Cambodian show jumpers San Narith (right) and Lon Sopheaktra pose with horses at the Cambodian Country Club on Friday. Photo Supplied

Cambodian show jumpers San Narith (right) and Lon Sopheaktra pose with horses at the Cambodian Country Club on Friday. Photo Supplied

Talented teenaged horse riders Sim Narith and Lon Sopheaktra are heading to Pattaya today to participate in the King’s Cup at the Thai Polo and Equestrian Club next weekend.

The 17-year-old Sim Narith and 14-year-old Lon Sopheaktra, who ranked among the top three in show jumping during their last trip to Thailand, will be accompanied by Cambodian Country Club instructor Suparith Roy. The three-member Cambodian team’s week-long trip has been jointly sponsored by the Cambodian Equestrian Federation, the CCC and the Thai Equestrian Federation.

The prestigious King’s Cup, which is running this year in conjunction with several other sporting events as part of the 2011 Air Sea Land

Thailand Championships, involves competitions in dressage, cross country and show jumping.

However, the Cambodian riders will focus solely on their known strengths in show jumping with both the riders are yet to decide the specific categories they will be competing in.

For the Xmas Jump Off tournament during December last year, the Cambodian contingent rented their ponies. This time around, TEF President Harald Link and Secretary General Colonel San have come up with a sponsorship deal to grant free use of their steeds.

The event assumes added significance in the light of the CEF’s decision to send an Equestrian team to Indonesia for the 26th Southeast Asian Games this November.