EXTREME conditions seem to suit local rider Jo Chisholm — first it was the torrential rain and wind on Exmoor and now the blistering heat of the Ardennes region of Belgium.
After winning a silver medal in one of the toughest endurance rides on the calendar — the Golden Horseshoe — the rider has just returned from competing with the Great Britain Intermediate Endurance Team where she was awarded 12th place.
Jo's latest challenge was to ride 64 miles in temperatures reaching 35 degrees centigrade across hilly terrain and stony tracks in her first international endurance ride.
On her Arab gelding Grey Medlar, Jo has made her mark on endurance, showing great skill and stamina to take the highest medal in this year's Golden Horseshoe on Exmoor, where riders experienced the worst conditions ever in the event's history.
She said she was pleased with her latest achievement, especially as only 24 finished out of 33 starters.
'It was very hot but I did not find the hills too challenging', said the Lydford resident, whose regular training on Dartmoor has prepared her for anything.
'My aim now is to qualify for the senior team which will be competing in Ireland next year and ultimately to compete in the Olympics if and when endurance riding becomes an Olympic sport.'