Chiara vaults to glory at SA championships

At just 12 years old, Chiara Feinberg has already made her mark in the world of equestrian vaulting, a sport that blends gymnastics, dance, and horse riding into one breathtaking discipline. 

At this year’s South African Vaulting Championships in Durban from 18 to 21 September, Feinberg made history by coming first in all four categories: individual horse; barrel; pairs horse; and pairs barrel. She also won the prestigious award for top-scoring vaulter across all age groups. 

“It felt really good to achieve my goal,” Feinberg said. “I wasn’t expecting to beat 16-year-olds. That was a surprise!” 

She describing her sport as being “like gymnastics, but on a horse”. 

Feinberg competes in C grade, a level few vaulters her age ever reach. “From C grade and up, everything’s in canter,” she said. “Then you move up to three star [vaulting] when you go to the world championships.” 

Her mother described her performance in Durban as a turning point in Feinberg’s journey. “She’s in for an incredible journey ahead. She’s starting to compete internationally to prepare for the Junior World Championships.” 

Feinberg’s love for vaulting began in Grade 1, when a school project unexpectedly introduced her to the sport. “It was an oral that had to be about a sport,” she recalled. “My friend and I both did horse riding, but we wanted to do something more uncommon. So, we googled ‘uncommon horse sports’ and found vaulting. The more I learned about it, the more I wanted to do it, and a year later, I started. Now, I’m in love with it.” 

A background in gymnastics gave her an early advantage. “I’ve been doing gymnastics since I was three years old, and I started vaulting when I was seven,” she said. 

Competing at national level comes with unique challenges. “It’s an amazing experience,” Feinberg said of the championships.  “You don’t really know what to expect, like the horse’s stride, their personality, their size. It’s always different. But it’s fun getting to know the horse and hanging out with the Johannesburg and Durban girls.” 

Because of travel restrictions, Feinberg’s team doesn’t compete on its own horses. “Our horses can’t travel,” she said. “The people from Durban use their own horses, so they get a bit of an advantage. But we always do quite well.” 

Before this year’s championship, Feinberg travelled to Durban to train with her competition horse. “We went up the weekend before just to do a practice round and get used to him,” she said. “It was good, because on the weekend of the championships, he couldn’t train. He is 22 years old. If we hadn’t gone before, I would have had to get used to him in one day.” 

Vaulting is judged on precision, artistry, and connection. “There are three parts to your score,” Feinberg said. “Your artistry; movement with the horse; and then the horse itself gets a score. If the horse does a terrible job, it lowers your score. If it’s really smooth and good, it brings your score up.” 

In addition to her individual events, Feinberg and her partner also excelled in pas de deux, the pairs competition. “We had been given our routine only a few weeks before the competition,” she said. “On the day, the tack started falling off in the middle of our routine, so we just had to improvise in the arena. It was nerve-racking, but we made it work.” 

Balancing this level of training with schoolwork is no easy feat. “I do gymnastics about 12 to 15 hours a week; circus training for nine hours; and vaulting three times a week,” she said. “I train for eight hours on Saturdays, too. I really listen in class to make sure I don’t miss anything, and then do my homework and study after everything, usually until about 22:00.” 

Her sights are now firmly set on the Junior World Championships. “Next year, there’s a qualifier called Concours de Voltige International, an official international equestrian vaulting competition,” she said. “I’m finally at the right level to try to qualify. If I make it, I’ll get to go six weeks before, train with world champions, stay on a horse farm, and meet vaulters from around the world.” 

Feinberg has already trained with four-time world champion Lambert Leclezio, who holds workshops for aspiring international vaulters. “I get to train one-on-one with him when he’s here in Cape Town. It’s amazing,” she said. 

She credits much of her progress to her coach, Steffi Taylor, who was part of the German national team and has coached South Africa’s world championship squad. “It’s amazing that I get to train with her every week,” Feinberg said. “She’s one of the best coaches in the world.” 

With her determination, grace, and growing list of titles, Chiara Feinberg is fast becoming one of South Africa’s brightest young sporting talents. And as her mom says, her journey is only just beginning.