By Daniel Nhakaniso
For Charley Barford, becoming the first Zimbabwean showjumper to qualify for the FEI World Equestrian Games is the reward for a lifetime spent chasing a dream that began at a small riding school in Norton, a suburb located about 40km west of Harare.
The 40-year-old will represent Zimbabwe at the World Equestrian Games which whill be held got underway in Aachen, Germany from Wednesday to Sunday (August 19-23) alongside her horse, Odiena Van Berimar, marking a historic moment for Zimbabwean equestrian sport.
The 10th equestrian games will feature six core equestrian disciplines at the historic Soers showgrounds, and will serve as key qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. More than 800 athletes from 70 countries will participate in the event.
But for Barford, qualification is not the destination. It is another step towards an even bigger ambition.
“I’m very proud to be the first Zimbabwean to qualify for the World Equestrian Games,” Barford told Zim Sport Live in an exclusive interview.
“I love my country and this has been a long-term dream of mine.
“I will be competing against the best showjumpers in the world and it’s an opportunity that I’m going to make the most of. This is one of the biggest showjumping events ever, with 40,000 people watching inside the stadium in Aachen.”
The road to Germany has demanded years of sacrifice.
Barford has been based in Europe since April, travelling across the continent in pursuit of the qualifying standards.
“I’ve been based in Europe since April this year, and it’s been a tough but exciting few months on the road and I’m so glad I managed to meet the qualifying requirements in time.”
Her journey in the sport stretches back almost four decades.
Barford first climbed onto a horse at the age of two after being introduced to riding by her grandmother, who ran a riding school in Norton.
Despite growing up without significant financial resources, she refused to let that stand in the way of her ambition.
“My family never had a lot of money, but from an early age I dreamed of one day representing Zimbabwe as a showjumper and I did whatever I needed to compete on ponies from the riding school.”
That determination has taken her around the world, competing not only in Europe and South Africa but also in Guatemala, Venezuela, Morocco and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
She has already represented Zimbabwe at the World Jumping Challenge, where she won gold in 2014, the 2019 African Games and a Nations Cup event in South Africa in 2015.
Away from the arena, Barford has also had to overcome profound personal loss.
“I’ve had to overcome many challenges in my journey, the hardest of which was losing my fiancé and my father within a year of each other.
“Horses have helped me stay motivated through difficult times.”
Although her World Jumping Challenge triumph remains one of the highlights of her career, Barford admits she always wanted to test herself against the world’s elite.
“I won the World Jumping Challenge in 2014, but that’s a competition that doesn’t include the best riders in the world and I was hungry to achieve more.”
A move to South Africa in 2017 proved pivotal.
There, with the backing of Zimbabwean investors, she established a high-performance stable and academy, producing horses while coaching riders from around the world.
Another turning point came two years ago when she secured the support of a sponsor who helped transform an ambitious dream into a realistic target.
“She helped me turn dreams into goals and plans, and suddenly I found myself in a position where qualification for the World Equestrian Games was a reality.”
Now, Barford wants to make Zimbabwe proud on one of the biggest stages in equestrian sport before turning her attention to an even greater prize.
“I am going to give the World Equestrian Games my best shot and I’m going to enjoy living my dream.
“I would love to represent Zimbabwe at the Olympics one day if things align, and there are plenty of things I’d still like to achieve as a rider and as a coach.”
For an athlete who first dared to dream from a riding school in Norton, the World Equestrian Games are another milestone rather than the finish line.
The Olympic Games remain the ultimate destination.