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Your support can help a horse named Big Nickel take his competition skills international

Make our former reporter's dreams come true: Jenny Jelen and her aptly-named horse have been competing at the national level

Many of our readers would probably remember Jenny Jelen, who worked as a lifestyle reporter for this very publication for about four years.

What you might not know is that Jelen is also a talented equestrian athlete. At the age of 25, she left journalism to pursue her dreams in the horse world.

With coaching from Canadian team rider Holly Jacks in central Ontario, Jelen and her horse Chikk-A-Chill (or Chili) rode up the levels of nationally-sanctioned horse trials to the international level.

With Chili sidelined after an injury, and then having a foal, Jelen moved south and now operates her own business, riding, training and coaching horses and riders from Effingham Stables in Ridgeville, Ont. (near St. Catharines).

Needing a new competition horse, Jelen, along with Sudburians Frances and Mike Brisebois, purchased a former race horse named Salvatore G. They renamed the striking grey gelding Big Nickel after the Sudbury landmark.

Taking a racehorse literally straight off the track and trying to turn him into an eventing horse was definitely challenging, said Jelen. 

“A lot of time and effort went into making him suitable,” she said.

She jokes that Nick, as the horse is known around the barn, and her boyfriend have a mutual dislike, as Nick is very possessive and protective of her.

Jelen and Nick have put in some serious work over the past two years and competed nationally, showing some respectable finishes.

Now Jelen is asking for your help. She said she thinks Big Nickel has the ability to compete at a two-star level, or about the same level as the Pan Am Games.

“Our show record isn't all that exciting at this point, but it's definitely at a point right now we're it's going to be bigger and better hopefully in the near future,” she said.

The thing is, Jelen doesn't have the money it will take to make this dream come true — one year of international competition can easily eat up $100,000.

That's why she's asking for people to buy into “Team Nickel,” purchasing a share of her horse.

“A one-time fee buys into Nick for four years,” Jelen said. “There's perks to being a horse owner. On a Sunday afternoon, that's an opportunity to go out for a drive to the horse show and watch your horse compete.

“As he moves up the levels, hopefully those horse shows will become more exciting.”

If this is something you're interested in, you can contact Jelen at 705-562-3187 or [email protected].


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Heidi Ulrichsen

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