A BUNGAY horse rider is one of just six people in the country to gain a unique show jumping qualification.Emma Lacey, who lives in Mettingham has attained the British Show Jumping Association UK coaching certificate.

A BUNGAY horse rider is one of just six people in the country to gain a unique show jumping qualification.

Emma Lacey, who lives in Mettingham has attained the British Show Jumping Association UK coaching certificate.

The qualification is the first of its kind for the equestrian industry and focuses on the technical components of the coaching syllabus and how the coaching is delivered.

By attaining the level three standard it qualifies a coach to train pupils to national competition standard and it means Emma can now run a junior show jumping academy in the Norfolk and Suffolk area.

She said: “It's a new qualification that six of us were put forward for in the pilot and I was lucky enough to be one of them. I had to get a portfolio together and then take an exam in Gloucestershire last Monday.

“I absolutely love coaching riders and am extremely enthusiastic about my clients and their equine friends. I am thrilled to have attained the British Show Jumping Association UK Coaching Certificate level 3 and hope that though this achievement I can help riders wishing to improve their skills and broaden their knowledge.”

The 30-year-old runs a successful horse finding service called Horsematch where she recommends, searches and views the appropriate horse or pony for each client to suit their specific needs.

She also coaches all levels of rider and believes in attention to detail and correct basics to achieve progression and confidence.

Emma has a particular interest in show jumping, but has the added knowledge of the British Horse Society exam system and the Pony Club A test.

With more than a decade of experience in the equestrian industry in varying roles, she is currently the re-homing manager for Redwings Horse Sanctuary.

Emma began riding at Pakefield Riding School when she was a child and got her first pony aged 10. She spent six-and-a-half years running the equestrian centre at a boarding school in Sussex until she moved back to Mettingham.

Currently Emma has two horses at her home and three others out on loan across the country. She also still takes part in show jumping herself.

“It's a very unique qualification and I'm really proud to have achieved it. It's given me acknowledgement that I'm on the right

track and I'm a national recognised approved trainer,” she said.

Anyone interested in either being coached by Emma, using the Horsematch service and of a venue where she could set up a teaching centre should contact her via her website www.emmalacey. co.uk or telephone 07748490453.