Sixteen-year-old Waterfall rider Ela Vita Kastelic finished second in her first South African Junior Derby, earning a place on the national podium at Kyalami Park.

Ela competed with her 13-year-old Hanoverian mare, Callaho Valencia, in the 1.30m Toyota SA Junior Derby on Saturday, 3 October 2026. The official results confirm that 21 combinations entered the class. 

Both horse and rider completed the opening round without penalties, finishing in 109.22 seconds and qualifying for the jump-off.

They produced another clear performance in the deciding round, stopping the clock at 33.88 seconds.

Jade Anderson won the title aboard Capital Kasane, completing the jump-off in 31.86 seconds. Jaimie Riley and Sunny Park Crispin placed third in 34.72 seconds.

Ela’s second-place finish earned her R10,000 in prize money. 

A strong result on her derby debut

Ela told the Midrand Reporter that she was nervous before competing but drew confidence from the work she put into preparing for the event.

Her training included improving her hand stability, upper-body position and speed. She credited Callaho Valencia as an important part of her performance. 

The result followed the pair's second-place finish in the 1.30m qualifying competition at Kyalami Park the previous day. They completed that round without penalties in 63.03 seconds. 

Ela has already competed beyond South Africa. In 2024, she represented the country at the FEI Jumping Children’s Classics Final in Mexico, where she received a sportsmanship award.

Her latest performance adds a national Junior Derby podium to that growing record.

The Bottom Line

A first Junior Derby can be an imposing test, but Ela and Callaho Valencia delivered clear rounds when it counted.

Finishing just over two seconds behind the winner gives the Waterfall teenager a strong result to build on as she continues competing at junior level.