Ryleigh jumps to it

Ryleigh Gale has been jumping hurdles all her sporting life – and has plenty more in front of her.

As a youngster she was immersed in the equestrian scene, guiding her horses over a series of jumps on the pony club circuit.

Then she became interested in athletics, her natural speed allowing her to enjoy success under the Marlborough Children’s Athletic Club banner.

However, it was not long before Ryleigh’s horse-borne affinity with leaping over obstacles in her path asserted itself, resulting in her specialising in short distance track hurdling, a discipline she felt was a logical progression from showjumping.

“For the first couple of seasons [of athletics] I was just doing everything,” she recalled, “then when I first tried hurdles I thought, ’I love this, this is so much fun’. It was like horse riding I guess, except that I was doing it myself, on my own.

“When we were younger my sister Carys and I used to set up jumps on the lawn and jump them like we were horses, so when I came to hurdles it just felt natural and easy … the technique was already there, the passion was there.”

And it is over the hurdles where the 16-year-old Marlborough Girls’ College year 12 student has enjoyed plenty of success over the past six months.

Highlights include victory in both the 80 metre and 100m hurdles at the Tasman schools champs, breaking both records along the way; winning gold and silver medals at the South Island schools, in the under-16 200m hurdles and 80m hurdles respectively; followed by some top performances at the Jennian open track and field nationals in March when Ryleigh competed in the under-18 grade.

Her placings of eighth in the 100m hurdles and ninth in the 300m hurdles in Dunedin consolidated her national standings and reinforced her potential at the demanding hurdles discipline.

It was Ryleigh’s second trip to the track and field nationals, but her first time she stepped up to the more senior grade.

“It was good to be in an older age group with a wider range of competition,” she said, “it opened my eyes to see how much more competitive it is.”

Since 2022 Ryleigh has been coached by Nelson-based Sarah Biss, utilising on-line training programmes, plus the occasional face-to-face session.

Competing over varying distances brings different challenges, she feels, with more concentration needed over 80m, while the 200 and 300 require more staying power.

“In the longer races you have more time to run, whereas in the 80 it is just ‘hurdle-run, hurdle-run” … just short and sharp, no time to think too much.”

Ryleigh is very much a sporting all-rounder, the teen having tried a multitude of activities.

She rode horses from an early age, competed at gymnastics from the age of 10, took up athletics the following year, played cricket, tennis, tried ju-jitsu and still plays netball for the college.

However, her attention has turned more and more to track and field in recent times, with what she describes as “steady progress” being made. “After seeing what I am up against in the under-18 grade, I have decided I need to focus on one thing and really give it my all,” she said.

An immediate goal is qualification for the Oceania champs in Australia next year. “I will have to get my time down to qualify, but I definitely want it as far as I possibly can go,” added Ryleigh.