Squamish equestrian Ailsa Antilla celebrated hard but competed even harder to take a gold and a silver medal at the BC Summer Games Thursday to Sunday (July 23 to 25) in the Township of Langley.
Riding her pony Celtic Fyre, the 13-year-old proved her skills against 14 of the top riders in the province to capture the medals over two days.
"It was a wonderful experience," said her mother Jinny Antilla. "The whole weekend really went well. There were a number of great riders and the whole weekend was excellently planned."
Friday's jump off saw Ailsa miss capturing a gold medal by half a second, but she still excelled as one of only two riders to clear both jumps. Saturday's rounds were similar to the highest level of jumping events, the grand prix, as seen on television, and Ailsa surpassed everyone, posting the best time and winning the gold.
Giving it her all on Friday and Saturday, Ailsa was exhausted by the time Sunday's jumping event took place, finishing in eighth place. Antilla said many of the competitors were tired after having such a good time at events hosted by the Games.
"On Friday and Saturday there were pretty big dances," she said. "By Sunday morning, the kids were exhausted and I don't think they had too much sleep."
By the end of the weekend, it wasn't only Ailsa that was tired but also Cetlic Fyre. As one of the smallest horses competing, she was forced to jump and run more intensely throughout the weekend than her taller counterparts. The horse is now resting comfortably amongst friends, said Antilla.
The weekend was also an "excellent learning experience" according to Ailsa's mom, which may come in handy when the young jumper returns to Langley at the Thunderbird Show Park later in August.
Following that competition, Ailsa will travel to Calgary to compete John Anderson Rocky Mountain Show jumping classic tournament, which takes place from Aug. 18 to 22.
With a good showing there, Ailsa could potentially be on the way to Dubai to compete in the Fédération Équestre Internationale's children's final, which is scheduled for later this year.
