Clarissa Lyra is going around the world on horseback. Literally meaning equestrian sports has taken her to compete around the world, which results in her inevitably representing the metaphorical meaning, being that she’s well-traveled beyond her age. She started riding at nine years old in Hong Kong. At the young age of 15, she decided to move to Holland to further her academic and equestrian education. Since then, she's lived in Belgium, Portugal, England, and now calls champion showjumper Ludger Beerbaum's stable in Germany home, for the time being.

A world traveler as a busy equestrian rider, Clarissa has matured in double-time. She’s worked hard to develop mental and physical toughness, which has enabled her to successfully navigate the elite levels of equestrian sports. Her hard work is starting to pay off; today she can count on a bronze medal at the 2016 World University Games and plenty of placings at top shows among her accolades.

Clarissa is known by her peers as one of the most competitive young riders in the HKJC team, who are all competitive. While she admits that she's always had a competitive streak, she is shrewd enough to know when her horses are ready to win and always puts her horse’s best interest first and simply enjoys it when she does win. "I like to be competitive when I know I can be." she says, "It's not just on any horse at any show. There's a very long thought process that goes into deciding whether I'm going to try to win the class, or go for a nice, clear round."               

As a young rider in Europe, Clarissa regularly competes against riders she looks up to. What she lacks in years of experience, she makes up for with a mature, positive attitude; a trait she shares with the greats of the sport. Her ability to remain calm is down to her training and preparation. "I don't really get nervous" she admits, "I tend to be pretty relaxed at shows, despite having quite a bit of pressure on me as the youngest and least experienced on the team. My mindset is that if I'm not ready to jump a certain class, I won't." So when she is in the game, she is in it to win it.

She's also very down-to-earth when it comes to winning. For Clarissa, it’s not all about the glory, yet. She's focused on developing her riding skills to become competitive on the world stage. Undoubtedly the wins will follow. She's in the perfect place to make this happen; Ludger Beerbaum's stable has served as a launch pad for many top riders' careers.

By all accounts, she doesn't rest on her laurels. When at home at Ludger Beerbaum Stables, she's on her first horse at 8am, riding until lunchtime, and then helping out with chores in the afternoon. At shows, she takes every opportunity to learn. "It's really amazing to be able to be around these top riders." she says, "I think it's so important to learn, not just from having lessons, but by watching riders warm up, and seeing how people prepare for the shows and look after their horses."

Clarissa has benefitted greatly from being on the HKJC team. From the camaraderie and support from her teammates and coaching staff, to her riding and training opportunities, she has been able to reach new heights. She has travelled to some of the biggest and best competitions in Europe, including Aachen. And with her current mount, HKJC horse Catokia 2, all the doors are starting to open for this talented young rider. The 10-year-old mare, described by Clarissa as ‘super intelligent and competitive', has plenty of experience at the top levels.

Partnered with her mount Catokia 2 (provided by the Club), Clarissa rode superbly and claimed a bronze medal for Hong Kong in individual jumping at the 2017 National Games. In 2018, in addition to making her debut at the Longines Masters of Hong Kong 2018.

As a young rider with so much potential and so many opportunities ahead of her, Clarissa says that she feels humbled and excited. "I believe in myself. I have that drive to keep pushing and keep getting better, and that's what I'm trying to do", and equestrian sports have given her an outlet for all that dynamic energy.