Winner of the Junior 160k ride at the North Island Endurance and CTR Championships Lexi James with Twilight Kahlua, alongside her brother Robert (Robbie) James who won the Senior 160k ride with Delights Crystal Prince. Photo ex Facebook.

How many James’ does it take to change a lightbulb?  We’re not sure … but if it’s anything to go by, seven family members in one sport suggests this family likes to do things in bulk.  The James family travelled from as far away as Dunedin to Whareama, Wairarapa for the North Island Endurance & CTR Championships in January.  And it was not surprising to hear that they took quite a stash of prizes back home with them.

“We’ve always had a joke about it … we call it ‘family bonding’,” says Robbie.  “It’s normal as we’ve always grown up doing it, so it’s always cool for me to beat my sisters and dad now.  We are very competitive against each other.”

Youngest family member Lexi (12) and Twilight Kahlua won the CEN 160km Junior, for the second year in a row.

“Lexi is my youngest sister.  She’s very independent and doesn’t need any help on track and has her own sort of ideas, and she is very good at doing that,” he says. 

There was some healthy family rivalry as Robbie and Delights Crystal Prince won the CEI 3*/CEN Senior 160km Combined,  Jorja was placed second on Glendaar Taffeite Flame, with Jess on Glendaar Nissar  fifth, and dad Kevin on Glendaar  Fire Jewel coming sixth.  Jorja was also fifth in the CEI2*/CEN Senior 120km Combined, riding Supre Dark Nakela.

Kate and Glendaar Zerena won the CEIYJ 2*/CEN Junior Combined 120km,  and Bridgett and Glendaar Against the Wind qualified in the CEI 2*/CEN Senior 120km Combined.

Sophie was keeping things going back at the dairy farm in Rangitata.

Dad Kevin says he is proud to share his love of endurance with his family. 

“Horses have taken me all over the world and I’ve had some incredible times and met some amazing people. It’s great that my family can be part of that,” says Kevin.

“Like any equestrian sport, you have incredible highs and lows.  My mantra is that running, endurance riding and equestrian are all individual sports.  Noone cares if you train or not, unlike a team sport where there is peer pressure not to let the team down.  So, you need an extra percentage of motivation to get up in the morning and put in the hard yards.”

“The kids work incredibly hard;  they have a great work ethic, and I am proud to see what they achieve,” he says.

Well known in the equestrian community, Kevin is the family farrier for 12-13 horses.  He also bred all the horses except for Robbie’s mount.

“I’m most proud of the horses that Jorja and Kate rode, as they both came from the same mare, Rosewood Osama.  It was her dam White Stones Crystal Countess that I competed on at my first 160km in 1989.”

The family now has their sights on the South Island Champs to be held by the McKenzie Club on Clayton Station in Fairlie on 14-15 March.  We wish them well.

Breeding:

Delights Crystal Prince by Delights Dj Zarif, out of Rowallan Crystabell
Glendaar Against the Wind by Wind N Fire, out of Breeze
Glendaar  Fire Jewel by Wind N Fire, out of Diami’d
Glendaar Nissar by Wind N Fire, out of Illiad
Glendaar Taffeite Flame by Wind ‘N’ Fire, out of Rosewood Osama (Arabian Park Tycoon)
Glendaar Zerena by Wind N Fire, out of Rosewood Osama (Arabian Park Tycoon)
Supre Dark Nakela by Rivergum Dark Knight, out of Supre Nalani (Four Winds Azahi)
Twilight Kahlua Arabian by Tahira Faris, out of Nah Zala (Zaddam)

Full results on:  https://www.evoevents.co.nz/resultClass/2135887999/-1/22