Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2010 | Page 30

life

INTERVIEW

February/March 2010

Photo: Charlotte Chapman aged 10

Sisters who excel
JUDY Chapman doesn’t strike you as the

her for the British Eventing Pony Team in

archetypal pushy mum. She’s cuddly and

2012/13 and notes that she is unusual for

she wants to do, but she’s really easy to

giggly, not the sort to be found on the

her age:

teach because she’s so hungry to take in

touchline yelling instructions. Yet Judy’s

“She can actually feel what’s happening

“Emily is really focused about what

everything you’ve got to give her.”

two daughters are showing dangerous

to her body and to the horse. Most

signs of excelling in their respective

children have to be much older than 12 to

is not interested in horses. (She has been

sports. “I don’t need to push,” she says.

sort that out.”

known, in fact, to suggest they would

“They push themselves.”

Emily was just three years old when she

Then there is Charlotte. The little sister

make a good burger.) When she was five

Emily Chapman is 12 and rides ponies.

first rode a friend’s pony – and screamed

she was invited to a friend’s ice skating

Charlotte Chapman is 10 and ice skates.

when her mum tried to take her off it. It

party. “Actually it was the Friday night

What makes these apparently ordinary

was when she did her first cross country

disco, bu t she wasn’t upset by all the big

Node Hill middle school girls stand

ride and Emily wasn’t fazed by jumps

teenagers. She loved it.”

out from their peers is that both are

or obstacles that Judy knew she was

champions in their sports.

hooked. She found a trainer for her, Ann

her life is, five years later, dominated

Emily’s quiet demeanour hides a robust

From that first rather confident step

Plimley, and Emily is now accomplished at

by skating. “She has a Sunday morning

determination: “I get cross with myself if

eventing. Sorrel, who has been training

lesson and spends a few hours there.

things go wrong when I’m riding – I don’t

Emily and her somewhat feisty pony

Monday, there’s a lesson in the evening.

blame anyone else.” Sorrel Warwick, who

Johnny for six months, is impressed with

Wednesday she sometimes skates for

trains riders for the Olympics, has tipped

the young girl:

a couple of hours. Thursday, she does a

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