Andrea Agnew is a Canadian show jumper formerly from Prince George, BC, who has been living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for the past 18 years. Along with her husband Farhang Sedeghi, she owns and runs Sustainable City Equestrian Club, a popular, family-oriented facility offering riding lessons, carriage rides, parties and horse shows which hosted its first CSI2* in 2019.
Star and Rasta Man. (courtesy Andrea Agnew)
The couple’s daughter, Star (Setareh) Sadeghi is already riding ‒ and winning ‒ at the international level representing Canada in show jumping. On January 28th, the young rider won the FBMA International Show Jumping Cup Children’s Final aboard Rasta Man. Proud mom Andrea said, “This was an astonishing achievement, as this competition consisted of the very best children riders from all the Gulf area, where show jumping is a very popular and well-funded sport.”
The win was especially impressive owing to Star’s age. “Star was the youngest rider in the competition at 11 years old, and her horse was the oldest at 21,” said Andrea. “This was only her second-ever international competition (she was too young to compete in the CSI Children’s category before January 1st of this year). We’re so super proud of her, and of course our incredible Rasta Man.”
Star is coached by her mom, a EC-qualified coach who has been competing herself already this year riding Puck, a 15-year-old Hanoverian, and Hagel, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding, in 2* events in the UAE.
Horse Sport magazine did an interview with Andrea 13 years ago after she first moved to Dubai, a brave leap for a young woman leaving all she knew in Canada and exploring a new life. Now 40, she is happy and successful and has two beautiful children, horses to compete and a busy stable to run. She said during a Canada Day video on EC’s Facebook in 2019: “I love living in Dubai, but there are so many things I miss about living in Canada. I miss going for trail rides through the forest, I miss my old coach, Tamie Phillips, I miss Spruce Meadows and I miss all my friends and family.”
These days Andrea doesn’t have much time to be homesick; her facility is hosting the Sustainable City Horse Show on February 23-26, featuring show jumping, skydiving, a trade fair, fashion show, dog adoption, kids’ activities … and camel polo!
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