Brian Johnstone, Paul Williams and Becky Allen. For these three the experience is not a new one this time as they were all members of the 2003 team.

The new addition to this traveling team is 18 year old Victorian Amy Johnstone who fills the spot vacated by Rusty and Amy headed off to base with Nick Saville from February 8th. Nick Saville from Panama Sport Horses was the owner of the horse Panama

Springbok which Rusty had so much success on during the 2003 tour. Nick also traveled to Australia in December 2003 with the visiting English team and is again lending horses for this years Challenge so no doubt Amy will be enjoying her time based with Nick in the lead up to the Challenge. Queensland Young Rider, Rebecca Crack is also based with Nick and will no doubt be competing individually at Towerlands which is great experience for her and perhaps her experience will enthuse the very proactive Queensland EFA to organise a team of their riders to join the Challenge for 2005.

The last member of the team, Scottie Barclay has been based in Ireland for 12 months now and is certainly enjoying his time there where he is riding horses whose breeding reads like a veritable "who's who" of showjumping including names like Darco, Voltaire, Concorde, Puissance and Clover Hill. Scottie will be heading to Towerlands from his Irish base in Kill, County Kildare where he is based with Irish showjumper, Denis Flannelly.

jumpingaround.com will be bringing you daily coverage of the International Young Rider Challenge with photos and results from all classes throughout the shows and if you wish to send messages of encouragement to any of the riders competing from any of the countries please click here and we will make sure the riders receive their "good luck" messages!

As soon as lists are available of the English, Scottish and Welsh Teams we will post them here.