BSB Celine - An Aspiring Star

Congratulations to Celine for her accomplishments!

Foreword by Year 8 student Yasmin El-Kaffash Chesaru

Celine Chu is our Year 9 BSB student. Her classmates describe her as quiet a smart young lady that always puts in her best effort for everything and she has another intriguing quality. Although only 14, she is famous for a very interesting sport. Show jumping!

Show jumping is a competitive equestrian sport that was founded in England and includes the participant riding on a horse that can jump hurdles and obstacles. It entered the Olympics in the year 1900 but has been going on since the 18th century. It is a sport that has always been highly respected.

A display of Celine’s talent is shown in a recent competition of hers. Out of around 100 people, Celine and her team won fourth place! She’s clearly displaying her talents as well as her horses, Justice and Domino. Great job Celine! Great job Justice and Domino!

What makes show jumping such a difficult sport is the personality traits needed to succeed at it. In order to become a successful show jumper, one must have patience, perseverance, empathy and desire for improvement. A clear display of BSB’s teachings and IB Profile Learner Traits. All we can say is - Go Celine!

Please see an Interview with Celine and find out why she likes equestrian competitions!

1. What do you like about horseback riding and show jumping?

I was 11 when I first learned to ride and have been doing it for almost 3 years now. What I love most about horseback riding is that you get to connect with an animal who has his/her own feelings. They are like your partners and you’re working with them to get to the same goal. Horse riding trains you and makes you a different person - not only does it keep you fit but, it also requires mental exercise. You have to remember the course of the obstacles.

2.When did you first participate in Show jumping equestrian contests?

My first equestrian contest was hosted in Shanghai Song Sheng equestrian club. That was my first competition and I didn’t know any of the rules. The judge hasn’t even rung the bell for me to start and I already began to jump though the obstacle course so of course I got disqualified from the competition. But on the same day I had another competition called Pole competition and I competed very well and got an overall score of 92 and won the competition! This was on 27th December, 2020.

3.What did you learn from participating in equestrian contests?

Equestrian contests has taught me dedication, discipline, understanding, and compassion. I have also learned that no matter what, it’s never the horses’ fault. For example if you fall off, you never blame the horse, instead, you pick yourself up and try again. 

4.Please tell us some of the equestrian awards you’ve achieved

Yes, I have a number of equestrian awards. Some of the highest awards I have received are 6th place in the 120cm contest, and 2nd place in the 115cm contest.

I just completed two in February 2023. In the “2023 All-Star Bird's Nest Road Series Equestrian League Taicang Equestrian Grand Prix competition”, my teammates and I won 4th place. In the “China National Youth Equestrian Contest, Shanghai”, I got good placement among the more than 500 combinations of people and horses in the 110cm class.  

In some of these events, I was competing in the same competition with professional riders, some of them were even from the national Olympic team.

5.What is one of your most unforgettable moments related to equestrian sport?

There was this one time, before the competition in the warmup area, my horse rejected the jump and I fell off my horse. I felt really devastated and didn’t know if I should still compete or not. But when I went to the arena, the horse suddenly had a lot of energy and helped me go through the obstacle course with ease. And I ended up winning the competition!

Well done, Celine! We wish you every success in pursuing your passion!

Photo courtesy of Celine Chu