Local young riders have plenty to celebrate following five days of competition at the 2026 Inter-Schools Horse Extravaganza in Tamworth

FOURTEEN young equestrians from the Medowie area travelled to Tamworth to compete against thousands of school-aged riders from across Australia, returning with an impressive collection of results and experiences that extended well beyond the competition arena.

Representing Medowie Christian School, the team included riders aged from five to 15 competing across a range of equestrian disciplines at one of Australia’s premier inter-schools competitions.

Among the standout performances was Elouise and her horse Blaze, who claimed the Intermediate Dressage Preliminary Championship after winning their class with two outstanding scores.

For Elouise, the competition was also an opportunity to discover more about her new partnership with Blaze, who was attending a major competition for the first time.

“I learnt that Blaze is incredibly safe and calm, even when attending a big competition for the first time,” she said.

She was equally grateful for the encouragement of the friends and family who supported her throughout the event.

Regan also enjoyed a successful competition with Jinx, winning the Lightweight Open Galloway class despite the pair having known each other for just two weeks.

Her favourite event was showjumping, where she discovered just how quickly the pair could adapt to new situations.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to compete and that I have lots of friends and family that support me,” she said.

There were further reasons to celebrate for Dusty and his horse Sugar, who secured first place in pairs, second in his rider class and third and fourth places in hacking.

Dusty particularly enjoyed the pairs competition and came away having learnt a new skill.

“I learnt how to get into a canter on the right lead,” he said, adding that he was thankful for having such a good time.

His riding partner Willow, competing with Bob, also achieved an impressive collection of results, placing second and 11th in her dressage tests, sixth in hacking and second in her riding class.

Willow said her favourite events were the dressage tests, particularly having the opportunity to ride alongside friends with her parents there to support her.

She also took away an important lesson from the judge about maintaining position and working together during pairs riding.

For the younger competitors, the experience was as much about learning and developing confidence as it was about results.

Sophie and her pony Suzie had a particularly successful event, finishing eighth overall in Primary Preliminary Dressage and winning first place in the Rider Class, earning qualification for the Supreme Champion Rider Class.

The pair also completed two clear showjumping rounds, finishing 11th overall, and secured second place in their hack class.

Sophie said hacking was her favourite event and she was particularly proud of learning to take greater initiative throughout the competition.

“When I didn’t get called in for a class I didn’t let it get me too upset,” she said.

Her attitude reflects the resilience and sportsmanship that the team coaches had encouraged throughout their preparation.

Amber and her horse Billy also performed strongly, finishing fourth in their Preliminary Dressage group.

While the results were pleasing, Amber said one of her biggest takeaways was learning to develop greater harmony with her horse.

Her favourite part of the event was watching the popular Woof and Hoof competition, an entertaining feature of the program that she said was unlike anything she had seen elsewhere.

She was also grateful for the opportunity to spend time with her Mum and friends doing something they all loved.

The five-day event featured a diverse program including dressage, showjumping, showhorse, one-day eventing, combined training, working horse challenge, campdraft and sporting events, alongside the much-loved evening entertainment.

For the Medowie team, it marked their fourth year attending the Independent Schools Horse Extravaganza and their largest contingent to date, with 14 students making the trip.

Team manager Diane Pietsch and coaches Matt and Emma Broome from Voller Park Performance Horses had supported the riders through months of preparation, including training sessions throughout the school holidays.

Their focus extended beyond technical riding skills to building confidence, sportsmanship, responsibility towards their horses and a strong sense of teamwork.

The results in Tamworth demonstrated the dedication of the young riders, however, the friendships and encouragement shared between competitors of different ages remained just as important.

By Jacie WHITFIELD