NSW state dressage championships

Lily and her horse B-Man (Bailey) competed at the state championships held at Tamworth in July, where she not only represented her pony club but also her zone.

She entered show riding and dressage phases, taking out second place in her Novice 2.1 and fourth place in her Novice 2.3.

This placed her third overall in the 15-17 years age bracket.

Last month Lily represented Nambucca Valley Christian Community School at the Tamworth Interschool Horse Extravaganza, which this year had over 600 riders competing, from primary school age through to senior years.

Lily competed in the show riding and dressage phases, coming home with a fourth and a fifth in her Novice Dressage tests and Reserve Champion Senior Rider in the Show Riding phase.

Lily was first put on a horse by her grandma when she was four years old.

“My Nan took me out riding on an old stock horse that she had, that was my first ride,” Lily said.

She started at pony club at six years old and had her own little palomino pony by the time she was eight.

Her current horse, B-Man, is 18 years old and has a spur on his fetlock, so she can’t jump him, but a few months ago she acquired a five-year-old warmblood filly called Goldie (Goldheist) and she is looking forward to doing more advanced dressage with her as well as jumping.

Lily says the proudest moment of her riding career so far was getting third overall in state dressage.

“That was pretty big because I’d just moved up into that age group,” Lily said. “I was a bit nervous that year.”

Apart from hoping to do well at the state championships in January, her longer-term goals include competing at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney and perhaps one day making the Olympics for dressage.