It was a fierce year for 9-year-old Nina Hamming from Assen. A brain tumor was discovered in November. Many treatments and operations followed. All the while riding was a unloading valve. All that training has now also yielded a nice title.
Nina independently prepares her pony for training in the horse box behind the house. She knows exactly what to do, because she comes from a real horse family. “I was already driving a horse when I was one and a half,” she says proudly. Her father Jerry nods in the affirmative.
It has been a year since Nina fell from her pony and that the entire rollercoaster around her illness started. “I had to go to the doctor, because I had some problems with my head. The doctor then said that I could go to the pediatrician better.” Nina received a scan in the hospital and the result was not good. Nina had a brain tumor. “I was very sad and I was in a lot of pain,” Nina looks back.
The world of little Assense and her parents was turned upside down. “Your whole world collapses,” says her father. “But that Nina has always remained positive has given us a lot of strength as a family.” Between the operations and chemos, Nina found her salvation in the stable and in the horse box. “My pony understands me very well. And if you are sad, you can hug.” That way she could forget her worries.
Nina lost her hair during the chemo, she didn’t like that. She comforted comfort in brushing her mother’s hair, or her pony’s. “Then it’s just like I’m brushing my own hair,” she says with a smile.
All that horse riding has now also yielded a nice price. Nina recently became Dutch champion in Putten, in the Bixie category. That category can be seen as a stepping stone for regular competitive sport. “It’s a class with not too much competition pressure,” Jerry explains. “So that children can drive with pleasure.”
Nina is very happy with the title. Incidentally, her pony is actually her neighbor. “But I can drive on it.” From now on she continues to train fanatically, she says. “So that I can get even better!”
Nina is now better. “I feel really good,” she says happily. Although she will stay under control for a while. How she finds that, all those visits to the hospital? “Nice, because then I can watch a movie,” she says triumphantly.
Nina sees the positive of everything.